Chapter 3

Part 1: Sadness

It was past eleven when Derek went back to the trailer. There was Addison staring at her cup of coffee.

"Derek, we need to talk." she started.

"Now isn't a good time Addison."

"It's never a good time."

Derek didn't answer her and simply took a beer out of the fridge.

"I am going out. Don't wait for me." she said. She took her purse and left without another word.

When she left, Derek let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He knew he wasn't being fair to her and that he was taking his anger out on her, but right now he didn't care. Derek swallowed another gulp of his beer and wondered for what seemed to be the millionth time what he was doing.

Part 2: Comfort

Seriously! Seriously! Who did he think he was? Wondered a very angry Meredith while slamming the door of her mother's house.

"Is everything ok?" asked a voice from the kitchen.

"Can you explain to me why men are so stupid?" Meredith asked Izzie.

"Ok, what happened?"

"He asked me if I was sleeping with him."

"I'm assuming you're talking about McDreamie."

"Don't call him that. He is so far from being McDreamie right now. He's more like McJerkie."

"It's not a very original McName."

"Do I look like I care if my McName is original right now? Do I look like I want to sit down and think of a good name do describe him to you?"

"All right, I get it you're not in a good mood."

"I mean who does he think he is to ask me that question? What right does he have to be angry?"

"I just baked some chocolate chip cookies. Do you want some?" asked Izzie not even bothering to wait for an answer.

"He picked someone else. He freaking picked her and I have to ask for his consent to sleep with Mark? I'll sleep with whoever I want. He doesn't have a say in that."

"Do you want some milk with your cookies?"

"No, thank you."

Meredith took a bite of her cookie.

"Yum! It's good."

"You like?"

"Izzie, it's delicious."

"Thanks. It's my recipe."

Meredith sighed.

"Do you think he's right?" she asked.

"Who McJerkie?"

Meredith nodded.

"Am I a bad person?"

"Well I understand that he was angry, but he had no right to ask you that. You're not a bad person Meredith. You're doing the right thing and he'll just have to deal with that."

"Thanks. Hey weren't you supposed to be on call tonight?"

"The patient died."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah well, it's part of the job."

"Well it's still suck. Listen, I have a date with Mark in half an hour so I should probably get ready."

"Another date, hmm?"

"What can I say? The guy is crazy about me."

"All right, go get ready. I'll clean all this up." said she taking Meredith's plate in her hand.

"Thanks Izzie." said Meredith running up the stairs.

This had been an interesting day and it wasn't over yet.

Part 3: Forgiveness

Derek woke up with a headache. He hadn't slept so well that night. Images of Mark and Meredith kept mixing with images of Mark and Addison in his head giving him no rest. On the bright side, it gave him time to think.

After thinking about it all night, Derek came to the conclusion that Meredith wasn't completely to blame. She was probably still hurt and angry by him choosing Addison over her and couldn't think clearly. Mark probably took advantage of her vulnerability and her extreme loneliness. The girl wasn't her self. Even thought what she did was unforgivable in his eyes, he loved her to much not to forgive her.

No, it was Mark that was really to blame. He was probably trying to make Addison jealous and was using the still young and naïve Meredith to get there. What a disgusting man! Derek couldn't believe they had been friends. How could he have not seen that in him?

That's where the Dr. Shepard thoughts were this morning as he got back to work. Mark Sloan had better hope not to cross his path this morning if didn't want to suture himself some more.

Part 4: Thankful

Meredith woke up next to Mark Sloan and felt only content. His eyes were closed and were slightly moving. He must have been dreaming. Judging by the smile on his face it must have been a good dream. Meredith knew that his fantasy had probably little to do with her and more to do with a certain red head whom everyone referred to as Satan, but she didn't mind. It wasn't like she didn't do it too. Picture someone else in Mark place I mean.

No, it didn't bother her. If anything else it made her feel happy, finally understood. She knew Mark wouldn't judge her on the fact that a part of her was still hanging on to McDreamie or feel threatened by it. They were alike in that they both gave their heart once and never really got it back.

Now that they had both found each other, they could finally relax and let the pain slowly fade away with someone new standing next to them, someone they could depend on. It wasn't the same as a passionate and loving relationship, but it was a good start. They weren't lonely anymore and that made all the difference in the world.

The date was great. They had dined in a crowded Pub. He had made her laugh more then once and afterward he had brought her to the strangest exposition. It was one of those weird experimental things where a couple of old fruits mixed with tired up pictures were supposed to make you reflect on the absurdity of life. They had made fun of everything and she had not found herself thinking about Derek once. Not once until the middle of the night when she fell asleep next to his enemy and asked herself again if feeling this way made her a bad person. She tried repeating in her head what Izzie had told to no avail. No matter how angry she was at Derek, she couldn't bear the idea that he was somewhere in this city thinking ill of her.