Derek shows her a couple of X-rays and smiles, "The tests came back negative. Normally when women have the cancer gene in any of its types it is common for them to develop it in biologically female organs, such as breasts or ovaries. Your lungs are free, there are no masses in the brain either. You can breathe now."

Maddox finally does, releasing a breath she didn't know was stuck in her chest. "Thank God," the girl smiles, but Derek raises an eyebrow and Maddox immediately comes to her senses. "Thank science, I mean. Okay, I don't have it now, but the possibility still exists."

"It does," Shepherd nods, contemplating the X-rays. "But if all goes as planned, you'll still be working here next year, and the hospital offers these kinds of services to its employees. There's an annual exam at all hospitals to keep us informed of our health status, so don't worry because if anything comes up, you'll know right away. Now," Derek clears his throat from his swivel chair. "We have a problem solved. Do you want to address either of your other two issues?"

"Issues?" Maddox sips his coffee. "Now we're calling a dysfunctional family and a dead baby 'issues'?"

"Come on, don't be like that. I was just asking."

"You're afraid I'm going to break down any moment now because you just gave me mildly good news, but there are still unresolved issues in my life, so you don't think it's wise to call them what I just called them."

The neurosurgeon blinks several times. "I'm impressed. Well, do you want to talk about your coward brother or your betrayal with baby Emily?"

"Wow, that was plain rude," Maddox feigns a sigh of disgust and Derek threatens to throw the pen at her. "I'm joking. I don't want to talk about it because I don't have the solution yet, so give my brain a few days to come up with something. By the way, did you know we have a dog now? Izzie's been so down that Mer thought it was a good idea to rescue a dog from the shelter. His name is Doc. I had to love him publicly for a few days before Izzie got tired of him, but secretly I hated him because he shed hair literally everywhere. And now I secretly love him because he barks at Izzie and George, which translates to usually leaving me alone while I eat breakfast. Silence trumps dog hair."

Derek laughs. "I have to say, your life is messier than mine."

"Yeah, no way. I'm still young, I get to screw up and make mistakes. You're what, forty? You should have your shit together and all you have is an ex-lover you still love, a wife you picked because you don't know how to make decisions and you live in a trailer," Maddox hums as she finishes her cup. "And debts. I'm sure you have debts too. Come on, nobody moves to Seattle from Manhattan and lives in a trailer."

"For the record, I'm thirty-seven," Derek mutters, grunting. "And what about Christmas, are you going to celebrate it with anyone?"

Maddox snorts. "Izzie's been going on and on about decorating the house, and the three of us have been very supportive, but I don't think I can take much more. I'm secretly hoping it's Meredith or Cristina who tell her first. I guess we'll have dinner together. I'm sure I'll come home tonight and see a huge Christmas tree in our living room. The American dream."

Derek smiles. "I think that's nice. Your peers are your family now. I had that too."

The girl clicks her tongue. "Yeah?"

"That crazy to think? I went to med school with Addison and Mark. They were my best friends. We did everything together."

Not everything, Maddox thinks mischievously, but doesn't say it outwardly because she knows it will be cruel even for her. Besides, chatting with Derek is fun and oddly reassuring, so she decides she doesn't want to mess with him. "Well, that's convenient."

Maddox and Derek share a sarcastic smile, but turn around when someone knocks on the door to the MRI room, and the surprise in Addison's eyes at the sight of the two of them chatting animatedly is as great as the dislike Maddox feels right now toward the woman. Maddox looks at Derek, clicking her tongue again, and silently waves goodbye to him, shoving her hands in her pockets and walking out of the room.

"Dr. Easton," Addison directs a small smile at her in a conciliatory mood, but the coldness in the brunette's face is too evident for the neonatal surgeon not to take the hint, and Addison lets Maddox leave. "Nice talking to you," when Maddox disappears from her sight, she turns to Derek, incredulous. "What's wrong with her? I already apologized. Well, tried to."

Derek arches an eyebrow. "You apologized? That's a first."

"You saw how that went. It's nothing personal."

"She's still a child here. Everything is personal when you're starting."

Addison sighs, exasperated. "That's what Richard taught me, and look where that got me."

"Not everyone is like you, Addison. And not everyone has to be," Derek purses his lips, but immediately smiles a little, taking the edge off. "By the way, did she tell you she's switching to neuro? Ah, true: she's not speaking to you."

