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Thanks for the patience everyone! I was away for a couple days, but I enjoyed reading all your reviews when I got back. I hope you enjoy the update :)

"Derek, you've got to calm down," Addison said from her perch on the couch as she watched Derek pace the living room. They'd been in that position for half an hour, when Derek had realized that Meredith was already a half hour later than she said she would be from getting home from class.

"I can't calm down," Derek snapped, moving towards the phone.

"Derek," Addison rolled her eyes. "Seriously. There are a million things that could to make her an hour late."

"Like what?" Derek demanded. "The sick psycho who's been watching her for a month grabbing her off the street."

"No," Addison said. "Like needing to talk to a professor about a paper. Stopping to look at a cute dress in a window, which, okay, is more me than Mer. But she could have stopped to read a headline in a newspaper or grab a sandwich. And the New York subway is especially crowded at this time of day."

Derek sighed. "You're right," he nodded. "I just…this is freaking me out."

"I know," Addison sighed. "Me too. But you can't always assume the worst case scenario, Derek."

Derek nodded as he collapsed onto the couch beside her. "You're missing school," he stated.

"You and Mer need me," she shrugged. "Besides, I was so ahead in those classes, it would be nice to let some other people catch up."

Derek laughed. "How's Mark?" he asked. "Things have been…crazy and I haven't had time to talk to him."

"He's good," Addison nodded. "I found a Tiffany's catalog in his pajama drawer the other day."

Derek grinned as he looked at her. "I may know something about that you don't," he said.

Addison's eyes widened as she sat up straighter and leaned towards him. "What?" she asked.

"I can't tell you," Derek laughed.

"Just give me a hint," Addison insisted, tugging on his arm. "How many carats? Gold or silver? Or white gold? Derek, you have to give a girl something to go on here."

Before Derek could respond the door burst open and Meredith stumbled in, smiling at them. "Hey," she said as she shrugged out of her coat.

"Meredith, where the hell have you been?" Derek asked as he jumped off the couch.

"What?" she frowned. "I was in class."

"Your class ended two hours ago," Derek replied. "Meredith, I was worried sick."

"I had to stay to talk to Dr….to a professor," Meredith shrugged. "No big deal."

"Mer, there's someone stalking you out there!" Derek exclaimed. "You can't just come home an hour late and tell me it wasn't a big deal!"

"I was at school," Meredith argued. "With a professor. It's not like I was unsafe."

"You were with him, weren't you?" Derek asked. "Dr. Brown?"

"Oh my God," Meredith rolled her eyes. "Are you really going to start this again?"

"Okay, you know what neither of you need right now?" Addison asked. "A huge argument. You're both scared. Mer, you should have called. And Derek…you've got to calm down about this professor."

Derek rolled his eyes as he pushed past Meredith to walk into the kitchen. He knew Addison was right, the last thing they needed was a fight right now, but he still couldn't stand the thought of how that professor acted around Meredith. "I'll make dinner," he said flatly from the kitchen.

Meredith sighed as she turned to Addison, dropping onto the couch beside her. "Addie, you should go back to school," she sighed. "There's no reason for you to be here, especially since there's so much craziness going on here."

Addison rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Mer, I'm not going anywhere," she said. "You are Derek are both about to crack, you need someone to keep you sane."

"Well, thank you," Meredith sighed. She leaned her head against the back of the couch before there was a loud knock on the door, and Derek stared at it for a moment before he moved slowly towards it.

"Be careful," Meredith warned softly.

Derek ignored her as he looked out the peephole, his body relaxing. "It's Mark," he said, opening the door and pulling Mark into the apartment. "What are you doing here?" he asked as he hugged his best friend.

"I heard you were in trouble, I had to come," Mark replied. "And I had to make sure my girlfriend stays out of any trouble here in the big city."

Addison jumped off the couch and ran towards Mark, hugging him tightly. "Hi," she said. "I thought you had a test."

"Postponed," Mark shrugged as he kissed her lightly. "Had to be here for our friends who manage to get into trouble wherever they are."

"Hi Mark," Meredith giggled as she stepped forward to hug him as well.

"Hey Grey," Mark said, squeezing her gently.

"I'm glad you're here," she said. "Derek's going crazy."

"If I'm going crazy, it's only because you're driving me there," Derek replied.

Meredith stared at him for a moment before she turned and walked towards the stairs without saying a word. Derek sighed and started to move after her, but Addison stopped him. "I'll go," she said. "Mark…take him out for a beer or something."

"I can't leave her," Derek shook his head.

"Derek, you and Meredith have barely been apart the entire time I've been here," Addison said. "And the entire time you were apart, you were worrying about her. You've got to just get out and relax, spend a little time away from each other."

Derek sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "Okay," he sighed. "I guess…we'll just got to the bar a couple blocks away."

"Yeah, I've got to meet this neighbor of yours," Mark added. "Make sure he's worthy enough to be your best friend."

Addison smiled as she made her way towards the stairs. "We'll be fine, just watch some movies and eat ice cream just like in the old days," she said.

"Don't answer the door," Derek said. "And if anything happens…"

"Derek, just go," Addison said. "We'll be fine."

"Let's go, man," Mark said, gently pushing Derek out the door. "Man, you've got to calm down. This thing is making you completely crazy."

Derek sighed. "Let's get Nathan," he said. "I'll tell you about it at the bar."

XXXXX

"Shit, man," Mark shook his head as he looked down into his beer an hour later. "How the hell did you get yourself into this position?"

