Very short beginning of a new story, and a storyline I don't think I've seen before.

Tell me if you like it!

This is worse than senior prom he's thinking as he takes a gulp of lukewarm, unfortunately non-spiked punch, strolling around the room - well, the lobby, really - that is packed mostly with squealing teenagers and sulky doctors.

At least at senior prom there was Susie Marlowe's see through dress. And he had Mark to tell him what to do, after.

Which is ironic, seeing as Mark is the reason why he hasn't the faintest idea what to do now, at this prom, with his wife.

Addison... He'd started to say, and when she looked at him her eyes were so uncertain, so scared, that he swallowed whatever he was about to say and asked her to the prom instead.

So he picked her up at eight, dutiful cheek kisses and ritualistic hand holding and he was even going to say you look nice although why she needs to be told that after eleven years of marriage he has no idea. She always looks nice. Beautiful,even. It's one thing about her that's comfortingly constant.

But he said it anyway. Wait. Did he? No?

Whatever. She knows he thinks she's pretty. He married her, didn't he? And he stayed with her even after what she did.

He deserves a little leeway here.

..

"Have you seen Meredith?"

Good question.

Has he seen Meredith? Of course he has. She's all he sees. Everywhere. All the time.

But as of now, right at this minute, he hasn't, and since he doubts Dandridge is asking about his mental status, he tells him he hasn't seen Meredith.

Maybe she's not here yet. Maybe she's not coming at all, and he can spend one evening pretending not to see right through his wife.

His wife, who is twirling prettily on the dance floor in Richard's exceedingly capable arms, in a red dress he's sure he's never seen before, her hair in that complicated style he's never been able to understand even with his surgeon's fingers.

His wife, who moved her entire life to this city he knows she hates, who lives in his trailer even though it drives her crazy, who has been his wife for eleven years, who he can see is literally killing herself to make amends for the damage she did to their marriage, who thinks - or has deluded herself into thinking - that he is trying too.

Trying to salvage what's left of them, trying to forget Meredith, trying to pay attention to her, trying not to scan the room every two minutes for a glimpse of blonde curls.

Trying, and failing miserably, and hiding it-he thinks-admirably.

And then she's there, coming down the stairs in a slinky black number that looks like nothing Addison would wear, like that one princess - the one in blue, maybe?- and for a fleeting, terrifying moment, he cannot stop looking at her.

And she's looking at him too. Or not. Maybe she's looking at Dandridge. Yes, that's it.

No, she's definitely looking at him, lips slightly parted, her pale eyes indecipherable from this distance.

But then he feels the ring burning into his finger, hears Addison laugh across the room, a real laugh, not forced the way she does with him, the vet pops up and her arms go sliding around his neck, and the moment is gone. And he's relieved. Because he's married.

To Addison, who is now in front of him, wrinkling her nose at the things floating in the punch and saying something about Star Wars (what?) and then she's snapping her fingers, that mischievous glint he used to love in her eyes, and she's asking him to dance.

Dance. They used to be that couple, the one who danced and kissed and touched and generally nauseated everyone around them.

Now they just stick to nauseating each other; because that's what he feels, nauseated, at the pathetic remorseful mess she's become, and he's pretty sure she's not too enamored with his half hearted attempts at their marriage.

But he twists his lips into something he thinks a smile might look like and lets her lead, his fingers brushing over her rings as she presses a hand to his chest and looking over her bare shoulder as she murmurs something in his ear.

And she's looking at him too, looking at him as she twines skinny arms around Dandridge's neck and her lips are agonisingly close to his ear and his arms are around her but she's looking at him and suddenly there's no point pretending anymore, and he whispers about needing to check on a patient at the same time Meredith flutters tiny ineffectual hands around her face, backing away from her date.

There's no point pretending to care about what Addison's saying, there's no point caring that she's just ditched her date in a roomful of strangers,by here's no point to any of it anymore because no matter what he can't stop looking at her.

She drives him crazy, she makes it impossible for him to feel normal, she makes him sick at the thought of that...veterinarian touching her with his hands.

Almost as sick as the thought of Mark touching Addison. Maybe more.

Yes, definitely more.

Leave me alone she begs in a voice that threatens tears, and since that is the one thing he has proven himself incapable of, he follows her into that exam room and one of them has shut the door and she's glaring at him and he's glaring back because he's married and he has responsibilities - he spits the word like it tastes bad. It does. - and he would rather be looking at his wife- who, he reminds himself, is currently not a hundred feet away.

"What are we going to do?" she echoes his thoughts.

What are we going to do?

She looks so young, so vulnerable. Unmarked.

They could be anything.

But he's married, and apparently Finn has plans and Finn is good for her.

What are we going to do she asks him, and he leans in, hands tangling in her carefully arranged curls, tugging her closer, seeking her like a drowning man - it's like I was drowning and you saved me - and then he has her pinned against the table and he's fisting a handful of black satin, tucking it into his pocket, and she's all he knows, and she gasps into his ear just as he nips at her shoulder and she's pushing him away, and he eases back just enough to track her horrified gaze to the door.

Just in time to catch a glimpse of red chiffon, red hair, red lips, red eyes.

We're not DerekandAddison anymore.

Soo...should I continue? Do you guys want a monologue type thing? POVs? Just these two fools or other characters too?

I have a pretty good idea where I'll go with this if I continue, but as always I'd love to hear from you!

And I know you think I'm totally loco starting a new story when I'm already drowning in my WIPs... hehe. I'll update those as soon as I can. Promise.

Please review!