Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

My husband hates me. I don’t know where he is; he doesn’t want to answer any of my phone calls. It’s been a week since he found me in bed with mark, and here I am, standing in front of my mirror, crying because there are two lines on this little stick that appeared a couple of minutes ago. What am I going to do? Addison thinks to herself. When the lines appeared on the pregnancy test, Addison started to panic and couldn’t breathe. She was in shock. Her husband left her after finding her in bed with his best friend. He left the house without a word or explanation. Nobody knows where he is.

“Oh no, I can’t be, that’s not possible,” she says through her sobs.

She was an OBGYN, so after calculating everything and checking that everything was real and okay, she found out that she was already six weeks pregnant. She started to feel the first symptoms of pregnancy, like nausea and dizziness. She needed to find Derek; he had the right to know. She tried calling him several times with no response until one day, her phone started ringing. The screen showed someone she hadn’t spoken to in years.

“Richard Webber, hello!”

“Hey Addison, how are you?” Richard said.

“I’m good, thank you. What brings you to call me?”

“Okay, so first I need you to do surgery on a TTTS case that we admitted last week. Secondly, I got admitted for brain surgery two days ago, and I think you would like to know who operated on me.”

When Richard said that, Addison started to feel worried. What did he just say? Brain surgery?

“Oh my god, Richard, how are you feeling?”

“I’m good, don’t worry about that. But what do you think about the case?”

“Well, to help you, I’ll do anything in my power. So if it means I need to catch a flight to Seattle tomorrow, I’ll do it.”

“Okay, thank you so much, Addie. Nobody can do this except you.”

“Oh no, don’t say that. But wait a minute, did Derek operate on you?”

“Yes, it was him.”

Addison froze on the phone. Did she hear him right? Her husband was in Seattle all this time, all those weeks without knowing where he could be.

“Addison, are you okay?” Richard asked when he didn’t hear her response.

“Yes… yes, I’m okay. So… I’ll take the next plane and head to Seattle for the surgery. Rest well. See you, Richard.” With that, Addison hung up without giving Richard a chance to say goodbye or thank her.

She was in shock. She was finally going to see Derek after a month of not knowing where he was.

When Addison arrived in Seattle, it was night, so she wanted to go check in at the hospital to see Richard and gather information about the case. On her way there, she hoped that maybe Derek would be there. When she was in the lobby of Seattle Grace Hospital, she was looking her best. Dressed in haute couture, with her hair and makeup perfectly done. Thank god, the dark circles from lack of sleep due to nausea and stress were all covered. She wanted to look stunning when she arrived, not pathetic or pregnant.

She felt sick, wanting to throw up, but she couldn’t. She had to see him first.

When she spotted him, he was with a young woman, someone Addison thought looked like an intern. She started watching the scene before deciding to approach them.

There he was, her husband, the supposed love of her life, and the father of the child Addison was carrying. The sickness was even more present than before, but she had to overcome it and gather the courage to go face him.

Derek was in the lobby, waiting for Meredith to go home, but he didn’t know what was coming.

“Long day?” he says to Meredith.

“Yeah.”

“Somewhere out there, there’s a steak with your name on it. And maybe a bottle of wine,” Derek says.

“This is why I keep you around.”

“Also, we need to talk,” he says.

“Wine first, talk later,” Meredith responds.

“You trying to get me drunk? Take advantage of me? … okay.”

“I think I’m going to like this whole new ‘rules’ thing.”

“Me too,” Derek says.

Derek stands, gathering his belongings, then helps straighten the collar on Meredith’s coat. Derek looks across the lobby and sees Addison walking toward them. He turns back to Meredith and says, “Meredith, I am so sorry.” After that, Derek is completely lost and frozen in place, unsure of what is happening.

“Addison,” he says.

“You haven’t returned any of my phone calls.”

“Hi, I’m Addison Shepherd.” With that sentence, she extends her hand to Meredith.

“Shepherd?” Meredith is lost in the situation; she doesn’t know what’s happening at all.

“And you must be the woman who’s been screwing my husband.” With that, Addison manages to control her emotions and the sickness growing inside her.

Meredith leaves the lobby without looking back, crying and unsure of what to do, so she goes to the bar next to the hospital.

Derek and Addison are still in the lobby when Derek starts the conversation.

“Addison, what are you doing here?”

“Your hair’s different.”

“A lot of things are different.”

“It’s longer. I like it. It’s very Russell Crowe.” With that, she tries to run her fingers through his hair, but he moves back.

“What are you doing here?” Derek says.

“What are you doing here? You just pick up and leave everything? Your house, your practice, your friends? You had a life in Manhattan.”

“Had.”

“She’s young. That whole wide-eyed, ooh-he’s-a-brain-surgeon thing happening, but still sweet. Wick was what you were going for, right? The anti-Addison?”

“If you came out here to try and win me back, forget about it.”

“I did. I flew all the way across the country to reminisce over wedding photos, get drunk, fall into bed, and make you realize you can’t live without me… Relax. Derek, I’m here for work. I’m helping with the TTTS case you guys admitted last week, and from Richard’s briefing, I should be—” Derek cuts Addison off before she can finish.

“Richard, he knew you were coming out here?”

“He asked me to come. Didn’t he tell you?”

“No, he didn’t.”

“Hmm. Surprise. The hair, though. You know I’ve always had a thing for Russell Crowe.” With that, Addison leaves Derek in the lobby, unable to tell him that he’s going to become a father. It was too much for her to take. Now, the only thing Addison needed to do was go to her hotel room, cry, and try to sleep for the case the next day.

When she arrived at the Archfield, she put on some pajamas and ordered room service to eat, or at least try to eat something because, with the nausea, she hadn’t been able to eat that day. If she wanted to have a healthy baby, she needed to eat, even if it didn’t work out. Once she finished eating, she went directly to bed and cried.

