Thanks for the reviews. The next chapter has already been written so I'll post it when the reviews break the 200th mark. M'kay? ;) Come on, feed my writer's soul especially since I seem to be fighting an early on set of writer's block. Your reviews will help tremendously.

Special thanks again to Suz for the beta.

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

"Hi. Ready to go?" asked Derek as he came up to his wife. Addison nodded and continued writing post op notes on a chart. "Do you want to get a drink before we head home?" he asked.

"Sure." She distractedly answered, eyes still focused on the chart. "Why don't I just meet you at Joe's?" She finally said after 5 minutes.

"I don't mind waiting."

"No, go ahead. I have to pass by NICU and I don't how long I'll be. Go ahead and get us a booth."

"Okay" Derek finally agreed and kissed his wife's cheek then left. Addison gathered her charts and walked towards NICU.

x x x

Derek was nursing his second glass of scotch when Addison finally arrived. He stood up and ushered her into the seat then went to the bar to get Addison a drink. When he came back, he placed the drink in front of his wife and dropped a kiss on her head.

"Everything all right?" he asked as he settled back in his seat.

"Yeah" she answered before taking a sip.

Silence washed over them. Then Derek took a deep breath and reached for something in his pocket.

"I have something for you." He said as he extended a closed fist towards Addison. When he opened his hand, there were Addison's rings. "I meant to give them earlier but…" Derek started but he could not continue.

Addison just stared at the rings. She had almost forgotten about them, having not worn them in so long. Truthfully, she didn't mind not wearing them, given the state of her marriage.

"Here." Derek offered again.

But Addison would not take them. "I don't want them. Not yet." She said. Derek looked devastated. "Just, hold on to it for a while. Maybe keep it along with your ring."

Derek didn't say anything and Addison had a feeling that he had no idea where his ring was. Maybe he had thrown it away and if that was the case then Addison wouldn't feel bad about not wearing hers.

Silence again stretched between them.

"It was not a one night stand"

Derek whipped his head towards Addison. "What?" he asked.

"Mark. Mark was not a one night stand. I stayed with him after you left. And I fell in love with him. Then… he cheated on me."

"What?" exhaled Derek. He couldn't believe it. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Honesty. You said we need to be honest with each other. It was an affair."

Her words finally sunk in and Derek felt a surge of anger. "Do you still love him?" he asked with venom.

Addison avoided the question and fired back one of her own. "Do you still love Meredith?"

They both avoided answering and both took each other's silence as confirmation.

Finally, Derek answered. "No. I do not love Meredith." But it was too late. The little hesitation earlier was all the answer Addison needed. She shook her head in disbelief.

"Addison, listen to me. I do not love Meredith. I thought I did but I don't. I love you. And I know you. You don't love Mark. If you did, you wouldn't be here with me right now."

"You're awfully sure of yourself."

"I know you. You stay, you fight for even a sliver of something. Unless…" Now, he wasn't confident in his statement. "Unless… you don't believe in us anymore."

Addison just shrugged her shoulders and stayed silent.

"You still believe in us, Addie? Right? You wouldn't be here if you didn't"

"You asked for a chance so we're here"

"A chance? You call this a chance? We barely made any progress in our relationship. You barely acknowledge me. We don't even live together, damnit!"

"You asked for this chance. Remember, Derek, a chance just like the one you gave me?"

Derek creased his forehead in confusion. Addison just stared at him. Then suddenly, something clicked in his mind and hit him hard. The silent treatment, the shunned affections, the profession of love for someone else, the apartment. Addison was acting like the way he acted when she came to Seattle.

"The apartment… this…" he couldn't vocalize it. Addison saw the realization in Derek's eyes.

"Now, you get the picture." She said then stood up and left Derek alone.

Kitty likes to scratch. But come on, Addison wasn't that bad or was she? ;)