Instead, he pushed on, "What about her?" Meredith looked at him blankly, "You mean Dani? What about her? Shes a healthy happy 2 year old and is loving her life too thank you very much." She said the last part a bit roughly. She could see how it hurt him. "Look, I didnt want to come home. I have an award to accept. I knew I would run into you and Im glad I did. I finally get a chance to say goodbye. SO, with that said, Good bye Derek Shephard." She turned and walked away ignoring his pleas for her to stay and talk to him.
She ran to the nearest on call room, shut the door and slid down the door in tears. This isn't how she wanted him to find out. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. Everything came rushing back to her in a flood of memories and she wasn't sure how much longer she would be able to hold it together, when she heard a knock on the door.
"Meredith?"
"Go Away!" She yelled at the person on the other side of the door. They persisted and slowly pushed the door open. She saw her slumped on the floor in tears, so she knelt down next to her.
"Meredith, it's okay. Everyone has a past, and you can only run so long." Meredith looked up with her, pain filling her green eyes. "But Addison, you just dont understand..." She began to sob once again. "Shhh, Its okay Meredith, you can tell me, you know."
Meredith couldn't believe Addison was being so friendly with her but figured, what the hell, nothing else could go wrong. "OK ill talk, BUT, on one condition. You have to promise me, PROMISE ME, you will not get upset with me. I know we were never really friends but i REALLY need to get this out and tell someone." Addison nodded wondering what could be so bad that Meredith hadn't told anyone.
Meredith took a deep breath and began, "It started on prom night, 2 years ago. Well, remember when..." She told Addison about how they went into the on call room, how they had sex, how they got interrupted, everything. Addison just listened and nodded as Meredith confessed to sleeping with her then husband. "So," she continued, "When it was time to come back to SGH, I just couldnt. I couldnt face him, I couldnt face you." She looked up at Addison full of hurt and pain.
"It's okay Meredith. Derek told me about Prom that night. That's when I knew you were it for him. That was when I knew I had to stop holding on to something that wasnt mine. Mer, he was yours the second you met him. He gave himself to you. I never had a chance." Meredith hugged Addison and whispered, "There's more..."
Meredith began, "Addie, can I call you Addie?" Addie nodded. "I have a daughter. Dani, she's 2." Addie knew where this was going, "Oh Meredith, is it?" Meredith nodded and broke down in tears. "I, I, I, " she sobbed as Addie held her close. "I didnt know how to tell him. I couldnt be the dirty mistress who broke up a marraige because I got pregnant. So, I left. I ran as far away as I could and now, now he knows and ..."
Addie held Meredith close and rocked with her, consoling her, trying to think of what to say to her. Little did the two of them know, Derek was standing outside the door listening to them talk.
He stood there, shocked. Meredith had just told Addison that he had fathered a child. Meredith's child. And she ran. She never told him. He decided to finally stand up and do something about it. He knocked on the door. "Who is it?" Addison asked. "Its, it's me," he quietly replied. Addison looked toward Meredith, Meredith nodded. Addie brushed some hair away from Meredith's eyes, "Let me know if you need anything." She stood up to leave and Meredith said, "Thanks Addie...for everything." Addie smiled and walked out the door leaving Derek and Meredith alone for the first time in 2 years.