Red

Summary: "Grey: the color of everything, here in Seattle. The endless sea of monochrome is all that I have come to know, all that I expect from life. I have never been a woman of faith, but right now, I am finally at the point of praying for a splash of color to come and change my life. I had always hoped that the day-to-day splash of crimson would do it for me, but it might not be the right color for me. Maybe, it is just not the right tone…"

Setting: Set sometime after the hospital shooting. Meredith is on light duty because of the miscarriage, and Derek is on leave after his string of arrests. The story starts out in the operating room where Cristina managed to save Derek's life.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

∞M&A∞

(Meredith's POV)

Grey: the color of everything here in Seattle. The endless sea of monochrome is all that I have come to know, all that I expect from life. I have never been a woman of faith, but right now, I am finally at the point of praying for a splash of color to come and change my life. I had always hoped that the day-to-day splash of crimson would do it for me, but it might not be the right color for me. Maybe, it is just not the right tone…

"Meredith?" I sigh, rolling my head to the side to take in the stunning redhead propped against the doorway.

"He is dead to me," is all that I say before returning my blank stare to the ceiling. The cool tile is killing my back, but I simply cannot be bothered to care right about now.

"I see," she says curiously before sliding down on the floor to lay beside me. I honestly have no clue when she moved closer, but I refrain from dwelling upon it too long. Life is far too short for that…

"This is how Izzie and I laid after Denny died; you are far from the broken husks that we were at the time, though. I have not really changed all that much, sadly, so I cannot claim the same." I smirk as she rolls her eyes.

"You really should give yourself more credit than that, Grey, seriously." I shrug noncommittally before locking my grey eyes upon her blue ones…

"Why are you here, Montgomery?" She smiles softly.

"I came here to check on you. Derek called me, freaking out about you. Of course, he left out the part about him going to jail several times for driving recklessly and resisting arrest." I sigh bitterly.

Since the shooting, I have kept to myself mostly, refusing to play the role of heartbroken victim. Derek has lost his mind, Cristina is dealing with Owen, and Alex is recovering. The only person that I have spoken with lately on a constant basis is Mark, which is wrong on so many levels. Ironically, he seems to be the only one who truly understands me. He has spent more time at my house lately than anyone since George died and Izzie left, and I would be lying if I said it was not welcome. Derek got placed on administrative leave for his stupidity, so he took the time and went home to visit with his family.

I almost wish that he would stay there.

"Where are you right now, Grey?" my companion asks softly. I blink a couple of times, blushing lightly as I realize my mental lapse.

"In a place where Derek is not a proverbial ass, and life is filled with color. It is all the same here, Addie, and I cannot deal with it all alone. No one is here outside of Mark, and the fact that I have to turn to Mark Sloan says a lot." We both giggle at that. I stop when I feel her hand gently squeezing mine…

"It will happen, Meredith, of that I am sure. You just need to decide what really and truly makes you happy, and go from there." I nod, smiling softly at her.

"You found your happiness," I whisper softly. Her smile wavers a little, but remains all the same…

"Not completely, but it beats being here in this dreary little hellhole. Alas, I must remain here for the next two weeks or so. Richard needs me here for a case." I smirk before hopping up, extending a hand to help her up, as well.

"You back at the hotel?" I ask nonchalantly. She shakes her head, drawing a frown from me.

"Not this time. After all of the drama that we all brought to that place, I was surprised that they even let me in the front door. I spoke with Callie about maybe staying with her and Arizona…or not?" I shake my head at her slowly…

"That is not the safest place to be, at the moment. The off and on should have been enough when you were with Derek." She sighs defeatedly.

"Great. I can find another hotel or something." I roll my eyes before grabbing her by the arm…

"You are staying with me…and Mark, but you are over him, so it should not be an issue…right?" I stop, looking at her for some sort of confirmation. I am willing to send Sloan home if need be…

"I am definitely no longer on that train, Grey. It derailed a long time ago." I smirk before pulling her along behind me, the sound of her giggles filling my heart with long-forgotten warmth.

