You're Like Coming Home

62.

"Derek, you've got to calm down," Addison said from her perch on the couch as she watched Derek pace the living room. They'd been in that position for half an hour, when Derek had realized that Meredith was already a half hour later than she said she would be from getting home from class.

"I can't calm down," Derek snapped, moving towards the phone.

"Derek," Addison rolled her eyes. "Seriously. There are a million things that could to make her an hour late."

"Like what?" Derek demanded. "The sick psycho who's been watching her for a month grabbing her off the street."

"No," Addison said. "Like needing to talk to a professor about a paper. Stopping to look at a cute dress in a window, which, okay, is more me than Mer. But she could have stopped to read a headline in a newspaper or grab a sandwich. And the New York subway is especially crowded at this time of day."

Derek sighed. "You're right," he nodded. "I just...this is freaking me out."

"I know," Addison sighed. "Me too. But you can't always assume the worst case scenario, Derek."

Derek nodded as he collapsed onto the couch beside her. "You're missing school," he stated.

"You and Mer need me," she shrugged. "Besides, I was so ahead in those classes, it would be nice to let some other people catch up."

Derek laughed. "How's Mark?" he asked. "Things have been...crazy and I haven't had time to talk to him."

"He's good," Addison nodded. "I found a Tiffany's catalog in his pajama drawer the other day."

Derek grinned as he looked at her. "I may know something about that you don't," he said.

Addison's eyes widened as she sat up straighter and leaned towards him. "What?" she asked.

"I can't tell you," Derek laughed.

"Just give me a hint," Addison insisted, tugging on his arm. "How many carats? Gold or silver? Or white gold? Derek, you have to give a girl something to go on here."

Before Derek could respond the door burst open and Meredith stumbled in, smiling at them. "Hey," she said as she shrugged out of her coat.

"Meredith, where the hell have you been?" Derek asked as he jumped off the couch.

"What?" she frowned. "I was in class."

"Your class ended two hours ago," Derek replied. "Meredith, I was worried sick."

"I had to stay to talk to Dr....to a professor," Meredith shrugged. "No big deal."

"Mer, there's someone stalking you out there!" Derek exclaimed. "You can't just come home an hour late and tell me it wasn't a big deal!"

"I was at school," Meredith argued. "With a professor. It's not like I was unsafe."

"You were with him, weren't you?" Derek asked. "Dr. Brown?"

"Oh my God," Meredith rolled her eyes. "Are you really going to start this again?"

"Okay, you know what neither of you need right now?" Addison asked. "A huge argument. You're both scared. Mer, you should have called. And Derek...you've got to calm down about this professor."

Derek rolled his eyes as he pushed past Meredith to walk into the kitchen. He knew Addison was right, the last thing they needed was a fight right now, but he still couldn't stand the thought of how that professor acted around Meredith. "I'll make dinner," he said flatly from the kitchen.

Meredith sighed as she turned to Addison, dropping onto the couch beside her. "Addie, you should go back to school," she sighed. "There's no reason for you to be here, especially since there's so much craziness going on here."