𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄 ━ derek shepherd

014. ━ ten-year plan

season three, episode nineteen
[ ten-year plan ]

𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐊 𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐏𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐃 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐁𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 first to admit that his first year in Seattle has been an eventful one. It started the day before his first day of work at Seattle Grace Hospital. He slept with Meredith Grey after an evening of too many drinks and their relationship continued until his wife unexpectedly appeared.

Then he attempted to fix his relationship with Addison, though the reappearance of Mark Sloan did not help matters in the slightest. And though the former husband and wife had divorced, the friendship between Mark and Derek was still fractured.

As for Derek himself... well, he was still living alone in his trailer, often found with a beer in his hand. He had his new friend and colleague in Abigail Thompson and spent much of his time trying to find ways to help her younger sister, though hope was slowly slipping away...

"Is there a reason that your chart is open but you're not writing anything?"

Derek looked up. "Huh?"

Burke shrugged, handing his chart to the nurse. "Well, Abby is over there talking with the chief — animatedly, too — and you're over here watching her with a dazed look on your face," he said and Derek furrowed his brows. "If I didn't know any better, I would say you have a crush on her. Either that or you have a staring problem."

"I don't have a crush on Abby," the neurosurgeon replied and Burke nodded.

"Sure. You keep telling yourself that, Shep."

"What does Derek have to tell himself?" Addison asked, walking up to the two men and clipping her pen to her jacket.

"That he isn't in some way attracted to Abby," Burke told her before Derek could say anything and he frowned. "Hey, you're really blunt. You tell him."

Derek quirked an eyebrow upward. "'Cause that's not a weird thing for my ex-wife to say..."

Addison shrugged. "Well, I mean... it's kinda obvious that you like her."

"How could you possibly know that?" he asked her, tilting his head. "Shouldn't I be the one to know?"

"It's the way you look at her," she said and he crossed his arms. "It's obvious, Derek. You look at her the way you used to look at me."

Derek shook his head. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"And you are delusional," she replied with a smile. "Just tell her. It's not that complicated."

"Well, actually, it is," he said with an identical, mocking smile. "In case you forgot, you set her up on a date and, as far as I'm aware, they're still together."

She shrugged. "You should've said something before."

"Ah." Colin Marlowe's voice interrupted their conversation and they all collectively let out a breath of annoyance. "Good morning, doctors."