Author's note: Sorry for the lack of updates, life has resumed, so you know how that goes. Review and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.

"So what do you do?" Dr. Shepherd asks Meredith ask she closes to the door behind herself.

"Excuse me," she asks as she walks over to the nurses' station and sets the chart she is holding down on the counter.

"What do you do in your free time," Derek asks. Slowly he leans his back against the nurses' station. Meredith makes a mental note of Derek and Mark's similar mannerisms.

Meredith laughs as she formulates her answer; "Well I drink copious amounts of tequila and then make bad decisions, that's my favorite pastime." Meredith smiles at him as she opens up the chart and scribbles her signature at the bottom of a page. She looks up at Derek. "What about you Dr. Shepherd."

"Derek," he says correcting her. "Well I like to fly fish, and I kind of have a thing for ferryboats."

"A thing for ferryboats?" Meredith asks as she raises her eyebrows at him.

"Yes, a thing for ferryboats."

"What does this 'thing' entail?"

"Well, I think they are beautiful and I like to ride them."

Meredith feels her face beginning to flush. She looks back down at her chart attempting to pretend like her focus is elsewhere.

"Seems kind of odd," Meredith declares.

"Odd is good," Derek responds.

"I guess sometimes," Meredith shrugs her shoulders and closes the chart putting it back in its place.

Derek stands up straight and takes a step closer to Meredith. "How about I take you out for a drink tonight. A welcoming of sorts. I'll show you how good odd can be."

Meredith gives him a shrewd smile. "I'm sure you're taking all of your interns out for drinks."

"Of course," Derek says innocently.

"Dr. Shepherd, I don't think that is the best idea." Meredith takes a step backward she feels her face beginning to redden.

"It'll be harmless. You went out with Mark the other night, right?"

Meredith laughs. "So this is about Dr. Sloan?" Meredith asks lowering her voice, not wanting the people walking by to know what they are talking about.

"No, this is about me wanting to buy you a drink and welcome you to Seattle."

Meredith stops and ponders for a moment. "Okay," she says finally.

"Okay?"

"Sure, why not. It's not as if I have anything else to do tonight. Is Addison going to be joining us?"

Derek looks away and pretends to search for a chart as he answers her question. "No, she has other plans tonight."

"Oh," Meredith answers.

Derek's pager vibrates on his hip. He looks down and checks the page.

"I have to get this. So drinks at 9?" Derek asks giving her that same look for the day before that makes her feel uneasy, almost as if he has the ability to see through her.

"9 is fine."

"See you then," Derek says, smiling as he walks backwards towards the elevator.

"See you," Meredith says as he walks away.

-x-

Addison pours a vodka shot down her throat as she takes a long swig of her beer chaser.

"Addie, I think you're beyond using a chaser." Mark states, as she takes a sip of his single malt scotch.

"And I think you would have been able to find your own drink by now," Addison answers back, as she sets her beer back on her damp napkin.

Mark shrugs as he smiles at Addison. Addison smiles back, sinking further into the booth. Addison continues the conversation they were having prior to her talking her shot. "He doesn't even care. He came home and slept down the hall from me."

Mark leans back into his seat. "We didn't leave her until pretty late and he was quite the mess when we left."

"Hm," Addison says softly. "I want more?" Addison declares.

"Vodka?"

"Ten years ago I never thought I would be sitting alone in my million dollar home crying myself to sleep every night."

"Addie…" Mark begins.

"No let me finish," Addison demands dropping her hand to the table, feeling the effects of her last shot cumulating the three she took before it. "I want more. I want love. I want attention. I want the intrigue. Mark I'm tired of pretending."

Mark looks at her seriously. "Then stop."

Addison rolls her eyes. "It's not that easy."

"Why isn't it?" Mark finishes his drink motioning to the bartender for another as well as a fresh round of shots.

"Maybe real life just doesn't work out that way." Addison exhales audibly.

"You and Derek love one another. You're just going through a rough patch."

"A rough patch that last three years? I can't remember the last time he's really touched me. I forgot what it feels like."

Mark is thankful for the interruption as the waiter sets a new scotch in front of him and two shot glasses. Mark thanks the waiter and raises his shot glass to Addison. "Here's to having it all."

"Cheers," Addison says as she hits her shot glass against his. The liquor burns as it runs down their throats. Neither of them notices as Meredith and Derek walk into the bar and grab a booth on the other side of the bar, out of their view.

-x-

Meredith slides into the booth as Derek does the same. They order their drinks and settle into casual conversation.

"So where are you staying," Derek asks as the waiter sets his drinking in front of him.

"My mom's old house," Meredith replies.

"All by yourself?" Derek asks, as he raises his drinks to his lips.

Meredith shifts her tequila shot in front of her as she takes a ship of her mixed drink. "Yeah I'm all alone in my mother's empty."

"Somehow I think that fits you. Are you planning to get a housemate?"

Meredith shakes her head. "No, too much trouble. The other female intern hates me already."

"Yang?"

"Yeah," Meredith sets her mixed drink back down on her napkin. "She thinks I'm…" Meredith begins to explain as she realizes whom she's talking to. She pauses and takes the tequila shot raising her hand to signal to the waiter that she wants another. "She's not particularly fond of me."

"Hm," Derek replies as he takes a long sip of his scotch. "Addison was the only female intern our year." Derek says, surprised that he brought up Addison in their conversation.

The waiter sets a new shot in front of Meredith, which she quickly brings to her lips and takes.

"Slow down there," Derek says, as she flips the shot glass upside down and sets it on the table.

Meredith laughs at him, already feeling the effects of the two shots she had taken in a relatively short period of time. She looks beyond Derek surveying the small bar. She notices Addison and Mark sitting a one of the other booths.

