Derek stares at Meredith with wide eyes not knowing how to respond. After a few seconds she speaks trying to keep a calm tone.
"I'm waiting."
"Mer... She asked me not to tell."
"Since when do you know?"
"It's been almost two weeks now. It was before the trip I took with the guys."
Meredith nods and is silent. She hands him the photo and prepares to open the car door. Derek quickly stops her and then asks in alarm.
"What are you doing?"
"Leaving the car of the guy who's going to be the father of another woman's baby."
As she said those words, things became real and her eyes started to water. Derek takes the moment to hold her hand and speaks sincerely.
"It doesn't change anything between us. Addison got pregnant while we were married."
"You need to go to the hospital."
"What?"
"The emergency patient."
Meredith speaks both sentences in a listless tone. Derek resigns and says.
"I'll drop you off at home, it's on the way."
"It is not necessary."
"I'll drop you off at home!"
Derek hardens his voice and starts the car. Meredith huffs in frustration, but buckles up and leans back in the seat, eyes fixed on the window.
The silence is unbearable in the car. Derek doesn't know what to say and Meredith just wants to get away from him. The ringing of his cell phone scares them a little, he just pushes the device in her direction and she answers it. As soon as she hangs up, she speaks in the same tone used at the end of the conversation.
"You don't have to go to the hospital anymore. The man succumbed to a hemothorax."
Derek nods and slows the vehicle down a bit.
Less than five minutes later they are in front of Meredith's house. She quickly gets out of the car and is surprised when he follows. Upon receiving a dirty look, he justifies himself.
"We need to talk."
"I don't have anything else to say, Derek."
"But I do and you need to at least listen."
Meredith lets out a deep breath, but nods and guides him into the house.
"You have five minutes."
Meredith says crossing her arms in front of her chest as soon as she walks into the house. Derek drops one
Long sigh and then begins to speak.
"Addison told me about the baby after my sister was here. At first I was stunned and the only thing I could do was escape the situation on that trip with Preston and the others. After I got back, she and I talked, but she demanded silence from me, she's not ready for everyone to know yet."
"I would have kept it a secret."
"Meredith, I know. But try to understand, Addison is pregnant, we just got divorced, she deserves that I respect her decisions."
Meredith cannot disagree with him. She still feels guilty about the prom episode, she doesn't need any more mistakes against Addison.
She then uncrosses her arms and approaches the door as she speaks.
"Go away, Derek."
"What? You didn't hear anything I said?"
"I heard and understood, but we can't go on. I don't want to be between you and your son."
"Mer, you won't be among us."
"I already am, Derek! Your marriage ended because we slept together and Addison was already pregnant when it happened."
Derek seems to deflate at this point and it's clear it's something he hasn't rationally thought about yet. Meredith continues.
"I don't want your son to spend his whole life looking at me and thinking that if it weren't for me, he would have a family. I don't want to be Dr. Webber in your son's life."
At this point, Derek frowns. Meredith explains:
"I found out he was having na affair with my mother. That's why my father left home."
"Mer, I'm so sorry."
Derek talks trying to approach. Meredith raises a stopping hand and asks.
"Derek leaves. Don't make things any harder."
"It's not fair. We were happy."
"Maybe it wasn't meant to be. Just go away, please."
When she sees the first tears rolling down her cheeks, he nods, drops his shoulders, and turns his back on her.
AAAAAA
Mark Sloan is once again being cocky with Alex, upon seeing the situation, Addison tries to intervene again. The redhead approaches already asking while staring at him.
"Do you like to abuse your interns? Do you think that's funny?"
Mark glares at her.
"I think so. And in case you've forgotten, you're not allowed to sulk this week, Addison. Not this week."
He walks away, leaving Addison behind with teary eyes. Having no idea what is going on between the two, Alex speaks close to her ear.
"What a sucker."
Addison turns, still with tears in her eyes, her gaze following Mark as she speaks to Karev.
"Not this week."
After saying that, she also walks away. Alex watches her walk away, quite uncomfortable with the plastic surgeon's attitude.
AAAAA
After a sleepless night, Derek arrives at the hospital practically dragging himself. As soon as he stops at the nurses' station, he sees Addison walking away from her and a chill runs down her spine, he needs to tell her that Meredith knows. Not that he believes the blonde will spread the word, but because he had promised that the pregnancy would remain a secret.
So Derek goes after her, he approaches, holds her arm and says low.
"We need to talk, Addie."
His tone worries her and she immediately nods. The two walk together to a conference room, Derek closes the curtain and speaks calmly.
"Meredith knows."
She shudders at the confession and looks at him wide-eyed. Derek then begins to justify himself.
"She found the ultrasound picture in my wallet. I couldn't deny it and we broke up."
"I told you it was a bad idea to keep that picture, Derek!"
