Disclaimer: I still do not own Grey's Anatomy and, unfortunately, never will.

A/N: I wrote this chapter from 1:00 to 4:00 in the morning when I couldn't fall asleep because I had a really bad stomach ache. I was going to redo it later, but you know, I actually really like this chapter. Alex and Bailey made me smile, and finally Addison is being less pathetic and more of an adult...though don't get me wrong, I like sad, contemplative Addison too… Don't worry, though, I still promise all of you that this is eventually going to be addek, it just isn't going to be addek instantaneously. There is no way that Addison and Derek could plausibly make up fast and, besides, I have some fun plans for Addison before she and Derek are able to overcome their differences and be happy together. Addek is amazing…those two were just meant for each other. Oh, and just a quick note. In my story, Addison didn't throw her rings into the river, she kept them. I know throwing them into the river is more drastic, but I really wanted Addison to keep them.

Internal Changes

As Addison walked into the hospital, she wondered if people noticed the difference in her. She had spent the whole plane flight thinking, before vowing to get her life under her control. She had thought about doing something drastic to portray the change, cutting her hair, perhaps, but had ultimately decided against it. Having an uglier haircut would not fix any of her problems, and she didn't want a new piercing, or rebellious clothing. Instead, she had decided to just take her rings off (which she put in a secure place in the back of her closet), and let the rest of her changes be internal.

Addison got into the elevator, and when Derek and Meredith got in as well, she simply smiled. "Good morning," she said cheerfully.

"It is, isn't it?" Meredith said, exchanging a look with Derek. Their exchanged looks clearly expressed their wish to not be in the elevator with Addison, but it was only until Addison left them alone in the elevator to visit the NICU that they actually bothered to look at her. Addison was a little disappointed that they noticed no differences, but since she had not expected Meredith or Derek to pay much attention to her and therefore did not look back at them, she was unaware that they were staring at her. Instead, she was proud that she had not felt the customary pain she associated with seeing Derek and Meredith together. Perhaps, Addison thought, perhaps she could even someday forgive Meredith.

"She…she's changed, hasn't she?" Meredith questioned Derek.

"Yes she has," Derek responded, puzzled, "but I'm just not sure how." Both Meredith and Derek silently pondered what was different in Addison before, with a parting kiss, they were forced to go their separate ways.

Unaware of this exchange between Derek and Meredith, and satisfied that the babies in the NICU were being properly taken care of, Addison went to find herself a new case. She had no induced labors scheduled for today, and there were currently no laboring mothers that she was aware of. When she saw Miranda Bailey leaning against the wall and examining a case, she walked up to Miranda. Miranda looked at her out of the corner of her eyes. "Decided to finally get over that ex-husband of yours?" Miranda questioned, putting emphasis on the word "finally."

"Miranda!" Addison scolded, and pretended to be shocked that Dr. Bailey would say something quite so insensitive and upfront.

"Well, are you?" Bailey demanded. "I'm not one to play guessing games, Addison."

"I'm over him," Addison said, trying to conceal her pride and relief. "If he wants Meredith, that's just fine by me, because I am completely over him. I even got rid of the rings, looked at real estate ads, and considered dating sometime again in the near future."

Bailey raised her eyebrows. "Are you asking me on a date, Dr. Montgomery?" Bailey said dryly, and was once again scolded by Addison, who had a hard time keeping not laughing. Finally, when Addison had finished glaring at her, Bailey handed the binder she was looking at to Addison. "It's all yours," Bailey said. Addison examined the case; it wasn't a terribly interesting case, but the woman would most likely need a c-section when she gave birth.

"I'll need an intern," Addison told Bailey, who nodded, and called the interns over.

"Karev, you're with Sloan," Bailey said. Addison watched as Karev first looked pleased that he was with Sloan, then irritated by the prospect of today's pointless activities. The whole hospital was well aware of Sloan's abominable behavior towards interns, but fundamentally Sloan was too good at his job, and too much of a self-confident ass to be forced to change. "Christina, Burke has requested you. O'Malley, you're with Shepherd; Grey, you're with Montgomery. Stevens, shadow Grey today…you know the rules by now." Stevens smiled, as if she was happy to shadow other interns for months, and Addison was impressed by her strength. She was not sure if she would have been able to put up with such treatment, even if she had made as terrible a mistake.

