Preston stood outside of the airport waiting for Addison Montgomery to come out. It had been a month since their conversation on the phone and Addison's flight was due to arrive at any moment.
Addison Montgomery pushed a strand of her red hair behind her ear as she walked out of the airport with her bags. She looked around until she spotted the tall handsome African American man that was going to take her to the hotel. After spotting Addison Preston waved his hand in the air and began to walk toward her.
"Hey Addison how was your flight?" Preston asked picking up her bags like a true gentleman.
"Nerve racking. All I could think about was what it would be like to be working in the same hospital as my x-husband again." Addison said as she followed Preston to the car.
"Everything will be fine. Have you caught up with Derek to figure out when you two will get together to discuss Hailey?" Preston asked putting the suitcase in the trunk of the car.
Addison watched the man who had become one of her closest friends since she had left Seattle. "No, he doesn't even know that I'm in town. I could not figure out how to tell him. Do I just call out of the blue and say 'Hi Derek its me your cheating x-wife. I have something I need to talk about with you. Will you meet with me sometime?'" Addison asked getting into the car.
"Not quite like that. But you should have given him a heads up at least. The man does not need you randomly showing up with this big secret you've kept from him since you left."
"I know you're right. I'll figure something out by the time Hailey gets here in a couple of days."
"How did she take the news?" Preston asked wondering if his own daughter knew.
"Pretty well I guess. She just said ok and 'I'll ask Morgan to introduce me.' I don't think she's told Morgan yet. I don't know why she would keep something like that from her best friend." Addison explained.
"Their teenage girls. We'll never figure it out. Have you rented a car yet?" Preston asked.
"Yeah I have to pick it up tomorrow afternoon. Do you think you would be able to drop me off?"
"I've got to work but Cristina might be able to drop you off." Preston said as he pulled up to the hotel. "This is it. Do you need any help getting your bags?"
"No, thanks for the ride." Addison got her bags out of the trunk and walked into the hotel.
After she got her key and settled into the spacious room, she called Hailey to inform her of her safe arrival.
"Hey mom!" Hailey said after she answered the phone.
"Hey Hails, I'm here. Preston picked me up and I'm at the hotel."
"Cool, Gram says hi. How is everyone?"
"I only saw Preston so if you're referring to Morgan I haven't talked to her yet." Addison said.
"Oh."
"Did you tell Morgan about your father?" Addison asked.
"No. I'll tell her when I get there. How's the weather?" Hailey said tactfully changing the topic.
"The weather is fine, Hailey. Look I need to look some things up I'll call you tomorrow. I love you."
"Love you too mom, bye." Hailey said as she hung up the phone.
The next morning Meredith Grey Shepard was walking through the halls of Seattle Grace Hospital's surgical floor. Not paying attention to where she was going, Meredith ran into a red headed doctor, who happened to also not be paying attention.
"I am so sorry," Meredith said as she began picking up her chart.
"No, I'm sorry it was my fault. I'm just a little nervous about being back here," said the other woman also on the floor gathering papers looked up to see whom it was that she had hit.
Meredith also looked up to find the face of the woman she thought only lived in the past. "Dr. Montgomery," Meredith said surprised to see her.
"Dr. Grey, I'm very sorry. I should have been looking where I was going." Addison said as she quickly picked up her files and walked back down the hall.
Meredith looked down the hall toward the fleeting figure of Addison Montgomery still shocked. After Addison could no longer be seen Meredith turned around once again to find herself in the arms of her husband Derek Shepard.
"Hey Mer are you okay?" Derek asked observing the stunned look of Meredith.
"Yeah I'm fine. I've got to go see a patient. We're still on for lunch right?" Meredith said collecting herself.
"Yes, lunch. I'll see you then." Derek said as he watched Meredith head down the hall.
During one of her coffee breaks Meredith went in search of Cristina. She found the other surgeon at the coffee station fixing herself a mug of coffee. "Cristina what are you doing tonight?" Meredith asked. Even though both women were married with children, the two friends still hung out every now and then. When either woman was having a problem, they would talk it out with each other.
"We'll I've got to take a friend to go get a car, and I have to go grocery shopping for this week. Morgan's best friend is coming into town for spring break." Cristina skillfully informed Meredith.
"Oh, well I'll call you tonight. We need to talk." Meredith said as she walked away from the station.
Later that night Cristina and Morgan were putting up the groceries when the phone rang.
"I'll get it mom. It might be Hailey or even better Will," Morgan said reaching for the cordless phone on the wall.
"Hello?" Morgan said into the phone.
"Hi Morgan is your mother there?" Meredith asked.
"Yeah, hold on" Morgan said walking over to her mother. "The phone is for you."
"Who is it?" Cristina asked?
"It's Aunt Meredith," Morgan said handing the phone over to her mother.
"Ok," Cristina said taking the phone out of her daughter's hand. "Hello," she said as she walked out of the kitchen and into her bedroom.
"Cristina, guess who showed up at the hospital today?" Meredith asked.
"I don't know,"
"Addison Shepard!" Meredith exclaimed. "Why would she be here?"
"Oh," Cristina said not knowing what to say. Meredith was her best friend, but Cristina knew that Derek should be the one to tell Meredith when he found out.
"Oh! Is that all you can say? My husband's first wife is here. The one who came and tried to win him back when she cheated on him. The woman who then left for only God knows what reason. Why would she be here? I don't understand." Meredith practically yelled into the phone.
"Calm down Meredith. You and I both know that Derek loves you. Why are you feeling so insecure? Meredith she isn't here to try and take him away from you, it has been almost nineteen years. Why would she come back now?" Cristina reasoned with the frantic woman on the other line.
"You're right. I know you're right. Wednesday is Morgan's family birthday dinner right?" Meredith asked changing the topic to something more bearable.
"Yes Wednesday night at Kanki, will you all be there?"
"Yes, Derek, Laura, Jake and I will all be there." Meredith confirmed.
"Good," Cristina said, not quite sure how the evening would turn out. Hailey would be in Seattle for three days before the dinner, but she did not know how Meredith would take the news once she found out.