So here are my general feels on life and this fic. I feel you guys are all like, 'how the hell does she expect to top a pig, i mean Addison has a pet pig,' to that I say, I can and will. That said, not every chapter can pack the omph that a pig does. I mean... that would be like the ultimate fic i'll admit, but it would be exhausting to write and exhauting for the characters to have all these HUGELY dramatic things happening all the time. Sometimes people just need to sit back and play checkers.

BUT, I like HUGELY DRAMATIC moments, so...

Enjoy this moderately dramatic chapter.

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It wasn't often that she hate her job. But right now she honestly and truly hated it.

Cristina leaned back against the wall. If Burke was here he would tell her how to handle it. Or better yet he would handle it himself. She was not a people person, even when those people were her friends.

She sighed heavily and pushed herself off the wall.

This sucked. For a brief moment she wished that she had been the one to get shot and not him, for the purely selfish reason that then she wouldn't have to say what she had to say to the person she had to say it to. She really missed having him at work with her.

But this wasn't about her.

"Meredith?"

Meredith turned to her and smiled, "Hey."

Cristina glanced at George and Alex who were sitting with Meredith, "Umm, I need to talk to you for a minute."

Meredith looked at her curiously but followed her out of the cafeteria. They sat in some chairs by the window,

"What's going on?"

Cristina took a deep breath, "Something bad has happened."

XXXX

"Whatcha doin'?"

Derek glanced up then back to his MRI results, "Working. What are you doing?"

Addison shrugged. She inched through the door and nodded at the MRI, "Is it interesting?"

Derek shrugged, "'Nother day, 'nother tumour."

Addison laughed.

Derek smiled at her, "Did you need something."

Addison shrugged, "No, just dropped by. Saying hi."

Derek looked at her with suspicious amusement and crossed his arms, "Just saying hi?"

"I'm allowed," she replied defensively.

Derek tilted his head to the side.

"Okay fine," she laughed, "I'm bored."

Derek chuckled and turned back to his MRI.

"I'm serious. I have nothing to do."

"How dare people have healthy babies," he replied dryly.

"Derek!" Addison laughed, "I'm serious."

"Well what do you want me to do about it?"

"Amuse me."

XXXX

"You can go in," Izzie encourage.

Meredith shook her head,

"It's your family."

Meredith shook her head again.

"He's your father. He just had a heart attack. He'd want to see you."

Meredith hugged herself protectively., "He knows that I am here."

Izzie watched her,

"He knows that I work here. His wife knows that I work here. His daughters even know I work here, they just don't know I'm me."

Meredith sighed heavily and played with the chain around her neck.

"If he wanted to see me, he could. He just doesn't"

XXXX

"Are you still wandering around here?" Derek asked as Addison exited the elevator.

"I am so good at my job that I am going to put myself out of work," Addison sighed, feigning modesty, "All my patients are stable or improving. All my mothers are healthy and happy..."

"You are the best."

"I am aren't I."

"You know you really should work on your self-esteem," he teased smiling at her.

She smiled back, "What are you doing now?"

"Still working."

Addison nodded and paused thoughtfully, "Wanna play checkers?" she asked hopefully.

"Addison..."

"Please," she pouted slightly.

"Don't pout," Derek replied, unnerved.

She stuck her lower lip out a bit more.

"I suck at checkers."

"No," Addison protested, "You suck at 'Operation', your okay at checkers. Please." stuck her lower lip out again, "Please."

"One game," he relented.

Addison grinned.

"But when I loose you are buying me coffee."

"Fine."

"For the rest of the week."

XXXX

Meredith sat, her knees pulled to her chest in an out of the way corner of a waiting room.

"Hey," Derek said quietly approaching her, concern evident on his face.

"Hey," she replied quietly, her voice barely a whisper.

Derek sat down beside her and patiently waited until she turned her face towards him, Her eyes where red, puffy and very watery. She attempted a smile, but the corners of her mouth barely moved before she had buried her face against her knees. She body trembled slightly as she cried.

Derek hesitated for an entire minute. Finally he reached out and rested his hand on her back, rubbing in slow circles.

"I'll fix it," he whispered.

XXXX

Addison rested her forearms on the railing and watched Derek and Meredith on the floor below. After a few moments Bailey joined her and together they watched Derek Shepherd try to comfort Meredith Grey.

"Do you think that Derek would have signed faster if Meredith hadn't been with Finn?"

Bailey didn't reply.

Addison lapsed into silence.

"And why," Addison said finally, "DIdn't he just didn't just sign the divorce papers when I first got here? He could have been with her this whole time."

"Because he wanted to be with you."

Addison and Bailey both turned to see who had spoken.

"Sorry," George murmured.

Addison sighed and leaned back against the railing, "If he wanted to be with me he wouldn't have slept with her at the prom." she said as she glanced over her shoulder at Derek and Meredith again.

"What?" George stuttered.

Addison and Bailey turned back to the intern,

He looked shocked.

The two women exchanged glances.

"I'm sorry George," Addison apologized finally.

George stared at her silently for a moment before walking away.

Addison sighed and turned back to the railing, "I need something to do."

XXXX

"Meredith," Derek repeated, still rubbing her back, "What happened?"

Meredith lifted her head, and to Derek's surprise her face was not tear stained, just pained, "My phone's dead," she said finally, her voice shaky.

Derek hesitated only a moment before handing her his cell phone.

Meredith stared at him a moment before tentatively taking the phone from his hand.

She inhaled deeply as she slowly dialed.

Derek continued to rub her back.

She ran her hand through her hair pushing it out of her face. At that moment the tears began to fall down her face.

"Finn?" She said, her voice breaking as she buried her face against her knees again.

Derek pulled his hand away as if he had been burned.

Meredith continued to cry, oblivious to Derek's presence,"I just...," she sobbed, "I'm all alone."

Derek turned away. He glanced up and for the first time noticed Addison at the railing above him.

She looked down at him sympathetically, offering him a supportive smile. He just looked back at her sadly. Suddenly his eyes drifted to a spot over her shoulder.

Addison turned to see what had caught Derek's attention.

"I brought chinese," Mark grinned at her.

Addison rolled her eyes and turned back to Derek.

He was gone.

XXXX

It's after midnight

And she's on your phone

Saying come over

Cause she's all alone

I could tell it was your ex

By your tone

But why is she calling now?

After so long

Now what is that she wants?

Tell me what is that she needs?

What'cha gonna do

When you can't say no

And your feelings start to show

Boy I really need to know

And how you gonna act

How you gonna handle that

What'cha gonna do when she wants you back

XXXXXXXXXX

That was short.

Well you win some you loose some.

Unless you are Derek, Derek is just loosing. At life. His life just sucks.

It's called poetic justice.

Review.