Maybe things will finally begin to look up around here.

∞M&A∞

(Addison's POV)

I can only sigh at the sight before me. In retrospect, I should have known that something like this would have eventually happened, but what can I say? We are in Seattle, after all, the one place where drama seems to fester like many of the wounds that we see daily. Somewhere in the far reaches of my mind, I have always thought that he had a sense about her, one where he would always swoop in to disrupt her world with heart-shattering results. Today would be no exception, it seems…

"Just leave, Derek; that is all that you have to do." He does not even spare me a glance as he maintains his steady look at the blonde beside me.

It has only been two days into the stay, and things have been absolutely wonderful. While I have enjoyed my time in L.A., I have needed a bit of a break from everyone. The great thing about Grey is that she does not hover or gossip, only stopping to ask if everything is alright occasionally. Even Mark has become much more docile, although he is still the dirtiest man on the planet from time to time. Seeing him and Meredith interact seems so natural, as if theyshould have been together all along. Ironically, neither of them sees one another in that light.

A small part of me is relieved, although I am afraid to question why.

Today seemed like it was going to be a normal day at the hospital, with everyone actually on their best behavior. The shooting really had a deep effect on everyone, so the attitude has been one of recovery and unity. For the first time in my life, I can honestly say I have enjoyed being back here. Unfortunately, my ex-husband decided to arrive home early, having missed his Post-It wife. Too bad his better half did not feel the same. So, for the last five or ten minutes, they have been staring at one another. Meredith is shooting him the death glare from Hell, and Derek is giving her the wounded puppy look.

Why me?

"Mer, look, I am better now. I just needed a break from it all," he pleads. Grey laughs darkly.

"You have taken far too many breaks, Derek. I lost our child, and you went driving like a madman. You seriously expect me to just forgive and forget," she deadpans. In all of the time that I have known Grey, I have never heard such an empty tone come from her. And from the look on Derek's face, neither has he…

"It was my way of coping with everything," he offers gently. The blonde beside me says nothing as she rolls her eyes and grabs my hand. I squeeze it to let her know I am here to support her.

"Do me a favor; go stay with someone for a little while. Just like you used to do me, I am about to return it in kind. I have Sloan and Addie to keep me company, so your presence is unnecessary." He goes to say something, but I hold up a hand to stop him…

"Just give her this, Derek. She has given you all that she can give, even against everyone's wishes. It is time that you do the same for once." With that, she pulls me out the door and towards her Jeep.

The ride home is quiet, but not unpleasant. The Meredith Grey sitting beside me is definitely not the Meredith Grey that I left behind. She is still dark and twisty, but there is a new strength to her that adds a beautifully stormy quality to her. I can honestly see what Miranda meant when she said that she was proud of her. For the first time in a long time, I can honestly say that I fear for Derek. There is a real possibility that he might end up alone because of this.

When we finally arrive back at the house, we are greeted by the wonderful smell of coffee and pastries. Meredith snickers knowingly as we walk inside, her arm wrapped snuggly around my waist. Mark is in the kitchen, wearing nothing but an apron and baking…baking! I cover my mouth with my hand to keep from erupting into laughter, but it is almost impossible. Mark has never been the type of guy that does things like this, although the apron thing is something he would do. From the look on Meredith's face, though, this is not the first time he has done this…

"You can laugh now, ladies," he gripes as he turns to face us. Grey walks over to him and throws her arms around him, resting her head upon his shoulder.

"Not this time, Sloan, not this time." The two of them share a look before Mark nods, pulling her tight against his side.

An unexplained wave of sadness washes over me at the intimate interaction.

"Come on, Addie, we are going upstairs. Be back in a second, Death," Mark says suddenly. Before leaving, he leans over and kisses Grey on the cheek. She smiles at him sadly as we head upstairs.

"What?" I ask curiously as we walking into his room. He turns to look at me.

