A/N: So on the reviews, I've been getting lately (which by the way I love) they keep asking what is lupus and especially the type that Addison has. The disease is actually very near and dear to my heart because my mother was diagnosed with it...So, I'll put in a hyperlink to where you can go to learn more about the disease...

About the story, I'm having fun writing these characters so let me know what you think of this next installment.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"I'm fine stop hovering."

Callie shook her head as she leaned on the edge of the bed, "Why didn't you tell me you had lupus? I would've never…."

Addison waved her hand, "That's the reason, I never wanted anyone to treat me any differently they are already treating my pregnancy as a high risk because of my age but now with the lupus they are concerned for my health and that of the baby. I just wanted a day where I felt normal and I gather from today's events that it's not even possible." Addison felt the tears roll down her cheeks and cursed herself silently at her own weakness.

"Lupus is not a sign of weakness if anything it's a sign of strength and to prove that I'm going to tell you something that I haven't told anyone at Seattle Grace."

Addison leaned forward interested, "What is it?"

Callie exhaled a deep breath as she said, "My mother died of complications from lupus."

Addison closed her eyes as empathy for Callie rolled over her, she took her hand. "I'm so sorry, I had no idea."

Callie shrugged, "Why would you? I never really told anybody about what I went through before today. My mother was always the strongest woman I knew and when she was diagnosed with the disease when I was in high school I didn't pay it too much mind, my mother was a strong woman and she wouldn't let some disease get her down so I didn't pay it too much mind. Back then, we didn't know much about auto-immune disease so when my mother complained that she was tired I assumed she wasn't pushing herself hard enough. When she told me that the pain in her joints and muscles were so bad that she couldn't stand the sheets to be on her legs I thought she was exaggerating. When I was just out of high school she was put into the hospital, her organs had turned on herself and as I was leaning over the side of her bed raging against the world I swore that I would find out the cause of her disease and eradicate it from the planet. Well going into college, I learned about what the true meaning of auto-immune was when I realized the extent of suffering she must've been going through. She just did it day by day and when I learned of the meaning of lupus and the hell it put people through, especially women…I don't even want to remember the amount of heartache that I felt at that moment."

Addison had tears running down her face as she listened to Callie's saga and recognized that she had found a kindred soul, "Callie, I just want to let you know that I appreciate you feeling enough confidence to tell me what happened. What happened to your desire to become a researcher and help eradicate the disease that has me down? Lupus research needs more people like you."

Callie exhaled a deep breath as she swiped away the tears that had fallen with the remembrance of her mother and said, "I was gung-ho on lupus research but then I decided to switch majors. I switched majors because I knew that the variables in lupus research were so vast that I didn't think I could find a niche and make a difference. I wanted to be in a field where I could make a difference and in ortho where I am I can always make a difference, whether its seeing a three-year old get a new leg or a young woman get a new leg after it was blown off by a bomb, it helps puts a perspective back into everything. So even though I gave up the idea of lupus research as a career, I still keep updated on what is going in lupus research."

Addison reached for the tissue that Callie handed her and said, "Well you've certainly made me feel better although I must confess that if I'm going to continue to cry like this with these hormones then I may need to buy some stock in Kleenex."

Callie smiled, "So now that we got that out of the way, what did the doctor say?"

Addison shook her head, "Don't worry about that, you still have to tell me what happened with Mark? He was calling you at least three times on your cell phone and you didn't even bother to answer."

Callie smiled, "It's all about taming the tiger. He has never been in a relationship with me so he doesn't know how to act when I turn him in on his own game."

Addison laughed and said, "You are just the person to make Mark into a good man. You can train him and I'm going to help you."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Cristina came up to the counter, "So did you hear McSteamy and McDreamy left the hospital together and they appeared to be in a big hurry, rumor has it they even rode out of here together."

Meredith raised an eyebrow at this but didn't make any other emotion to the comment. She placed her chart on top of the pile and turned to George, "I'm beat you about ready?"

George shrugged, "I wanted to see if I could talk to Callie before I left for the day. I know she's still hurt about our breakup and I just want her to know that I still have feelings for her."

Cristina winced, "Then I don't think you should hear about the latest in the gossip mills."

George shook her head, "You know that I don't listen to anything that they say besides I refuse to believe that she could be in-involved with Mark Sloan." Meredith laughed at the way George uttered his name as if it were a nasty infection.

Cristina walked over to George, "Listen, I don't know if I should tell you this or not but Sloan has been lighting up Dr. Torres's cell phone. He's left at least three messages for her already."

George shrugged it off and said, "They're just friends, I got to go my locker I'll catch up with you guys."

Cristina tugged Meredith into a hug, "How you holding up?"

