This Vicious Cycle Chapter 14
My ff.net woes - can't freakin' access the site on my laptop, which makes updating a pain in the butt. And if I can't update there, I can't update here... coz I'm all for equality and all that jazz. I have to go to my dad's home office and use his old PC just to update. Jeez.
Anyway, thanks to Suz for the beta and for my super cute new icon. You are the best, my friend, but don't forget to write an Addek fic soon. ;)
You guys were wondering about something right? Here's the answer:
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“Addison!” Derek exclaimed before collapsing on top of his wife. He was careful not to put too much weight on her. “You okay” he asked softly while placing kisses all over her face. Addison nodded and carefully extracted herself out underneath Derek. He moved and she turned her back to him. Derek then pulled her towards him and snuggled. Addison lay still for a while and waited for his breathing to steady, indicating he had fallen asleep. When she was assured the man beside her was deep in sleep, Addison gently took Derek’s arm away from her and scooted forward, creating a considerable gap between their bodies. She couldn’t believe she’d slept with him. Addison blamed it on the emotional week and the booze.
~ x ~ x ~ x ~
Derek woke up alone in bed but found his wife in front of her dresser getting ready for work. “Hey” he greeted and continued watching her from the bed. “I thought you got the day off?”
“I have the day off tomorrow.” She replied.
“Oh. I actually don’t have to work today and tomorrow. I’m planning to do something with Preston, catch a game maybe. To make up for cutting our trip short. But we could do dinner later.” He said then rose up to be nearer to Addison. When he reached her, Derek wrapped his arms around Addison’s waist. “How does that sound?”
Addison stiffened slightly and discreetly shrugged out of the embrace. “I’m on call tonight” she said. But in actuality, she really wasn’t.
“Oh, ok. I’ll stay at my place tonight. How about tomorrow? We could do something then.”
“Can’t. Already made plans with Miranda and Callie. Girls day out.” Another lie but one she could easily set up. Addison made a mental note to talk to Callie and Miranda later.
“That’s fine. We can do dinner.” Derek wouldn’t give up. Addison sighed and just nodded her head.
“Sure.”
~ x ~ x ~ x ~
“You guys are off tomorrow, right?” Addison asked her two lunch companions.
Both residents nodded their confirmation.
“Good. How about we do brunch and go shopping or whatever?”
“I can’t. Tucker’s out of town so I’ve got mommy duties.” Bailey said.
“That’s alright. We’ll baby-sit with you.” Addison replied.
Callie looked up from her lunch and said, “We will?” Even Bailey looked at Addison funnily.
“I’m gonna shamelessly invite Callie and myself over, Miranda. We’ll do brunch at your place and let Tuck decide what to do the rest of the day.”
The two residents exchanged glances and then Bailey turned to Addison. “Is everything alright, Addison?”
Addison turned to her. “What? Yeah, everything is fine.”
Callie didn’t believe her. “What’s up? Why are you suddenly eager to make plans?”
“I like your company and I think we need a Girls Day Out.”
“Right” Bailey said, not for a second believing the redhead. She gave the other surgeon a Nazi glare. “Now, spill” she ordered.
Afraid of a Bailey stare down, Addison finally confessed. “Fine. I just don’t want to spend the whole day with Derek.”
“What did the fool do now?”
Addison thought of sharing what had happened last night but thought better of it. “Nothing. He’s just hovering and I just wanted to take a breather.”
The other women bought it and left the matter alone.
~ x ~ x ~ x ~
The three women did spend Sunday together. Addison and Callie came over to Bailey’s house armed with the makings of brunch. The women cooked, gossiped and played with Tuck through most of the afternoon. Addison felt better, the incident with her husband temporarily forgotten. But when their Sunday get together neared its end, Addison dreaded something else. The dinner date Derek had planned.
She had purposely diverted all her calls to her voicemail because she didn’t want to talk to Derek about the dinner date. Addison had run out of excuses and now she wanted to delay the inevitable.