"Look," she says pointing to them.

Derek turns around and doesn't react to Addison and Mark sitting across the bar.

"They seems to be friendly," Meredith says as she finishes the last of her mixed drink.

Derek shrugs, "We've all been friends for such a long while. They spend a lot of time together. I think it's good."

"Seriously?" Meredith asks, and she raises her eyebrows at him

"Seriously. I don't get jealous, especially over Mark."

Meredith studies Derek's face trying to read him. His facial expression is expressive but blank all at the same time.

"I see." Meredith says as she reaches for his glass and finishes the last of his scotch.

"Hey," Derek cries out.

"You drink too slow."

"And apparently you drink entirely too much. You weren't kidding earlier were you?"

Meredith shrugs. "I like to drink." As if on cue the waiter sets a fresh round of drinks in front of them. Meredith quickly throws back the shot. Derek looks at her clearly very amused.

Neither of them talks for a few moments listening to the quite roar that fills the small bar. Meredith smiles to herself.

"What?" Derek asks.

Meredith shakes her head. She silently curses herself for drinking so much so quickly, but somewhat glad she was able alleviate the awkwardness she was feeling about getting drinks with her boss whom she is very much attracted to.

'He's married, and his wife is across the bar,' Meredith reminds herself feeling her liquor courage beginning to build.

Derek begins to say something, but the sound of a breaking glass interrupts him. Derek snaps his head around. He sees Addison bending down to pick up the pieces.

Derek sighs as he gets up from his seat and over to Addison and Mark's booth. Meredith follows him feeling her legs wobble underneath her as she takes each step.

Addison looks up. "Derek," she says softly.

"Addison." Derek bends down to help he pick up the broken glass. Feeling more than a bit drunk Meredith sits down at the booth with Mark. "You smell like vodka."

"You smell like scotch." Addison snaps back.

Derek rolls his eyes. "You're drunk."

"So." Addison relies in a harsh tone.

Mark and Meredith look down at them. Derek and Addison realize they are being watched as they rise to their feet.

"I should take you home," Derek says sounding a little more than annoyed wanting to escape this sistuation.

Addison doesn't notice the annoyance in his voice, as she nods her head in agreement.

"Goodnight Mark, Meredith," Addison slurs as she wraps her hand around Derek's waist.

"Goodnight," Derek says as he grabs his wife's purse. He takes one final look as he goes and lays a few bills on the table he and Meredith were sitting at and walks Addison out of the bar.

Meredith looks at Mark blankly, not completely sure what just happened. She doesn't think anything of the fact that she's drinking Addison's beer and eyeing the shot in front of her.

"Go for it," Mark says noticing her looking at the liquor.

Meredith quickly takes the shot.

"Ugh," she cries out in disgust.

"What?" Mark looks at her oddly.

"I hate vodka, it's too harsh!"

"What do you want to drink then?" Mark asks, motioning for the waiter to come to their table.

"Tequila," Meredith replies, finishing off the remainder of Addison's beer.

"What?" Mark exclaims. "If vodka is harsh, and what is Tequila?"

"Delicious," Meredith replies, feeling silly.

"I'll take you word for it." Mark orders a bottle of tequila from the bar and smiles at Meredith.

"I thought you were going to take my word for it."

"Yeah right, like I'm going to let you have the fun."

The waiter comes back and sets the bottle of José Cuervo on their table. Meredith immediately picks up the bottle and takes long swig, having lost most of her self-control. Not to be outdone Mark takes the bottle from her and takes three gulps.

"It's good isn't it?" Meredith asks, as Mark wipes his mouth off with the back of his hand.

Mark makes a face of disgust. "Oh yeah it's good. I know something else that you might enjoy."

Meredith raises her eyebrows at him. "Oh yeah," she replies flirtatiously as her vision becomes slightly blurred.

"Yeah," Mark replies, taking another swig of the tequila, which goes down a lot easier this time.

"Well the only think I like more than tequila is sex."

Mark laughs. "I don't like anything more than sex. Sex is on the top of my list."

"I guess we have that in common." Meredith looks down at her drink and rubs the condensation off the empty beer bottle in front of her.

"How about we take this bottle and go somewhere a little more private?" Mark asks.

"Dr. Sloan are you coming onto me?" Meredith asks very obviously amused.

"Dr. Grey are you drunk?"

Meredith shakes her head yes. "Are you?"

"Wait do you think?" Mark sets the half-drank tequila bottle of the wooden table.

Meredith laughs. "Okay let's get out of here."

In one fluid movement Mark throws a stack of bills on the table, grabs the tequila, and puts his coat on. Meredith zips her jacket up.

'Ready," she asks, already fully aware of his answer.

"Yes, I am."

The two doctors walk out of the bar, trying their hardest to keep their hands to themselves until they walks out of the door.

Meredith inhales the cold night air. "It's a nice night."

Mark doesn't hear her speak. Before he realizes what he's doing he pushes Meredith against a car. His mouth finds hers and he explores the insides of her mouth with his tongue. Meredith cries out in his mouth our of surprise and the mixed sensation of pleasure and pain.

Meredith groans under his touch as she runs her hands underneath his leather jacket. Mark's hands drop to the waist of Meredith's jeans as the glass bottle of tequila drops to the cement, and breaks.

Neither of them notices because they are too lost in one another. Tomorrow will be a different story, but for tonight they were lost in a haze of tequila both thinking they were actually going home with someone else.

"Take me home," Meredith whispers into Mark's ear as she tugs on the earlobe with her teeth.

Mark grabs her hand and leads her to his car.