Meredith smiled softly, "I'm holding, but I don't know if up is the proper word to describe how I'm doing."

Cristina clucked in sympathy, "George is in denial."

Meredith laughed softly, "Join the club, I live my life in a constant state of denial."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Callie came out of the room as Mark and Derek were coming up on the driveway. Derek started to run past her when she put a hand on his arm. "Derek, I just got her down for a nap. Her mind was running a mile a minute."

Mark came up next to her and put his arm around her shoulders, "What happened here Callie?"

Callie wanted to turn and allow herself to get lost in his arms but now wasn't the time. She had a new friend who she just found out had an illness like the one that had taken her mother away from her and she needed a moment to process everything before she gave in to her growing feelings for Mark. "We were looking at apartments and Tyler was with us, the baby of Miranda. She wanted to get some practice in, anyway we were doing well but then she was leaning against the door and I asked…."

Callie felt herself choke up as she remembered the look of exhaustion and pain on her face and was instantly wracked with memories of seeing the same look on her mother's face. Mark pulled her into his arms as she shuddered as he started stroking her hair, "It's okay Callie we'll handle it from now on."

Derek nodded and walked past Callie, "Thanks."

Callie pulled herself out of Mark's arms and looked at Derek, "She's sleeping Derek she needs her rest, leave her be for now."

Derek nodded, "I'm not going to disturb her rest, but I need her even if it's only by sight, I need to be in her presence. When I got the call my heart leaped into my throat and I feel like I'm choking, I won't be okay until I see with both of my eyes that she's okay even if she's asleep."

Callie nodded and turned away but Mark pulled her back into his arms and she finally released all of the grief that she had inside of her and started crying.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

In, out, in, out. He was in a trance by watching the simple, rhythmic act of her breathing and the peaceful expression she wore on her face while doing so.

He sat across from her in the chair next to the bed and just watched her. There was nothing else he could do except watch and memorize the rise and fall of her chest. It had only taken a moment for the fear to set in for him to start self-evaluating and he hated when he did that. When he pulled out a ruler and measured himself on the husband stick and the man stick he always failed. Today was another one of those examples, he should've been with Addison, and he should've ensured that she didn't overdo it even if he went against her wishes. Her health and that of their child was the most important thing that he was focusing on.

In, out, in, out.

His mistakes were shouting at him in the face even as he saw a gentler, kinder Mark with Callie. He was finally realizing what he had done to his best friend. He had forced the guy he most trusted into the position of substitute, substitute friend, substitute husband and eventually substitute lover. He had abandoned his wife and his best friend and expected them to continue their loyalty to him while they were struggling to be themselves and get their lives and own issues.

In, out, in, out.

She was gorgeous, she loved him. She was devastated by him, she was hurt by him. How could so many good emotions that he had for his wife get to turned into something where he used her love for him as a weapon. He allowed her blind love of him, help him to destroy her. He had used her and she still came back for more, all because she loved him.

In, out, in, out.

He had no other choice, first thing tomorrow he was finding a house for them to live in. He would make her go to the doctor's office today if possible and he was going with her and then he would take the doctor's advice and use it to help him learn how to take care of the most precious things in his life. His wife and their child.

In, out, in, out.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Hours Later

Callie sat down at the Chinese restaurant Mark had dragged her to. He had said that Derek and Addison needed time alone. While she was still reluctant to leave her new friend's side she had finally allowed Mark to convince her that she should be absent so that they could talk.

A menu was passed in front of her eyes and she pushed it aside and put her head in her hands.

"Callie, I know you're hungry. Why don't you try to eat something and take your mind off of Addison?"

Callie shook her head, "The last thing I can focus on is food. Addison has lupus and she pushed herself too hard today and I should've seen the signs, I should've known…"

Mark laughed aloud, "What are you a psychic? How could you know about Addison's illness if she's never let anybody in on it, including her husband?"

Callie shook her head in denial, "Don't you see I should've recognized the symptoms. I should've known."

Mark pulled her hand into his and kissed her palm, "You have a wonderful heart Callie and I think it's wonderful that you want to try to shoulder all the blame but it just won't fly with me. You have no responsibility in this, when Addison started to get weak she should've stopped at that moment but she didn't. This is not your fault."

Callie shook her head, "I still should've known Mark, this one hit too close to home. Look, I'm not really hungry; can we get something to go? I want to go back to the hotel."

Mark nodded and signaled for the waiter, "Do you want me to get you anything?"

