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Chapter 3 – What's Best?

Derek paced in his office; considering the day's quandary. Where the hell was Addison? Bailey was right, she wouldn't abandon her patients. No matter how mad they had ever been with each other, they never let work falter. The importance of work was the root of the problems in their marriage.

He thought of where she might have gone. He didn't want to consider what was first and foremost in his mind. Mark.

Bailey was right, he ran to his mistress. Why not her to hers?

He sat at his desk and pulled out the phone book. He started dialing the number of every ritzy hotel he could find.

"I'm sorry sir…"

"Sir, there's no one here…"

"Dr. Montgomery isn't checked in here…"

"No, there isn't a Dr. Sheppard here…"

"No one matching that description…"

"The number you are calling has been disconnected and is no longer in service."

He knew Richard had already checked the cell, but when he couldn't find her at any hotel, he had to try.

She truly was missing.

There was only one person left to call.

!#$&

The sound of his cell woke him up. His head was pounding and he couldn't quite open his eyes. He reached for where he thought he had left his phone the night before. When he finally grasped it, he thought he was still asleep.

"Hey, it's me."

"Derek," he questioned, though he'd know the voice anywhere. You never forget your best friend's voice.

"Put her on," he demanded.

"Huh," Mark absent-mindedly looked around the room, though he knew he was alone.

"Addison, let me speak to her," Derek sounded more insistent, even desperate.

"I don't know how to tell you this man," he paused, taking the situation in, "she's not here. I haven't seen her since the elevator."

"Stop covering for her, I have to talk to her," Derek was almost yelling.

"I'm not making this up Derek. Have you tried her cell?"

Mark started throwing his clothes on as he waited for a response. If Derek didn't know where she was, something had gone terribly wrong. Unless you were a dirty mistress.

"It's disconnected and no one is answering at the trailer. I can't find her. I've tried every five-star in the city. She's gone."

Derek put his head down on the desk. He couldn't believe this was happening. He had no idea where his wife was. He was left with only one option.

"You have to help me Mark. I need your help. It isn't like her to disappear."

"Yeah, that's what you do," Mark shot back, instantly regretting it.

"I don't need this right now," Derek yelled back, "she's abandoned her patients. No one in Seattle has heard from her."

"When was the last time you saw her?"

"When I left the trailer last night."

"Did something happen with a patient?"

"No," Derek sighed, dreading the next part, "she had told me that she stayed with you and why you were in Seattle. I told her to go find you because we were over. I left and she's been missing ever since."

Mark took a deep breath, trying to find some shred of hope to give the guy. Not that he really wanted to.

"You're right; it isn't like her to abandon her patients. Have you checked any of her favorite spots in Seattle?"

"She doesn't have any," he admitted, "she's miserable here. The only people here I can she'd call are screaming at me because I don't know where she is."

"Tough break," Mark tried to sympathize, "but what do you want from me?"

"I don't know," Derek paused, looking around, "I just need to know where she is. If she's alright. Can you help me find her?"

Mark thought about it for awhile. He felt as helpless as he knew Derek must.

"I'll call some people in New York. If she went back there, she would have called some one. I'll start with Savy."

"Any other ideas," Derek was desperate, he'd take any help he could get.

"Well, there must be somewhere in Seattle you two have spent time. Check anywhere she's been since she got here. And you said you checked the five-stars; try all the hotels. If she was trying to hide, that's where she'd go. Where she thinks no one would look for her."

Derek breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you. I mean it. I need to find her."

"Save the pleasantries. I'll update you after I make the phone rounds."

With that Mark hung up and began calling the entire city of New York. He had to find her. Preferably before Derek. He admitted that Derek did sound sincerely scared. It wasn't good enough though. Not after how he'd treated Addison. Mark was determined to find her first.

!#$&

Derek was running out of the hospital to his car. He wanted to go to the place they'd had lunch after he picked her. With the viewfinders.

"Derek," Meredith called after him, "are you okay?"

"No," he answered honestly, looking into her eyes for comfort.

"I heard she's just disappeared. Do you have any idea-?"

"No," he interrupted, shaking his head, "I was certain she'd gone to Mark but –"

"She didn't," Meredith cut in, "he was sitting with me at the bar. She never showed."

"I know," his head dropped in defeat, "I called him, to help me find her. I couldn't think of anyone else."

She thought about how exhausted he looked. He was miserably distraught.

"What can I do?"

He looked at her and tried to smile.

"I can't ask you to do that."

"You didn't. I'm volunteering."

He considered her proposal. He needed help to find Addison. If he could bring himself to ask Mark, why not Meredith?

"I'm going to check a few of the places we've been in Seattle. I know she's not at any of the fancy hotels in the area. Mark," he flinched a little, "Mark suggested some of the 'less hospitable' spots. He thought she'd hide there."

"I'll go through the phone book," she assured him, squeezing his shoulder, "I let you know what I find."

"Thank you, Meredith, I-" he started.

"You don't have to say anything. I'm your friend and I'm reacting like your friend. Not your 'not friend.' We'll find her. Everything will be okay."

He tried to smile at her response. He went to speak again but just gestured to the door. She nodded and watched him leave.

!#$&

She threw open the door to the locker room. Cristina, Izzie, George and Alex all looked up at her.

"Okay listen," she yelled with a firmness in her voice they weren't used to, "I don't care what you believe about me, or think about me, or say about me. But I am Derek's friend. And he needs my help. And I think all of you are my friends," she glanced at George, who looked away, "so I need your help too. We've all heard Addison is missing. Derek is so desperate to find her that he called Mark. Yes, Mark is helping Derek find his wife. And all of you are going to help me."

She took a deep breath and looked at them, daring them to cross her.

"What can we do?"

Izzie was the first to speak up. She walked over to Meredith.

"My patients need their real doctor back. And she's my teacher. I want her to be okay."

"Thank you Izzie," Meredith smiled gratefully at her concession.

"He wants me to check all the hotels, ALL of them. Even the dumps. Especially the dumps. Ask for Dr./Mrs./Ms. Addison/Montgomery/Sheppard. Any combination. Hell, ask for any gorgeous redheads that have checked in since last night."

"And then what," Alex scoffed, "if she doesn't want to be found. What do we do when we find her/if we find her?"

"Tell Derek," Meredith said firmly, "that's all. We don't need to get involved directly. That is between the Drs. Sheppard. We're just helping him find her."

"Alright, give me a list," Cristina conceded, "I'm still heading home though. I'll call from there."

"Thank you," Meredith emphasized sincerely.

Alex and Izzie followed suit, taking their yellow pages and leaving quietly. It was only George and Meredith left.

"We need to talk-" George began.

"Yeah, we do," Meredith agreed, "but right now, I need your help. This isn't about McDreamy. This is about Dr. Sheppard. My friend. Are you in?"

He looked at her, honestly debating the situation. He chuckled, shaking his head.

"Gimme a sheet," he conceded pitifully.

"Thank you George, seriously. It means a lot to me."

He raised his eyebrows at her, took his pages and left quietly.

Meredith leaned back against the lockers.

"Now what do I do?"

Hee hee. Well, all chapter-by-chapters end with cliffhangers. And I update often so I know you'll survive.

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