what i'm here for

Chapter 12: Hitching a ride

By the time Derek stepped back into the would-have-been wedding hall, it was all but deserted. He scowled as he hurried down the aisle, hoping there were people he recognized still in the reception hall between the doors and the parking lot. There were not. How could all of the doctors have already left? Passing quickly through the reception hall earned him curious glances from some of the guests who had hung around to talk quietly with each other. Derek shook his head. He had no idea who they were, or even whom they were related to, but some things never change, no matter the situation. People loved to gossip. People loved a scandal. It was pathetic, really.

He was still shaking his head when he pushed through the double set of doors, and out into the sunlit parking lot. Amazing how such horrible personal circumstances were juxtaposed so severely with such bright and shiny weather. Especially in Seattle.

Glancing left and right quickly, Derek failed to recognize any of the intern's cars. Having spent so much time living with them, he would recognize their vehicles. They weren't here. And come to think of it, Bailey hadn't attended the wedding, that he'd noticed at least. So she was out. And the Chief was out. He had opted to stay the hospital with his wife. Derek was running out of possibilities. He hurried through a row of cars to evaluate the second row. Still out of luck.

Derek was just stepping out of the third row of cars when he noticed a familiar, overly expensive and pampering red convertible heading down the row towards him, an equally familiar red-head behind the wheel. He sighed in relief, and waved a hand. But the car didn't slow, so he stepped out, into the path of the vehicle, trying to get Addison's attention. He was eventually successful, when she slammed on her brakes, causing him to jump out of the way, even though the car stopped before the space he had been standing. Just.

She stared at him in shock.

"You trying to kill me?" Derek asked jokingly, earning a glare from his ex-wife.

"Excuse me?" She said. "I'm pretty sure it was you stepping out in front of my car."

Derek shrugged. "I had to go to extreme measures. You weren't stopping."

She stared at him, hard, for a moment, before softening her expression. "Sorry, I just didn't see you till the last moment."

It was then that Derek noticed the redness in her eyes, and the slightly dark streaks running down her cheeks. "You okay?" He asked softly.

She nodded, a determined look appearing on her face.

He almost laughed at her, at her expression. Even if they hadn't been married for eleven years and he could still read her pretty well, he could have told she had been crying by the mascara lines alone. "Really? Just crying for the hell of it?"

She shook her head. "I wasn't crying, Derek."

He raised an eyebrow, and smiled before shaking his head. "You know you can't lie, right?" And he sighed and chose to take pity on her by motioning for her to look in the mirror.

There was a pause as she leaned into the middle of her car, stretching up to look into her rear-view mirror. "Damn it," he heard her mutter. He waited patiently as she pulled a Kleenex out of her purse and dabbed it across her face. When she looked back out at him she was appeared more put together, a stranger wouldn't be able to tell she had been crying. "Okay," she admitted. "You caught me." She gave him a curious stare, as if suddenly wondering why he had tracked her down in the parking lot. "Do you need something?"

Derek nodded. "I need a ride back to the hospital."

She rolled her eyes and titled her head, motioning for him to hop in.

"Thanks," Derek said as he collapsed into the passenger seat, pulling on his seat belt.

"Where's your car?"