Resisting the urge to glare at Bailey, who had, in Addison's mind, clearly given her Grey because she had proclaimed herself to be over Derek, Addison told her interns to follow her. Addison turned away from where her patient's room, and Izzy and Meredith exchanged looks. "Do you not want coffee?" Addison asked her interns, as they passed Karev, who was walking the same direction as they were, holding Mark's cell phone to his ear, looking like he was going to murder somebody—preferably Mark. Addison made a mental note to reprimand Mark the next time she saw him.

"What are you doing here?" Izzy questioned Alex, as they all got in line for coffee.

"I'm getting Sloan a coffee with just enough milk that it turns a caramel color, and a corn muffin," Alex responded. "And you are…fetching something for Grey to drink?"

"Alex, stop being an ass. Just because you're jealous doesn't mean that you have to act like that," Izzy said teasingly, before continuing more seriously. "I don't know how you left her for Sloan," she hissed. "Dr. Montgomery-Shepherd…I mean, Dr. Montgomery…is letting us all get coffee before we visit our patients. I know you might not want to become a neonatal surgeon, or go into obstetrics, but it has to be better than fetching breakfast for McSteamy. He's not going to let you in on an actual surgery; you do know that, right? Plus, sorry about this, Meredith, she's nice."

Alex put up his hand to stop Izzy from speaking any more, and pressed Mark's phone to his ear. "Hello? I'm calling because my boss's dry cleaning has not been delivered…no, apologies are not good enough! Because you didn't deliver his clothes, I'm stuck on the phone now instead of being in surgery, or at least doing something other than this…they'll be ready at 2:00? Fine…and they'd better be there!" Alex hung up the phone and glared at Izzy, Meredith, and Addison, all of whom were snickering.

Addison reached across Meredith, grabbed Mark's phone, and put it into the pocket of her coat. "Sorry, Karev, but this has just gotten ridiculous," she told him.

"You can't do that," Alex informed Addison angrily, and stuck his hand out so that Addison could return the phone to him. "I could get fired for not doing what my attending asks, and either way I'll never get to see a real surgery if I can't even be trusted to do dry cleaning!" Addison shook her head to say that she was not going to give the phone back. "This isn't funny!" he exclaimed, now furious. His eyes glared at Addison, and his face looked extremely stubborn—it was not the face of somebody who was used to being defied. Addison couldn't help but think that he looked sort of cute when he was angry.

"Neither is what Sloan is doing to you," Addison informed Karev. "Well, actually, it is…and you sound a lot more humble when you're picking up dry cleaning…but that's beside the point."

"And what am I to tell Sloan?" Karev demanded. "That the woman who he cheated on with his best friend, your ex-husband, now has possession of his phone, and does not plan on giving it back in the immediate future? Or maybe you can tell it to Sloan yourself, tonight, when you two are in bed together?"

"Alex!" exclaimed all Izzy and Meredith, but it was Addison who continued. "Karev, being treated like crap does not give you any right whatsoever to talk to an attending like that. Don't worry about the phone; I'll give it to him when I next see him, or I'll give it to the Chief and have Mark explain why his intern was making calls about dry cleaning instead of being taught."

"Oh, and that's going to make Sloan more likely to let me into a surgery, isn't it?" Alex exclaimed under his breath, but then remained silent. Even he was aware that he had seriously crossed the line. When they had all gotten coffee, Addison took her interns to check on her new patient. Despite the incident with Alex Karev, Addison remained in a good mood, and was more focused, more empathetic, a better doctor, than she had been throughout her whole stay in Seattle. Izzy and Meredith watched her carefully, trying to ascertain what was different with Addison.

Leaving her patient's room, Addison turned to Meredith. "Get the labs for Mrs. Cohen," she told Meredith, and started to turn around when she was stopped by a question.

"Dr. Montgomery...there's something different about you today, and I can't place it. Did you cut your hair?" Meredith questioned.

