So its been a while. I apologize in advance. I haven't had it properly edited, besides spell check and reading over 3 times. Between essays, practice, and other madness, sending out chapters to be edited is well- not on the agenda.Besides, I would hate to bother Kim during midterms.

The following chapters would not have been updated without the aid of my lovely soundboards, Kendel and Rissa. I do not know what I would do without you.

Thanks to everyone who continues to read and review!

Meredith laid in bed screaming into her pillows. She was certain the dreams had stopped. Sadly, she was wrong. His mouth on hers felt so real. The feel of his hands on her hips. The texture of his hair in her hands.

Meredith growled in frustration and flipped on to her back.

She had a wonderful guy. George was sweet and caring. He had never lied to her. He would never hurt her. She always felt safe in his arms, but was she safe for all the right reasons? She and George were sweet- but did she want sweet? She was angry at herself for dreaming about a man that wasn't sure if he wanted her when a man that would do anything for herwas right next door.

Meredith sighed and curled into her blankets. She missed her tequila.

Derek stared into space. He had snuck out of the house before Addison was awake.

"Isn't it a bit too early for you? If I remember the schedule correctly, you aren't on for another 2 hours," Chief Webber pointed out to one of his favorite surgeons.

"I needed some time to think."

"Anything I could help you with?" Richard offered, sitting in the chair opposite of Derek's.

Derek looked down then back up at the chief. He hesitated. There was no denying that both Derek and Addison trusted Richard. After all, Richard had been their trusted friend and mentor for years.

"Addi wants to adopt a baby."

"The Daniels baby, correct? Aileen Duncan, from the agency, asked me about you two. Miss Daniels gave birth with the full intent of adoption. She has a full scholarship to Oxford in the fall. She wants her child to have everything she didn't. Don't get me wrong, Kent and Diandra are great people, but their priorites..Amanda has spent most of her time with nannies."

Derek sat back and allowed the chief to continue.

"I told her the truth. You and Addison have had your problems, but you are an ideal couple and wonderful people."

Derek was silent.

"Chief, my marriage isn't exactly one set for a baby. Addison--. I--. Richard, I fell in love with Meredith."

Richard was startled by his neurosurgeon's declaration.

"Are you still in love with Meredith?"

"I don't know. Don't take me the wrong way. I love Addison. I am committed to Addison. I just-- I just need time to think."

Richard sighed. He nodded and rose to his feet.

"Just so you know, Derek. Whatever you had with Meredith would have never lasted."

"How do you know that?"

"They never do.

"That's the spot," Addison groaned, submerging herself into the warm, bubbly water of the bathtub. Bubble baths were Addison's guilty pleasure. The bath was the best place to think. Derek would often tease her about the amount of time she spent in the tub. She would fling bubbles at him and tell him to go away.

Addison twirled a lock of hair around her index finger, in thought.

She knew raising a child would not be easy.

She knew that she and Derek weren't stable enough for a child.

She knew that she was insane.

None of that mattered to the highly intelligent Addison Montgomery Shepherd. Addison had always been the type of person to fight for what she wanted. If she felt passionate enough about it, she would do anything to get it. No matter what the it was. That is how Addison got the wedding dress of her dreams. Its how Addison always managed to land on her feet. Its how Addison made her way to the top of her field. The fact that she was raised by a cut throat lawyer and a top investigative journalist, also helps.

Addison smiled at the thought of her parents. Despite their busy schedules, Thomas and Mona Forbes-Montgomery ALWAYS made time for their 4 children. That reminded her, she needed to start making the arrangements for the holidays.

She was going to adopt that little boy. Even if she had to follow the lead of Angelina Jolie and adopt him as a single mother.

Addison spun her hair on top of her head and slid further into the bath.

" Would you go to dinner with me?"

Izzie smiled against her coffee cup. Over the course of Samantha's stay, she had grown quite chummy with Gavin Weslin. He would bring her coffee when he visited Samantha. Sam, as Izzie now referred to the budding rock star, teased Izzie over Gavin's affection. She had ignored the often medicated girl. Izzie liked the ruggedly handsome young man. He had several qualities she dreamt in a man, but Gavin was a performer. Could she trust that? The again, all he was asking was for dinner…

"I would love to go to dinner with you."

Gavin gave her his slightly crooked grin. Izzie was proud of her self. She was making progress.

"My ex-girlfriend has a date with a rock star," Alex whined to Meredith, hours later. Meredith looked at Alex annoyed.

"I can't compete with that one. My ex-boyfriend is married to Satan who I really can't call Satan because my friends seem to like her!"

"I win, Grey. Don't try to beat me. You're dating O'Malley."

Meredith pouted. She forgot about George. " Do you think George suits me?"

Alex smirked at the petite blonde. " O' Malley's too nice, Grey. You need a man with a little more to him. You need a man."

"George is a man!"

"Oh, she's on that again," Cristina interrupted. "Mer- if you're having doubts, jump ship!"

"I can't do that."

Cristina rolled her eyes. "Of course you can! Dump him and spare your friendship."

"You make it sound so easy."

"It is!"

"What is?" George asked joining the trio.

"I have patients," Alex announced and walked off.

"Burke needs me.. For something," Cristina added and turned around.

Meredith forced a smile. "Bye George!" She sputtered and rushed off.

George chuckled nervously. What was going on?

Meredith hurried to the stairwell. She needed to think. Yes, thinking was a good plan. She let out a startled yelp when she opened her eyes to find the man of her dreams sitting on the stairs.

"Well, that's new," Derek smirked.

"This is my thinking place, what are you doing here?"

"The chief invaded my thinking space."

"Anything I could help you with?" Meredith offered, sitting next to him.

Derek sighed. He knew Meredith was not the person to discuss his wife's plans of adoption with. He knew Meredith wasn't the person he should even be talking to much less sitting so close to. Her hair really did smell good.

"You changed your shampoo," Derek blurted out.

"You're sitting out here thinking about my shampoo?" Meredith quipped.

Derek smiled softly.

"I'm not sure how to tell you this- -"

Meredith felt a sense of dread creep up her spine. Those words are never good. What was she thinking? She's moved on. She has George. No more thoughts of how good Derek smells or how easy it would be to drag him into an alcove.

"- -and Addison are adopting a baby."

Meredith's eye's shot up from the steps. THAT was not something she was expecting. Derek was moving on. Derek was moving on with his Isabella Rossellini look a like wife and a baby. What did she expect? After all-- What did she really expect?

"You and Addison are going to adopt a baby?"

"I think so."

"Why?" Meredith gaped.

Derek couldn't answer her. He still didn't have all the answers himself.

"Have you ever felt a deep connection with someone the very second you laid eyes on them?"

"Yes." I thought I had that deep connection with you.

"Addison feels that way about him."

Do you feel that way? " You're adopting the Daniels baby."

Derek nodded.

Meredith looked down at her hands. She had convinced herself that she had moved on. She told her reflection often that Derek was a one night stand gone wrong. She chanted over and over that she wasn't in love with him, still. The jig was up. And the jig hurt like hell. That river denial was a whole lot bigger than an ocean. Whatever was bigger than an ocean was what she was feeling at that very moment.

"Wow. A baby, huh?" Meredith managed to get out.

"A baby."