She's only happy when she's dancing
by lovely-whisper

Disclaimer: Don't own a thing. The song mentioned in the story is called "She's only happy when she's dancing" by Bryan Adams. I guess it's safe to say that I don't own that song either.

After her heated talk with Derek, Ashley had made her way up to Human Resources. She had filled in all the required paperwork and had received her contract and work schedule and they were willing to show her her new office. Ashley had nicely declined because she already knew where her new office was going to be. When she left the second floor, she hesistated in front of the elevators. She figured she could keep her surprise a little longer, but now that Derek knew she was inside the hospital walls she also knew it wouldn't take long for her friends to find out.

So she decided to take the elevator up to the fifth floor, the neo-natal wing. Even though she and her friend had been in touch ever since her friend had left New York to find the meaning of her life in Seattle, they hadn't seen each other in real life. They only had too many phone calls and too many IM-conversations. It was about time she could hug her friend again.

After arriving on the fifth floor, Ashley exited the elevator and headed towards the nurses desk.

"Excuse me, can you tell me where to find Dr Montgomery?", Ashley asked one of the nurses sitting at the desk.

"Do you have a appointment?", the nurse asked almost tiredly.

"No, I don't. I'm a friend and a new colleque of hers. I would just like to say hi."

"Her office is down the hall, third door on your right, she might be there", the nurse told her, without even looking up from the chart she was working on.

After thanking the nurse, Ashley headed down the hall and stopped in front of the third door. After a few seconds she knocked on the door.

"Come in", she heard Addison's strained voice say through the door.

Ashley took the door knob and pussed the door wide open.

"Hi Ads!", she said, a big smile on her lips when she saw her best friend.

Addison scrambled to get up from her chair and launched herself on Ashley. She embraced her tight and didn't even budge when Ashley started to try and wiggle herself out of her grasp.

"Jesus Ads, need to breath here", Ashley managed to say as she tried to make her voice sound as strained as possible, but failing miserably.

"Oops. Sorry.", Addison said sheepisly before letting go of her. "I'm just so glad you're here. You're really here".

"Well, I'm glad to be here too. It's been too long since the last time we saw each other. That was like when? 10 years ago?", Asley joked.

"10 years! It's not even been a year!", Addison huffed, seemingly not getting the joke.

"Well, if you weren't so struck on going to Seattle and find that slutty husband of yours, it never would have been a year", Ashley replied.

Addison looked at her best friend. She obviously stilled didn't like Derek very much.

"Honey, I thought you agreed that trying to make it work with Derek was the best thing to do. Besides, one can hardly call Derek slutty. That's like... calling me slutty", Addison said, trying to sound offended, even though she knew Ashley never would have called her slutty.

"Addi, I never said that getting back with Derek was the best way to go. I only said that it would be a good idea to go to Seattle, because I figured you would inflict some damage on that intern of his.", Ashley replied. "By the way, you know I would never call your slutty."

Addison nodded fiercely. Ashley had found out about her and Mark not long after Derek had, but she had reacted in a totally different way. She had looked straight at Addison and told her that she figured that Addison knew she had messed up, but that she had known that this sooner of later would have happened. A little later she had added that she always had figured how long it would take Addison to lay her hands on Mark. Ashley had always favoured Mark way more that she would ever favour Derek.

"So tell me Ash, why are you here?", Addison asked.

"Wait a minute. I've been in your office for like what, 15 minutes? And now you ask me this question? It couldn't be your first question? Because then we wouldn't have to talk about Derek you know.", Ashley answered, smiling brightly.

"Well, Derek and I are on speeking terms as they call it. So talking about Derek doesn't really bother me anymore. Now answer the question young lady!"

Ashley rolled her eyes. Patience really was a virtue where Addison was concerned.

"Fine. I'll tell you. Don't get your panties in a bunch. I'm here because Chief Webber called me".

Addison shot her stern look and said: "Aren't we all".

"I wasn't done yet. He offered me the position of a personal assistent. But like in a very big, every aspect of this hospital kind of way." Ashley finished.

"So basically you have no idea what you will be doing here in this job as a personal assistant?", Addison asked carefully.

"Not a clue", Ashley admitted. "But according to the Chief I will be working with all the attendings and residents and I will be his spoke person whenever he needs me", Ashley explained.

"Sounds exciting", Addison told her, wrapping her arms around Ashley once again. "I'm happy for you".

"Thanks Ads, I'm really happy too. I actually feel relieved to be away from New York, even though it hasn't stopped raining like since forever", Ashley replied.

"Well, you better get used to it. It rains here every day, all day long.", Addison said while checking her watch. "Well, I gotta go, I'm supposed to be in surgery in 15 minutes. My shift is finished at three this afternoon, wanna go for a drink at Joe's?", Addison asked.

"Joe's? Hell ya. After everything you told me about Joe's, I'm dying to meet the place", Ashley said laughing. "I need to get going too, told the Chief I'd meet him for coffee around 10".

They excited Addison's office together and they separated in front of the OR section of the Neo-natal floor. After a quick hug and the promise that they would meet in the hospital lobby at three, they each went their separate ways.

