Although Derek loved Addison, he was not in love with her. A month had gone by since Meredith left. It got harder for him to go through those long days and nights without her. Although he felt a warm body in bed next to him, he knew he was betraying his wife with thoughts of Meredith.

He hadn't meant to hurt her. He truly loved her and wanted them to be happy. There weren't any words in the english language that could justify for his actions of wanting to be with that special someone, but then, choosing another. Stupidity comes to his mind. Love brings a lot of pain.

Addison tried her hardest to be the perfect wife as she once was. Afterall, they were the perfect couple. But, she was fooling herself for she knew deep down his heart belonged to Meredith.

The mother-to-be curled up in bed waiting for her alarm clock to ring. Sleepness nights caused her to lay awake for the last week. Besides yearning for her lost love, she missed her friends profusely and thought they did not deserve the treatment she had given them upon her sudden departure.

Christina moaned loudly as the ringing of the telephone interrupted her sleep.

"Somebody had better be dead," she mumbled to Burke as he reached over to answer it.

He hit her softly on the butt. "What?" She yawned and stretched. Seeing the concerned look on her boyfriend's face, Christina sat up in bed.

"Are you alright?" She heard him ask.

"Who is it?" Christina whispered.

Without saying a word, he handed her the telephone.

"Hello?" She said with a question and wondered who could be calling so early in the morning.

"Christina? It's me, it's Meredith."

"What the...Meredith! It's been weeks, a month since we've heard from you. Where the hell are you? Is everything alright? Where the hell are you?" Christina repeated anxiously. "Have you called Izzie? George?"

"No," she answered softly. "You're the first, maybe later. I need to tell you what's happening, but promise me you won't say a word. Not even to Burke."

She looked at Burke and shrugged her shoulders. "I promise."

"Not on the phone. Maybe you could come here for a visit?"

"Uh, yeah, sure. I have some vacation days coming. In a week?"

"That's great, Christina."

"So, give me a hint. What's up? Are you dying or something?"

"I'll tell you later."

"So help me, Burke, if you tell Derek where she is, I'll kill you. Besides, he's a bastard to have treated her that way. How the hell can he love two people at the same time, huh? If you ask me, she's better off without him and Addison should open her eyes and get rid of him!" Christina rambled on as Burke drove her quietly to the airport.

He stopped the car, turned to her and smiled. "You're rambling."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are," he answered calmly.

"Sorry, but, Derek is, well, you know how I feel about him. He's not loyal, not faithful, not trustworthy."

Burke laughed. "You make him sound like he should be a dog."

"Yeah, a dog in heat," she answered sarcastically.

Meredith opened the front door to find Christina with her hands full, luggage in one hand, a purse in the other and a backpack. She cried, hugged her tightly then pulled her quickly into the living room.

Christina dropped her bags in the middle of the room and roamed around the new living arrangements of Meredith's as she left to check on the casserole she had in the oven.

"Make yourself at home," she yelled out from the kitchen.

Christina flopped herself on the sofa and leafed through the stack of magazines on her coffee table.

"People, nope, Times, nope," she says to herself making another pile, "Newsweek, nope, Fit Pregnancy, nope...what?" Also at the other end of the table was a bottle of prenatal pills.

Meredith entered back into the living room as she immediately chattered away.

"Catch," Christina called out and threw the bottle of vitamins towards Meredith. She stood at a standstill.

"Good catch," she tells her friend.

TBC - Chapter 3