Thanks for all the reviews it's really appreciated. Here's a new update, I hope you all enjoy.

Recovery

Part XIX

Addie paced back and forth in the sunroom as she listened to Derek and his excuses. "Look Addison I'm sorry," he was exasperated she just didn't seem to get he had no control over the airlines. "I missed the last flight there is nothing I can do about it," Derek explained.

"Okay I get it Derek you won't be here for Thanksgiving, but what about Friday?" she said in frustration.

"No, all the flights are booked I can't get out of the city," he snapped.

"Derek I can't change my appointment," she cautioned him.

"Well if you didn't run off to Colorado that wouldn't be a problem now would it," he yelled into the phone.

"Look I'm sorry, but I can't talk to you when you are like this. I will talk to you tomorrow," she hung up the phone.

God he was so frustrating she was so sick of this situation. Of course he could have helped missing the flight. He was not the surgeon on call; Richard had made sure he had the time off. Derek chose to go into the hospital and take the case that was already assigned to another doctor.

Honestly she was relieved he wasn't going to be spending the holiday with them. What frustrated her most was the fact that she was allowing him to be involved in every aspect of their child's life and he wasn't even meeting her halfway. He continued to make her feel guilty about her choice to leave Seattle and have the baby in Colorado.

She rested her hand on her stomach feeling her daughter's kick, then leaned her forehead against the window and watched the snow falling. Was she being selfish?

xxxxxxxxxx

Derek stared at his dead phone; he couldn't believe she just hung up on him like that. Meredith watched with concern as he stormed down the hall and out of the hospital, she followed him out. She found him sitting on a bench with his head in his hands. She sat down next to him and gently placed her hand on his back. "Are you okay?" she asked quietly.

Derek straightened up and turned to look at her then gave her a little smile, "Just frustrated." Meredith raised her eyebrows. "I just got off the phone with Addison and needless to say she was not happy that I am stuck in Seattle for the holiday."

"You can't help an emergency came up," she said indignantly.

"Well she seems to think I could have helped it," he said with a shrug. He cocked his head and gave her another smile, "So what are your plans for Thanksgiving?"

"Spending most of the day at the hospital and then Izzie is planning on having everyone over in the evening for dinner," she smiled and her eyes crinkled, "She will kill us if we don't make it this year."

Derek sighed he probably will spend the day at the hospital and warm something up later that night when he got home.

Meredith thought about poor Derek having to spend the holiday alone, she didn't think it was fair. She already knew that Mark already left for Colorado and would be spending the holiday with Addison. Why should Derek have to spend it alone just because an emergency came up? She gave him a sidelong glance, "Do you want to come over for dinner tomorrow?" She said tentatively, "It's just that I'd hate to see you spend the holiday alone."

Derek's smile grew, "I'd love to come, thank you for inviting me."

xxxxxxxxxx

Izzie stood at the door her mouth slightly ajar as she looked at Derek standing in front of her with a bottle of wine in hand. "Well aren't you going to invite me in?" he inquired.

"I umm, I," Izzie stammered.

"Meredith invited me didn't she tell you?" he said raising his eyebrows.

"Oh I guess she forgot to mention it," she looked off to her side her eyes widened as they connected with Alex she saw his eyebrows rise then a smirk appeared on his face.

She then heard Meredith running down the stairs, "Invite him in already don't make him stand out in the cold." She waved Derek to come inside he slide past Izzie and gave Meredith a hug then handed her the bottle of wine.

Meredith and Derek entered the living room and he said his hellos to everyone.

Meredith took a seat next to Alex on the loveseat. Derek looked around trying to find a spot to sit, he spotted a chair in the corner and headed for it, but Alex jumped off the loveseat and claimed said chair. Derek shrugged and sat down next to Meredith. Callie and George sort of glared at him as he sat down next to Meredith; he gave them a weak smile.

Alex smirked at him and said, "Glad you could make it." Derek gave him a puzzled look.

xxxxxxxxxx

Benton's attention was caught by the cheerful laughter of his sister. She had been back home for more than a month now, this was the most relaxed he had seen her since her return home. She was sitting at a small table in the corner of the sunroom playing a game of chess with Mark. He could tell she was obviously winning by the raised eyebrow and smirk she was giving the groaning man sitting before her. Having lost the game Mark rose from his seat letting Aubrey take the vacated spot. Addie and Aubrey replaced the chess pieces on the board and Addie teased, "Oh good a real challenge this time."

Aubrey shook her head, "Yep I've gotten really good too, definitely a lot better then Mark," she giggled.

Mark feigned insult, "Hey I haven't played in over a year. I demand a rematch."

Addie laughed merrily at him. "Okay you can play the winner," she teased him.

Mark came up to Benton's side, "I think she was cheating," he said with a straight face.

"I heard that," Addie countered.

Mark cracked a smile and started to laugh. "Okay, okay I know you didn't cheat."

Addie gave him a quick nod. "Exactly, there was no need to cheat since you are so terrible," she laughed blithely.

Mark crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall he watched Addie with a smile on his face that reached his eyes. Benton looked over at the man standing next to him, he had been here for a week now and the transformation in Addie since his arrival was amazing, she had gone from being sullen to glowing. Derek's calls didn't even upset her since his arrival. He asked Mark, "Can you help me refresh everyone's drinks?"

