Author's note: Schools about to start. I'm going to try to update as much as I can before then, and I promise not to totally abandon y'all when class start. Thanks for all the great feedback. Enjoy and review!

Disclaimer: These characters are not mine.

"So you said no, right?" Cristina asks Meredith as she closes her locker door.

"I mean it's just a drink right?" Meredith asks as she looks at Cristina guiltily. "I made it very clear to him that we would be two professionals getting a drink after work."

Cristina laughs as she flings her bag over her shoulder. "Um… okay sure. I'm stuck in the pit all day and you're off making nice with the hot, bachelor attending."

"It's not my fault he decided to put me on the case. I met some of the other attendings too." Meredith says in a weak attempt to defend herself as she puts her jacket on.

"You met the Shepherds?" Cristina asks. Meredith pulls open the door to the locker room and walks out of it holding the door open for Cristina.

"Yeah I did. They're friends of Mark." The two interns walk down the corridor and Cristina pushes the down button for the elevator.

"I was hoping that I would run into them today. I've heard quite a bit about them."

"Jesus, Cristina, are you a total gossip monger?"

"No but when I'm stuck in the pit all day I need something to distract myself."

"What did you hear about them," Meredith says airily trying to disguise her genuine interest. The elevator arrives and the two women step inside.

Cristina walks to the back of the metal elevator and rest against the back wall. "Just that they walk around the hospital pretending to be the freaking golden couple, but really their marriage is slowly falling apart."

The elevator comes to a stop and Cristina leans away from the wall.

"Seriously?" Meredith asks as the elevator doors open and the two women step into the hospital lobby.

"Seriously." Cristina says as she adjusts her bag on her shoulder. "I'm glad I don't have to deal with any of this nonsense."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, I have a boyfriend in Los Angeles. We've been together for a while."

Meredith pauses in the middle of the lobby forcing Cristina to stop and turn back to her. Meredith laughs a bit.

"What?" Cristina asks.

"Nothing, I just think it's funny that you waited until now to mention you have a boyfriend."

Cristina glares at her annoyed at what she's trying to hint at. "If you haven't noticed I'm not exactly the most open person. I'm far more interested in what's going on in other people's lives. Besides it's entirely possible that I'm involved in the most boring relationship ever."

"Is he going to move out here?" Meredith asks hoping she would answer.

"No he wants to, but I think it's stupid. He's name is Burke, well it's Preston but I call him Burke. He's a cardiothoracic surgeon."

"How can that be a boring relationship?" Meredith asks in disbelief. She's heard of Dr. Burke before and he has quite the reputation among the surgical community. Supposedly he is a fine surgeon as well as a fine man.

"This is why I didn't say anything. Can we just drop it please?" Cristina moves towards the door.

Meredith nods accepting Cristina's right to a bit of privacy. After all, they had met just this morning. Meredith looks down at her watch. "I better get going."

Cristina continues her walk to the door and Meredith follows her out. After walking trough the exit Cristina turns to walk to the other side of the parking lot. "Good night Meredith."

"Goodnight Cristina," Meredith says as she turns to walk away.

"Meredith?" Meredith stops walking and turns around. "Don't do anything dumb."

"I wont," Meredith assures her.

"Okay goodnight," Cristina says as she feigns a smile not believing her for a second.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Do you want to go to a charity event the Heidegger's are having next week?" Addison calls out to Derek from her study.

"What?" Derek calls out from their living room. Addison walks out of her study and looks at Derek who is sitting in the living room watching Sports Center.

"The Heideggers the same formal I asked you about last week, but I guess you wouldn't remember." Addison says sounding a little more than slighted. Derek continues to focus on Sport Center not responding to Addison. "Jesus, Derek, I'm talking to you." Addison screams standing in front of the large flat screen television on the wall.

"Addison what do you want from me?" Derek asks as he gets up from his seat and walks to the kitchen.

Addison follows him the kitchen. "If you would listen to me while I speak to you I think we would be off to a great start."

"Whatever Addison," Derek says as he opens up the fridge and grabs a bottle of beer.

Addison exhales loudly not knowing what else to say to him. She couldn't find the energy to fight with him. It always ended the same way. She would yell at him. He would sit there until she was done. He would then apologize and go to bed. Addison would climb into bed with him, he would turn his back to her, and she would lie in bed and wonder what happened to their marriage.

"Derek…" Addison begins.

Derek sets his beer on the table. "Addison we'll talk about whatever you want to talk about but not now." Derek moves around her and picks his coat up from off the bar stool adjacent to the kitchen sink.

"Where are you going?" Addison asks meekly.

Derek adjusts the collar of his coat. Slowly he looks up at her. "Out. You'll probably be sleeping when I get back." Derek moves closer to her as he kisses her on the forehead.

Derek walks out of the kitchen leaving Addison standing there. She stands there until she hears the click of the front door closing and Derek pulling out of the garage. Addison stands there not wanting to cry but finding it hard to stop the tears from running down her face.

Addison walks over to the counter and picks up the headset to the cordless phone. She dials Marks number and hopes that he would pick up. Whenever she had a fight with Derek she would call him and he would talk her down. He late-night calls to Mark's were becoming increasingly frequent although Addison would never admit it. He always answered. He would patiently listen as Addison would tell him what happened and he would attempt to rationalize Derek's actions and Addison always hung up the phone feeling better.

