Recovery

Part XVII

All five former interns were once again gathered around their lunch table chatting about their day, there were now a quarter of the way through their second year and were now residents. Addison, Derek, Mark and Miranda were sitting at the table next to them and yet again Mark tossed Alex an orange. Miranda shook her head at Derek, who once again had his head buried in his blackberry. This had been bothering George, he thought it was weird that Sloan kept throwing oranges at Alex. He cleared his throat, "So Alex why does Sloan keep giving you oranges?"

"Because he thinks I'm a great surgeon," he grinned.

"If that were the case he would be giving me the oranges because you suck," Cristina chimed in.

"Ugh," Izzie rolled her eyes. "It's because Derek is a moron," Izzie said under her breath.

"What?" Alex and George asked.

"Oranges make Addison nauseous and Derek keeps bringing them to her."

"Oranges make her sick?" George looked curiously at the table next to them. He watched Bailey it was her turn to yet again swap her chocolate pudding for Addie's butterscotch and she placed a glass of ice on her tray, Addie poured her milk over the ice. George shrugged and turned his attention back to his own table.

She furrowed her brow, "I can't believe she is considering marrying him again."

Meredith's eyes widened, "What?"

"Are you serious?" Cristina asked with surprise.

"He asked her to marry him again," Izzie rolled her eyes. "I don't know how she could even consider it, seriously the man is hopeless."

"Of course she would consider it, Derek will make a wonderful father." Meredith sank back into her chair and studied the group at the table next to them. Her superiors seemed to be enjoying their lunch Addison, Derek and Mark were laughing at something Bailey had said. She watched Derek lean over and gently placed his hand on Addison's shoulder. She narrowed her eyes, of course she is going to marry him again. Derek was wonderful and he is the father of her child. After all Derek was the one who wanted out of their marriage, not Addison. Meredith leaned her head on her hand and rubbed her temple, thinking about them back together was giving her a headache.

The group sitting next to the residents continued to chat and for a minute it looked like Miranda was going to give Derek a smack upside the head, he was rescued by his pager going off. He rose from the table leaned down and kissed Addison on the side of the head and left the room. "So just how many times does he have to eat lunch with you before he figures out what you like to eat?"

Both Mark and Addie laughed. "We figured about the time I go back to liking butterscotch pudding and oranges," Addie smirked.

Miranda shook her head, she wasn't too sure about Derek; he still had a lot to prove to her. But if Addie decided she wanted to be married to him again that was her business.

"I know both of you are freaking out about Derek asking me to marry him, and I appreciate that you are keeping your opinions to yourself," she smiled at both of her friends. "I don't want you to worry; I'm not going to rush into anything. I already decided I am going to tell him we need to wait until after the baby is born before we decide anything."

Miranda blew out a sigh of relief and nodded at her friend. Good she thought she still does have some common sense.

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Derek and Addison sat at the kitchenette in the trailer, they had just finished up their dinner and Derek cleared the table. They hadn't discussed the marriage proposal yet. Addie did know she would refuse to fly to Vegas to get married. She did think her father was right; she should wait until after the baby was born to make such a monumental decision.

Derek walked over to the only closet in the trailer. "I have something for you," he said with a smile. He pulled out a large roll of papers, walked back over to the table, stood next to it and unrolled the papers.

Addie looked down at the blue prints in front of her and frowned, "What is this?" she asked beginning to worry.

"I am going to have a house built for us on the land," his smile grew larger.

Addie's brow furrowed. "But I already have a house," she replied evenly. A house that I love she thought to herself angrily.

"But this would be for us and our family, it will be a home," he went on.

"But I already have a home Derek," she looked up at him still frowning. "And I love living there."

"But this would be for us," he was starting to complain.

"Derek why do you just dismiss my feelings?" she leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms across her chest. "You know maybe if you would come to the house, you would understand how I feel about it," she irritably.

"I've seen it," he stated flatly.

"You haven't been inside," she pursed her lips. "I don't understand why you refuse to come over. It's not like you haven't been invited." She looked down at the plans for the cabin and held her hand out to them. "This is not what I want. I'm sorry Derek, but I am really happy with the home I have already." She looked up at him trying to get him to understand how she felt. "And if you can't accept that we are going to have problems."

"Okay you are right I should have discussed this with you first, I'm sorry," he walked over and wrapped his arms around her and kissed the side of her head. He sat back down at the table and gave her a fragile smile.

She relaxed and said smiled shyly at him, "I have something for you." She reached down to her purse and pulled out a box and slid it over to him.

He carefully opened it and a smile spread across his face it was a paper weight that had a picture frame in it; right now it had a picture from her latest ultrasound.

He stood up and pulled her to her feet wrapping his arms around her. "Thank you, I love it," he whispered in her ear. She snuggled into his shoulder and closed her eyes, maybe they can make this work, she thought. Then he whispered in her ear again, "If you keep this up you are going to make me fall in love with you again."

Her eyes snapped open; did he really just say that? She tensed in his arms. Her mind was racing going over the last four months they had spent together. That's when it began to dawn on her; he never once told her he loved her. It was always about the baby and their being a family. She gently pushed away from him. She looked up into his eyes; he obviously didn't have a clue that what he had just said hurt her.

"Derek," she began quietly, "I can't marry you."

He looked at her stunned, "But I want us to be a family."

"I know," she smiled weakly at him. "Believe me I know. Derek you don't have to worry. You will have as much access to our daughter as you want." She tried to maintain her composure, she didn't want to cry. "But I can't marry you again." She bit her lower lip, "It just wouldn't be fair to any of us."

"Addie please you have to reconsider," he started to plead with her. "Fine we don't have to get married right now we can wait until after the baby is born, then we can talk about it."

"Okay," she said with a little nod. She already knew her answer was still going to be no, but she hoped to at least satisfy him for now. She took a moment to think about what she needed right now. She smiled when she realized what she wanted most in the world right now. Her mother's words echoed in her head just remember if things get too crazy there you can always come home and have the baby here. That was exactly what she needed, to go back to her parent's home and let them take care of her. There were no expectations held for her there and their love was unconditional. She really needed that right now. "Derek I need to go home." She closed her eyes and continued, "I'm tired and I just really need to go home." She would tell him later that what she really meant by home was back to the home she grew up in, and back home to have her mother and father take care of her for a little while.

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I hope you enjoyed the update, once again please let me know what you think.