MARK'S POV
His phone beeps, and he's never heard anything sweeter.
Mark this is the last time I'm doing this. Meet us at the apartment in 20 and bring food. Loser .
" I ...I'm sorry , Darcy. I gotta go - hospital."
" Oh." she says, looking dismayed. " Will I see you tomorrow? "
He hates this part the most, that calf like clinging look in their eyes when he walks away.
Darcy is starting to wear on him though; not that there's anything wrong with her , but she isn't right.
Her laugh isn't right and her voice isn't right and the sparkle in her eyes and the color of her hair isn't right.
She's not Addie.
" Er. ... I'll try." He kisses her gently on the cheek and leaves the little cafe where she'd waited for him almost half an hour before he showed up ten minutes ago.
They both know he's lying.
He dutifully picks up takeout - the cheesiest most artery - blocking pizza he can find , just the way Addison likes it - and gets stuck in traffic and the rain, and is half an hour late getting to the little apartment the Shepherd's have rented.
When Derek lets him in, Callie and Addison are already in the living room, tying tiny bits of gold ribbon on white net bags .
" What in the world?"
" Wedding favours. " Addie explains, ripping off a piece of ribbon with her teeth.
Its embarrassing what that does to him.
" Good thing Burke doesn't like me, or I'd be down there with you two. " He says, plunking the oil stained bag in front of the women.
"Mark get that off my rug."
" Yes, ma'am. "
" Since you're not doing anything." Callie says super sweetly " You can go get plates and drinks. "
"Double malt scotch."
" That white wine, like that other one, it's in the fridge next to that red one."
"Beer. "
Of course they all want separate drinks.
He stomps into the kitchen , followed by Derek , who says " If I tie one more bit of ribbon my balls are gonna fall off. "
" Shame on you, best men should do this sort of thing for their friend. Ask me, I was your best man."
As he gets out the glasses, he can't be sure, but he thinks he hears something along the lines of "Look how that turned out."
Derek goes out into the living room with two plates and the requested drinks, returns with blueprints under his arm.
He spreads them across the table.
Living room, vaulting ceilings and walnut floors, hot tub in the back, wraparound porch and sloping rolling lawn with a fire pit, the perfect mix of Derek and Addison .
" What's with all the bedrooms? "
" That's the master bedroom - walk in closet of course, for all the shoes - and these two are guest rooms, and this one is yours. "
" I have a room? "
" Of course you do, Mark." He can see it's hard for Derek to say this, he's not used to emotions, his own or otherwise.
" You're always welcome with us. "
" Even after everything ." is what hangs unspoken in the air, but he'll take it.
They're all he has , his family and his friends and colleagues all in one .
" Thank you ." he says sincerely , looking straight into Derek's eyes , and it's not just for the room , it's for the unspoken apologies and forgiveness that accompany it.
And then because they're Derek and Mark, the moment is gone in the blink of an eye.
" And what are these two for ? "
" You know, in case we ever -
" Kids. " he breathes, and hopes that Derek won't notice the difference in his voice.
His kids.
Yeah ." and he looks so hopeful that Mark hates himself for wanting what will always be Derek's.
They hear the door slam as Callie leaves , and Addison comes into the kitchen.
" My fingers are numb. " she mumbles, falling into the chair next to Derek.
" Addie, if you want, look over these one more time, I'm giving then to the contractor tomorrow. "
" As long as you didn't cancel my closet I'm fine with anything you build ." she yawns .
Derek rolls his eyes "We have an agreement - I get to do the outside, she gets the inside." he explains.
" So it'll be a man - cave with french doors and little things she won't let anyone touch ?"
" Yup. "
" Shut up. " Addison murmurs against Derek's shoulder, eyes half closed. " You two have no taste."
" And that stupid couch you put in your office is tasteful? "
" It's calfskin! It's super soft, and it looks good."
" You can't sit on the damn thing without scuffing it." he laughs.
"So ? It looks good ." Addie sulks and kicks hin in the shin under the table.
" You guys remember that ugly futon of Addison's? " Derek chuckles reminiscently .
" Mm. We gave to Mark , didn't we?"
" Yeah. It was so ugly it ruined my game for weeks before I figured out what was going on and got rid of it."
" What'd you do with it? " Addie asks curiously.
" He gave it to - what was her name? The blonde one, the proctology resident - the one you actually dragged to dinner once."
"You gave my futon to a proctology resident ? Wait. You once dated a proctology resident? Why do I not remember this? . "
" Remember we cracked all those butt jokes ? That one. "
"Ohh yeah, the one he brought to dinner at the brownstone -
" - and you kept making butt jokes whenever we went in the kitchen to get something - "
" - Like how bootyful she was - " Addison giggles.
" - And how maybe she could give Mark some assprin for the hangover he was gonna have the next morning." Derek finishes, slapping him on the knee.
And he watches them swap memories and finish each other's sentences as if they've known each other forever like it doesn't kill him little on the inside every time he sees them like this, he swigs his beer to give him time to think of a reply when really he's thinking of Addison lonely and seeking his comfort , and he says something witty when really what he wants to do is scream wordlessly.
It feels like I'm doing that anyway, only no one can hear.
He's brought back to earth when a pager goes off shrilly in the living room, followed by another , then a third.
Saved by the bell.
ADDISON'S POV
Six hours later and it's three in the morning, two lives saved and one lost.
It was a car crash, a pregnant woman, her husband and the baby.
She watches them lying in their ICU beds, blissfully unaware of the heartache she knows lies ahead of them.
I know it firsthand, don't I?
" Dr. Montgomery - Shepherd? " it's a nurse, clutching a phone.
"It's the lab, they say they've got the results you asked them to rush through. "
" Ask them if was positive or not." she says, still watching the couple behind the glass window , envying their little bubble of peace, willing them to stay under just a little longer.
We just spent six hours saving their lives and when they wake up they're going to wish they were dead anyway.
" They won't say, apparently they want to talk to you in person. "
What the hell, Stevens?
" I'll be down in five minutes." and she tears herself away from the glass because it's a little frightening how much she wishes she were them .
Down in the lab, Dr. Klein is standing by the door waiting for her and her heart skips a beat because in her experience it's never good when they're waiting for you.
" So your Jane Doe is pregnant ." he begins. Small talk is rarely the forte of people who spend their lives cooped up in labs, fiddling with body fluids and tissues without ever seeing the patients they came from.
"But we found some abnormal markers as well - "
IZZIE'S POV
She's sprawled on the bottom bunk in an on call room on the OB floor where Addison told her to wait, staring at Denny Duquette on the bed opposite.
She closes her eyes against the tears; maybe he'll go away .
" You're dead. "
" I am. "
" I can see you. "
" You can. " he says simply.
" Why? " she breathes, even though she knows the answer.
"You've been able to see me for months now Izzie Stevens. What does that tell you?"
" You're dead. Dead. So why can't you just fucking stay dead and let me move on ." she's crying now because she knows what is happening, what Addison will tell her when she comes through that door.
I was so happy, so frickin happy, with the last person on earth I thought would make me feel this way, so how can this be happening?
" Goodbye Izzie. I'm done here. " Denny says gently and she can almost feel his caress on her cheek.
When she opens her eyes it's Addison standing there, apologies in her eyes.
Review please. People who review after every chapter are my special favourites.
Also I'm thinking of doing another Addek fic, so prompts are welcome!