A day off. One day off she has in 360 days a year and Maddox decides to spend it near the hospital. It's not that she's uncomfortable at home, because there's no one there and Doc doesn't bother her —although he's started barking at Meredith too, she seems to be left alone, as if he understands that there's a mutual respect between them—, but the adrenaline of the operations, the new patients and the drama at the hospital is too tempting for Maddox to spend the whole day on the couch, eating ice cream and watching some bad comedy on TV.

It's been days since she's been out for a run —the holiday meals have taken their toll on her— but she feels as good as the first day. That is, until the ringing sound she has linked to her father's phone number starts playing through her headphones, so Maddox, rolling her eyes, decides she won't stop running so her father will take the hint.

"You picked up on a Wednesday at 12. Aren't you working?"

"If you thought I was working, why did you call?" On the other end there's silence, so Maddox mentally scores a small point in her favor. "Why are you calling, papá?"

"You don't answer your mother's calls. She's pretty upset."

"Oh, she's upset? She's the one who's upset when she went behind my back to contact Dennis? Which brings me to the next question: how long have you known about him? Because I haven't seen him since I was nineteen and five years later he shows up out of nowhere. Have you lied to me about that too?"

"You know we're still friends with Richard, right? Richard Webber, Chief of Surgery. We don't talk that often, but he called a few months ago. Before you started your program there. He said there was a girl who had a miscarriage. He said she kept crying, saying they almost had a little Easton on the way. The girl was with a young man, and Richard said he looked like..."

"He looked like me?" Maddox finishes the sentence.

"Yes," Gregory sighs. "He had seen you before, and you're too much alike to go unnoticed, so when he called, he mentioned it. He said he didn't want to interfere, but when your mother said we hadn't seen him in years, Richard seemed to make an exception and gave us the girl's phone number. It all made sense, so your mother called them. She asked for Dennis, trying her luck, and the rest is history."

"Great, so you knew months ago that Dennis had been at Seattle Grace and you think the time to tell me is now? What were you thinking?"

"We knew you weren't going to take it well, so we decided not to mention it in case you thought you were going to see him here and it was going to affect you. We know how important being a surgeon is to you. So we waited until Thanksgiving. We didn't even see him before, it was the first time we were in the same room. I told your mother it wouldn't be a good idea, but you know her, she only wants to see the good in things and people. But you and I are more realistic."

"We see the truth," Maddox nods, out of air. "We don't believe in good, we believe in what we see. And I see that Dennis hasn't been a good brother, and he definitely hasn't been a good son, so I don't think I'd like to see him again. Not for a while, at least. And I don't like being set up, for the record."

"I know. We know. We're really sorry. Talk to your mom soon, okay? She'll be happy to hear your voice. She's even named a new plant after you."

"Oh God, get her a cat or something," Maddox sighs, amused. "I've got to go. I'm near the hospital."

"Okay, honey. Call sometime, okay? We'll talk about this."

Maddox nods, forgetting that he can't see her, and hangs up. She's been standing almost longer than running, so she decides not to change clothes, but goes straight to the cafeteria, knowing it's the time when her friends will have some free time.

"Hey," she announces when she arrives, taking a seat next to Cristina. Alex, George and Cristina have trays full of hot dogs in front of them, and Maddox frowns when she sees that Izzie is pointing at something. "I miss one day and you all start acting weird. What's going on?"

"We're giving the dog away," George tells her, and Maddox opens her eyes wide. "We can't live with that beast anymore."

"Hey, George," Meredith greets when she arrives, and the boy gets angry.

"Don't talk to me! You'll only make me mad. And I'll mess up my game and I'm in the zone."

Maddox takes a swig from the bottle Alex offers her, seeing her attire. "What the hell happened today?"

"George and I decided we can't take that dog anymore," Izzie explains. "Meredith doesn't want to, so George made her decide: the dog or him. She hesitated," Izzie whispers.

"I did not!"

"She did!" George adds, annoyed.

"Okay," Maddox trails off. Then she glances at the number of hot dogs on her friends' trays. "And what's with all those hot dogs?"

"A patient was participating in Seattle's biggest food competition, so we decided we're honoring her," Alex smirks, rubbing his hands together.

"Alright," Izzie pulls out a watch and sets the timer.

"No touching!" Cristina scolds George.

Izzie looks at the three of them slowly, building a competitive mood. "Go!"

The three start eating as if it's been days since they've tasted a piece of food, and Maddox finds it disgusting how they chew with their mouths open, gobbling and leaving bread crumbs everywhere. She has to admit that Cristina's strategy is the best: finish the sausages first and then dip the bread to make it fit better in the mouth. Cristina ends up winning, just what Maddox thought, but when she goes to swallow the bread, she looks like she's going to throw up.