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After a quick tour of the hospital she headed towards Chief Webber's office, only to hear from Patricia that he had an emergency surgery so he wasn't able to meet her for coffee. Ashley understood perfectly so she told Patricia that she would be in the Cafeteria and that the Chief could call her if he needed her.

After arriving in the Cafeteria she ordered a large coffee and sat down in one of the chairs. She looked around the Cafeteria and saw Derek talking to a younger woman, who she pressumed was Meredith. He looked angry, so she quessed he was A: talking about their talk earlier or, option b: he was talking about something Mark did. Because she was told that even Mark breathing would tick him off. Which was ridiculous and would, if Derek would give her a chance, definitely be a subject she would bring up in a future conversation.

She tore her eyes away from the happy couple and suddenly shrieked when a hand covered her eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming here?", a man's voice whispered in her ear.

She recognized the voice immediately and, a little afraid to admit it, she had even recognized his smell.

She jumped up and hugged him close to her.

"Hi mi bella, it's so good to see you", he told her, hugging her even closer.

After what seems like minutes they let go of each other. When Ashley met Mark's eyes she saw that he was checking her out.

"You look pretty babe", he told her, a smug grin on his lips.

Ashley pretended to be wounded.

"Just pretty?", she pouted.

Mark laughed loudly. "You look fucking faboulous and you know it", he told her, loud enough for the entire Cafeteria to hear.

Ashley grinned widely. "You don't look too bad yourself", she replied.

"Well, I would love to hang out with you a little longer, but I have a surgery to prepare for", Mark told her.

"That's fine. Oh, before I forget. Addi and I are going for drinks after her shift is finished. Want to come?", Ashley asked him, batting her eyelashes for some extra effect.

"How could I refuse. I have 2 surgeries in a row now, but I'm sure I'm finished around 3.30 o'clock", Mark answered her.

"That's great. Why don't you come to Joe's when your shift has ended?", Ashley said.

Mark nodded and checked his watch again.

"Okay, now I really have to go". He hugged Ashley again and pressed a kiss on her forehead. "I see you at Joe's".

Within seconds he had turned around and headed quickly towards his wing.

A few moments later Ashley headed to her car to get a change of clothes and started to get ready for Joe's.

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A little after three o'clock Addison and Ashley were both ready to go and headed to Joe's.

Now they were sitting at one of the tables, having a drink and both talking a mile a minute. Obviously they had a lot of catching up to do. Not long after their arrival, Mark had joined the two of them. Now he was quietly sitting in his chair, listening to their talking.

Ashley suddenly turned her attention to Mark and asked him: "Got a quarter?"

Without asking why she needed it, he dug one out of his trousers and handed it to her. She didn't need to know that he had put that there, because he knew she was going to ask for it.

Without another word Ashley got up from her chair and headed towards the jukebox. She smiled widely when she realised that the song she was looking for was actually in the jukebox.

A few moments later her favorite song started to play.

Monday mornin' - it's time to get up
Two cups of coffee and she runs for the bus
Looks in the window and fixes her hair
Nobody notices and nobody cares

She admits it ain't no kinda life
Workin' 9 to 5 you know...

She swayed her hips lightly and made her way back to the table, meanwhile locking eyes with Mark. Without a word Mark knew what she wanted, so he stood up and slowly made his way over to her, never once breaking eye contact.

When the song reached it's refrain, Mark reached at Ashley and he grinned widely. This is what they did best. Ever since they knew each other, this song had been Ashley's favorite and there had been many nights where Ashley would play the song and she and Mark danced and sang to it. Too many of those nights however where filled with fake hapiness and masked emotions. Only Mark and Addison knew that Ashley played this song whenever she felt lost and hurt. But tonight Mark decided not to bring it up. He knew her well enough to know that she would come to him when things would get too heavy. Right now he just wanted to give her a good time, so he decided to sing along with the song and dance with her like they always did.

She's only happy when she's dancin'
There ain't no place she'd rather be
When she's dancin'
Just her heart and her soul and her fantasies

They moved in sync to the song and it looked like they had always moved like this. It looked like they were born to dance together.

When Friday evenin' finally rolls around
She grabs a taxi and she heads uptown
Goes to a place they call "The Ball And Chain"
Nothin' matters until Monday so she goes insane

Back at the table Addison watched Mark and Ashley with a big smile on her face. It felt just like the old days, when it was the three of them against the world. Her smile faded when Derek joined her at the table. He looked at Mark and Ashley dancing with a grim look on his face. It was clear to see that he wasn't happy with what he saw.

"She looks happy", Derek said with anger in his voice.

"She's always happy when she's dancing", Addison replied, not taking her eyes of the dancing couple. She was in no mood to talk to Derek.

A few moments later Meredith joined the table as well, taking the chair next to Derek.

"Hi Dr Montgomery", she said.

"Hello Meredith", Addison replied.

Meanwhile the song had ended and Mark and Ashley made their way back to the table.

"What is he doing here?", Ashley said roughly.

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TBC!

Sorry to cut it off like this, but I saw no other way. I think I could have written another 6 pages without coming up with a satifying ending. It's not my favorite chapter, because it was a hard one to write. Let's hope that chapter 4 is a whole lot easier.

Please review!