She thought about the day, how anxious she was. She didn’t know how she was going to tell Derek that in a couple of months, he would be a dad. At least if he wanted to be the father of this child. Even if it was only the beginning of the pregnancy, Addison reached for her belly and rested her hands there as she thought about how to tell Derek and try to win him back.

After a terrible night of sleep, Addison is now in the bathroom, throwing up her breakfast. This pregnancy is making her terribly sick; everything she eats is then vomited afterward. Because of that, she’s feeling really tired and has felt dizzy all day. Three days ago, she was about to faint while delivering one of her patients.

When she arrived at the hospital, she directly went to Richard’s room to talk with him and make sure he was okay. Everything went well until Derek arrived in the room, and it froze the atmosphere. It was time for Addison to leave and go see her patient.

Derek was mad at the chief because he called Addison and also because he put Dr. Burke in the position of chief of surgery and not him during his time off.

For the following day, Addison had requested Meredith as her intern for the case. There was definitely tension between them both, but they managed to work together and not make a scene in front of the hospital.

Once she arrived at her hotel room, Addison decided that she needed to take a bath. She was so exhausted from her day. She was still sick, and trying to make things work with Derek was too complicated. She started to cry again. “Oh, stupid hormones,” she thought.

After her bath, she went directly to bed. She needed to sleep because the past few weeks had been really difficult. She hadn’t slept that much. If she wanted to have a healthy baby, it meant that she had to be more careful about her schedule and her routine.

When Derek arrived at his trailer, he felt the need to drink. He couldn’t go to sleep without a little help.

He took a glass of scotch and drank it in one shot. After three shots, he decided to go into the shower to relax a bit. Addison’s arrival had thrown him off. Why did Richard call her? Why now? Things were okay for him and Meredith. He was happy. Now he’s alone. He didn’t want to see his wife, and Meredith didn’t want to talk with him. He was so tense about the fact that Meredith would never talk to him again. After his shower, Derek went directly to bed and thought about what the following days would bring. Did Addison come to get rid of him, or did she come to win him back? With that, he went to sleep, though not easily.

The following day, Derek was in Richard’s hospital room with Adele when Addison came in.

“Hi,” said Addison.

“I told Richard, I knew you and Derek would get back together,” said Adele.

“I’m here on a case,” said Addison.

“Addison and I are over, Adele,” he said.

“It’s not like we’re divorced,” Addison said.

“Practically,” Derek said.

“You’ve had counseling?” asked Adele.

“We had adultery. That was enough,” Derek said.

“I’ll call you later, OK?” Addison said to Adele.

“You should give her a chance, Derek,” Adele said.

After that, Derek left the room and went to work, with Adele’s last sentence in mind: “Give her a chance.” Why would he give her a chance? She was in bed with his best friend. How could he give her a chance? That wasn’t possible. But he couldn’t just throw away 11 years of marriage with Addison like that without showing a bit of consideration.

When Addison finished her shift, she decided to go directly to her hotel room. She was pretty tired from her day. When the elevator doors opened, there he was, standing and looking at his phone until he saw her.

“Just when the day was improving,” said Derek when Addison came into the elevator right next to him.

“Did you tell Meredith what happened?”

“I did. What did you tell her?” Actually, yes, Derek told Meredith what happened between him and Addison. She made a stop at his trailer to talk about the situation before heading to work.

“Sometimes people do desperate things to attract attention,” she said.

“What? Wow. That’s your side of this? That I didn’t pay you enough attention?” Derek made a face that showed that he was annoyed by Addison. “Is that what you thought when you got naked with my best friend?”

“No. By that point, I wasn’t thinking at all, Derek. I was just scratching an itch.” She paused. “We got successful, you and me. We got busy and we got lazy. We didn’t even bother to fight anymore. And Mark was there, and I missed you. And now I’m sorry. I’m more sorry than you can possibly imagine, but at least I’m talking to you about it. Derek…” Addison couldn’t finish because they arrived at Derek’s floor, and as soon as the doors opened, he left the elevator and said, “I’m a sink with an open drain, Addie.” Addison was speechless. How was it possible to make him talk to her again without being angry at her and sarcastic? And did he just call her Addie? It’s been quite a long time since he last called her that. Why? Why now? Is there still something deep in Derek that loves Addison, or is it just a habit? Addison thought.

When the doors opened, it was time for Addison to leave. She was exhausted and went directly to her room.

The following day, Addison, Derek, and Izzie Stevens were all in the same room, disputing about the newborn who needed surgery. Addison was holding the little girl’s hand while Derek started to ask questions about the case.

“Where’s the mother?”

“Gone,” said Addison. “She stuck around long enough to get the kid strung out, and took off. Nice, huh?” She was really sad because she couldn’t stop imagining herself as the baby’s mother. She couldn’t leave this baby without a father or a mother. She had to tell Derek, but with him, it was never the right time.

“Addison…”

“Derek, I know it’s a long shot. I know that.”

“You told me that you had a newborn with an invasive mass. You failed to mention she’s prematurely underweight and addicted to narcotics. There is no way this baby is going to survive spinal surgery.” He was now with both hands in the incubator, touching the tiny little baby with so much skill and tenderness. Addison felt something when seeing this. It was like the first time she had kissed him. She was relieved, like nothing in the world could hurt her, until she started to talk again.

“You don’t know that.” She needed a little bit of hope.

“Even if she does survive, she’s a mess. Look at her, she’s got meningitis seizures. She’s going to live a short and painful life.” His tone was so calm when he said that.

“You don’t know that.” Addison started to get a little bit angry because he didn’t want to try.

“It is my job to know that,” he said, his tone growing higher.

“You’re not God, Derek.”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m sorry, honey, but you’re not. You don’t get to decide.”

“Did you just call me honey?” said Derek. Addison had done it without realizing that she had just called him honey. And with that sentence, Addison just rolled her eyes and tried to relax. “Don’t call me honey.”