"One, Derek will be through before the night is up, so I am getting dressed and ready for the fight that is sure to come. Two…she needs privacy. After the miscarriage, she has refused to cry in front of anyone, even Yang." We both fall silent then, both of us looking down in sorrow and frustration. My heart stops as the quiet sound of bitter sobbing reaches my ears.

Before Mark can stop me, I am out the door.

I step into the kitchen as quietly as I can, not wanting to startle her. To anyone just walking in, she would appear to be leaning against the counter casually, watching the small television nestled in the corner. However, the small trembling of her shoulders as well as the muffled sobs gives her away upon closer inspection. I slowly wrap my arms around her, pulling her shorter frame against my taller one. We remain like this until she calms down a bit.

"I hate him," she says quietly. Any other time, I would doubt her words, but this time, I can feel the finality rolling off of her in waves.

"You are going to leave him then," I say. She nods against my chest.

"I needed him, Addie, I needed him so bad after the shooting. I never thought I would be a good mother, but I really wanted to take that chance. I had lost both of them, but I was lucky enough to get him back. It seems, however, that I was mistaken. I did lose them both that day. I…I have let him hurt me far too many times, and I am done, so done. I should have left when everyone told me to."

Neither of us says anything for a while, simply taking comfort in the other's presence. Having been married to the man myself, I know exactly how frustrating he can be. At one time, he was one of the most wonderful men I had ever known. Somewhere along the way, he became…well…this. Sadly, as bad as he was to me, it could never compare to how much shit he has put Meredith through. He has chosen women and work over her, he has called her a whore on more than one occasion, and he has continuously tried to change her. I am honestly surprised she has not killed him yet.

"I completely understand, Grey, trust me. Come on, pull yourself together so we can try these oddly delicious-looking pasties that Mark has made." She giggles lightly, moving a small distance away from me, but not too far.

"They are good. For whatever reason, he began studying Izzie's old cookbooks and went on a baking spree. I cannot understand what in the hell makes everyone who has a breakdown in my house transform into Betty-fucking-Crocker."

We laugh heartily before lapsing into a comfortable silence.

"Addison?" I look at her curiously.

"Yeah?" She smiles warmly.

"Thanks."

∞M&A∞

(Mark's POV)

The room is silent as we lay beside one another, staring at the ceiling. It has been a little over a week since Addie has been staying with us, and I knew that it would eventually come to this. From the moment that I first saw them together, I felt a connection between them. Combine that with the growing jealousy displayed by the redhead every time that Meredith and I are together, and all of the evidence points to one thing…

"I think I like her." I cannot help but laugh loudly at my blonde companion. I stop when she punches my arm…and it hurts.

"There is no need whatsoever to abuse me, Death. Besides, I already figured that out!" She glares at me.

"Hardy har har. What am I going to do? I am already about to deal with the fallout of Post-It divorcing my husband, so this is only going to make things worse. Trust me, it is not that there is anything wrong with Addie. As a matter of fact, she is perfect! It is just fucked up timing, is all." We both sigh.

"I can understand the frustration. I have been where you are, only I know that you will not hurt her." She nods in understanding.

"You know what, Mark, this is why I keep you around. In a perfect world, you and I would probably be together. Sadly, this world is far from perfect. As a matter of fact, it is one seriously fucked up world. Seeing as Derek 'McAss' Shepherd can continue to inflict his special kind of damage upon unsuspecting women proves my point." I shake my head, chuckling to myself. Leave it to Meredith…

I take a quick peek over at the clock on the bedside table, checking to make sure we have plenty of time. We are both completely dressed for work, but I can imagine that we both look like complete and utter shit. During the night, Death had woken up from a night terror, so I spent the rest of the night with her. Addie was at the hospital all night with a patient, so she was unavailable. To be honest, we both are glad she was not here to witness that. She is already pissed enough at Derek as it is…

"Stupid Derek with his stupid perfect looks and perfect hair," I grumble. Death laughs loudly, mocking my use of her usual phrase.

"We have officially been around one another for far too long," she says between giggles. I smirk, happy that I can make her laugh again.

