urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:lilybeth0529 lilybeth0529 lilybeth0529 2006-06-02T00:07:26Z urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:lilybeth0529:2462 2038-01-19T03:14:07Z 2006-06-02T00:07:26Z Hope everyone has good plans for the holiday weekend. C&F continues here. For those wondering I'm now up to about 25 chapters, so the reposting will continue as I also keep writing. The story does have an ending point, but it always seems farther and farther away as I write each chapter. Is that the Murphy's law of writing? Anyway, I should add that feedback is always welcomed and desired!<br /><br />Cracks and Foundations, a story about Derek and Addison Shepherd, two Grey's Anatomy characters that I still sadly do not own or profit from in any way.<br /><br />Chapter 17<br /><br /><a name="cutid1"></a><br /><br />Then they stopped and stared at each other. <br /><br />Each could see that the last few hours had taken their toll. <br /><br />The telltale signs of tears were present on both their faces, despite the fact that Addison had tried to cover up the evidence of hers with make-up. <br /><br />“Hi.” <br /><br />Derek looked at his wife, standing there so clearly nervous, and was grateful that he had followed his instinct to get back a few minutes early. <br /><br />He didn’t like the thought of Addison waiting there, worrying that he wasn’t going to show. He couldn’t blame her for her fears, as they had spent all afternoon talking about the very thing that sent him fleeing across the country once before. <br /><br />She definitely had good cause, although he wished that she could trust, have faith. They would have to build up that trust once again. <br /><br />Meanwhile, he was sure that Addie had worried from the moment he left her on that bench. <br /><br />Hopefully, the fact that he was there – and there early – was reassuring to her, both for today and for the future when they discussed their issues. <br /><br />He had needed the time to think, to process, to deal with his emotions on his own, rather than letting the negativity overflow and saying things he didn’t mean that would hurt his wife even more. <br /><br />Derek had already said plenty of harsh things in the past weeks and months, many of which he regretted. Nevertheless, the last thing he wanted was for his need for some time alone to think to leave Addison terrified again that he wasn’t committed to her, that he wasn’t coming back to her, that he didn't love her.<br /><br />“Hi.”<br /><br />Addison was unsure what to expect from Derek. <br /><br />She had been so afraid that he wasn’t coming back, that she was going to end up alone again. She was so relieved that he had shown up, grateful that he had been early and put an end to her worrying – at least on that front. <br /><br />But had their conversation made things better or worse? What if he had changed his mind about saving their marriage now that he knew the whole truth? <br /><br />“I know I’m a few minutes early,” she confessed. “But frankly I couldn’t stay away any longer. . . . I’m so glad you’re here.”<br /><br />Derek reached out and pulled his wife into a hug, a tight hug, a barely-can-get-any-breath-in-the-lungs hug. <br /><br />And she was more than OK with that. Breathing was highly overrated. Hugs were much more necessary to her existence. <br /><br />Derek could feel the relief, the love, as Addison hugged him back just as tightly. <br /><br />After a minute Derek pulled back just enough to permit him to use one hand to brush Addie’s hair from her face and to permit him to look her in her gorgeous green eyes.<br /><br />“Thank you.”<br /><br />“For?” Addie raised an eyebrow. <br /><br />“For a lot of things,” Derek stole a quick kiss. “For opening up and telling me the truth about Mark. For letting me go off and think things through on my own. For trusting me to come back to you, even though I know it was against all of your better instincts. For giving me another chance to be your husband, to get it right this time around.”<br /><br />Addie couldn’t believe she still had tears, but she felt her eyes start to water.<br /><br />“I didn’t have a choice, Derek,” Addie blinked back the tears. “I love you.”<br /><br />“I love you, too, Addison. I said it yesterday, and I’m going to say it again today, and I’m going to say it again tomorrow and every day after that. I don’t want us ever to forget again, to take each other for granted again.”