Callie shrugged her shoulders, "I'll eat whatever you pick. I don't really have an appetite and whatever I eat will taste like cardboard anyway."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Addison felt consciousness come to her slowly as someone was stroking her hair. The motion was soothing, so much so that she was tempted to fall back under the lull of slumber that she was under but decided to fight against it. She batted away the hand that was at her head and as she reached for the hand she felt someone grip it tightly and hold on.

Her eyes flew open as she looked into the concerned face of Derek, "Hey."

Derek smiled and leaned over and brushed a kiss on her forehead, "Hey you gave me quite a scare there."

Addison tried to sit up but Derek shook his head insistently, "Shh, shh, shh. Lay down you don't need to move just yet. The only thing you need to focus on is resting now besides you know; I could just sit here all day watching you breathe. It's one of the most wondrous things I've ever witnessed."

Addison smiled as she rolled her eyes at his sentiment but let go of the struggle and settled herself back into the bed, "I pushed myself too hard today but it won't happen again."

Derek nodded consolingly as he went back to stroking her hair. "Of course it won't happen again. I won't let it."

Addison's eyebrow flew up at that but she refused to comment anything else and said, "I really scared Callie and I didn't mean to…Did you know that her mother died from complications of lupus?"

Derek put a quieting finger over her mouth, "Hush, just be quiet now. All of those other worries need to go out of your head. You need to focus on your rest. Fortunately, Callie was smart enough to call Mark and myself otherwise I never would've known. I still don't know why she took you back to Miranda's house instead of the hospital."

Addison opened her eyes and smiled softly, "Because I told her I was fine and all I needed was some rest. There isn't anything else that can be done with this disease besides rest and taking care of yourself so that the disease doesn't get out of control."

Derek pulled her hand into his own and started stroking her finger and then he moved onto her ring finger which lay bare and looked up at her in confusion.

"Where's your wedding ring?"

Addison looked down in fear as she closed her eyes, "We were going through so many problems and then you asked for a divorce that I just stopped wearing the rings. I wore them around my neck on a chain." Derek watched as Addison struggled to sit up and then leaned against the headboard as she pulled the chain out that held her rings. She pulled the thin, gold chain out of her blouse and showed him proudly how her sparkling engagement and wedding rang lay close to her heart.

"I always keep my rings with me." As she showed him her rings proudly she then looked down and looked at his ringless hand and closed her eyes as the tears leaked out. She damned the hormones again for feelings she would've been able to suppress otherwise.

Addison slid down under the covers, "So why are you here?"

Derek pulled her hand back into his own, "I was worried about you, isn't that enough?"

Addison smiled and nodded, "Of course it is, but as you see I'm fine so you can go…"

Derek shook his head, "Are you trying to get rid of your husband?"

Addison smirked and then rolled her eyes, "My husband who doesn't wear his wedding rings?"

Derek looked at her in disbelief and Addison looked away, "I'm sorry, I guess I'm just a little on edge, don't worry about it or me, I'll be fine."

Addison looked away and Derek stood up frustrated. He knew that she was still emotionally in a lot of pain but he also knew she needed her rest and he didn't want to get into a discussion about the absence of wedding rings when her health and that of their child was in jeopardy.

He decided to try a different approach which was focus on what he could control and talk about which was her, "I spoke to Dr. Revelle."

Addison turned a disbelieving glare on him, "Why did you call him? I told Callie I was fine and she knew that I didn't need to call him."

Derek crossed his arms, "You are my wife, and you have an auto-immune disease which is compounded by stress. You are also a high-risk pregnancy, come on you are a neonatal specialist you know this routine."

Addison rolled her eyes, "You don't have to remind me of my major all I needed was to rest, the doctor knows that I can't do anything but rest and take my medication. Although, I may still not take my medication seeing as how I can still cope with the pain if I take a nap every once in awhile."

Derek looked at her in disbelief, "What do you mean may not take my medication?"

Addison closed her eyes, "I just needed to rest it doesn't mean I have to start taking all of my medications again. While I can still manage the pain, the only medication I'm taking is the Plaquenil it's the only one I have to take every day and it doesn't affect the baby."

Derek walked closer to the bed and sat down across from her, "When I talked to Revelle he told me that you could go back on all of your medications because you had an episode. You need to take your medicine and I'm not leaving here until you do."

Addison laughed shortly, "What are you going to make me? You must forget who you married, don't let the color fool you I'm just as fiery as the red in my hair and I will defend my child with tooth and nail."

Derek leaned forward and spoke angrily, "You can defend our child with tooth and nail but not from its father and your husband. My priority is the both of you and I don't want this child if it costs me my wife."

Note: I took a little bit of poetic liberty with Callie's backstory, seeing as how I only started watching GA at the beginning of Season 3 and fell in love with Addek and Callie, I'm not too sure about how far fetched I am. Let me know your thoughts.