AN: Basically this is another little oneshot I thought of about what could have happened; if Addison had stayed in New York, stayed blonde and had Ella. Each of these chapters are standalones and not related to each other in any way. This will most likely be a collection of oneshots about what if scenarios.
Also, I have a question. Did Derek ever find out that Addison aborted Mark's baby? I haven't done a proper watch through past season 3, so I genuinely have no clue and I watched it so long ago.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy. Please review. :) LT.
a year can change everything but anger stays the same
It's been over a year since Derek has seen Mark or Addison. He wasn't looking for them either, though he knows it's a good chance one or both of them are at the conference too. And he thinks he's succeeded in avoiding his past East Coast life.
But the medical conference is in Baltimore and when he finally makes out Mark Sloan's familiar figure, he curses inwardly. He glares, even though they are across the room from each other and Mark is engaged in some kind of conversation. He's sour, slumped by the open bar nursing a scotch; he's just glad Mark appears to be alone. He's prepared to toast to that.
Until a long legged blonde makes her way towards Mark with agonising familiarity. He scoffs, not surprised his former best friend has some bimbo on his arm. He can't see her face but he can see her body; a little curvy in a way he's surprised Mark appreciates. But he can tell Mark enjoys her, or is at least attracted to her, by the way he wraps his arm around, hand gripping her hip. How he's leaning towards her and holding her close against his body. Derek hates that he knows these things about his ex-best friend.
Sipping at his scotch though, he's starting to think the woman's movements are familiar too. The tucking and untucking of her honey blonde hair; the way she rests her hand over Mark's on her hip; the crossing of her ankles as she leans against his former friend.
But he doesn't connect the dots, not until he catches a glimpse of her face. And when he does he almost chokes on his scotch.
He has to do a double take because the Addison that's leaning against Mark Sloan is not an Addison he knows. She's blonde! And her breasts are at least double the size they were last time he saw her and he can't help but scathingly wonder if she let Mark give her a boob job. She's also apparently still with his traitorous ex-best friend. That's the biggest shocker of all for him; she'd said it was only once and clearly he was a fool to have believed her.
He downs his scotch and slams the tumbler down before stalking out of the conference mixer. Over a year later and he still can't be in the same ballroom as them.
It's the next day and there's a break after lunch. He's secluded himself away to call Meredith and check in. He's just finishing the call when he hears Addison's voice and cringes; he realises he'll have to walk past her if he wants to get back to the main conference area.
So he stays put, silent and out of sight. He snorts to himself when he can hear Addison's conversation and words.
"I think Mark's getting sick of me," and it's these words that give him a sick sense of satisfaction. But she keeps speaking and he just feels sick. "Calling to check up on Ella. Joyce, our nanny says she's fine but-"
"This is the longest you've been away from her since she was born. Isn't it?" The other woman says with a knowing tone.
Derek feels like he can't breathe at this new revealed information. Information he certainly wasn't supposed to have and wishes he didn't. Information that makes Addison's slightly fuller figure make sense.
"It is. But she's only 3 months old and she's states away. Besides, Mark's been checking on her too. He just likes to act all macho and manly but...he loves Ella so much."
Addison sounds so fond and enamoured as she talks about Mark and the apparent 3 month old baby they share? That Derek doesn't know what to do. He thought he was over Addison, that he had moved on but the stab of pain and anger that shot through his heart told him otherwise.
Addison had had Mark's child. They were now inexplicably tied together forever. In a way that she had never been tied to him. He couldn't quite fathom it.
"...I just had these printed," he hears Addison say and he assumes she's now showing her friend photographs. "We took her on her first trip to the Hampton's before I started back at work. Mark was so cute with her on the beach," Addison fawned and Derek cringed.
She had gotten the Hampton's house in the divorce settlement and although he didn't like the Hampton's; he irrationally hates the idea of Addison and Mark there with their...with the baby.
"Oh my God," the other sounds impressed. "I didn't think Mark Sloan really looked like that underneath those designer clothes and bravado."
And Derek rolls his eyes.
"He feels even better," Addison replies saucily and Derek tries not to gag as both women laugh.
"Seriously though Addison. You seem happy and being a mom looks good on you," the other woman tells her.
Derek frowns, registering the woman's words. He wants desperately to see Addison and see if it's true. Though he knows being a mother would no doubt make her ecstatic, he can't fathom that she could possibly be happy with Mark of all people.
