In advance, I apologize for the lack of updates lately. I've been on vacation for 3 weeks and my internet access was limited to my cell phone and whenever I could connect to a wireless network. I'm back home now, so expect updates more often. Maybe even another story somewhere alone the road. For now, you'll have to settle for this one.

Like always, I don't own Grey's. Although I must admit that I wish I did. I also wish I lived in Seattle. It's pretty damn amazing. I have a photo of Meredith Grey's house. Actually, I have 3. I saw it. And if I live in the States, I would've enquired about the room to rent in the house opposite. No, I'm not stalkerish, but admit that it would be cool to live opposite the Meredith Grey house?! Yeah, a week of my vacation was spent in Seattle. Awesome.

This chapter sucks, but I had to post something. So you guys got it anyway.


Addison had left for work and Derek was left in bed, he hated it. He really hated it. Sure, his trailer was great, at least Derek thought it was as much as Addison protested. But after getting somewhere with Addison, finally, he didn't like it being empty. Pulling the blankets over himself, Derek tried to get comfortable, but with the empty space beside him, it was near enough impossible. They were getting somewhere, Derek was making an effort in his marriage, something which he had failed to do for such a long time, but now he was determined to make this work. After attempting to get to sleep for about fifteen minutes, Derek sighed before pushing the blankets off of himself and getting out of the bed.

Thirty minutes later, and Derek was on his way to the dock to get the ferry across to Seattle, maybe get some coffee somewhere, surprise Addison at lunch time. Like always, whether it was raining or sunny, Derek made his way outside on the ferry. Everyone seemed to sit inside, go to the little cafe type thing and get their coffee, and sit and watch as it approached Seattle. Derek however, liked to see things as they were, outside. It made the journey much more interesting, at least it did for him. When he heard the announcement for people to head down to their cars, he took a deep breath and smiled to himself before going back inside and downstairs to his car.

When he was in Seattle, Derek spent an hour walking around, heading down to Pike Place Market and seeing everyone who went there. It was something he never got bored of, Seattle wasn't as bad as Addison made it out to be, she just needed to go to the right places to appreciate it. As it got closer to when he guessed Addison would be having her lunch, Derek made his way to Seattle Grace, even though it was his day off, it didn't mean to say he couldn't go in, especially to see Addison. Richard could tell him to leave as much as he wanted, but how often did Derek listen to Richard anyway? It was a rare thing.

After arriving at Seattle Grace, Derek made his way inside, only to be caught alone in an elevator with Meredith Grey. "Hey." She muttered as she looked up at him.

"Hi." He responded, he knew that he should let her know that whatever it was they had was over, but for some reason right at that moment, he wasn't in the mood to do it. Silence filled the air until the elevator reached the floor they both wanted and as the doors opened, he heard Meredith's voice once again.

"We haven't spoken in a while, Derek. I was just...." Meredith was stopped, by the sound of Derek's voice, his eyes in a different direction. Looking where he was, she saw Addison at the nurses station looking through a chart.

"I can't do this." Derek interrupted, his eyes remaining on Addison. "That woman up there is my wife, and I've screwed up with her in the past. I did in New York and I'm not going to do it again." Derek paused as he turned his head slightly to look at Meredith. "I'm sorry for hurting you, Meredith, I am. But you have to understand that she's my wife and I can't let this carry on."

"I won't be here when it falls apart, Derek. You can't expect me to just sit around and wait." She stated quietly but firmly.

"I don't. I want you to move on and be happy. Because as much work as it's going to take, my marriage isn't going to fall apart." As he said those last words, he looked back at Addison who was now looking in his direction, a look of annoyance clearly spread on her face.

"I'll find someone. But you should go, because I don't seem to be her favorite person as it is and I'm not going to make things worse for either of us."

"Thank you." Derek smiled gratefully at Meredith, before walking towards his wife, who had started to walk away as soon as she saw him heading in her direction. "Addison." He called, walking a little faster to catch up with her. "Listen to me, Addie." Taking her arm, he pulled her aside from everyone else, standing close to her.

"I thought I told you to stop talking to her, Derek!"

"I thought I told you that I couldn't walk in today and just ignore her!" He retaliated, pulling her into the nearest on call room, sighing gratefully when he saw it was empty.

"Why are you even here, Derek? You're meant to be off today." She muttered, avoiding eye contact with her husband.

"Come on Addie. This morning we were fine, we were better than we've been in a long time. Suddenly, you see me talking to Meredith for a minute and you change. You want to know what I was talking to her about?" Derek asked, his voice raised slightly. "I told her that I couldn't do it any more, that what she and I had is over. And that you're my wife and I'm not going to screw up things with you again. I wasn't even thinking of anything but wanting to be standing beside you. Alright?"

"You said you weren't going to just ignore her today." She said curiously.

"I didn't. I told her. She said she wouldn't be there when it all fell apart, and I told her it wasn't going to. Because it's not." He stated firmly, he believed it as well, they weren't going to fall apart. Even if he had to do all the fighting for his marriage now, he was going to make sure that he done it.

"Why are you here?" She muttered, moving closer to Derek, so that their bodies were touching slightly. "You're meant to be off today, you were in bed complaining about not getting enough sleep when I left. Now you're here, being all you and sweet and charming. What did you do?"

"I've done nothing. I couldn't sleep, and I decided to come over and see if my wife wanted to go somewhere for lunch, even if it is only the cafeteria." Letting his arm slip around her waist, Derek pulled her close, pressing his lips to hers for a few seconds.

"I have surgery in about twenty minutes. But after that my day is free. Well, paperwork." She replied.

"Paperwork which you can do away from the hospital, so you can spend time with your charming husband for a few hours?"

"Charming?" Addison scoffed, laughing a little.

"Hey. You know I can be."

"I know. You don't need anyone to make your ego any bigger, it's pretty big as it is. You succeed all by yourself." She teased, letting her head rest on his shoulder. "After surgery, it's us time. I promise."