Just as they had agreed on Saturday night, Derek called Finn on Monday morning to let him know that they were going to try the treatment on Doc. If he told them that there was a chance of recovery, they would go for it.

They took him to the veterinary clinic that same day to be admitted for treatment, knowing that he'd receive the best care from the doctors and Meredith, who had offered to visit him every day while he was there. "So he'd have a familiar face nearby," she said.

Meanwhile, in the hospital hallways, people only talked about the prom party that was going to be held in honor of Richard's niece, Camille. Her biggest wish was to live her own gala night, and both her family and high school friends wanted to give her this final gift. All doctors and healthcare staff had been invited to celebrate with them.

On Tuesday morning, Addison was leaving the operating room when she ran into Derek looking at the surgery board. She hadn't seen him since they left Doc the day before. She knew he had spent the night closely monitoring Burke after the surgery he performed on Monday.

"Hey... How is Preston doing?"

"He's recovering wonderfully."

"Oh, good. I'm really glad to hear that. And how are you? Have you eaten anything since last night? Were you able to get some sleep? You look tired, Der. It's been more than 24 hours, you should..."

"Addison..."

"I know, I know that Burke is special, and I'm not blaming you. It's just that I worry, I know we're trying, and I don't want it to be an argument, but also..."

"Will you go to the prom with me?"

She couldn't help but smile. She didn't expect that kind of invitation from him, and it made her heart leap with joy for a moment. He also smiled affectionately at her. Was he really trying, or at least starting to try for real?

"I thought we were too old for this" she said.

"Old? I'm not old. I'm a fetus" he replied, laughing.

"Oh, shut up" she smiled.

"See you here at 6:15 p.m. I won't have time to go to the trailer today. Can you come a bit earlier to bring me something from my closet and some matching shoes?"

"Oh... Okay."

"See you later" he kissed her on the cheek and walked off towards the inpatient hallway.

~•~

Addison had completed six weeks of pregnancy the previous day and she knew she couldn't postpone it any longer. She needed to start her prenatal check-ups as soon as possible, so she thought that telling Derek after the party would be the perfect moment...

...Or at least the breaking point at which she would no longer hide this secret.

After lunch, she had a patient-free schedule and went to the mall to find a dress for the celebration that night. She wanted something casual yet elegant, perhaps something new? Although she also loved classic styles. She was somewhat indecisiv eas she looked at the wide range of options.

A friendly saleswoman offered to help her choose, bringing her several dresses to the fitting room that she swore were "made just for her."

Addison looked at her semi-naked body in front of the mirror; her breasts were swollen and had noticeably increased in size in just a few days, while her abdomen still remained flat. She knew that after twelve weeks, it would start to show, but every day she woke up excited to see something new.

She wondered if Derek noticed this change –or any other in her– or if he didn't even pay enough attention to that?

"Darling, how do they fit?" she heard the voice of the saleswoman and opened the door slightly.

"I... I think I'll go with this red one..." she pointed at it.

"Oh yes, good choice! That will accentuate your cleavage even more, and you have a stunning back, too."

"Do you really think so?"

"Of course, believe me. All eyes will be on you," she smiled mischievously, convincing Addison to take it.

~•~

Leaving the clothing store, less than 10 meters away was a baby boutique. Curiosity pushed her to go that way and see what was in the shop window.

It had been a long time since she had seen baby clothes. The last time, she had given something to Derek's niece when she was a newborn, she was born three years ago.

They had everything there: onesies, little dresses, overalls, plush toys, pacifiers, rattles, shoes, blankets, socks, everything in miniature. "Everything for little humans," she thought.

Near the entrance, there was a shelf with a line of onesies with phrases printed on the front, and one cream-colored one with white stars all over caught her attention because of the inscription:

"I am the living proof that my parents' love traveled through the universe and created a star."

Talking to Bailey last week, she had already dismissed the idea of an announcement, but seeing it face to face had changed her mind. It was cheesy, of course it was, but it was also adorable, and she could imagine the baby wearing it.

She liked the idea of being a new star in the universe because, in a way, the two of them had created a new life that would shine on its own in a few months.

So, she went in and bought it. She asked the saleswoman to wrap it as a gift, to surprise Derek that night.

She was somewhat short on time because she had taken so long choosing the dress, so she hurried to the trailer to take a quick shower and finish getting ready to go to the hospital.

~•~

"Are there any news about Doc? How was his first night?" Derek asked as he finished signing some charts.

"Well, Finn administered the first dose of chemo yesterday afternoon and he wants to start with the second one tomorrow. The idea is to reduce the tumor size a bit so it's easier to remove."

"I know."

"Hopefully, in a few weeks, he'll be able to operate..."

"Mer, are you going to the prom?"

"Yes, actually I was just talking to Finn about it before coming here. He loves these kinds of events and..."

"I thought it was only for people we know and hospital employees."

"Excuse me?"

"Never mind. See you tonight."

~•~

As they had agreed earlier, Addison arrived half an hour before the party started to bring Derek his clothes. She had chosen a black tuxedo, a classic white shirt with a black tie, and patent leather shoes to go with it. She loved seeing him dressed like that.

She had opted for a French braid ponytail, to show her neck and back. Maybe the saleswoman hadn't lied when she said that dress color and neckline made her stand out.

"Hey!" Addison said, entering Derek's office.

"Addie, hi" he got up from his desk and greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. "I'll change quickly and join you. If you want, you can head downstairs."

"I... that's okay. See you downstairs, then?"

"Yeah, sure" he took the clothes and went into the bathroom.