“Fine. You’re not God, Dr. Shepherd. Look, if a patient has any chance at survival, which I think she does, then you have a responsibility…”

“Don’t talk to me about responsibility.”

“You took an oath, Derek,” Addison said.

Izzie was feeling embarrassed being there with them both, but she had no choice but to stay because she was Addison’s intern on this case. But her being there didn’t even bother Addison and Derek, because they kept arguing in front of her.

“And don’t you dare talk about oaths.”

“Derek, I messed up… People mess up.”

“You slept with my best friend on my favorite sheets.”

And they kept arguing until Izzie was feeling really, really out of place, so she just left the room and let them be together.

“Addison, don’t do this.”

“Derek. She’s a fighter. Look how far she’s come.”

“Don’t get attached and involved,” he said to her. “Just don’t make her life more painful than it already is.”

“Derek, please. She has nobody. She needs someone to fight for her.”

“She’s too far gone. We have to let her go. Let her go in peace.” When he said that, Addison felt tears in her eyes, but she had to hold them back and not let them fall. But how was she going to not get attached and involved when she was carrying their child? She needed to fight for this child. The baby needs to grow old with both parents, at least that’s what she wants. This baby needs to know that his parents fought for him, that they tried to make things work and didn’t just run away.

When Derek left the room, Addison let her tears flow. She couldn’t hold out anymore. She was so sad and couldn’t stop running her hands over her belly. She needed to feel their baby, the product of their love for more than 11 years of marriage.

Addison hadn’t left the room of the newborn. Being with this tiny baby made her realize that in a couple of months, it would be her baby she would touch. But for now, she needed to wait. This baby was not ready to come out yet.

When Addison finished surgery, she came back to check on the newborn. And when she arrived, she was surprised by Derek, who was already in the room, checking on the girl. He was so calm. Babies had always calmed him. He was meant to be a father. When he spotted Addison next to the door, he couldn’t stop thinking about what was going on in his life. Addison came closer to read the newborn’s vitals. “Look at that. BP’s stabilizing.”

“Well, she’s stronger since this morning. There’s no reason in the world why she should be stronger since this morning.” As he said that, he went to the rocking chair in the room while reading the chart.

“She’s really beautiful, isn’t she?”

“Tell you what. If she makes it through the night and she has a little bit more strength, we’ll operate.” They were now looking at each other, exchanging a little smile.

“You know, the way I see it, we could deal with us in one of three ways. Option one, I could apologize, you could forgive me and come home, and we could move on with our lives like adults.” She moved closer to him, now facing him completely. “Or, option two, I could apologize, you could forgive me, come home, but you can still bring it up to use against me whenever we argue,” Addison said, smiling.

“Are you trying to be funny?” Derek asked with a big smile on his face.

“Satan has a sense of humor,” Addison said, laughing, and placed both hands on the armchair, not losing eye contact with Derek.

“What’s the third?” he asked.

“I don’t know what the third option is.” And without any other words, Addison kissed him on the lips. Derek kissed her back.

“I just know I still love you.” Something in Addison’s body changed, the knot in her stomach grew even more. Something changed. Was this going to be their last kiss?

After a couple of hours, Addison saw the way Derek looked at Meredith, how he cared about her. It was the same way he used to look at Addison when they were younger. Addison knew she had lost the battle. Derek would never forgive her. He would choose Meredith over her. So when she spotted him, Addison knew this was the moment to give him those papers. He needed to make a choice between her and Meredith. Addison reached into her handbag and handed the papers to Derek.

“Divorce papers,” he says.

“Your lawyer said they’re okay. I haven’t signed them yet. The ball’s in your court. If you sign, I’ll sign. I’ll… sign and be on the first plane out of here.”

“Addison, you can’t just hand me divorce papers like that. You can’t just throw them in my face and walk away... You really are an adulterous bitch.”

“We’ll talk about that tomorrow at lunch. I’ll text you the address,” she pauses. “Derek, have you ever thought that even if I am Satan and an adulterous bitch, I still might be the love of your life?” With that, Addison leaves and lets Derek think about what he has in his hands.

Chapter Text

Lunchtime, Addison was waiting for Derek to come.

“You know, when you said you’d found a spot with a view, I knew I should have taken you literally,” says Derek.

“I found it in my Best of Seattle guide. It’s hardly brown-bagging it on top of the Empire State Building, but they do have these cute little viewfinders.”

“You always find something to complain about.”

“Okay. Is there anything that you like about me anymore? Because if there is, I really need to know now.”

“Well, I like that you like cute little viewfinders in every city you live in.”

“I don’t live here yet.”

There is a long pause between them until Addison starts again.

“Did you sign the divorce papers?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Really?”

“Addie, I can’t sign them. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t. We can’t just throw away 11 years of marriage like that. I can’t leave you before trying.”

“Thank you, Derek.” Addison was feeling relieved. He had made the right choice. She was so happy because from now on, her child would have a father.

“But there’s a condition.”

“Okay, what is it?”

“If I take you back, you have to come and live here in Seattle with me. I’m not going back to Manhattan.”

“Are you going to stop talking to Meredith?”

“I will.”

“When? Today? Tomorrow? Next week?”

“Maybe I’m not ready yet.”

“Are you ever going to be ready, Derek?”

“What if I say no?”

“Then I’m not moving here.”

“Well, I guess we’re at an impasse then,” Derek says.

The day passes. Addison is in the gallery talking with Richard.

“He wants me to move here, Richard. To pick up everything and move.”

“Don’t stay for him, Addison. Stay for me. Stay for yourself.”

“Richard, I…”

“In Seattle, you’ll be front-page news. With your reputation and the money I’ll put into promoting you, Seattle Grace will become the foremost neonatal hospital west of Manhattan.”

Addison laughs and smiles at Richard.

“You’re serious?”

“I’ll put my money where my mouth is.”

