One month later
"Good Morning." He sighs as he sits up in the bed.
"Morning." She responds softly as he stands and makes his side of the bed, trying to be truthful.
"Addison... I need to- I need to tell you something." He says hesitantly, his palms sweating and a stinging sensation in his eyes.
"Is this the same thing you ever talking about last month honey?" She yawns, stretching out on the bed.
"Yeah." He scoffs, chuckling as he sits in the curve of her body.
"What is it?" She asks.
He takes her hands as she sits up and rubs them with his thumbs. Sighing, he leans in and places kisses on the backs of them. She smiles and he looks up with tears.
"I can't do it. Addie. I cant." He says just above a whisper, looking into her eyes and letting go of her hands.
"Do what?" She asks.
"This." He shakes his head, sniffling as he carefully takes off the golden wedding band in his ring finger.
"What?!" She yells, shaking him.
"Our marriage was the best time of my life for five years. After that, I felt withdrawn... and then Mark. And Meredith. Ever since I left her for you, I've been going back to her." He says truthfully.
His cheek burns as her hand meets it. Sucking in the air, he nods knowing he deserved it.
"How many times?!" She screams, tears flowing down her face.
"I kissed her last month. A year before that and a lot before Iris was born." He breathes shakily and feels another sting on his cheek as his head snaps to the sheets.
"Did you ever regret it? Did you think about what you were doing to Iris?! To me?! To our marriage?!" She yells.
"I'm sorry. I didn't regret it. And I couldn't breathe without her. I still can't." He says, staring at her eyes and reaching his hands to gently wipe the tears out of them.
"What does she have?!" Addison screams.
"I don't- I don't know... but she feels like home." He whispers.
"And I don't?" She snaps.
"I'm sorry." He whispers.
"I never understood what she felt like when I showed up but now I do. You trailed me around for years while you were in love with some skank." She spits out in disgust.
"She is not a skank!" He shouts, blood boiling inside his body.
"She told me to leave her alone! Time and time again! She pushed me away because she didn't want us to get hurt. She didn't want to break up Iris's parents like hers! She cared so much that she waited for a year and a half for me! Now I can't give her anything! I can't even apologize for lying about you!" He exclaims furiously, placing the ring on her nightstand.
"Look at you defending her like she deserves everything."
"She does! She deserves everything I can give her which will still never make up for the ways I hurt her! I kept telling her that I would end our marriage. I strung her around for a year and a half with that lie knowing I wouldn't." He sighs and grabs his briefcase and pulling out divorce papers.
"You want to get divorced?!" She shouts.
"Yeah. Addison. I do. I cannot pretend anymore." He says softly, handing her his favorite pen.
"What about Iris?!" She asks.
"I love Iris just as much as you do. She is the reason I've put this off for so long. Joint custody. You get Spring and Summer, I get Fall and Winter and we keep switching. On holidays, she can choose when she's old enough. Till then, we celebrate them together. Is that fair?" He asks.
Addison looks over the papers and stares at the line and he takes a deep breath before wiping his eyes.
"You take the Hamptons and I'll take the house and land in Seattle. We even split the rent on the apartment overlooking Central Park. My lawyer said the papers are good. I'm going to take a long drive." He sighs.
Mark's Apartment
"Hey, sleepyhead." She smiles gently, rubbing his chest.
"Morning." He yawns before kissing her forehead.
Before he can continue speaking, his phone rings and he groans before grabbing it and picking it up. Holding it to his ear, he listens.
"Is this a joke?" He asks, looking at the number.
"I don't have one!" He snaps, sitting up.
She leans her head against his shoulder, interlocking their fingers as he stares.
"I'll be there." He nods.
"Who was it? You look, pale honey." Meredith says, handing him a bottle of water from her nightstand.
"It's the hospital. It's ridiculous. Probably a joke." He says.
"What joke?" She asks, taking the bottle back and letting go of his arm as he stands up and pulls up his jeans.
"That I have a daughter in labor." He says confused.
She stands up and walks to him before holding his hands.
"Take a breath. Calm down. Your hyperventilating." She says.
She pulls on a white tank top and one of Mark's flannel shirts before pulling up jeans and Ugg's. He throws on a shirt and she tosses him his keys before grabbing two bananas and following him out.
Hospital
"It has to be a joke right?" He asks as they drive.
"Technically, it's possible if she's young." She replies as they pull into the hospital. They walk in fast and she asks for Sloan before heading into the maternity wing. He grasps her hand tightly as they stand outside of the room.
"Meredith... I don't know if it's a joke." He whispers nervously.
She grips his fingers and kisses his shoulder reassuringly before he looks at her with tears in his eyes.
"Do you think maybe... maybe you would stay even if it was true?" He asks softly.
"We'll figure it out okay?" She asks as her hands hold his head and his arms wrap around her waist.
"Mmhm." He nods in her neck as she runs her fingers through his amber blonde hair gently, kissing his temple as they hear screaming from the other side of the room. She feels his hands tighten around her waist.
The doctor walks out of the room and she nods as Meredith pulls away and calmly brings Mark inside the room. He stares at the woman on the bed, holding a crying baby. His eyes move to Meredith's and she nods before leaving his fingers.
"Hey, I'm Meredith. You're father's girlfriend. We were kind of shocked-" She starts.
"Please leave. I didn't want them to page you but they needed to call you. I want nothing to do with my dad and my son isn't going to see his grandfather." She snaps.
"Do you need anything?" He asks softly.
"Not from you. No. I don't need anything." She says.
Meredith walks around the bed and grabs Mark's hand, pulling him back gently. He looks at the baby and steps closer.