"The last time I saw you, you were miserable. I mean, I'm not sure if you knew but, you could just tell. There was no light in your eyes. A bad marriage can do that to you and...well. I'm glad you're happy now."
Derek flinched as he heard the words 'bad marriage' from the other woman. He had been a good husband and he thought Addison would defend him somehow.
"I know. But being a mom, being with Mark? I've never been happier," Addison gushes and Derek hates the way he just knows that she's smiling as she speaks.
He doesn't know what to think or what to feel from what he's overheard. And luckily he's saved from overhearing any more by the announcement of another session starting. Addison and her companion get up and leave, letting Derek breathe a sigh of relief. He doesn't think he could've handled hearing anymore of his ex-wife's revelations right now.
It is the final night of the conference and there is a dinner for all the attendees. Derek had been doing a remarkable job at avoiding Mark and Addison, no doubt thanks to his anti-social behavior but as much as he wanted to, he didn't think he could skip out on the conference dinner. He also considers that if he knows they are there, then they most certainly know he is there; and they're doing a remarkable job of avoiding him too. Scotch glass in hand, because he'd been drinking far more then usual on this trip, he made his way towards his table.
The tables were round and seated six. When he found his place card he noticed there were already other surgeons sitting in their seats, only two other chairs unfilled. He was glad to see at least that he wasn't the last person to make it to the table. The doctor on his right was someone he'd worked with before, another New York doctor and he greeted him warmly. He introduced himself to the other two doctors and fell into an easy conversation with the other three surgeons.
He finds himself actually having a decent time until he hears two familiar voices. "You've got to be fucking kidding me," he murmurs under his breath. His hand clenches around his tumbler of scotch and he freezes, he doesn't want to look up. Of course, of course it's just his luck that his adulterous bitch of an ex-wife and his traitorous manwhore of an ex-best friend, who have had a goddamn lovechild together, are seated at the same table as him.
"Oh," he hears Addison say in surprise. "Derek," she murmurs as if she is surprised to see him and maybe she is. The tension is thick around the table now and when he glances to his right, he scowls at the look of amusement on the other New York surgeons face.
Finally he builds his courage and looks up at the two people that had torn his world apart a little over a year ago.
"Dr. Montgomery," he starts voice icy and eyes cold as he glared at her. His eyes flick towards his former best friend then and it almost hurts worse. "Dr. Sloan," he sneers, quickly turning his gaze away and downing his scotch.
From the corner of his eye he watches as they awkwardly sit down. No one is speaking at the table now and the silence is deafening. After the past year that he's had, Derek certainly hadn't imagined that this was how he'd be seeing Addison or Mark again. Eventually though the other doctors at the table begin making small talk and he's not surprised when Addison joins in.
He tries his best to tune her out, thankful that Mark has apparently learnt to shut his mouth until he hears her mention something about cheating. He snorts, rather loudly and inelegantly, his eyes finally meeting hers across the table.
"You'd know all about cheating, wouldn't you Addison," he drawls nastily, a self-satisfied smirk on his lips. He senses the two other doctors beside him tense but he doesn't care. He's solely focused on Addison and Mark now.
"Derek, don't do this," Addison says tightly, lips pursed and jaw tensed. He's known her long enough to see that she is very uncomfortable with the scene he is making. It only makes him want to continue; after all he was very uncomfortable with seeing her fucking his best friend a year ago.
"Do what? Talk about the fact that you're a lying, cheating slut?" he spits out angrily, the venom dripping from his voice. He smirks as she flinches at his words. He'd never normally talk like this and he has to wonder if the scotches he's been throwing back have loosened his tongue.
He doesn't have time to dwell however because Mark is slamming his glass down angrily and leaning forward in his seat.
"Don't you ever talk to her like that again," Mark growls, his voice deep and gravelly.
Mark has never been quick to anger but Derek can see that his former best friend is deadly serious. He scowls, eyeing the pair across from him as he finishes off his drink. "Fuck you, Sloan," he snaps out as he stands up. He's had enough of this conference and this dinner and trying to ignore Mark and Addison when they're right there in his face.
"Your wife already is," Mark bites out quickly, his own self-satisfied smirk appearing on his face.
"Mark!" Addison hisses out in embarrassment, a hand covering half her face as she dipped her head in shame.
Derek glares between the couple shaking his head with disgust as he turns and walks away. As he stalks away, he thinks maybe he'll actually learn to forget about his ex-wife and his ex-best friend. But he doesn't quite think that's possible.