"You may be right about that Grey. Come on. We really should just head on in. No use in wasting daylight!" She shrugs nonchalantly as she hops up from the bed. Together, we head out to start our day…

∞M&A∞

(Meredith's POV)

There comes a point in every married person's life when he or she wonders what the hell made them do it, marriage. I am enjoying that wonderful little feeling right about now, and it is absolutely horrific. Derek has not uttered a single word, although the weird set of his lips tells me that he wants to say quite a bit. Our Post-It sits patiently in the middle of the table, looking for all the world the picture of innocence. It is anything but, and the two of us know it. I am sure that in the next few minutes, one of us will lunge onto the table and rip it to shreds.

Such is the way of life, I suppose.

"Are you absolutely sure that you want to do this, Grey?" asks Addison. Derek was none-too pleased that I asked her to be in here with us, but ask I did. Besides, it is always good to have a witness…

"Apparently she is, Addison. Otherwise, we would not be in here," he snaps, pouting like a petulant child. Unsurprisingly, it is I who destroys our once beloved Post-It.

"It is done. Addie, I am ready to go. Mark has already brought you your stuff, and he is currently at the apartment complex changing it over into your name." I shove away from the table, grabbing the ravaging redhead by the hand and pulling her towards the doorway.

"You know, Mother told me that I would pay dearly for hurting the two of you. I just never figured it would be like this," he says, gesturing to our linked hands. I blush while Addie looks at him like he grew another head…

"I am lost. Care to clarify that statement, Derek?" she inquires irritably. We both cringe away from her slightly, the heat radiating from the woman a bit frightening…

"You two being together," he says slowly. She does not say anything, nor does her face show any expression. She simply turns and pulls me out of the room and into the hallway.

"Addie?" I try, but she remains silent. I sigh, choosing to wait patiently for her to say whatever is on her mind…

What I do not expect is to feel her lips upon mine.

The kiss starts out slow, subtle. I knew that I was falling for her, but I never really had any clue that she felt the same. I can feel it, though, just from the warmth and tenderness offered in this kiss. I can hear the gasping around us, as well as the catcall from my person, but none of that matters at the moment. All that I know if happiness and color, finally some freaking color in my otherwise grey ass life. When we finally pull away from one another, I just laugh happily, not really caring who sees…

"When did this happen?" I ask, smiling brightly. She cups the side of my face before responding just as happily…

"Honestly, I think from the second day that I was here. And rather than give him the glory of calling us adulterous whores, I decided to wait and do this after you broke it off." I giggle before pecking her lips again.

"You head back soon," I whisper quietly. She chuckles before smirking.

"We will see about that."

∞M&A∞

(Addison's POV)

"Meredith, where are my panties?"

"Hm?"

"You are so dirty."

She laughs as I walk out of the bathroom naked, just as she wanted. With Meredith, everything is fair game for her, no matter where we are or who we are with. Oddly, that is why I love her. I never returned to L.A., although there really was not much to keep me there in the first place. Mark is still living here with us, and he is still baking naked from time to time. Derek moved into Mark's old apartment, and comes over to visit randomly. He is a bit weirded out seeing Meredith and I together, but he keeps his feelings to himself.

He knows that Grey will kill him if he says something stupid.

"You are the first girl that I have ever been with, you know," I remark offhandedly as I rifle through the closet for my favorite pair of scrubs. She hums lightly.

"I wish I could say the same, but if you ever me Sadie, or Die, you would understand. Oh! You are wearing the red ones?!" she asks curiously. I smirk.

"Yes, my love." She jumps up and kisses me soundly.

"Red is my favorite color, but not just any red." I smile knowingly.

"Of course! It has to be my tone." With that, we share one last kiss before heading off to begin our day.

∞M&A∞

So, there it is. I will probably be writing more Grey's oneshots because my beta loves the show, and the greatness that is SlaYeRGiRLkaL inspires me to no end! Review, and let me know what you think. Also, I am taking suggestions for other stories, as well