Back To Seattle

Chapter 16

Her behaviour had really thrown him. She had seemed relatively okay that morning when they'd arrived at work, something seemed to have been on her mind, but he hadn't wanted to push it, so he didn't. She'd welcomed his kiss goodbye and told him she'd see him later.

He'd seen her sat with Mark at lunch, the two seeming to be having some sort of hushed conversation, but she had food in front of her, so he hadn't felt it was right to interrupt them and he went to eat in his office alone.

But then he'd been paged because she hadn't turned up to her scheduled surgery after lunch was over, and he'd become concerned and headed to her office. Which is where he found her sat on the floor in the middle of the room. She'd obviously been crying. Something had clearly upset her, but he didn't know what.

And then she'd brushed him off as if nothing had happened. As if he hadn't found her like that. She didn't even look at him. He had no idea what was going on.

A frustrated groan escaped him as he left her office after her, and she was already gone from the hallway. He turned as he felt as though someone's eyes were on him at the end of the hallway, only to find the space empty. He shook it off. He was probably just on edge already and it was nothing.

He made the short trip back to his own office, taking his seat behind the desk as he tried to distract himself. She was off to the OR, she was doing her job, and now wasn't the time to start confronting her about her behaviour. Really, he should check on her. He was her boss at the end of the day, and maybe he was her boyfriend? He didn't want to seem overbearing in either context, so he would wait before he went to go and check on her. Give her a little space and see if that helped any.

He went over his own behaviour that morning, her responses to him. He couldn't think of anything he'd done wrong. Even going over his own routine in work, he hadn't seen her since that morning until he found her in her office. His fingers pulled at his hair as he released another frustrated groan.

He couldn't even focus on the work on the computer in front of him. Reports needed to be written, and he had charts that needed checking over, but he couldn't seem to focus on any of it. He was just worried about Meredith.

God, when he'd seen her that morning, the small outline of a bump on her abdomen, he couldn't remember a time he'd been happier. He was pretty sure he was already falling hard for Meredith, but he was completely in love with the small life they'd made already. He made a mental note to find her an appointment, somewhere that wasn't Seattle Grace. The last thing they needed was rumours. He was sure he might've been the only person to not know she had been married – or rather still was married. The last thing she'd need was rumours.

They hadn't really spoken much about her marriage, apart from their discussion last night. He was sure there was more there, something she wasn't telling him. He was familiar with the stage she was at with the divorce. Waiting for the divorce papers to be signed. She'd done her part, and now it was just waiting for him to make the next move. Whether he'd sign them or fight her on them, prolong the process.

Addison had dragged this part out, until he eventually had had enough and gave her what she wanted. The townhouse in New York, the holiday home in the Hamptons. Even a partial salary sacrifice, not that she needed it at all. She was just as successful in her own specialty. But he needed his marriage done with and it was the only thing that seemed to work. He was finally out of it, and six months later, he was finally starting to feel like himself again.

A selfish part of him just wanted Meredith's husband to sign the papers and for the divorce to go through as quick as possible, so he could have her, all of her. He wanted them to properly start their lives together. Sure, it was quick, but it just felt right. At the same time, he wanted it to be easy for Meredith. The less stress on her the better.