When she got home later that afternoon, she found her answering machine blinking with a message. She pressed play and Derek’s voice came out.
“Addison, it’s me. I hope you got my voicemail. In any case, I’m also calling here. I’m so sorry but I can’t make it to dinner tonight. I had an emergency surgery and couldn’t pass off. I’ll make it up to you. I’ll see you tomorrow at work. Let’s have breakfast together. I lo…”
Addison stopped the machine before the message could finish.
~ x ~ x ~ x ~
Derek felt good. Why wouldn’t he? He just had breakfast with Addison and during that time had stolen a kiss or four, by his count, from his beautiful wife. Even though he had spent the night on call, the morning with his wife promised a good day ahead.
He had spent the wee hours of the morning sleeping in the on call room and emerged starving at around 8am. Derek spotted his wife leaving Richard’s office and quickly whisked her off to breakfast. They ended up in a small café near the hospital and the meal was comfortable to say the least. Derek coaxed Addison in telling him about her brunch with Miranda and Callie. She seemed to be in a good mood and told Derek about the girls’ day out. During the meal, Derek couldn’t help himself and touched his wife at every opportunity he got.
The first kiss happened when they first saw each other that day. Addison was taken aback by Derek’s presence after she left Richard’s office. The kiss was a simple quick peck on the lips. Addison didn’t expect it so she didn’t have time to react. The two succeeding kisses were during breakfast. One on Addison’s jaw line after Derek helped her in her seat and the other, another peck on the lips, when they left the café. The fourth kiss was just before Derek left his wife on the maternity floor. This one was a sweet short kiss of ‘see you later’.
Derek was smiling and whistling when he entered the doctors’ lounge. Burke and Bailey looked up at him with quizzical expressions on their face at his apparent good mood.
“Dr. Shepherd. You’re in a good mood this fine morning.” Burke remarked with a smile.
“It is a fine morning, Dr. Burke. And I am in a good mood. Terrific, in fact.” Derek smilingly said. “And why wouldn’t I be? I just had breakfast with my gorgeous wife and spent the weekend making to love to her so I’m a happy man. It’s all good.”
Burke made a face at Derek’s last statement. “Shepherd, I know we’ve been spending a fair amount of time together, I’d even dare say, we’ve become friends. But please, I don’t think I want to hear what you do with the other Dr. Shepherd in your private time.”
Derek just sent Burke a smug smile. Bailey sat there and took in everything the neurosurgeon said.
~ x ~ x ~ x ~
Bailey found Addison and Callie laughing over something at the cafeteria. She joined them a moment later after getting her own lunch.
“Good to see that you’re husband’s good mood seems to be rubbing off on you.” Bailey remarked to the still laughing Addison as she settled herself on the empty chair.
“I’m sorry. Callie and I were just laughing over a patient. What do you mean, Miranda?”
“You’re other half is stalking the halls with a big grin on his face and an extra bounce in his step. He’s been spewing about spending time with his gorgeous wife, making love during the weekend and stuff. I don’t really want to know what you guys do in your bedroom but it would have been nice to share with your friends that things between you and McJerk are doing well.”
“I didn’t know things are doing that well between you two.” Callie teasingly said to Addison.
Addison, on the other hand, had an incredulous look on her face. “Making love?” she muttered silently to herself. She was glad the other two women forgot about her and had their own conversation. Addison sat there thinking.
Making love? As far as she was concerned, that night was not about love. It was merely comfort and about feeling something other than sadness over dead babies. Derek seemed to be in the impression that Addison had forgiven him and things between them were okay. Granted she had been warmer towards her husband, allowing him to be near and even be kissed occasionally, it didn’t mean she forgot about the past months and the slutty sex. Addison hadn’t forgiven him one bit.
Derek’s been feeling too comfortable right now and it was time to remind him where he stood.
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The Queen of Passive-Aggressiva is back. :)