Title: Oz
Chapter: Part 5 - "I'm a failure, cause I haven't got a brain."
Characters/Pairings: The whole gang!
Spoilers/Warning: R
Summary: Somewhere over the rainbow Addison is cursing her head-truama induced fantasy sequence...
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
Author's Note: Lesson two... Ah, sweet success.
"I hope you don't expect me to sing," Derek pouted as he and Addison began walking The Yellow Brick Road.
Addison scoffed, "You think I want to put myself through that kind of torture?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Derek asked, offended.
"Oh come on," Addison said, shaking her head. "We both know you couldn't carry a tune to save your life."
Derek glared at her.
"What is your problem?" Addison demanded. "You've been pouting ever since I got you off that stick. Maybe I really should have left you up there."
"I just thought I would be the lion is all," Derek sighed and kicked at a pebble.
Addison raised her eyebrows. "Because you're a coward who runs away when things get tough? Or because instead of just divorcing your wife like a normal person, you string her along for months while you make her jump through hoops just so you can conveniently leave another woman's panties where you know she'll find them?"
"Er," Derek stuttered, bewildered. "Well I was thinking more because of my mane of gorgeous hair but I guess yours works too."
Addison rolled her eyes and turned away from him. Derek slipped his hands in his pockets and the two of them fell into an uncomfortable silence. After a while Derek cleared his throat uncertainly and mumbled, "I really am sorry about the whole panty thing."
"It's fine," Addison whispered. To be honest, she would rather forget the whole incident. Rehashing that episode wasn't really all that high on her To Do List while she trudged around this God-forsaken fantasy land.
"It's not fine," Derek told her, his gaze still glued to the yellow road. "What I did was wrong. I handled the whole situation wrong."
"Derek," Addison sighed. "Let's not do this."
"You deserved better," Derek continued, ignoring Addison's request. "I shouldn't have taken you back when I knew you weren't the one I wanted."
Addison winced.
"I…" Derek closed his eyes. "That came out wrong."
"You didn't think Derek," Addison mumbled. "You did what you always do by doing what you thought was the right thing. You didn't think about what was actually happening." Addison sighed. "And neither did I. I knew you were in love with Meredith," the dog yipped at her name, "and I knew our marriage was over, but I just couldn't let go. I needed that normalcy myself. So instead of thinking rationally, I ignored what my brain was telling me and went on autopilot."
"So maybe I'm not the only brainless one in this story?" Derek asked, smiling at her.
Addison chuckled. "You're not brainless and neither am I."
Derek nodded and the two continued, comfortably silent, until they came to a grove apple trees.