Chapter Forty-Three: Falling
"Your home early" Mark noted from his spot on the lounge where he was watching the football game that was being aired.
"Yeah I guess" Meredith said softly taking off her shoes and jacket then flopping onto the lounge next to Mark.
"What's wrong you seem tense" he said massaging her shoulders. "Did you and Addison have a fight or something" he probed.
"Sort of, I don't know" Meredith replied not really wanting to get into it, she knew Mark wouldn't understand where she was coming from with her concerns.
"Well what happened?" he asked again.
"Addison has been seeing someone for the last 2 months" Meredith told him.
"Okay" Mark replied not knowing where the problem. "What's wrong with that?" he asked sceptically.
"She didn't tell me Mark, we used to always tell each other that kind of stuff, things are so different now" Meredith said softly.
"Oh Meri, is that what this is about? You knew that your friendship would never be the same" Mark soothed her pulling her into his body and wrapping his arms around her. He knew with the pregnancy hormones that she was extra sensitive but she seemed really upset over this.
"It's not just that" Meredith said softly. "It's Derek" she continued.
"What about Derek?" Mark asked confused, why would she be upset over Derek.
"That's who Addison is seeing" Meredith snapped at him.
"Addison and Shepherd, seriously?" Mark said surprised.
Meredith nodded. "Addison told me herself tonight. That's before she got all defensive at me just because I told her not to hurt him" Meredith filled her husband in on the night's events.
"Why would you tell her not to hurt him? He is a big guy Mer I'm sure he can make his own choices" Mark said slightly annoyed.
"Yeah I know, but she didn't have to get all mad at me saying that I care too much and that it has nothing to do with me" Meredith cried at him.
"Well Mer it doesn't really have anything to do with you, you don't even talk to Derek that much anymore" Mark pointed out.
"Of course it does, Derek is my friend, he deserves someone who isn't going to hurt him and well Addison isn't exactly predictable" Meredith exclaimed.
"Meredith listen to yourself, maybe you do care a little to much, it's between Derek and Addison, just stay out of it and focus on us and the babies" Mark said trying to remain calm.
"You are all the same" Meredith shouted at him. "Unbelievable, I thought you at least would understand" she ranted.
"No Meredith I don't understand, why are you so worked up over something that is none of your business, if Derek gets hurt that's his problem" Mark said raising his voice.
"I'm going to bed, you can sleep on the couch" Meredith said bitterly making her way up the stairs leaving Mark wondering what the hell had just happened.
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"You're still here" Addison said to Derek as she made her way into the lounge room throwing off her $400 pair of shoes. It still amazed Derek why she would spend so much money on a pair of shoes.
"Yeah I figured I would wait around and see how it went" he said noticing the change in Addison's mood since she had left.
"Well she knows if that's what you mean" Addison snapped at him.
"Um okay" Derek replied not knowing what he had done to upset her. "Are you alright?" he asked noticing how worked up she was.
"No I'm not alright, Meredith is unbelievable, and I don't care if it is the pregnancy hormones and mood swings or whatever but she thinks everything is about her" Addison ranted.
"Are we still talking about us here?" he asked confused.
"Yes, I told her and she told me not to hurt you, and I told her I had no intention of it but then she was all he has been hurt enough and arggh!" Addison continued.
"Addie calm down, Meredith is just concerned for the both of us, she is right, she did hurt me, not a lot people realise this but I fell pretty hard for Meredith, I thought she was the one" Derek admitted noticing the shocked look on her face.
"And now?" Addison asked not sure if she wanted to know the answer to the question she had just asked.
"And now I'm intrigued to see where this is going. I like you a lot Addie but I don't want to rush anything, I rushed into things with Meredith and where did they lead me, an out of the blue husband and possible illegitimate children" Derek joked.
"It's not funny Derek" Addison said trying to hold back her giggles.
"I'm sorry if that isn't enough for you Addison but I like you and I'm willing to give this a real try but you have to trust me" Derek said brushing wisps of her red hair away from her face.
"And you have to trust me, I don't want to hurt you Derek, I like you a lot too and I want this to work" she breathed as their lips got closer.
"Oh yeah just how much do you like me?" he teased as he brushed his lips against hers softly, leaving her desiring so much more.
"Hmm this much" she replied crashing her lips against his firmly, deepening the kiss she wrapped her arms around his neck pressing her body against his.
"I think I can live with that" he murmured against her lips pulling her down against him running his hands through her long red hair causing her to moan against him. Derek Shepherd wasn't someone to make the same mistake twice but he was falling hard for Addison and it scared him because he didn't want it to end like Meredith all over again.