“Thank you, Richard. I’ll think about it, I promise.” She gives him a hug and leaves.

Addison had thought about everything. She had considered moving to Seattle to save her marriage and give the baby the opportunity to grow up with both his mom and dad. When Addison was ready to announce to Derek that she was staying, she decided to go talk to him. She took a taxi and went to Derek’s trailer. She knew the address because Derek had given it to her earlier.

In the taxi, she was stressed. What if she arrived and saw that Derek was not alone? Or that he wasn’t there? Or that he had changed his mind? What if he didn’t want her anymore? The taxi cut off her thoughts when they arrived.

“We’ve arrived.”

“Oh… thank you.” Addison paid him and got out.

Derek was there on the porch with a beer in one hand, facing the lake.

“Hey,” Addison said as she arrived next to Derek.

“Ahhh, oh wow, you scared me. I didn’t hear you coming.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“That’s okay… What are you doing here, Addison?”

“So, I’ve given it a lot of thought. And I’ve decided to move to Seattle.”

“Thank you, Addison… I thought about it too and, well, Meredith won’t be an issue anymore. She’s out of my life. It’s… well, it’s taken care of.”

“That’s what marriage is about, compromise, right?”

“Yeah, it’s… well, it’s about… well, give and take.” Derek got out of his chair and gave it to Addison for her to sit.

“So, what’s next?” Addison asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Well, first, I think we should move back in together again whenever we’re ready.”

“Yes, that’s not a bad idea.”

“Where?”

“Here, in the trailer.”

“Oh no, I’m not going to live here.”

“What about marriage being a compromise?”

“Oh no, don’t start using that sentence every time now.”

“Come on, it’s nice here. It’s cozy, you get to wake up with this beautiful view, the fresh air in the morning… You’re going to love it.”

“It’s too small.”

“We’re going to step on each other’s toes.”

“Well, it’s good for our relationship. Look, in New York, we were too far from each other. Now, we would always be close.”

“Is that really what you want? To be close to me all the time, all day long?”

“If it’s beneficial for our relationship, then yes.”

“So, I guess I don’t really have a choice.”

“No, you don’t.”

Addison wasn’t really enjoying the idea. She didn’t want to live in a trailer. It was the size of a shoebox. But for her marriage, she would do anything.

“So that means you’ll have to make some space for when we’re ready.”

“Don’t worry, there’s space. I don’t have as many shoes as you.”

“Hey, that’s not nice,” she said, smiling and playfully tapping his arm. “But you’re right about that.”

The atmosphere between them was improving. She was feeling better. Things were going to change. She had to tell him that they were going to be parents soon, but for now, they were enjoying the moment. She didn’t want to ruin it. She would tell him soon, but not today. Now, she needed to focus on her relationship. She would tell him soon.

“Well, it’s getting late. Maybe I should go back to my hotel.”

“There are no taxis anymore. It’s too late. You can stay here.”

“Really?”

“Yes, let’s go inside. I’ll show you your future house.”

As they got in, Addison was shocked—it was so small. The bathroom was tiny; how would she manage to get ready in there? She thought that it was only temporary because living here with a baby was not even possible.

“Do you have an extra shirt for me to wear, please?”

“Yes, I do. In the third drawer from the bottom.” As he said this, he pointed to the place for Addison.

“Thank you,” Addison said as she recognized one of his favorite shirts. She took it and went to the bathroom.

When she came out, Derek was already on his side of the bed, waiting for her to join him. She was wearing the shirt with no bottoms, only her panties. Derek looked at her with a smile.

“You know it’s my favorite.”

“I know, yes.” Addison said this, teasing him while getting into bed, now facing Derek.

“I was going to wear it tomorrow.”

“Well, you can still wear it tomorrow. I’m not going to get it dirty.”

“Okay, if you say so.”

“I’m not going to sleep naked. It’s too cold outside.”

“Yes.”

“Good night, Derek.”

“Good night.”

And with that, both tried to sleep. But why were they feeling embarrassed to sleep next to each other? They had lost the habit of sleeping together after everything that had happened.

The next morning, Addison and Derek went to the hospital. Derek went directly to work, and Addison went to Richard’s office to talk about her contract.

“You can say hello to your new Head of OBGYN and Neonatal Surgery.”

“Really? You’re going to sign the contract I talked to you about?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Alright, that’s really good news. You’re not going to regret it, I mean it, Addison. Thank you.”

“Well, I hope so.”

“Okay, good. I’ll prepare your contract and let you know when the papers are ready to sign,” said Richard, very enthusiastic.

She was now an attending at Seattle Grace Hospital. Addison’s first day as the new attending went well. Some C-sections and births were scheduled, but no major surgeries. In the past few days, her relationship with Derek hadn’t changed much. She saw him at the hospital, and sometimes she stopped by the trailer, but she always went back to her hotel room afterward—or vice versa.

One morning, Addison and Derek were both on the ferry boat. Addison stood at the front of the ferry, facing the fresh air, while Derek was on the first floor, looking at the view. When Addison turned around, she saw him. He was smiling while looking at the water, but when he saw her, his smile disappeared. She gave him a shy wave, but he didn’t respond—he just left. Addison felt sad about his reaction, but she was starting to get used to it.

Today was a particularly important day because Savvy and Weiss, Addison and Derek’s closest friends, were here to ask Addison for a surgery. This surgery was special—nobody wanted Savvy to have it, but she came to Addison because she knew she was the best in the field. Addison had no choice but to accept—she was her doctor. Derek and Weiss, however, weren’t okay with it.

Once Addison left the conference room, Derek followed her to talk.

“Prophylactic surgery is extreme.”

“This has nothing to do with you. Why were you there? She came to me for a medical consultation, Derek. I’m her doctor. Me.”

“They are some of our closest friends. This is personal.”

“Fine. Okay, if it’s personal, we should deal with it as a couple. Acting like a couple.”