"No, Dr. Grey."

"Did you dye it, then?"

"No, Dr. Grey," Addison responded, starting to get slightly annoyed. She was pleased that Meredith noticed that there was something different about her, but was slightly bothered by the personal questions.

There was an awkward pause, before Meredith hesitantly aside, "Dr. Montgomery, I know I have no business asking this, but is Alex correct…are you and Sloan now…?"

Addison turned around quickly, and stared at Meredith, aware of the fact that Izzy was gawping at Meredith. "Really, Dr. Grey, you have no right to ask these sorts of questions. I know I once asked you a personal question of this sort, but see, the difference then was that it regarding the man who was at the time my husband. Dr. Grey, are you not aware of the fact that I am your attending?" Meredith opened her mouth to apologize, but Addison didn't want to hear it. It wasn't really that she was genuinely offended by the question, but it had been a tactless thing of Karev to say, and even more tactless of Meredith to repeat it. Besides, as a rule Addison could not have people asking here these sorts of questions—especially people who she was not friendly with. And even more specifically, she couldn't put up with the woman who had slept with her husband while she was still married to him asking her questions like this.

"Grey, you're off this case," Addison told her. Izzy looked at Meredith as if she was wondering how she had been stupid enough to ask that question.

"Yes, Dr. Montgomery," Meredith said without complaining. She had a feeling that Addison had let her off easy—perhaps it had something to do with the change in Addison that had facilitated this whole exchange, which had been embarrassing for all involved. Meredith handed the binder with Mrs. Cohen's information to Addison, and then started to walk away, as did Stevens. Doctor Stevens, Addison reminded herself, and then had an idea.

"Stevens," she impulsively called out. When the blonde turned, Addison handed the binder to her. "Congratulations. You've just landed yourself a case." Addison looked at the girl, who was clearly in shock. Though what she had just done went strictly went against the set of conditions that Miranda had given Izzy, they did not go against any of the legal conditions that Izzy was now accountable for.

"But I can't…" Izzy began, at the same time that Meredith said, "She's not allowed."

"Doctor Stevens, as your attending, I want you to be my intern, which does not violate any of the legal conditions you are accountable for. I know you might not want to anger the Nazi, but that isn't your decision to make at the moment. Do we not understand each other?" Addison questioned. She waited for a protest, but when there was silence, she continued. "So, now that that's settled, could you please get those labs?"

"Dr. Montgomery—" Izzy began, but was cut off.

"The labs, Stevens. Hurry, before you make me regret this decision." Izzy practically ran to get the labs, as Addison turned to Grey. "No, I don't resent you for the question…Well, I don't resent you that much, anyhow. Grey, go find Bailey and ask for a new case, since you are definitely off mine. Clearly you are distracted, and I can't have my intern asking me if I dyed my hair, or slept with Sloan."

"Thank you," Meredith said, and left. Addison sighed, and went to find Mark so that she could give his phone back, and then yell at him for his treatment of interns. She was feeling like she needed to yell at someone, and Mark deserved it on so many levels. While Addison went to find Mark, Meredith literally ran into Bailey, knocking her papers out of her hand.

"I'm so sorry," Meredith apologized, and when she had picked up all of the papers, asked Bailey, "Where can I make myself useful?"

Bailey looked at her suspiciously. "What happened to you being Addison's intern?"

"Um…she no longer felt my services were necessary." Meredith blushed, betraying her calm voice.

"Good lord, girl, what did you ask her?" Bailey demanded.

"I asked Dr. Montgomery if she was still sleeping with Sloan," Meredith admitted. Some of the people walking around Meredith and Bailey stopped to stare at Meredith, but Bailey got rid of them with a few harsh words and a look.

"It's always one of mine," Bailey lamented, "always one of mine. Grey, it's the pit for you, and don't you bother to protest. You deserve it, asking an attending a question like that what possessed you? Are you drunk?" Meredith hurriedly assured Bailey that she was sober, and that Alex had said it first to Addison's face. At this, Bailey put her face in her hands, not sure if she should laugh or cry.