Title: How Far We've Come

Authors: Sara And Lizzie

Rating: T for language, mild sex

Disclaimer: Not ours, not ours, not ours.

Summary: Three years after the season three finale, Addison is fully entrenched in LA life. She has everything there: a boyfriend, best friends and a private practice. She's cut all ties to Seattle, until Meredith, terrified at her engagement to Derek, his flirtation with her sister and her attraction to a certain steamy surgeon, joins her practice. Can Addison help Meredith figure out what she really wants before it's too late?

Author's Note: We know how long it's been. But we're back. Other things are being updated. Consider this our comeback.

REVIEW.

Say your goodbyes if you've got someone you can say goodbye to....

"Do you think this is stupid?" Derek asked Cristina. She fixed him with a poignant look that served to answer his question. "Okay." he ventured slowly. "You think I'm an ass." Another look. "Fine. You think I'm a stupid ass. But I love her."

"Actually, I don't think." Cristina snapped. "I know you're a stupid ass prone to making absurdly obvious comments." She sighed and looked at him. "And I know you love her. But you suck at showing it."

"I-" Derek began to protest, but the murderous look from Cristina cut him off.

"No excuses." she snapped. "Flirting with Little Grey and being a jackass one day and then McDreamy the next is unacceptable. Either love all of Mer, the good and the bad, or end it now."

"I do love all of her!"

"Then enough with Lexie. Enough with the mood swings. Get over yourself."

"Get over myself?" Derek shot back. "She kissed Mark! Not to mention the surprise child we're having!"

"So she got drunk and kissed Mark once. Forgive and forget. And if you can't connect the mommy and daddy issues with abandonment and figure that out, I will embark on a mission to get your medical license revoked!" she all but shouted at him. Derek stared at her, blinking in disbelief.

"How does Burke put up with you?" he asked. Cristina shot him another look and he held his hands up in a surrender position, then crossed them across his chest, sitting in silence.

"I'm sorry." Meredith said to Addison as they left the hospital.

"What could you possibly be sorry for?" Addison asked, as she pulled out of the parking lot. Meredith sighed, and looked at her for a long time.

"I ruined your marriage. Your perfect marriage. For what? Something so… messy. So… imperfect." She said. She looked up at Addison again, and then averted her gaze to her hands. "And now I'm here, interfering in your life again, and I'm sorry."

Addison sighed. "Our marriage was so far from perfect." She said. "I cheated on him. With Mark, of all people, if that's an indication of how imperfect it was." Meredith just looked at her. "Oh, Meredith, it was a drunken kiss. Not the same thing."

"Tell Derek that." Meredith muttered.

"All I would have to tell Derek is that it's Meredith, and it will be forgiven. He loves you. And you being here is turning out not to be so bad." She said, smiling.

Meredith smiled back. "I always thought that under different circumstances, we would have been friends."

Addison reached over and squeezed Meredith's hand. She knew it was stupid, and would probably get her in over her head, but she couldn't help herself. Meredith looked so lost. "And the circumstances have changed." Addison said.

They drove in silence for a few minutes until Meredith spoke again. "Did Derek sound…?" she trailed off. "How did Derek sound?" she asked, rephrasing her question.

"Worried. Concerned. Horrified. Ridden with terror." Addison said, braking as the traffic slowed. She flicked on her turn signal and pulled into the parking lot. "Speaking of concern. Light work load today, okay?"

"Whatever you say doc." Meredith replied dryly.

"Oh my God." Violet said, as the elevator doors opened and they entered the practice. "You're pregnant."

"Which we knew…" Addison said, looking at Violet strangely.

"But you look pregnant." Violet said. Meredith and Addison both began inspecting her stomach. Addison smiled at Meredith.

"You popped." She said. The elevator doors opened again, but the three women were too busy inspecting Meredith's stomach to pay attention to Pete or Sam.

"Meredith?" Her head snapped to the elevator, and there, standing in the practice, as the doors slid shut behind him, was Derek Shepherd.

I believe the world is burning to the ground,
I guess we're gonna find out.