"She's gonna blow!" Someone from the other four yells, and although Maddox doesn't recognize who it is, she's the first to run away.

For the rest of the day, Maddox manages to keep busy, running back and forth but not really doing anything. Everyone knows she has exceeded her new weekly hours limit, so none of the residents or the attendings provide her with any case. She manages to find out a bit about what's going on both at the hospital and at home; while George takes care of a nice elderly lady who doesn't want to go home, he updates her on Doc's business. He and Izzie want to give him back to the shelter, but they know it won't be possible, so they're creating flyers to hand out. Meredith seems to disagree, bent on keeping Doc, but Maddox knows that if someone wants to adopt him, she won't put up too much of an obstacle.

Near the end of the day, Maddox manages to get a robe and hang around the pediatric floor. She has to admit that she likes it there more than she should: calm patients, usually asleep, who don't yell horrible things when they're angry at anyone who crosses their path. They are patient, dependent and their adorable smiles are enough to make Maddox dazzled by them. The babies in the incubators kick in the air, babble and gaze at anyone who comes near and pays attention to them, and Maddox smiles unconsciously.

"I knew Derek was trying to get to me when he said you were considering neuro," Addison's voice startles her. The woman is at the end of the hallway, leaning against one of the windows overlooking the babies' rooms.

Maddox hardens her face. "I may be. Dr. Shepherd wouldn't go behind my back."

"Like when he did with me?" Addison asks, arching an eyebrow and crossing her arms.

"He was not the one who cheated," Maddox almost spits, but instantly regrets it. Addison clears her throat, looking away, but looks back at the young doctor when she apologizes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that," The older woman nods slowly, understanding the sudden anger, and there is an awkward silence. "I am considering neuro, by the way."

"Why?"

Maddox shrugs. "I know I'm still young and I have a lot to learn, but neuro, cardio... They make me feel like I'm in control. Not a control freak, but a 'I must know what I'm doing' control. Responsibility sharpens my senses."

"These babies will depend on you when they're born, but also when they grow up. Not to mention their mothers, who are scared something will happen to their kids. You've shown a great hand with them."

Maddox looks at her for a few seconds without saying anything. "This is not a competition."

Addison nods. "Actually, it is. Each field wants to have the best surgeons. And I still want you in mine." Dr. Shepherd looks like she's going to say something else, but her pager beeps. "It's Dr. Bailey."

The young woman tenses a bit, knowing that pregnancy for Bailey is proving complicated: juggling the responsibilities that come with six interns and those given to her by her baby, in addition to her own outside the hospital. She worries that the stress may pose some danger to the resident, but when she sees that Addison remains calm, it calms her down.

When they arrive on the floor where she is, all of her fellow interns are there, and Alex gives her a strange look when she sees Maddox show up with Dr. Shepherd. Maddox gives her a silent look in response —he's the only one who knows how much the loss of the baby has really affected her and how she now feels about joining the pediatric team.

Bailey is sitting in a wheelchair, dragged by an orderly, and when she sees Maddox in a robe but normal clothes underneath, she frowns. "What the hell are you doing here? I thought I told you not to take any more cases. You're free today."

Maddox shrugs. "I didn't take any, I swear. I'm just paying a visit. How is the baby treating you?"

"He's like an intern. Not ready to face the real world but insists on doing so."

"Bed rest at home until the baby comes. You do know what bed rests is, don't you?" Dr. Shepherd says.

"Yeah. Hell," Bailey replies, and Maddox smiles.

"With TV and books," Izzie tries to cheer her up. Then she hands her a small, purple-wrapped package. "Here. It's from all of us."

The orderly leads Bailey to the elevator, but before the doors close, the resident's foot steps in the way to avoid it. "I may be 47 months pregnant. I may be on bed rest. I may not be able to see my own feet. But I am Dr. Bailey. I hear everything. I know everything. I'm watching each and every one of you. And I will return," the doors slowly close, and the six interns stand silently, shocked, watching Bailey disappear.

"I'm not getting out of the car. Nope," Maddox shakes her head repeatedly, crossing her arms. Next to her, Doc barks and whines. "How can you do this to him? Is this what you'd do if you didn't like your children? Huh?"

Izzie rolls her eyes. "Come on, Mads, we talked about this. We can't have a dog because it'a great responsibility for four interns. We barely see him, he can't get used to us. There's people who can take better care of him than us."

"Really? The Shepherds?"