Addison states in exasperation. Derek argues trying to keep calm:
"I'm sorry, Addie. But I'm sure she won't spread it."
Addison prepares to respond, but at that moment her color changes, turning pale and green at the same time. She puts a hand over her mouth and practically runs out of the room. Derek immediately chases after her, even following her into the ladies' room.
There Addison leans over the toilet, vomiting violently. Derek kneels beside her and holds her hair as he rubs circles on her back to support her.
Addison spends a few minutes throwing up, when she finally feels she's finished she leans back against the bathroom door letting out a heavy sigh. Derek squeezes her hand and they just stand there until she recovers.
When she feels more stable, Addison starts to get up, Derek immediately helps her to her feet and they leave the booth in silence. The redhead approaches the sink and starts washing her face. It's at that moment that the bathroom door opens, Meredith and Cristina rushing in, engaged in some conversation.
Meredith freezes as soon as she notices Derek standing there, he looks away and Addison backs away from the mirror wide-eyed. Cristina Yang just watches the scene with a confused look, but it only lasts a few seconds before Meredith turns and runs outside. Still not understanding anything, Cristina follows her friend.
Alone again in the bathroom, Addison and Derek stare at each other in uncomfortable silence. Soon the silence is filled by Addison, who speaks looking into Derek's eyes.
"I'm very sorry."
"It's not your fault, Addie."
"I can talk to her if you want."
"I don't want to. Forget it."
His tone of voice and expression make her realize that there's no point in pressing the matter. Addison says.
"You'd better leave first. We don't need to be seen by anyone else."
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"I am. This has been happening all the time."
"But you've been able to feed yourself, haven't you?"
"Yes. Half na hour later I can eat."
Addison speaks calmly. Derek then states.
"I'll bring you breakfast in half na hour."
"It is not necessary."
"I do."
"Derek..."
"I do."
Derek nods with determination and then walks away, soon exiting the bathroom. Addison goes back to staring at her image in front of the mirror, the memory of the look on Meredith's face and the fact that she already knows about the pregnancy, making her shudder.
AAAAA
Cristina practically runs after Meredith, but both have to slow down when they get a stern look from Miranda Bailey. So the brunette catches up with her friend entering a practically empty corridor and then asks curiously.
"What was that?"
"That what?"
"That! Mcdreamy, Addison and you in the bathroom?"
"It was nothing."
"Like nothing? You come here saying you broke up with him and then he's in a bathroom with his ex and then you freak out. There's something going on!"
"She is pregnant!"
"Lie?!"
"Addison is having a baby with Derek and I only found out because I found a picture of na ultrasound in his wallet."
Meredith vents a little louder than she intended. Yang's mouth opens in disbelief, but she doesn't know what to say. At that moment Nurse Debbie walks past them giving them a leering look. Meredith swallows hard, realizing the problem she's just gotten herself into.
AAAAA
Outside the NICU, holding food containers, Derek watches Addison through the glass. The redhead is sitting in the chair, holding a baby in her lap, a bright smile on her face as she has her eyes fixed on the child.
Derek feels his eyes water as he imagines the moment when his baby will be there, in her arms, being the center of her world. When he sees her get up, he decides to enter the ICU, smiling when the nurse passes with the baby in her arms, it's a boy, wearing a outfit from a team from Seattle. Addison raises na eyebrow as she sees him enter and Derek smiles, holding the wrappers out to her as he says,
"I told you I was coming."
"And I said I didn't have to."
But she has a sincere smile and accepts the packages willingly and realizing that he wants to talk, returns to sit in the chair. Derek asks.
"Are you well?"
"I am. You don't have to worry so much, Derek."
He doesn't answer, just stares at her as he confesses:
"I've been watching you with the baby, wondering when it's ours."
Addison smiles at that statement, watching Derek's dreamy eyes for longer than she should. Willing to break the spell when she realizes what she's doing, she says.
"That was Jason. After almost two months, he's going home today."
"Great."
At that moment Derek approaches, he places a hand on her shoulder and speaks each word with sincerity.
"Addie, I know you asked me to stay away, but I can't. I don't want this. I understand that we're not a couple, that we hurt each other, and that you think we're not ready for a friendship, but I don't. I want to be the parent who doesn't participate."
"Derek..." Addison tries to argue. Derek does not allow.
"When I dreamed of being a father, I dreamed of everything. Taking care of you when you were sick, talking to your belly before going to sleep, getting up in the middle of the night to satisfy a craving. I even dreamed of spending hours in stores picking out every detail. Of a room in which we would hardly let the baby sleep."
Derek laughs as he says this and Addison ends up laughing along with him. He then concludes his appeal.
"I want to be the father that I saw my father be. And I want to support the woman who is giving me the most important thing in my life. Please, the last thing I want is to hurt you, but let me be a part of that." From that."
