Meredith Grey.

The parking area was well-lighted, but Addison was certain she would have recognized the other woman in the dim light of dawn, too.

Even though Derek had broken up with Meredith, Addison knew her husband was still in love with her, and that hurt. It hurt, because she knew it was her own fault. If she hadn't cheated on him, Derek would have never left Manhattan, would have never left her, would have never fallen in love with that young, beautiful interne that happened to be the daughter of the most famous and brilliant surgeon ever...

Yeah, sometimes reality just sucked!

At least her own car turned out to be only a few more feet away. She just needed to pass Meredith's and keep on walking for a few more feet...

Seeing Meredith had made her shitty night even worse, but Addison could sense that there was still more to happen, and she was right.

At first sight, she had thought Grey was kneeling next to her car because she had accidently dropped the key or anything else, but with every step she made in Grey's direction, her assumption became increasingly unlikely.

Now being only ten feet away, Addison could see Meredith was not kneeling on the ground but lying in fetal position, her legs closely pulled into her shaking body. She was crying, and Addison was certain this was neither a place nor a pose to cry in because you have been left by your boyfriend... Something was seriously wrong!

"Grey? Can you hear me?" the She-Shepherd asked, heading towards the interne and crouching down next to her. The blonde didn't react. Was she in pain? What had happened? "Grey? Are you hurt? Please look at me!" Addison cautiously touched the younger woman's shoulder, trying to make her look at her, but the touch only made Meredith cringe. "DON'T!" she shrieked, now trembling even more.

Their eyes met for a brief moment, and the look in Meredith's eyes revealed more fear, pain and shame anyone could ever handle. At this very moment, Addison Montgomery-Shepherd knew what had happened. She didn't have to look down at Meredith's wrists to know they were just as bruised as her face, and Addison didn't dare to imagine what other parts of her fine-boned body looked like.

She sighed, not knowing what to say; how to react. She knew she was probably the last person Meredith wanted to be found by after... what had happened, but she couldn't just leave now!

*Dammit!* Addison was unable to think straight. This was just too much! She was exhausted and still struggling with her own problems! It wasn't fair!

*Your life is not fair? Damn, look at Grey!* She scolded herself for being so selfish. Lack of sleep and personal failure were definitely taking a toll on her, but no matter how shitty her day had been, Meredith's was clearly worse. She deserved help. Help of someone Meredith trusted.

"Do you want me to go get someone? Yang...?" Meredith shook her head. "I-I- I don't want anyone to know! J-just leave!" Addison sighed. "I won't just leave now, Grey!" She hesitated. "Please let me help you!" "How do you want to help me?" Meredith snorted, and Addison had to admit she had a point. How was she supposed to help her? Dammit, she was a doctor! It was her job to help people, to save them, but could she ever? Why was it always too late?

*Doctor! That's it! I am a doctor. I could at least try to repair the physical damage!*

"Please let me at least examine you, Grey! We're in front of a hospital!" She shook her head again. "I... I can't get in there! Not... like this!" Even though she didn't want to admit it, Addison knew the blonde was right. This hospital was like a giant sponge, greedily absorbing any kind of drama. They wouldn't even manage to enter the building without anyone noticing, to say nothing of finding an available examination room. Someone would definitely see them, and as soon as the first one screamed "Oh my god Meredith! What happened?" they'd be surrounded by the whole staff. Even though they had only heard about Derek breaking up with Meredith, the gossip had lasted for weeks! Addison didn't want to imagine what would happen if everyone saw her like this!

"What about Mercy West?" she suggested, but Meredith didn't like this idea, either. "NO HOSPITALS!" "... so where do you want to go?" she asked. Meredith shrugged. "I can't go home. Izzie and George will..." "I understand. So no hospitals, but not home either..." Addison sighed. "Come with me. You can't just stay here...!"

This was just crazy! Had she really just invited an immensely broken Meredith Grey to stay at her place? Not only Addison seemed to question this offer.

"What about Der... Dr Shepherd?" Meredith asked. "I can't..."

"He... We don't live together and..." she gulped, "He's not there."

Silence.

"I won't force you to do anything you don't..." Addison started, but quickly interrupted herself. This was probably the stupidest thing to tell somebody who had just been raped! Meredith compressed her lips and started crying again - silent, this time, but somehow much more pathetic than before.

"I'm sorry, Grey. I'm so sorry!" Both of them knew Addison was not only referring to what she had just said. Meredith shirked from her look, trying to hide away her tears, her face, herself.

Meredith was broken and needed someone to repair the damage, to stick her together again. Period! There was no room for jealousies and triangle relationships.

"Look at me. Please!" Addison's voice was soft and caring. Slowly, the interne raised her eyes to the red-haired woman who continued as soon as their eyes met: "I will not hurt you, Meredith, and I won't allow anyone else to, either. Please trust me." She hesitated, unsure whether it was still too early or not, but then decided that getting her away from here was much more important than everything that had happened between the two of them so far.

"Let me help you to get up, okay? My car is over there."

Meredith nodded, and Addison sighed with relief.

The sun had almost risen when they finally reached Addison's place, but both of them knew there was still too much darkness to conquer...