<br /><br />“And I know it was hard on you,” he leaned in and kissed her again, softly, for reassurance and for love. “I know it was hard to talk to me and to let me go think, but I believe that we’re going to be better for it, we’re going to be better in the end for having really talked about our issues.”<br /><br />She shook her head.<br /><br />“We’re not done yet.”<br /><br />“I know. Today was just a start," Derek stole another kiss, and wondered that he had been able to go so many days and weeks and months without focusing his attention on his wife and her magical lips. "But I have to believe that if we can talk about Mark and still end up back here kissing and hugging and being with each other a few hours later, that we can talk about anything and survive, even if sometimes it’s hard. . . . "<br /><br />"Because we both want to," Derek continued. "We are both committed to and fighting for us, for our marriage, for our future. Because we love each other and, no matter what, no matter the horrendous mistakes that we both made, that hasn’t changed.”<br /><br />Addison couldn’t help herself. She fused her lips to her husband’s, as if trying to draw strength and energy and love and commitment from his mouth. <br /><br />When she felt restored enough to break away, she led him through the bed and breakfast to their room. She needed to be alone with Derek, to feel close to Derek, and to have him feel close to her. <br /><br />And she had an idea. <br /><br />With a capital I. <br /><br />When they got to the privacy of their room, Addison went in the bathroom while Derek sat on the edge of the bed. When she came out, she left the water running. <br /><br />Addie went to her luggage and pulled out a plastic bag. From that bag, she pulled the vanilla-almond bubble bath that Derek had given her the day before.<br /><br />“Addie?” <br /><br />She smirked.<br /><br />“Yes, Derek?”<br /><br />“What are you doing?”<br /><br />“I’m thinking about taking all of my clothes off.”<br /><br />“For the record, I always like that idea. . . unless we’re in public or an OR or someplace crazy.”<br /><br />“And making use of this wonderful bathtub and this fabulous smelling bubble bath that my amazing husband gave me,” she continued, removing her shoes and socks as she spoke. <br /><br />She went in to the bathroom and poured in the bubblebath, as Derek sat on the bed in contemplation.<br /><br />“I’m also thinking . . . .” Addie’s voice trailed off as she came out of the bathroom and started shedding more of her clothing.<br /><br />“Yes.” Derek’s eyes followed his wife as she began to disrobe more fully. His eyes grew more focused as she progressively removed her sweater, and then her jeans. <br /><br />Just watching her was putting less than fully pure thoughts in his head.<br /><br />Addison would never admit that she was deliberately putting on a show. <br /><br />But, of course, she was.<br /><br />She knew that the matching underwear with the creatively positioned lace was practically designed to make Derek salivate. <br /><br />He never told her which of her lingerie he loved, but it was important for a surgeon to have keen observation skills. Addie brought those skills outside the OR into her marriage whenever possible, and she had picked this particular set out with Derek’s underwear fetishes in mind. <br /><br />A woman had to learn something about her man in almost twelve years of marriage.<br /><br />And she knew how to strike a pose to show off both her lingerie and the rest of her assets to prime effect.<br /><br />Derek knew that his wife was teasing him, tempting him, taunting him, and he smiled mischievously, determined to prolong her enticement.<br /><br />Though there was no real doubt how this scenario was going to end.<br /><br />“About whether I can lure my husband into the bathtub with me.”<br /><br />“Doesn’t that stuff smell girlie?”<br /><br />Addie laughed. “You don’t think vanilla almond is a manly scent?”<br /><br />“Not particularly.”<br /><br />“Perhaps you should have considered that when you gave Savvy the directions about what to purchase.”<br /><br />“You want me to tell Savvy how to shop for bubble bath?” Derek laughed at the thought.<br /><br />“Well, if you object that much to the scent,” Addie smirked as she removed the lacy bra and dropped it quite deliberately on the floor, and then turned to give Derek another show before walking into the bathroom, her voice trailing out behind her. <br /><br />“I guess you’ll have to figure out how to entertain yourself for the next little while.”