Season 1 Episode 9

"Do you know what this is about?" Margo questions the neurosurgeon next to her as all of the doctors and interns gather together for a meeting the chief had called.

"No clue." He shakes his head.

Webber clears his throat and waits for everyone to quiet down before speaking, looking albeit a little uncomfortable. "Three interns, four residents and six nurses on this surgical floor have been diagnosed with...syphilis."

Everyone breaks out in gasps and giggles but Margo looks toward her dearest friend worriedly. "Derek, have you been tested?"

Derek has to do a double take before harshly whispering to the woman. "I do not have syphilis!"

"But you're sleeping with an intern." She points out. "It's better to be safe then sorry."

He subtly glances over to said intern looking a bit more pale. "You don't think..."

Margo shrugs. "She seems like a very nice girl but I would prefer for you to be safe."

"There are over 70,000 new cases every year." They over hear the chiefs assistant say to the crowd.

Margo leans toward Derek's ear again. "Seventy thousand." She whispers. He shakes his head at her. "You're evil."

"Undiagnosed, syphilis can lead to blindness, insanity and death. If you are having unprotected sex with another member of the staff, get tested. This is not a request." Richard sternly tells the group, rolling his eyes as a majority laughs. Patricia will now give you a safe-sex demonstration."

"Watch." Margo mouths to the neuro man. He chuckles under his breath and lightly shoves her shoulder. "I gotta go."

Margo looks to him in disapproval. "Get tested. Also, are you still bringing Meredith over for dinner tonight? Aurora is very excited to meet uncle Derek's new girlfriend."

"Yes and yes ma'am."

•

Meredith enters the lobby where Margo and Derek are waiting. "Are you sure you want me to come to dinner? Seems like a family thing." Meredith sheepishly questions. A family thing, something she knew nothing about. She was incredibly nervous about officially meeting Margo and Aurora outside of work, she knew how much they meant to Derek.

"If you're with Derek then you are family." Margo assures with a sweet smile. "Plus, if I don't come home with you and uncle Derek over here I will never hear the end of it."

The couple laughs at her comment as Derek helps Meredith put her jacket on. "It'll be fun and relaxing. Some nice steak, some wine."

"This is why I keep you around." Meredith jokes making Margo laugh at the look on her brothers face, however her face falls as she glances behind him. "Derek!" She doesn't take her eyes off of the red headed woman strutting their way.

Derek quickly turns to see what had made her so shocked. "Meredith, I am so sorry."

Addison stops in-front of the three.

"What are you doing here?" Derek all but hisses.

"Well, you'd know if you'd bothered to return any one of my phone calls." She sassily replies, her face slightly falls as she looks to Margo. "Either one of you."

"Hi. I'm Addison Shepherd." She introduces herself to the confused woman.

"Another Shepherd?" Meredith looks to Derek for confirmation. Addison points to her instead.
"And you must be the woman who's been screwing my husband."

"Addison!" Margo harshly whispers in anger as she watches Merediths eyes widen in horror. Derek looks absolutely stunned and not ready to confront the situation and rightfully so Meredith doesn't look like she'd be willing to accept any explanation at this point anyway.

Meredith walks off and Margo sighs shaking her head. Now she has to go back and have a very unhappy child when she realizes Uncle Derek and his now Ex girlfriend are not coming. She starts walking off to leave the two to their business.

"You have nothing to say to me either?" Addison calls out to the woman with a hand on her hip.

"Leave her out of this, Addison." Derek scowls but she ignores him as Margo pauses but doesn't turn around.

"He's been trying to call you. Non stop for months." Addison argues. "Please talk to him Margo."

"Why does she need to talk to him?" Derek questions suspiciously.

"They were friends as long as you two were Derek." Addison scoffs.

"Until you slept with him."

"You don't understand Derek!" Addison shouts, as she notices Margo walking again she calls her name. "Margo, he is miserable. He misses you and he misses Aurora. Please talk to him."

"People choose sides in divorce Addison. She's my brothers wife and the mother of my niece, she doesn't need to talk to Mark!" Derek shouts back at her, a vein beginning to pop out of his forehead.

"You and I need to talk about our marriage, because we are not divorced and you and I have no right to get in between their relationship!" She fiercely argues.

"There is no relationship, Addison you're delusional." Derek scoffs.

Addison sighs when she realizes Margo had already left. "No Derek. You're the delusional one. For years you've brushed it off so you can't see what's really happening."