“What? What does that mean?”

“See the ring?” Addison said, raising her left hand and showing Derek her wedding rings.

“Don’t go to the ring.”

“The ring, Derek. Remember? When we’re here at work, you won’t talk to me. On the ferry, you pretend not to see me. What are we doing?”

“It’s not about us.”

“It is! Medicine aside, our friends are going through hell in there, and we can’t even act like we like each other long enough to help them!” And with that, Addison left, angry at Derek.

After that, Derek went to talk to Weiss about the situation.

When the evening arrived, the four of them were at the restaurant, trying to change their minds and have a good time, just like old times.

“When I knew Addie was coming out here, I had such a good feeling. You guys are going to make it. You were always meant to be.” Savvy said this, and Addison tried to look at Derek, but he didn’t bother to look at her.

“A couple of clams on the half shell. A couple of peas in the pod,” Weiss said.

“We’re still working on the pod part,” Derek said in a low voice, just loud enough for Addison to hear.

“It’s about choices,” she said while taking a sip of her glass of water.

“Well, here’s to taking life into your own hands.”

“Cheers,” Addison said.

“Cheers,” Derek said.

“Yeah. And here’s to bull. And here’s to crap,” Weiss said. “And here’s to oophorectomy.”

“Please stop,” Savvy said.

“Here’s to breast reconstruction, nipple reconstruction. Here’s to losing your wife. Here’s to being the ass who can’t be supportive. Here’s to that.” With that, Weiss drank his scotch in one shot before leaving. Addison and Derek were looking at each other; they needed to do something.

“Okay, so how about I take you back, Savvy, and we go enjoy our night?” Addison said.

“Yeah, that’s a good idea, Addison,” Derek said.

They were all standing up, and as Derek was about to leave, Addison discreetly told him to go talk to Weiss. She was going to take care of Savvy.

They all went in Derek’s car to the hospital. Addison stayed with Savvy in her room to calm her.

Derek found Weiss sitting in one of the chairs in the lobby.

“Weiss?” Derek said.

“Don’t talk to me. Keep walking.”

“You should get some sleep, sober up, so you’re ready for Savvy’s surgery. Come on.”

“I’m supposed to hold her hand while they rip her apart? That’s the definition of love?”

“You can do this.”

“Maybe I can’t.”

“Maybe I just like to screw my wife.”

“Weiss.” Derek knew he was drunk. Weiss would never say that about his relationship with Savvy.

“And that’s what she’ll think if I’m not there.”

“You’re going to be there,” Derek didn’t give him the choice.

“This from a guy who packed his bags in the middle of the night and drove 3,000 miles to live in a trailer?”

“Yeah, well, what am I doing with Addison now? Mmhh? I’m trying to work it out. I don’t know, am I out of my mind? I don’t know, you tell me.” Derek made a big pause before saying, “It’s about the ring. It’s about the vows. Savvy didn’t screw around with you with your best friend. She’s looking for support. If you don’t give that to her now, if you don’t give her that support, then what the hell am I doing?” And after that, he stayed silent, thinking about what the best decision was to make.

Addison and Savvy were both on Savvy’s bed when…

“So, we’re scheduled to go in at eight tomorrow?” Savvy says to Addison.

“Yeah, I’ll take you down to the pre-op and then get ready,” Addison responds.

“Weiss will show up, Addie, he always does.”

“Sav, as your doctor, you know I’m 100% on your side. But as your friend, are you absolutely sure about this?”

“I know what I’m losing. I get it. But think about what I’m gaining… my life. This gives me a shot. A shot at the future. A shot at me and Weiss becoming this crazy old wrinkled couple that argues all the time. I mean, wouldn’t you want that? A chance to grow old with Derek?”

“Yeah… Yeah, I do.” As she says this, she feels tears running down her cheeks. The hormones were so strong she couldn’t hold back her tears. This pregnancy was driving her crazy, and it was only the beginning.

They stayed in their embrace for a couple of minutes until Addison said, “Savvy, can I tell you something that nobody knows?”

“Of course, what is it? Is something wrong?” Savvy broke the hug and looked at Addison with worry in her eyes.

“No, no, not at all… it’s… it’s just that… I’m pregnant with Derek’s baby.” Addison said this, more tears running down.

“Oh my god, I’m so happy for you. It’s wonderful, Addie!!!” She took Addison in her arms and said to her, “You’re going to be the best mom in the world. I mean it.”

“Thank you, Savvy, but it’s not as easy as it seems.” Addison broke the hug. “Derek doesn’t know yet. It’s too complicated to tell him. I don’t know how to do it. What if he’s angry, gets mad, and doesn’t want to be with me anymore?”

“Addison, you shouldn’t be scared about telling him. Derek always wanted to have kids. He would be so happy with that news. Things will be better for the future.”

“I know that, but it’s complicated. The situation that we’re in is already hard to deal with. Can you imagine with the news of the pregnancy? We can’t even talk properly. He doesn’t care for me anymore.”

“But Addison, this baby is the new fire of your couple.”

“Yes, I know, but it’s just never the right timing with him.”

“You’ll find the right time. I know that.”

“I hope I will soon.”

“How many weeks are you?”

“11 weeks.”

“Already? I’m so excited for you.” Savvy said, taking Addison’s hands in hers. Then Addison put both their hands on her belly. Savvy was so happy for Addison and Derek. After that, they just chitchatted about everything, like they used to do, and about the pregnancy. It was getting late, so Addison went to sit in the chair next to Savvy’s bed and fell asleep.

When Derek finished his conversation with Weiss, he decided to go check on the girls. When he entered the room, he saw the two of them asleep. He went to Addison’s side to wake her up and take her back to sleep in her hotel room.

“Addie, wake up, you need to sleep properly for the surgery tomorrow,” Derek said carefully, not wanting to wake up Savvy, who was next to them. Addison was too tired to move and open her eyes.