"I have no idea," Derek shook his head. "I was happy. We were happy, and then this psycho completely tears us apart. I know that she needs me, and I know she's scared. But she just doesn't get it. Like today she came home an hour after she told me she would, and didn't see why that was such a big deal. Normally it wouldn't be, but if there's someone trying to hurt her…I had no idea she was safe. And then it turned into a fight and…I don't know what happened."

"Did you ever think that's his plan?" Nathan asked. "To make you guys fight all the time and then go for the gold?"

Derek sighed, draining the last of his beer. "It's crossed my mind," he admitted. "But then I thought that last week when we had that huge fight would have been the perfect opportunity for that. If he really wanted to…hurt me, I was sitting in the cemetery alone for hours."

Mark shook his head. "No one knows how creeps like that think," he shook his head. "You should just be glad he doesn't seem too violent."

"The police are watching the building," Derek said. "We're both scared, but we can't completely shut down over this."

"You're right," Nathan nodded. "You can't let him win. And that's why you can't keep fighting with Meredith. Because that's what he wants."

Before Derek could respond, a voice from behind them asked, "Trouble in paradise, Mr. Shepherd?"

Derek turned, his blood running cold when he saw Dr. Brown standing beside him, smirking slightly. "Not that it's any of your business, but no," he said coolly.

"Oh," Dr. Brown nodded, a frown on his face. "That's interesting, because Meredith was saying earlier…"

Derek jumped out of his chair, coming face to face with the doctor as he stared him down. "You stay the hell away from my wife," he said. "I swear to God, if you don't…"

"What are you going to do?" Dr. Brown asked. "Report me to the school? You know, I don't think that would go over so well. Especially once they learned that Ellis Grey's daughter has been trying to seduce her professor so she can get better grades."

"You son of a bitch," Derek pulled his fist back, but immediately felt himself being pulled back by Mark and Nathan.

"It's not worth it," Nathan said softly. "Calm down."

Derek sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. "I need to go home," he said softly. "I need to see Mer, make sure she's okay."

Mark sighed as he looked at his best friend. He was clearly falling apart, and he had no idea what would possibly help with this situation. This was the kind of stuff that took place in movie thrillers, not in real life. "Let's just get one more beer," he suggested. "You remember what it's like when Mer and Addie get going. They'll probably tell us to leave if we go home now. You've got the police watching the building, nothing is going to happen to them."

Derek nodded slightly. "You're right," he sighed. "One more beer. And then I have to go home."

As the three of them approached the bar again, none of them saw the man who quickly slipped his hand into the pocket of Derek's jacket as it hung on the back of his chair and walk out of the bar with a smug expression on his face as he clutched the small set of keys in his hand.

XXXXX

"He's just always here," Meredith said, poking her spoon into the carton of ice cream, trying to soften it enough to eat. "And I know he's trying to protect me. I do feel safer when he's around. But when he starts making those stupid comments about Dr. Brown and making me feel like a bad person for trying to live my life normally I just want to kill him."

"Mer," Addison said softly. "No offense, but I think Derek's right. You do need to be a little more careful."

"I'm careful," Meredith rolled her eyes. "Believe me, I'm constantly watching for lurkers and making weird turns to get wherever I'm going to see if there's anyone following me. There never is."

Beth sighed as she leaned forward to take some ice cream out of the carton in Meredith's hands. "You have to see how Derek's worried though," she said. "You'd kill him if he was an hour late right now."

Meredith sighed. "You're right," she said. "I know we're ridiculous, I just…there's so much going on right now. It's not fair that I'm taking it out on him, but when he says stupid things I can usually shrug off, I just snap and let all my anger out on him."

Addison pulled back to look at Meredith for a moment before she asked, "You know what you two need?"

"What?" Meredith asked.

"A good night of sex," Addison replied, grabbing Meredith's hand and pulling her towards the stairs.

"Addie, I really don't think that will help with anything," Meredith started, but Addison cut her off.

"Seriously, Mer, you just need a night to focus on each other," Addison said as she pulled the curtains shut and turned to Meredith's closet. "I'm going to find you some hot lingerie, and then we're going to leave you alone so you can seduce your husband. Are you with me on this, Beth?"

"Definitely," Beth said from where she had sprawled over the bed. "You and Derek can just spend time together, think only about each other. No police questionings or professors or school. Just the two of you."

"That does sound…amazing," Meredith breathed. She turned to Addison and giggled. "I never actually wear lingerie."

"I can tell," Addison grumbled, her voice muffled from the back of the closet. "Geez, Mer, it's all the way back here with your wedding dress."

"Derek says even though it's hot, it takes too much time to get off," Meredith giggled. "I only wear it when I want something."

"Okay, put this on," Addison said, handing her a black negligee and pushing her towards the bathroom. "And we're going to go over to Beth's so you two can be…alone. Mark said they weren't going to stay out too late."

Meredith giggled. "Okay," she said. "Thanks you guys. I have no idea what I would do without you here."

"You'd be fine," Beth said. "It's just nice to have support."

As they heard a key turn in the lock, Addison shoved Meredith into the bathroom. "Get changed quick, we'll distract him and send him up here," she said.

Beth giggled as she and Addison made their way down the stairs. "Derek is going to be completely shocked," she said. "I doubt he's expecting this."

"They'll be fine," Addison said. "This is how they solve…" her voice trailed off as she reached to clutch onto Beth's arm, squeezing tightly. Beth followed her gaze, fear streaming through her body at the sight of the stranger standing in the foyer before them, a playful smirk on his face.

"Hello ladies," he said, holding up Derek's keys. "Were you expecting someone else?"