"Go away! Leave us alone." The woman says.
"Are you going to be taking care of him?" Mark asks.
"Mark. Come on." Meredith says softly pulling him.
He squeezes her fingers and lets her take him out of the room before he walks to the nurse's station.
"Is that baby going to with the woman?" He asks, never letting his grip on Meredith's fingers loosen.
"It says here the baby will be adopted by a family from Maine." The nurse replies.
"Can I pay the hospital bill?" He asks.
"Yes, I'll take it from your card." The nurse nods.
He walks away from her and she runs behind him.
"Mark wait." She yells as he walks outside.
"I don't know what to do Meredith." He sighs heavily.
"She doesn't want you to do anything." She replies gently outside as it snows. It's cold and she reaches out for him.
"How can I simply not do anything?" He asks, pulling at the ends of his hair.
"Mark. It's okay. We can forget about it if you want." She sighs.
"I don't know what to do." He repeats as she stops him and gently leans up before locking their lips. He pulls away and lets her hold him tightly.
Derek pulls in and gets out of the car, running into the hospital to find her. Maybe after he had proven himself, she would take him back. He stops himself at the entrance of ER where he sees them hugging. He had forgotten all about Mark and now, there was barely a cache to get her alone. Sighing, he walks back into the car and sits down before watching them through his window.
It starts raining and they stay in the same spot. Derek's fingers tap against his driving wheel waiting for them to move. Instead, it seems as though he only grips her tighter. Leaning back against his warm, black leather seat, he sighs and picks up his phone. Going through all the photos of Iris he feels remorseful for getting a divorce from Addison.
What if Meredith was right and Iris grew up to hate him for leaving Addison? What if when Iris chose who she wanted to be with- she would pick her mother over him? There was still time to explain but it would be difficult if not impossible.
She pulls away from the hug as her phone rings in her pocket. He grips her hands tightly and she stands on the tips of her toes, meeting their foreheads.
"Are you going to be okay to drive home alone?" She asks.
"I have to drive home alone?" He questions as he pulls away and wipes the rain and tears off his face.
"My shift starts in 25 minutes." She says as she glances at her phone to see the missed call from Derek.
"Fine." He sighs grudgingly.
"Okay. If you want, we could go for a drive when I get off."
"Yes. Text me when and I'll pick you up." He nods.
"Please... don't worry. I'm sure that she'll do something smart with the baby." Meredith reassures.
"I love you." He shakes his head and leans into her lips.
"I love you more." She mumbles, kissing his lips and then cheeks.
He walks away and gets into the car before blowing her a kiss and driving away.
She sighs and steps underneath the overhang of the hospital before calling Derek. The sound of a phone ringing close to her makes her look up to see him, standing in the pouring rain. He is wearing the same things that he was when they first met. His red shirt is neatly tucked into his black jeans, held up by his black belt. His hair is shaggy from the rain and he pushes it back before smiling.
"I did it!" He yells over the rain, laughing to himself as the water soaks his clothes and outlines his body.
"What?" She asks.
"I told Addison!" He chuckles.
"You what?!" She gasps, shocked.
He smiles wide and nods while she runs across the parking lot and grabs his arm, pulling him away from the entrance of the hospital. Wrapping his arms around her, he spins her around and she holds him as she gets dizzy. Putting her down, he steps back and smiles.
"I'm free, Meredith." He breathes shakily and laughs.
She stands still with his hands in hers while he waits for a response. Her hands leave his and he raises an eyebrow before stepping closer.
"Derek, the answer is still no." She sighs.
"What?" He asks confused as he chuckles.
"I'm in love with him." She says, looking into his deep blue eyes.
"But I... I told Addison. We're getting divorced." He explains.
"Derek, you're not the one I want." She shakes her head.
"I'm single... available, we've wanted this for so long."
"I'm not single. You've wanted this for a long time."
"So you're staying with him?" He asks moving backward.
"Derek, don't you realize... that you hurt me so much? Addison then all the other things." She says gripping his forearms, rubbing her fingers on the wet shirt.
"So... what you're going to marry him?" He scoffs.
"We've been dating for over a year, Derek." She sighs.
"This is his longest relationship!" He chuckles.
"And he seems to be doing great." She nods.
"I left my wife! For you." He says, stepping away.
"No! You left your wife, for you. So that you could be happy. And you didn't even think about your daughter. You don't understand what you've done." She protests.
"So what? That's it? Just no?" He looks at her and sighs.
"You're too late Derek. I think it's best you move to New York." She sighs, stepping away and wiping his eyes.
"New York- that's across the country."
"I know." She nods, moving backward.
"You want me to leave?" He asks hesitantly.
"Can you look me in the eye and tell me that you're a better man than him?" She shrugs honestly.
He thinks hard as she stands with her arms crossed, waiting for an answer. He was better than Mark... wasn't he? Tears begin to swell in his eyes as her stare burns through him. Mark hadn't lied to her though. Mark hadn't made her upset, hadn't broken her heart as he had.
"I... can't." He says gently.
"Then, I think you have your answer." She sighs.
His mouth opens to speak but no words leave. She leans up and leaves a soft kiss on his cheek before turning away and walking to the hospital.
He watches her go away and clenches his jaw to stop the tears threatening to leave his eyes. Looking up into the rain, he opens his eyes and lets the droplet of water burn his eyes. Hearing an ambulance, he glances at his watch and walks into the hospital in defeat.
He knew for sure now that Meredith and Mark were meant to be together. He knew that she could love them both. It's just that Derek was her past and Mark, as much as it pained for him to think it. Mark was Meredith's future. He would forever remember her as the one who found true love twice.
THE END