“I’m too tired to move, Der.”

“Come on, you need to rest well.”

“I’m exhausted, let me sleep here. I’m comfortable in this chair. Plus, I can’t walk.” Addison said this with her eyes still shut. Her tone showed that she was really exhausted, but she knew she needed to move so she could sleep in a proper bed, not in a chair, or she would regret it in the morning.

“Okay, come here, let me grab you.” Derek said this as he gently picked Addison up. He had never seen her this exhausted, even after a 48-hour shift. “I’m not letting you sleep in here.”

“Thank you, Der.”

“You’re welcome, Addie,” Derek says with a little smile on his face while looking at her. Addison was feeling so comfy in Derek’s arms, she didn’t wait long to fall back asleep.

Derek went to an on-call room because it was too late to go back to the hotel. When Derek put Addison to bed, he made sure things were right. He took off her clothes and put her in a scrub shirt. She didn’t even move or wake up when he changed her. She’s really tired, Derek thinks to himself. Then he took off his own clothes and went to bed next to her. Something had changed. The discussion with Weiss made Derek think about his life. He had to try harder with Addison, even if he was still angry at her.

When Addison woke up, she was in a scrub shirt and in an on-call room with her husband next to her. She didn’t remember how she got here. The last thing she remembered was her husband taking her in his arms to head to the hotel.

“Derek?”

“Hmm?”

“Derek?”

“What?”

“What are we doing here?”

“Sleeping.”

“No, I mean in this on-call room, in that scrub shirt. And you naked!” He finally opened his eyes to look at her.

“You were sleeping in Savvy’s chair. I couldn’t let you sleep in that position, but you didn’t want to move, so I had to take you in my arms. When we got here, I changed you because I know you don’t like to sleep in your clothes. And by the way, I’m not naked, look.” As Derek said this, he pulled the duvet to the end of the bed. Addison was so comfortable in the bed that when he threw the duvet off, she got cold and, by reflex, went to Derek’s arms to get warm.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to do that,” Addison said, going back to her side of the bed, but Derek didn’t let go of her embrace.

“No, it’s okay. You can stay like this. I’ll keep you warm.” Addison smiled and looked Derek in the eyes. He was looking at her too until his gaze moved to her lips and he kissed her. This was their second kiss since Addison came to Seattle, but this one was different from the first one. This one was a kiss with more passion and enthusiasm than the last one, and Derek started it. Addison thought that it was a big step for their relationship, and Derek felt it too.

Addison broke the kiss because she had to be ready for Savvy’s surgery. It was in an hour, so she had to go eat something, then throw up what she ate, because that was how it was every morning, and after that, prepare for the surgery.

“Thank you for last night, but I need to get ready.” Addison said as she put on her clothes and gave Derek a little kiss goodbye.

“See you in the OR.”

“Yes, see you. Please bring Weiss with you.” Addison said this as she left the room.

When Savvy was on the exam table, she spotted Derek and asked him, “He’s not coming, is he?”

Before Derek could answer, Weiss entered.

Addison and Derek exchanged an “I’m sorry for everything” look.

Chapter Text

Three days passed, and Weiss and Savvy had already gone to New York. Today was Thanksgiving, so when Addison and Derek were on the ferry boat, Addison asked Derek something.

“So, I was thinking that we could… have sex tonight.”

Derek laughed sarcastically. They were both very embarrassed about that.

“Yeah,” Derek said, still laughing awkwardly.

“Look, I know we’re both going to feel weird about it. And it’s the first time…”

“Since Mark?”

“And Meredith…” she paused. “I have the day off. Do you… have the day off?”

“Just stop by the hospital. I have patients I need to check on. If you have the day off, what are you doing here?” Derek asks Addison.

“I was thinking that we could have sex tonight… Come on, I made a reservation at noon. I figured we could do Thanksgiving, and then, I don’t know, just rip the stitches, get it over with.”

“No anesthesia?”

“Right. What do you think?” Addison asks, not losing eye contact with Derek.

“We’ll see, okay?” Derek says as he gives her a gentle kiss on the head. “Now I need to go to work. See you.”

“Noon, Derek,” Addison says to Derek as he is leaving.

The day passed, and Derek didn’t make it to dinner. He spent all day at the hospital, so when he arrived, it was raining, and he saw that Addison was sitting on the porch waiting for him. She was very disappointed in him.

“You didn’t show,” says Addison. “I waited.”

He doesn’t say anything; the only thing he does is look at his feet.

“Derek, are you done hurting me back? I mean, because I need to know. Because if not… I gotta special-order a thicker skin. Something.” Addison was sad. Why? Why did he do this? One day it was getting better, and the next day it was awful.

After that, he sat next to Addison, looking her in the eyes, and said, “No anesthesia in sight.” And with that, Addison stopped looking at her feet and looked at him.

“Here we go,” said Derek while getting closer to Addison and kissing her. There they were on the porch of the trailer, kissing each other desperately. After so much time, they were finally making out. They went inside the trailer into the bed. And, oh la la, what a night—it was like they used to have sex when they were younger. Multiple orgasms for both of them. They clearly knew how to pleasure each other. After so long being together, they still got it. They both went to sleep, and when Addison woke up, Derek was not there anymore. She was alone in the trailer.

Today was a big day for Addison. She was officially signing her contract, so when she arrived at the hospital, she went to Richard’s office.

“Nice to have you on board.”

“Thank you, Richard.”

“Your own services, a state-of-the-art NICU, and a salary that makes you one of the highest-paid surgeons in the northwest. You better be worth it.”

“Quintuplets, Richard.”

“That’s a go.”

“Mother-to-be checked in this morning.”

“Nothing I like more than a high-profile case.”

“Don’t go calling the press just yet. It’s a high-risk pregnancy. At least three babies are surgical. I’ll need people from all departments.”