When he finishes talking, Derek has tears in his eyes. He and Addison glare at each other, but before she can say anything, a female resident enters.
Derek pulls away from her quickly and for the second time that day, the redhead sees her ex-husband blush. Derek apologizes.
"I better go. And you should eat."
"OK thanks."
Addison says lifting the package. Derek smiles and leaves quickly. Addison stares at the door for a few moments before apologizing to the resident and heading to her office to eat.
AAAAA
Shortly after Addison manages to eat, the day turns into chaos. Na accident fills the ER and all the doctors are on call. During the confusion, Addison notices that a badly injured woman is at the doors of the emergency room. She approaches towards the girl who falls into her arms.
That's how Addison ends up having to work alongside Mark, after all, the young woman is coincidentally pregnant and with several injuries on her face. During the service, Mark continues to be cold and rude to her.
Addison prefers to just ignore it. She doesn't know how to behave with Mark this week and even more so as she hides from him that she is expecting Derek's child. As if the redhead's discomfort wasn't enough, Meredith is put on the case by Bailey.
Luckily Meredith soon withdraws from the case. But the situation doesn't get any more comfortable while the patient talks about the child's paternity and betrayals.
AAAA
After na emergency delivery, Addison walks into the ICU willing to check on the accident patient who was operated on by Preston Burke. As she walks she notices a few glances and whispers in her direction, but she dismisses it, thinking it's because she worked with Mark. Hospital workers like to talk about everything.
As she assesses the young woman, Alex Karev approaches he looks uncertain as he asks.
"Is she going to be okay?"
"Go. She and the baby are strong."
Addison states with a gentle smile. After a moment Addison teases.
"And you, liking the facelift?"
"I haven't seen na operating room in weeks."
"The wonders of working with Mark Sloan."
Addison speaks with unabashed sarcasm. Karev laughs but teases back.
"Even so I don't miss team gyne."
"Yes, I'm sure."
Addison speaks with smugness. Suddenly Alex gets serious as he asks.
"Are you well?"
"I am." Addison speaks with na arched eyebrow, already dreading where the conversation is going. Alex says.
"It's really amazing that you're still going strong despite the comments."
"What comments?"
"They're idiots, forget it."
"Alex, what are you talking about?"
The panicked note in her voice makes his eyes widen. He imagined that by now she had heard about the gossip that had spread through the hospital during the day like the plague. Upon realizing the blunder, Alex speaks in the softest tone he can.
"Everyone is talking about you being pregnant with Shepherd."
Addison swallows hard, not knowing what to say for a few moments. She just looks around, thinking of the strange looks she's gotten in the halls,. Stunned Addison says.
"I need to go."
"Dr. Montgomery, I..."
"I'm fine. Thanks Karev."
Addison talks trying to put together a facade, but the young man doesn't buy it. As she walks away, he speaks sincerely.
"I can kick their asses for you."
Addison looks over her shoulder, a small smile appears. Alex smiles too.
AAAA
Addison turns into the hallway when Derek appears in front of her, he is clearly nervous as he apologizes.
"Addie, I'm so sorry."
"You already knew?"
"I just heard."
"I do not wanna talk to you."
"Addie, don't treat me like that, you know it's not my fault."
"Of course it is. Your girlfriend spread to the entire hospital something I wasn't ready to reveal yet!"
She raises her voice. Derek shudders at her anger, he tries to approach her, but she pushes him away even more angrily.
"Don't touch me! Leave me alone!"
She practically screams, attracting stares, but at this point she no longer cares. Still, she takes a deep breath and says.
"I'm going home, I need to be alone."
"I can take you."
"Alone, Derek! You were very good at leaving me alone before."
At that she gives him a hurt look and then turns away, hurried into the first elevator that opens. Derek's eyes gray as soon as she walks away, he walks over looking for someone very familiar.
AAAA
Derek finds Meredith exactly where he thought he would, in the basement sitting on a gurney, next to Cristina and George. Seeing him, the blonde immediately gets up and walks towards her already apologizing:
"I'm very sorry."
"What was the part about Addison doesn't want anyone to know, don't you understand?"
"I meant no harm!"
"You shouldn't have done it at all!"
Derek had never spoken to her that way before and it shocked her. With teary eyes, she begins to justify herself:
"I needed to tell Cristina because I needed to share it with someone, then I realized that a nurse had overheard the conversation and it was too late."
"You're unbelievable! I haven't even shared this with my mother yet, but you need to share it with Cristina in the middle of some hallway."
Meredith lowers her eyes, she doesn't know what else to say. Derek gives her one last disappointed look and then leaves her alone in the hallway.
AAAA
I follow the episodes of the third season and this should continue for a few chapters.
As you could see I'm thinking of bringing Addex. I would like to read your comments on this.
Again remembering that I don't own Grays and that my mother tongue is not English.