Mark looked at Benton and shrugged. "Sure," he replied.

They took everyone's drink order and left the room. After they exited the room Benton stopped and turned toward Mark. "So what exactly are your intentions toward my sister?"

Mark looked the other man in the eye and stated simply, "To be the friend she needs right now." Mark knew Addie's family needed reassuring. He had hurt her once before but there was no way on this earth he would ever hurt her again. "I promise Ben I won't hurt her again," he said with sincerity.

Benton took a moment to study the man before him. He was sure he was sincere in his declaration, he also knew his sister very well. "You know she is in love with you," he raised an eyebrow watching the man's reaction. It amused him when the man in front of him flushed. For as long as he could remember Mark had been in love with his sister. The only problem it was never reciprocated, until now.

Mark was speechless, "I . . ." he swallowed hard, he wished more than anything on this earth that what Ben just told him was true. "I don't think she is ready to be in love with anyone right now Ben."

Ben smiled at the man in front of him, good answer he thought. He gave him a slight nod, "You're right she isn't ready to act on it right now, but that doesn't change the fact that she has fallen in love with you."

It had been a week since Thanksgiving, Izzie and Alex sat on the loveseat in the living room; they seemed to be very happy with themselves. George and Callie were there as well. Meredith had left for the hospital; it seemed she was picked to operate with Derek once again.

xxxxxxxxxxx

"So what is going on?" George asked the two sitting on the loveseat.

"What?" Izzie replied innocently.

"You two pushing to get Meredith and Derek together," George replied.

"I don't have a clue what you are talking about," said Alex just as innocently.

"Cut the crap for the last week you both have done everything in your power to make sure they are thrown together," Callie retorted.

Izzie looked a bit taken aback then lowered her eyes. "Meredith is still in love with Derek," she said quietly.

Callie narrowed her eyes. "So Derek is still talking about marrying Addison why are you trying to ruin that poor woman's relationship again?" she shook her head at Izzie; she couldn't help but be judgmental. This wasn't a game; there were other people's lives involved.

Alex spoke up defending Izzie, "We are doing this for Addison not Meredith."

Callie raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Pushing the father of her child into the arms of another woman is helping her," she inquired, "How?"

"Actually I think they really are trying to help her," George spoke up, Alex nodded to George.

"Do you really want Addison to marry Derek again even though he is not in love with her?" Izzie asked with a little too much venom in her voice. "Besides Addison isn't in love with Derek either," she said with a shrug.

"And you know this how?" Callie asked again.

"Oh please why do you think she went to Colorado?" Izzie said rolling her eyes.

Callie sat back in her chair and considered what they had said and she realized they were making sense. She decided she would not interfere with their plans.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Derek looked over at Meredith and smiled. He was glad they were friends again; he hated her not talking to him. She was one of the few people who understood him and how badly he wanted to marry Addison again. He was glad to have a friend who supported his decision to try to convince Addison to be a family again. For some reason most people seemed to be against his remarrying Addison again. He just couldn't understand why on earth they would be against him marrying the mother of his child. You would think they would all be happy for them and want them together.

Meredith returned Derek's smile, she was glad they could be friends again. She wanted to support him in his decision to marry Addison again. She thought his daughter deserved to grow up with both her mother and father as a family. She knew only too well what it was like to come from a broken home and she wouldn't wish that on any child. She only hoped Addison would come to her senses and finally agree to marry him. But if she never does come to her senses Meredith will be here to support her friend and help him through his troubles.

xxxxxxxxxx

Addison looked on smiling at Mark and her father; they were in a heated discussion. Mark preferred the American League and their designated hitter and her father preferred the National League. Her father felt the designated hitter ruined the game while Mark felt it only enhanced the game.

There was nothing her father liked more then having an intelligent discussion with someone who wasn't afraid to take an opposing view from him. She knew her father liked Mark. Of course it helped that they both agreed on more important issues of the world, but he also appreciated that he wasn't afraid to take an opposing view and have a good debate with him.

Addison finally interrupted their debate. "Okay guys enough baseball talk," she laughed at them. "Daddy, mom wanted me to let you know she is ready to go to Bertie and Wally's now," she grinned at him. Bertie and Wally were two of her parent's oldest friends. The four of them usually got together once a month.

"Thanks sweetheart," he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, "Are you sure you two don't want to come with?"

She returned the kiss on his cheek and smiled back at him then shook her head. "No Daddy you guys go ahead and have a good time. Just send them my love."

"Will do sweetheart and you two behave yourselves," he said with a wink.

After her father left, Mark wrapped his arm around her shoulder and asked, "So are you ready for a rematch?"

"Really?" she smirked at him. "You looking to get your ass kicked again?" she laughed.

"Hey," he sounded insulted. "I've been practicing." He grinned at her, "Aubrey has been giving me pointers."

"In that case you are on," she smiled up at him and wrapped her arm around his waist and snuggled into him as the walked along. He smiled down at her and kissed the top of her head.

xxxxxxxxxxx

I hope you enjoyed the update. Please let me know what you think.