“You’re my start, whatever you need.” With that, Richard got up from his chair, and they shook hands.

Addison went on to see her patient and conduct the exams.

“Dorie Russel, she’s giving birth to quints,” Addison says to Dr. Burke and Derek, handing them the charts.

“Richard said we were on standby. Which is no problem, really. It’s not like I have a neurosurgery department to run,” Derek says, taking the chart from Addison.

“Yes. Apparently, our departments are at her disposal,” says Preston.

“Do you have time to talk to the mom? I want her to meet all her surgeons on her team,” Addison asks Preston and Derek.

“Yes, no problem,” Derek says.

“I’ll come by after I finish in the OR,” Preston says while leaving them both.

“Thank you, Dr. Burke.”

“I didn’t hear you leave the trailer this morning. I missed you at breakfast,” Addison asks him as they walk down the hallway.

“I had an early surgery.”

“You’re sure that’s all? Nothing’s wrong?”

“No, just like I said, I had an early surgery.”

“Okay,” says Addison, and with that, they both enter the mother’s room.

The morning passes, and for Addison, it was complicated. She was feeling so unwell. The nausea was worse than any other day. All the medication she took did not make things better. But she needed to be strong—the case she had was highly risky. She had already thrown up three times during the morning. She needed to gain strength.

Addison was in the hallway with a nurse signing charts when Derek arrived.

“So, you officially signed your contract. Congratulations,” he says to her.

“Time to move forward.”

“Yeah, it is.”

“We’re okay, right?” Addison asks.

“Yeah. We’re okay.”

Addison’s pager interrupts them, and she starts running, leaving Derek behind.

When she entered the room, the mother needed to have an emergency C-section. All the staff prepared for the quints’ birth.

When Addison was operating on the mother, Derek was looking at her with pride. He was so proud of where she had come. She turned to look at him and saw the smile hidden behind his mask, so she smiled back at him too.

After the surgery, Addison was feeling horrible. The nausea was so intense. She hadn’t been able to eat that day. Because of that, she was feeling dizzy. She went to the lobby to wait for Derek, and when Derek arrived, she was about to throw up again. Derek saw that she was not okay, and before he could think of anything else, Addison ran to the next bathroom. Derek ran after her, not knowing what was happening.

“Okay, it’s okay, I’m right here,” he says, running after her to grab her hair and rubbing a hand on Addison’s back to help her feel better and let her know that she’s not alone.

“Oh… uhm… thanks,” Addison says with tears in her eyes.

“Don’t worry. Are you feeling better?”

“No,” she says, and with that, she throws up again, even more than the last time.

Derek took her in his arms and rested her head on his chest, giving her a little kiss on the head.

“You’re okay?” he asks.

“I think so, yes.”

“Okay, then we should wait a couple of minutes before going. I’ll drive you back to your room, and I’ll stay with you, okay?”

“Yes, thank you, Der. Today was too much. I’m so tired—the surgery, everything, it was exhausting. I didn’t have time to eat.”

“Hey, don’t worry. I’m here. We’ll order room service.”

“Yes, I think that’s a good idea.” Addison pauses before starting to get up. “I’m feeling better. I think we should go now.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes, I am. Let’s go.”

After going to the hotel, Addison was still feeling a bit nauseous, so they ordered food; she had to eat. When Derek was ordering food for both of them, Addison went to the bathroom to run a bath. She needed one so much.

“Addison, I ordered two salads and a burger with French fries to share. Is that okay for you?” Derek says while coming to the bathroom to check on Addison.

“Yes, perfect. That’s exactly what I need. Thank you so much.”

“Go in your bath. I’ll wait for room service,” says Derek.

“Don’t you want to come and relax with me in the bath? It was an intense day for you too.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’d like to have some company,” Addison says as she takes off her shoes.

“Okay, then I’ll come with you.”

Addison starts to get her clothes off while Derek watches her. Addison knows he’s looking at her, and she likes it. She knows she still has some effect on him. He was enjoying the view.

“So, are you coming, or are you just going to stay here and not move?”

“Oh… yes, sorry. My attention was focused on something really beautiful.”

“Oh, yes? And what was that?” Addison teases Derek as she steps into the bath.

“Something I’ve seen hundreds of times but was never able to really see properly, but now I’m happy to see it every day again.” Derek pauses while looking into Addison’s eyes. “Addie, will you move in with me again?” he says as he steps into the bath with her.

“Derek, I’m feeling lonely, so yes, I’d like to live with you again.” As she says this, she kisses him passionately. They were making progress.

I have to tell him about the pregnancy; he was so afraid when he saw me throwing up, Addison thinks to herself while settling on Derek’s chest and putting her head on the crook of his neck.

“Addison?”

“Yes?”

“Are you okay? Is there something wrong with you?”

“Derek, I’m feeling better, don’t worry. I was just tired, and I didn’t eat today. It was a stressful day; that’s why I felt a bit sick and dizzy.”

“Yes, but throwing up twice in two minutes? Are you sure nothing’s wrong?”

“Yes, I’m sure, Derek. Don’t worry.” Addison says this while kissing his neck, then moving up to his lips. After the kiss, Addison goes back to her position.

Derek wraps his arms around her and lets one of his hands rest on her belly. Addison lets his hand stay there, putting hers on top of his. It felt strange; Derek didn’t know she was pregnant, but it felt good to her. She’d tell him tomorrow. For now, they were enjoying their time together.

What breaks their moment is a knock on the door.

“I’m coming,” Derek says as he gets out of the bath. He takes a towel and heads to the door. Addison gets out too and grabs a towel as well.

When she arrives in the room, she sees Derek standing next to the table, putting everything on the table.

“What if we eat in bed?”

“The Addison Shepherd I know would never want us to eat in bed.”

“I’ve changed, Derek.”

“Okay, let’s go then. Can you take the burger, and I’ll take the salads, please?”