Addison was surprised because he didn't even notice what she was wearing. She was expecting Derek to compliment her hair or the dress, but that didn't happen. He acted as if she were dressed in her usual clothes or worse, in the navy blue scrubs.

~•~

After a few minutes, Derek went down to the main hall where the dance was taking place, and as he tried to locate Addison among the crowd, he saw Finn approaching him.

"Hey, have you seen Meredith?" he asked.

"I don't think she has arrived yet..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Meredith appeared descending the stairs. She was wearing a black dress with a Roman-style V-neck that reached the floor, and her wavy hair was loose. Both men were hypnotized as they watched her descend step by step. Finn went after her, and Derek stood there, observing.

"This whole thing brings back very traumatic memories" Addison said, making him turn quickly to look at her. He hadn't heard her approach.

"Uhm?"

"Memories of being a band geek with braces and a lisp, and spending the whole evening with Skippy Gold talking about Star Wars."

Addison kept talking as she poured herself some apple and pomegranate punch into a glass –of course, it was non-alcoholic, as it was a party full of underage people. Derek wasn't listening to a single word she was saying; he was distracted, watching Finn meet Meredith and seeing her smile when she saw him. A wave of jealousy was consuming him internally, and he struggled to hide it.

"So... uh... you want to dance?" She asked, making a cute dance move.

"Love to" he replied, forcing a smile.

Derek led Addison to the dance floor. She hugged him, resting her chin on his shoulder. Internally, she was thinking about the words she was going to use later to talk to him about the baby. She had left the package with the onesie hidden in the top drawer of her nightstand, and she intented to give it to him as soon as they lay down.

Derek, on the other hand, only watched Meredith dancing with Finn. How was it possible that she ended up with a veterinarian and even brought him to the dance to show him off? He was dying to be the one dancing with her right now.

Finn was talking to Meredith about his ex-wife, and he had confessed that he was starting to think about a lot of plans for the two of them from that moment on. Meanwhile, Derek's gaze was fixed on her, making her feel nervous and restless. She began to feel a strong heat hitting her face, struggling for a bit of air, and needing to get out. She said that to Finn and ran out of there.

"You know what? There's a patient I've gotta go check on" he whispered in Addison's ear.

"Oh..."

"I'll be right back, okay?" he let her go, nervous.

"Okay" she replied in a low voice. It was the second time that night that he had managed to disappoint her.

~•~

Meredith ran down one of the hospital hallways, and Derek chased after her. He didn't even care if anyone saw him doing so. He wanted to reach her at all costs. She entered a break room, and he followed her inside.

"Meredith!"

"Leave me alone!" she shouted.

"I just wanted to make sure you were all right."

"No! I'm not all right! Okay? Are you satisfied? I'm not all right! Because you have a wife, and you called me a whore, and our dog is seriously ill. And now you're looking at me. Stop looking at me!" she yelled.

"I'm not looking at you. I'm not looking at you."

"You're looking at me. And you watched me. And Finn has plans with me. And I like Finn! He's perfect for me, and I'm really trying here to be happy. And I can't breathe... I can't breathe with you looking at me like that, so just stop!"

"Do you think I want to look at you? That I wouldn't rather be looking at my wife? I'm married. I have responsibilities. She… she doesn't drive me crazy! She doesn't make it impossible for me to feel normal! She doesn't make me sick to my stomach thinking about my veterinarian touching her with his hands! Oh, man. I would give anything not to be looking at you."

Meredith turned to face him, and they both fell silent for a moment until Derek impulsively leaned in and passionately kissed her.

~•~

"Have you seen my husband? He went out a while ago to check on a patient but..." Addison asked Bailey as she approached.

"No, I'm sorry, I can't find any of my interns right now. And I know they've done something, they always do. I need to find them urgently, sorry," she hurriedly walked away.

"Well, it seems like we're in the abandoned club" Finn said as he approached Addison.

"Oh, you know, doctor stuff. That's what happens when you date doctors," Addison laughed. "Don't be surprised if at some point they replace you with a heart attack or a burst appendix or a baby deciding to come out through its mother's vagina just when you're about to take a hot bath... oh, I'm sorry, that was..."

"No, it's fine, something similar happens with animals when you're on night duty. I guess it's what we chose, right?"

"And I'd choose it every day of my life..." she smiled.

"Hey" Derek appeared in a rush, adjusting his suit jacket. Addison turned to look at him.

"Derek, where have you been?"

"Uh... I... I was with a patient..."

"Shepherd!" Richard called as he walked towards him, with Bailey following closely.

"Yes?"

"Have you seen Bailey's interns? Grey? Yang? I'm particularly looking for Izzie Stevens."

"No, I haven't..."

"Chief..." Bailey whispered, and everyone turned to look.

Izzie came down the hallway, dragging a huge pink dress, tears streaming down her face. Alex, George, and Meredith escorted her.

Derek acted nervously, trying to avoid looking at Meredith as she passed by him.

Addison didn't understand what was happening, but she stared at Derek as if she wanted some explanation for his behavior. He avoided eye contact with her.

"It was me..." Izzie said, looking at the chief with tears in her eyes. "I cut his LVAD wire. I did. No one helped me... And now... I thought I was a surgeon, but... I can't. So, I quit."

Izzie turned around and left with her friends following her. Bailey tried to stop her but she couldn't; she didn't want to look back. Addison turned to Derek once again.

"It's time to go, Addison" he said, looking away. He couldn't look her in the eyes after what he had done with Meredith. Guilt was already eating away at him.

Addison was starting to understand less and less of what was happening and had a feeling that he was involved or at least knew something she didn't.