"They already agreed, Maddox," Meredith says from outside the car. She opens the door against Maddox's will, who clings to Doc's leash as if her life depended on it. Dog hairs definitely take a back seat if Doc guarantees her peace of mind at home.

Maddox finally nods, aware that she won't be able to win the battle against Izzie, Meredith and George, who also exits the car, somewhat uncomfortably standing in front of the Shepherds. Derek and Addison wait on the porch of the trailer with smiles on their faces. Like that's going to fix their stupid marriage, Maddox thinks, but bites her tongue so as not to be too hurtful.

"Okay," Maddox mutters. "This is it," she crouches down to be level with the dog, who sticks out his tongue, pleased. "You be a good boy, okay? I'll miss your barks at 7 a.m, or when you scare George and Izzie away."

"Hey!"

"I said what I said," Maddox pats the dog's back, who scrambles with pleasure. "Okay, I'm done."

"No crying?" Meredith teases.

"Yeah, no, no crying, this isn't Hachiko."

Addison grabs Doc's leash and strokes his fur, earning a few licks from the dog. Maddox watches silently.

"We brought his food, brushes and other things he will use," George shows a bag.

"I'll take it. He likes me best," Maddox excuses herself when they look at her with raised eyebrows. Derek simply looks at her with pursed lips to hide a smile: Izzie and George disappear from the scene, and when Maddox enters the trailer with Addison, he is left alone with Meredith. Maddox sets the heavy bag down next to the fridge, where Addison points it out to her, and looks pitifully at the new bed they've bought Doc. "He won't use it."

"What?" the woman asks absentmindedly, taking the leash off the dog.

"The bed. He won't use it. He prefers carpets. Or owners' beds," the brunette smiles. Addison seems to understand, because she nods, but doesn't look too convinced. "You don't seem very appealed by the idea of keeping Doc."

The redhead smiles sideways. "The moment you told Derek about your roommates wanting to give him away, he instantly offered we kept it. I'm not really a dog person, but if this will make Derek happy, so be it. You've really left a mark on him, you know?"

Maddox smiles a little. "So I've been told. I have that effect," Dr. Shepherd shakes her head as she rolls her eyes. "Can I call you something?"

"As long as it's not Satan."

"Addison."

Sweet.

Maddox's voice is sweet to Addison, and her saying her name is no different. She doesn't know it yet, but she'll miss Maddox's Addisons.

"Yes?"

"You don't need to have a dog to get your husband's attention. You don't need to be smiling all the time to pretend everything is fine. You know it's not. You're Addison Shep—Scratch that, you're Addison Montgomery. You need to stand up for yourself. You made a mistake, yes, but you can't chase after a man who doesn't want you the way you want him. I don't want to hurt you, but you need to start making choices that make you happy, not someone who isn't interested in pursuing this. Stop making things about him when it should all be about you."

Maddox stops talking because she doesn't know how to interpret Addison's face: she doesn't know if she's screwed up deeply or if her pep talk has had an effect. When she sees the woman hide the tears, Maddox thinks it's the former choice.

"I don't— I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

"It's just... It hurts on another level when someone like you says it. You're young. People like me should be the ones telling you these things."

"Here. Have a tissue."

"Thank you."

"I mean it," Maddox nods. "But I know you won't listen to me. It'll take some real shit for someone like you to accept that it's over. Still," the girl shrugs.

"You seem to read people pretty well. I'm sorry, but I'll do whatever I can to fix this."

"I'm sure if a friend, or even your kid, were living this same situation, you'd be the first to tell them to quit. But I can't make you, so," Maddox gives one last caress to Doc, who has laid down on the floor in the middle of the narrow hallway, and Maddox has to jump over him to go to the door. "I should get going."

"I said yes to taking it because sometimes I get lonely," Addison blurts out. "I gave it all up to go back to Derek. I don't have anything here, but he seems to have everything. Would you... would you have coffee with me sometime?"

Maddox's jaw drops. Since when can her would-be boss be her friend? She's managed to put the last few days behind her the betrayal she felt when Addison let that baby die in her hands, and the truth is, she knows she could get along with the woman, but then she thinks of Meredith and Derek and she doesn't see it so clearly.

"Uh... I don't think it's the most appropriate thing to do. You know, Meredith is my best friend. And Derek —excuse me, Dr. Shepherd— he's a colleague, so maybe... I don't know, maybe it wouldn't be good for them."

"Oh," Addison murmurs, then nods. "I understand."

"I'm sorry. Good night, Addison."

"Good night."