Kristine Joyce

"This is our song."

Amelia looked stunningly beautiful; her dark hair was falling down in curls and the white dress she wore was bringing out the sheer happiness she radiated even more. She laughed softly at something Derek had whispered in her ear. Heads so close together - someone who had not known how estranged they had once been, would have sworn they were the perfect, understanding and supporting siblings everyone wished to have.

As the band started playing again, Amelia's newly wedded husband, Marcus, walked up to her, kissed her cheek chastely and took her hand to lead her towards the dance floor, leaving Derek alone and lost in memories.

Red lights are flashing on the highway
I wonder if we're gonna ever get home
I wonder if we're gonna ever get home tonight

Addison sat a table with Nancy discussing current cases and laughing over old memories they had made in the years that had passed – years that had been concealed in a box, hidden in Addison's closet of avoidance. She wore a knee-length dark green dress. Her red hair was pinned up except for a few strands which were falling in soft curls, framing her beautiful face. Addison had been uncertain whether she should be attending the wedding or not, after everything that had happened between Derek and her. Amelia had simply scoffed at Addison's primary concern for her family's feelings and said that if Addison was not coming than Amelia would not either; because ultimately there was no wedding to be held without a maid of honor. So Addison ended up boarding a flight to Connecticut, facing the demons of her past and making peace what was remaining of her former life.

A soft shiver ran down Addison's back as she heard the familiar melody. She sighed, picked up her wine glass and took a sip, hoping to drown the simmering melancholy. If Nancy noticed her slight change in demeanor Addison was unable to perceive. She closed her eyes and listened carefully to the sound of a different time.

But if you break down
I'll drive out and find you
If you forget my love
I'll try to remind you
And stay by you when it don't come easy

Mark ordered another round of shots for Meredith and himself. Neither of them felt overly comfortable in their current situation – as different as the reasons were, their shared lack of affiliation brought them some relief; if nothing else.

"So," Meredith began curiously, encouraged by the liquor she had already consumed, "How was it? Their wedding?"

Mark winced after drowning the last of his shot, sighed and replied with a boyish smirk on his face. "Different. Big. Overcrowded." He paused, looking at her and trying to decipher where all of this came from and whether he should continue. After all, he knew how massive the weight of having to live up to someone else really was; especially if that other person was either Derek or Addison – the inerrable union which merely existed in their minds nowadays.

He decided that sometimes a lie served the good better than the truth. He laughed and ordered another round of shots for them.

"Drunk, really mostly drunk."

When Mark heard Meredith laughing wholeheartedly at his silliness he supposed that sometimes people did not even want to know the truth – especially when its worth was questionable at best.

You're out there walking down a highway
And all of the signs got blown away
Sometimes you wonder if you're walking in the wrong direction

Addison smelled him before she even felt his soft touch on her shoulder; his scent had imprinted itself on her nostrils, a remnant of a shared decade in marital bliss. She smiled at that thought and turned her head to look at him. His eyes were so blue and the way he looked at her - with warmth and fondness, it made her dizzy from excitement.

"You look beautiful." Derek said and smiled at her without removing his hand from her shoulder.

"You don't look too bad yourself," Addison replied smilingly. It had been a while since they had last talked over anything other than medical cases. Addison had often wondered if maybe all they had left were polite conversations and meaningless questions. It pained her to acknowledge that they might not only have lost their love but furthermore their friendship, too, with time consuming it.

Derek let his hand wander down her arm to take her hand and when he spoke, softly but determinedly, he smiled radiantly at her.

"Will you dance with me?"

Addison blushed and nervously shook her head. "Derek…we shouldn't…."

"This is our song, Addie." He paused and squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Besides, I wouldn't want to dance with anyone else to this song."

So she got up and let him lead her to the dance floor, swaying to the melody of a different time Addison thought that coming here had been a great idea.

When the last bird falls
And the last siren sounds
Someone will say what's been said before
Some love we were looking for

The end.

(Song: Patty Griffin – When It Don't Come Easy)