"Damn," Addison whispers to no one in particular as Mark's machine picks up. Addison waits for the beep as she begins to leave a message, "Hey Mark it's me. I needed someone to talk to but I guess you're out or something. Give me a call when you get the chance."

Addison presses the end button on the headset and places it back on its base. Addison sits on the couch and scans through the television channels. Addison pulls her legs into her chest and stares at the television hoping that Derek would be home and that she would finally have the energy to speak up for herself and to let Derek know what she is really thinking, but she knows he won't be home anytime soon, and that she will remain silent.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So if they are so unhappy why are they still married?" Meredith asks as she takes a sip of her drink and sets it back on the wooden bar.

"What?" Mark asks, motioning to Joe for another round of drinks.

"You said that they are unhappy. So why are they still together what are they hoping would change?"

""They're both very proud people. Admitting that it's over would be admitting defeat."

Plus Derek comes from a big, very Catholic family I doubt that would go over too well."

"So you say they are staying together and putting on the Mr. and Mrs. Smith act out of pure convenience?"

"No, yes…" Mark pauses. "Hell, Grey, I don't know. Why are you asking so many questions?"

Meredith shifts in her stood feeling a bit embarrassed. She picks up her glass and finishes its contents. "I don't know it's just interesting. You seem to be quite involved."

Mark rolls his eyes and takes a long sip from his fresh beer. "Addie calls me and tells me a lot of stuff. I know I should be loyal to Derek and all, but I've known Addie just as long as I've known him."

"Addie?"

Mark blushes and continues talking. "I met them both sophomore year in organic chemistry."

"Addie?" Meredith asks again. "Oh, you so have a crush on her."

"A crush? Meredith, are we still in high school?"

Meredith laughs as she takes a sip from her new drink. "Still doesn't change the fact that you like your best friend's wife."

"And you like my best friend, so I guess we're both in the wrong?"

Meredith takes a gulp of her drink. The combination of coke and tequila burns her throat on the way down. Meredith begins to cough as she begins to speak. "You have no idea what you're talking about." Meredith picks up the small, damp napkin from under her drink and wipes her mouth.

"Grey I can see right through your act. You're a little bit too interested in the saga that is the Shepherd's marriage." Mark looks at Meredith knowingly. "Do you think you are the first intern that wanted to get in the way of the Shepherd marriage?"

Meredith looks at him knowing that she's not. "I don't want to get in the way of the Shepherd marriage. I am focused on my internship and my life. I could care less about the state of my bosses' marriage."

Mark laughs, "Okay, Grey, then this whole conversation was you not caring."

Meredith finishes the liquid in her glass and then reaches for her handbag and searches for a few bills from the bottom of it. She pulls out a twenty and places it on the counter.

"I'm going to have to call it a night, Dr. Sloan. I, unlike you, have rounds in a few hours."

"Likely excuse," Mark says into his glass not turning to look at her. "Goodnight Dr. Grey."

"Goodnight Dr. Sloan," Meredith puts on her jacket and begins to walk out of the bar. Mark's eyes follow her to the door.

Meredith reaches the door and leans back on the door. She smiles at Mark as she opens the door. She feels someone quickly pull the door open from the other side sending her flying backwards. Meredith falls onto the asphalt on the other side of the door. She looks up to see Derek standing over her. She can feel her face becoming flustered. Derek extends her hand to her, helping her to her feet.

"Thanks," Meredith says shifting her eyes to the floor.

"I see you found Joe's already," Derek says grinning at Meredith.

"Yep." Meredith says as she stands there awkwardly trying to think of something else to say.

"Did you come with anyone," Derek asks, sensing her uneasiness.

"Oh yeah I had a drink with Mark."

"Oh did you?" Derek asks, his eyes widening a bit.

"Yeah." Meredith says, as an awkward silence descends upon them yet again.

"Do you want to come back inside? I'm sure you need another drink after that fall."

Meredith finally speaks. "No, I'm fine. I have to get, you know, going." Meredith takes a few steps backward toward the parking lot.

Derek smiles at her again. "Okay you do that. I'll see you around Meredith."

"Goodnight Dr. Shepherd." Meredith says as she turns and walks to her car. Derek waves to her as she climbs into her jeep and pulls out of the parking lot. Derek stands there for a few moments until he pulls the door open to the bar.

He steps into the smoke filled bar and joins Mark at their usual spot.

"Hey man," Mark says as Derek sits in the stool beside him. "You just missed Meredith."

Derek motions to Joe for a beer. "No I saw her on the way out. Have you noticed she seems a bit different from the interns we're used to?"

Mark takes a sip of his beer. "I've definitely noticed."

"And…"

"What do you want me to say, Derek. She's made it more than clear that we are going to have to interact on her terms. She's not brainless enough for me. She's tiring actually."

Derek laughs as Joe sets a beer in front him. "So you're not interested?" Derek asks casually.

"No man. She makes me laugh but that's it."

Derek nods his head and takes a sip of his beer. Mark observes him a moment before he speaks again. "So why are you here tonight? I thought you were staying in with Addison."

"Plans got changed."

"Care to elaborate?" Mark asks.

Derek shrugs. "Not really."

Mark nods and makes a mental note to call Addison on his way home. The two men sit there for a few minutes not talking to one another both pretending to be distracted by the television behind the bar. Both men sit there thinking about different women, both of which are out of their reach.