Two days later…

The bell jiggled as she walked through the door. Her eyes scanned the bar for a familiar face, but saw none. She made her way to the bar and slipped into the seat.

"Hey Joe."

"Hey Mer. I haven't seen you around lately." He stated.

"Yeah, well I haven't seen the world outside the hospital lately. Then, Christina's wedding… didn't happen."

"Yeah, Alex told me."

There was a silence and Joe shifted his stance. "Have you talked to McDreamy lately?"

"Nope. Barely left my room with Christina long enough to talk to anyone." She noticed the distress on his face. "Why?"

"Nothing, just wondering." He forced a smile. "Usual?"

"You know me well." She said dropping the subject.

She was only on her second shot though she hadn't touched it yet. The music was quietly playing but she wasn't listening to it. For some reason, Joe asking her about Derek gave her this nagging feeling. She stood up drowning her last shot before laying some money on the bar.

"See you later, Joe."

"Yeah, you too, Mer."

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She put the car in park and got out. The smell of the heavy moist air hung low around her as she stepped onto the porch. She knocked on the door and glanced over to the driveway at his car. After a few seconds, the door opened and Derek stood there. His hair was twisted in all different ways and he wore boxers and a t-shirt.

"Meredith?" He stepped out onto the porch, shutting the door quickly behind him. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean? We need to talk. So I'm here to talk."

"And I thought you would just avoid me forever."

"What?"

"You avoided me all week."

"You know as well as I, Christina needed comfort."

"Yeah, I know." He sighed and sat down on the edge of the porch. "What's up?"

"Things haven't been right between us lately and I don't know if they ever will be. It's mostly my fault. And Addison happened and I hoped tha it would go away..."

"What would go away?" He asked.

"I am always looking over my shoulder wondering what will happen next. I will always being waiting for another wife. Then, you said you met a girl in the bar and it was the highlight of your week. You don't want to breathe for me anymore and... you shouldn't have to. When Christina's wedding…failed, I lost hope for a happy ever after. And…"

"Is this you putting me out of my misery?" He asked quietly. She turned and looked at him as silence hung in the air for a few minutes.

"Yeah I guess this is me putting you out of my misery." She said just above a whisper as a couple tears rolled down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Derek."

"After all we've been through… you're just going to threw it all away." He almost yelled.

"I'm sorry, Derek."

He didn't say anything else, just stood up and walked into the trailer slamming the door. She cringed at the noise before walking back to her call.

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The bell jingled as she walked into the bar for the second time that night. She glanced around the bar and spotted Mark hunched over the bar with his elbows propped up on it nursing his scotch. She sighed and walked over. Not bothering to say anything, she slipped into the stool beside him. He glanced over at her but didn't say anything.

"Back again?" Joe said.

"Yeah well, my bad day just got worse. So tequila and keep 'em coming." She sighed and Joe nodded. She glanced over at him. "Bad day?"

He looked over at her and nodded. "Addison slept with Kerev. We made a deal. Neither of us could sleep with someone for 60 days. And she slept with Kerev."

"Mark, I'm sorry."

"What's wrong with you?" He said as he sipped his drink.

"It's over. I 'put him out of his misery.' That's what I was making him. Miserable." She said exhaling deeply. "I just couldn't do it anymore. Between the whole wife thing and I saw him with girl. I couldn't do it anymore. " She shook her head.

"What?" He asked shocked.

"I was in the back there." Pointing to the back of the bar. "A woman walked up and he didn't turn her away. She turned out to be my intern."

There was a long silence.

"I thought I actually meant something."

"What did she say?"

"I didn't tell her that I know. I told her I slept with someone and that she was right about me." She put her hand on his upper arm.

"I'm really sorry, Mark."

"Yeah, same to you." He stood up leaving a twenty on the bar. "I'll see you around, Mer."

"Yeah, I'll see you." He grabbed his coat and walked out. She sighed and put her head down on the bar.

"The dirty mistresses never win." She muttered.