OK, so this is a bit of an explanation:

For the purposes of this story, this is what I've come up with:

Derek and Meredith are 10 years apart in age. She's 29, he's 39.

Derek and Addison are the same age.

ON TO THE STORY! GET READY GUYS! YOU'RE GOING TO FIND OUT WHO ERICA WAKEFIELD IS!

Aftermath

Chapter 3: Twenty Years and Two Husbands Ago

The Shepard's responses to this woman were puzzling to say the least. Their polar opposite reactions had grabbed Meredith's attention. Something was definitely not right with this.

Meredith spent most of the following morning pondering the situation. Both Shepards were acting considerably different and out of character, especially considering the current situation. Derek was in a fantastic mood, smiling and laughing, something he hadn't been doing much of lately. And Addison, well, she wasn't exactly jumping for joy. Exactly the opposite, in fact. She'd been sulking since she walked in that morning. Unfortunately Derek's brighter attitude hadn't curbed his desire to stalk Meredith. In fact, just before lunch, he was waiting for her as she finished the last patient on her rounds.

"Have lunch with me." He suggested as they headed toward the locker room they were now sharing, seeing as the attending's locker room was under construction due to damage by the explosion.

She sighed as he stepped ahead of her to open the door to the locker room. This was just about the only place where Addison had no excuse to be, seeing as her locker bay was two floors up, there was really no reason for her to be in a surgical locker room. Just my luck, we're alone. Meredith thought dryly as she quickly dialed her locker open.

"I don't think that's a good idea Derek." She said at last. Derek was leaning on the locker next to hers, staring her down. "I have lunch plans." She went on, compelled to explain. He held her gaze for several long seconds before nodding. Why do I try to explain? It's not like I owe him anything. She thought miserably.

He sighed and turned away. He knew she wasn't OK, despite her futile efforts to prove otherwise. And it was literally killing him to know that she was hurting, yet she wouldn't let him see it. As a matter of fact, he was fairly sure that he was the last person she'd let see her cry or show any sort of emotion for that matter. She tried too hard to prove that she didn't need anyone, that she was strong and independent. Truth was, he wanted her to need him. He wanted her to need him as much as he needed. He turned around to say something else, but she was gone. "Damnit!" He exclaimed to the empty room, slamming his fist own on the locker. He sighed and rubbed his hands over his face.

"Hopefully Erica can help her. If anyone can do it, she can." He muttered into his palms. The thought of the psych consult made him smile. But then, she'd always done that. "At least some things never change." He said, his mood lifting slightly as he headed out of the room and off to eat.

The peculiar behavior going on with the Shepards only made Meredith more curious about the connection between Erica, Derek and Addison. She tossed several ideas around. At first she thought maybe it was a sister. But that was quickly cast aside when she remembered none of Derek's sisters names were Erica. Then she thought maybe old girlfriend, made the most sense, based on Addison's reaction, but it still didn't exactly account for Derek's response… It seemed too…. Too happy, too elated, too uncontained.

She decided to make the excuse she'd given to Derek about having lunch plans genuine. She was going to grab her lunch, tell the others, and eat in the research lab and find out who the hell this woman was.

George, Izzie, Cristina and Alex all looked up from their lunches when they saw Meredith approaching. "I'm not staying, just wanted to let you know that I'll be eating in the research lab." She told them. Immediately, Izzie and Cristina immediately jumped to their feet. Meredith shook her hand an motioned them to stop with her hands. "No,guys. I can do this alone. I need to be alone." She stressed to them and instantaneously, they stopped. "I'll see you later." She said finally and walked off.

Twenty minutes later, she'd googled Dr. Erica Wakefield in at least 10 different ways, skimmed through medical articles, society blips, but still no connection to Addison and Derek. But there had to be one. "There had to be a connection between the Shepards and Dr. Wakefield. You just don't react like that to some random person." She muttered to herself, scrolling through the links.

"Try dropping the 'Dr' and changing her last name to Shepard." A familiar voice said from the door. She looked up. It was Addison. Meredith wrinkled her eyebrows at her. "Just do it." Addison insisted. Meredith turned back to the computer and did as Addison said. A ton of new links and articles popped up with their names all over them. She turned to Addison in confusion. "Who-?" She choked out, unable to put it all together.

"The only one to ever leave him." Addison said after a second. She sighed and shifted to her other foot. "Meet Derek's first wife." She finished finally.

REVIEW

Don't hate Erica, she's not going to be the bad one in all this, I swear!