Margo walks into the living room and leans against the door frame with a fond smile growing on her face at the sight in front of her.

Mark is holding the three year old up in the air with one hand on her belly making air plane noises as she squeals.

Upon noticing her the three year old yells. "Markie! Momma! Look! Look!"

Mark gently sets the little girl down so that she can frantically explain to her mom what she's doing. "I'm airplane!"

Margo giggles and bends to the girls height. "No darling, it's "I'm an airplane."

The little girl scrunches her nose together in concentration. "I'm a airplane."

Mark ruffles her hair with a chuckle. "Close enough."

The little girl quickly loses interest in the conversation and runs away to find another toy. Margo stands to her feet but didn't realize how close she was to Mark.

Chest to chest she looks up and their eyes meet. Margo's breath hitches. "Hi."

"Hello." He smiles down at her. Her cheeks redden. "T-thank you for watching her."

"Always."

Realizing they were still very close and had been just staring at each other Margo takes a step back but didn't see Auroras toy airplane and starts to fall backwards. She closes her eyes and squeals as she waits for her impending doom.

When it never comes she opens her eyes, out of breath from the scare and there was Mark. He had caught her, her head less than a foot from the ground and his lips now less than two inches away from her own. "Mark." She whispers, watching his eyes move from her lips to her eyes repeatedly.

He slowly leans in, hesitating for just a moment. Giving her a chance to pull away. They had never been this close before, no matter how much he had wanted to be for years prior. He had accepted years and years ago that he couldn't have her, she was married with a kid to one of his best friends. And when that was over, his best friend was dead. So he promised he'd be the best friend he could possibly be for her. No matter how much it hurt him.

Margo's mind is blank, nothing but marks lips flashing in her mind. And with that she leans forward another inch, connecting their lips. His hands tighten on her hips pulling her impossibly closer. It was like fireworks. Never in the dozens and dozens of women he had been with to try and forget her had he ever felt like this.

He deepens the kiss and slips his tongue into her mouth making a low sigh slip from her.

"Momma!" Aurora shouts from her room. "I'm a airplane!"

Reality hits Margo like a train. She roughly pushes Mark away and gasps holding her lips in horror.

"Margo..." Mark whispers her name helplessly as he watches tears well in her eyes.

"T-this can't happen. I can't." She rapidly shakes her head. "I can't believe I-"

"Don't cry." Mark begs. "Please don't cry."

She backs away from him, this time not slipping on a toy. "You should go."

"Margo I know you feel this too. Please." He begs her.

"He's dead." She quietly sobs. "How could I do this to him?"

"You didn't do anything wrong, Margo." He pleads with tears welling in his own eyes for her to believe him. "He is gone. And it breaks my heart too okay? There is nothing I wouldn't do to bring him back but he's gone. You're allowed to move on Margo. He wouldn't be mad at you for moving on with your life."

Margo grasps onto her stomach as if she were in physical pain as she cries out. "Leave, Mark, please just go."

Mark shakily sighs as Aurora comes running back into the room. He picks her up in a hug knowing he wouldn't be seeing her for a little while after tonight. Until Margo could come to terms with what happened. "I love you pumpkin."

The little girl groans, completely oblivious to the tension. "Markie! I'm not pumpin!"

He sets her back down and glances toward the crying woman he was in love with one last time before he leaves the house in tears.

The next night...

"Momma! Someone here!" Aurora yells not looking up from her intense session of coloring.

Margo rushes out of the laundry room and sets a basket down on the couch as another round of hard knocks hit the door. "I'm coming, I'm coming!"

She swings the door open and is surprised when it reveals a red eyed Derek. "What happened?" She ushers him inside.

"They were in my bed, Margo." He chokes out. "They were in my house, in my bed."

"Derek you're going to have to be a little more specific here." Margo demands as a horrible pit forms in her stomach.

"Mark and Addison."

Margo's heart drops. Hurt over taking her whole body. But also guilt. She wasn't ready to admit her feelings for Mark. She couldn't. It felt like the ultimate betrayal to not only her husband but her daughter and Derek. On the other hand she couldn't stop the overwhelming amount of hurt she felt. So when Derek suggested they pack up everything and leave, that he could get them both jobs anywhere she agreed.

Because no matter what he was her family. One of the last pieces of her husband she so desperately needed to cling to.

A/N: Comment your thoughts on this chapter..