So. This story sometimes makes me want to rip out all my hair. Which is sad cause I have nice hair.
So sorry for the wait. Derek hates me.
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Oh brother I can't, I can't get through
I've been trying hard to reach you 'cause I don't know what to do
Oh brother I can't believe it's true
I'm so scared about the future and I wanna talk to you
Oh I wanna talk to you
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Addison's heels clicked purposely as she breezed down the hallway.
"Miranda?" she questioned, stopping in front of Bailey, "Have you seen Derek recently?"
Miranda looked her over and shook her head, "Not recently," she replied, her eyes now glued to her chart.
Addison furrowed her brow,"Well he isn't in surgery, so he can't be that far. Your sure that you haven't seen him?"
Bailey rearranged her piles of charts, "If I happen to cross paths with him, I will let him know you want to see him."
Addison was completely confused as Bailey seemed to be brushing off, "But..."
"I will give him the message," Bailey firmly assured her moving away, leaving a very confused Addison standing in the middle of the hallway.
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"Hey."
"Hi."
"Ugh. How are you?"
Meredith smiled, "I'm fine George."
"Oh. Good." George smiled at her then faced the window again, "It's just that, well, my room is right down the hall from yours. So when you are up all night pacing around and walking up and down the stairs, I notice, and I worry."
Meredith smiled at him again, "It's stupid," she laughed, "I just can't get used to sleeping alone again."
George gave her a skeptical look.
"I'm serious George, I miss Finn. But I am fine."
"Your sure?"
"Please." Meredith teased, "Before you know it I'll be up to my old tricks and you'll be wishing that I was pacing the floor."
George blushed, "You're waiting for Derek to..."
"No!" Meredith exclaimed a bit to quickly.
George was stunned, "I'm sorry," he stammered, "I just thought that since he is getting divorced and Finn is gone, that you and Shepherd would," George shrugged, "Get back together eventually."
"Derek and I are over George."
"Okay," George smiled tentatively, "Your really okay?"
"I'm really okay."
George grinned at her one last time before walking away.
Meredith sighed and leaned her forehead against the cool glass. She had George more or less convinced that she she wasn't completely miserable. Which she was.
Meredith sighed and for the millionth time wished that George would stop giving her the benefit of the doubt. He blindly believed that she was not responsible for the breakdown of the Shepherds marriage. She wished that Callie would stop protecting him from her.
Then she wouldn't feel guilty that he was worried about the dirty mistress.
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"Karev!" Addison marched determinedly down the hall, "Where is my husband?" she demanded
Alex starred at her, "You too huh?"
She just glared, "I don't have the patience to play anymore games. Someone is going to tell me where he is, and that someone is you. Tell me where to find him."
Alex turned to continue down the hall, "You don't want to do that."
"I am not asking Karev." Addison said firmly, "I know your assigned to him even though you are suppose to be on my service. So you either tell me where he is right now or you will be back in neonatal so fast you'll think you've been possessed by Dorothy Gale."
"Listen Dr Shepherd," Alex stood a bit straighter, "I am doing you a favor. You don't want to be anywhere near him today. I don't want to be near him today. No one wants to be near him today. Oscar the Grouch is cheerful by comparison. So do yourself a favor and save yourself the aggravation."
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Meredith walked slowly down the hall. She had neither the physical nor the emotional energy to move any faster.
She glanced up and locked eyes with Derek.
Derek's entire body was tense.
His eyes flashed, and his jaw was clenched so tightly it was probably hurting him.
Meredith forced herself to turn away.
She quickly turned around and started in the opposite direction.
Derek stared in to space long after she had disappeared.
"Derek."
"Addison," he replied tersely, turning to face her.
"We are having lunch together, at noon. And you will be there." She ordered, "And this mood you are in, it stops now. People don't want want to work with you and that is unacceptable. You are not a child Derek, grow up."
Derek stared, slack jaw, as she walked away.
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At the appointed time Derek slumped into the chair across from Addison.
"You yelled at me."
"You needed it."
"You yelled at me."
Addison ignored him, "Have a sandwich. We need to talk."
Derek sullenly took the offered sandwich and leaned back in his chair.
"Okay." Addison began, "All we have left to do is divide up mutual assets, which is basically properties. I talked to the realtor that we bought the house from and she said that it will go quickly. If we hold out we could probably get more then we paid for it, but at this point I really don't care. So unless you want to wait, I'll just tell her to sell as quickly as possible."
Derek was silent, he merely shrugged.
"The house in the Hamptons is more complicated," Addison continued,"She suggested that we sell it furnished. Which is ridiculous and it also means that we have to actually go through everything now and decide what we want to keep and what to leave because there have already been offers on it and it is not even for sale yet, and..."
"You want to sell the house in the Hamptons?" Derek interrupted.
Addison looked at him strangely, "Well, it's kind of far to use it as a weekend house, Derek. Anyway, I was thinking that I would go up next weekend, so if there is anything that you want..."
"But you love the Hampton house."
"I know," Addison stared at him:"But I live here now."
"But you love the house in the Hampton."
"I do. But it really doesn't make sense to hang on to it when we both live on the other side of the country."
"I just think that maybe we should talk about it a bit more before we just abruptly decide to sell it."
"Do you want the house?" Addison questioned in confusion.
"I thought you would want to keep it."
"Well I have a house here now, I'll miss the beach, but I mean... It's just a house," she paused, "Do you want it?"
Derek didn't move a muscle for almost a full minute.
"Well I don't want to sell it."
"So..."
Derek shrugged, "I'll take it, I guess."
"Well okay." Addison leaned back trying to process this, "I'll let the lawyers know that we worked this all out."
"I need to go," Derek declared, quickly getting to his feet and exiting the cafeteria.
Addison remained in her seat, stunned.
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Meredith ran quickly down the stairs. She had just seen Addison exit the elevator and figured that Derek couldn't be that far behind.
"Ugh," she groaned as she tripped over something blocking the stairwell.
Derek starred up at her, "It's hard to avoid talking to someone when you literally trip over them."
"I wasn't avoiding you," she replied defensively.
"You always turn and run from the people you aren't avoiding?"
"Why are you moping in the stairwell," Meredith asked, desperate for a change of subject.
"I'm avoiding Addison," he answered not looking at her, "We had lunch."
"Oh."
Meredith watched him silent;y. When he made no move to continue she turned to go down the stairs.
"She wanted to talk about the divorce. She wants to sell our house in the Hampton."
"Well that makes sense doesn't it?"
"She loves that house."
"But it's in New York. It's far away. She wouldn't use it."
"But she loves it. She brought up selling it like it meant nothing. Just a house she said," He fumed, "It is not just a house. We bought that house for our 8th aniversary. 8 years. The average doctor in our hospital barely made it to 4. We doubled that so we bought that house. And she says 'It's just a house'"
Meredith stared at him then shook her head, walking determinedly down the stairs.
"What?"
Meredith turned once she reached the landing and looked at Derek who still sat at the top, "Do you realize that all we ever talk about... all you ever talk about, is her?"
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There's another chapter.
Next chapter... Meredith borrows Derek's cellphone. ooooOOOOoooooOOOOOOooooo
Review.