“Yes, yes, of course.”

Addison and Derek are both on the bed, eating.

“Derek.”

“Yes, Addison?”

“We’re really going to live in the trailer?”

“Yes, we are.”

“Don’t you want to live somewhere else that has more space?”

“Why? It’s perfect for both of us. Our new beginning starts in this trailer. Trust me.”

“Yes, but we’re not going to live in it until death?”

“No, but for now, it’s perfect.”

“Okay,” Addison says, not very enthusiastic.

After their dinner, Addison was going to sleep. She was exhausted. Derek took her in his arms, and they both went to sleep. Things were going better for them.

The next day, Addison and Derek went to work together. Addison had a pretty busy day, especially with the quints. She was pretty occupied. So, when she had some time, she went to look for Derek. Today was the day she was going to tell him that he was going to be a father. When she finally found him, he was in an empty gallery with a bag of chips in his hands, looking at the empty OR. She didn’t say anything. She just sat next to him, facing him.

“I need to tell you something.”

“What is it?”

“Do you remember the last time we had sex in New York?”

“Was it the time we had sex in the kitchen when we were arguing about…”

“About the new chairs, yes.”

“So, what about that?”

“You know, we tried a position we’d never done before.”

“Yes, and?”

“Well, I’m pregnant,” Addison says, scared of Derek’s reaction.

“Ahaha, very funny, Addison.”

“Derek, it’s not a joke.”

“But it was more than four months ago.”

“Yes, and I’m so, so, so sorry for not telling you before.”

“So, you’re telling me that I’m going to be a dad in less than six months?”

“Yes,” Addison says while looking at her feet.

“Well, first, I’m so happy. Really, I’ve always wanted to be a father. But why didn’t you tell me before? Addison, four months… You could have told me so long ago. Why now?”

“Derek, I left you hundreds of messages when I was still in New York, but you didn’t answer any of them.”

“Yes, but you arrived here like three weeks ago.”

“I know, but it was always not the right timing, and I wanted us to be happy when I shared the news with you.”

“But Addison, can you imagine if I had signed those divorce papers? You would have left Seattle without telling me I was going to be a dad?”

“No, I was going to tell you before I left, but I didn’t want to tell you before your decision because I knew that if I had, you would’ve left me. But you ended up choosing me anyway, so I wasn’t obligated to tell you directly.”

“Addison, of course, I would have stayed with you. You’re my wife and the future mother of my kids.”

“Wait, I never said we were going to have twins.”

“I know, but this one will need a little brother.” Derek says this while kissing Addison. Derek was so happy with the news; he was going to be a dad. After a couple of minutes, he put his hands on Addison’s belly to let her know that from now on, he was going to be present.

“For now, let’s just focus on this little one, and we’ll see about a brother.”

“But wait, is that why you were sick yesterday?” He said, looking at Addison, worried.

“Yes, part of it. This little one makes me really sick.” Addison says while looking at her belly.

“Oh no, I’m so sorry for you.”

“Don’t be. It’s part of the pregnancy; it’s inevitable.” Addison pauses and looks at Derek while asking him, “I was thinking that maybe you would like to see the baby?”

“I’d love to.”

“Okay, come on.” Addison took Derek’s hand and went out the door to the next room on her floor.

“Can you pass me the gel, please?”

“Of course.” He hands her the gel and looks at the screen.

Addison performs the ultrasound, and when the baby appears, Derek was so happy. Addison had never seen him like this before.

“Okay, so first I’ll check if everything’s all right.” Addison does all the tests and measurements of the baby.

“Our child is perfectly healthy, nothing to worry about,” Addison says with tears in her eyes. She was so happy. Derek leans in and kisses Addison with so much passion.

“Addison, it’s the best day of my life. We’re going to be parents.” Derek says this with tears in his eyes too.

“Derek, I love you.”

“I love you too, Addison.” It was the first time they’d said those words in a very long time.

“Do you want to know the sex of the baby?” Addison asks as she adjusts the monitor.

“What do you want?”

“I want to know.”

“Me too.”

“Okay, let me see if I can see something… Hmm… the baby’s not showing the right side. We have to wait for him or her to turn.”

“Come on, little Shep, turn for mom and dad.” Derek says, speaking close to Addison’s belly.

“Oh no, Derek, you can’t call our child little Shep.” Addison says with distaste.

“Hey, look! It’s working, they turned a little.”

“Okay, now I’ll be able to see.” Addison was focused on the screen when she started crying.

“Hey, hey, what is it, Addison? What’s wrong?” Derek was worried—why was she crying?

“Derek, it’s a girl.” Addison says between her sobs.

“No way, show me.” Derek says with tears in his eyes. They knew from the beginning that their first child would be a girl.

“I’m so happy, Derek.”

“Me too. You’re making me the happiest person in the universe.”

Derek went down to kiss Addison on the lips. They were both completely overwhelmed with the big news. Was this a dream? Derek thought.

They stayed in the room for an hour, looking at the screen, until it was getting very late, and they needed to go home.

Once they got into the trailer, Addison started to get rid of her clothes to shower. When Addison was totally naked and heading to the bathroom, Derek stopped her to look at her.

“You’re stunning, Addison.”

“Aha, I know. I don’t look like a whale for now.”

“You’re more than beautiful, Addie.” Derek says this while getting naked too.

“Let’s go take a shower, shall we?” Derek says.

Addison didn’t respond with words; instead, she kissed Derek and led them both into the shower. After a really good shower, they put on their pajamas and went to bed.

“Addie, I can’t believe we’re going to have a baby. When I woke up this morning, I was so far from knowing I’d become a dad,” he says while putting his hand on Addison’s belly.

“I know, I feel exactly the same as you. I knew we would be parents, but being parents of a girl… I’m so happy.” Addison put one of her hands on Derek’s cheek and leaned in to kiss him with love.

“We need to find her a name,” Derek says, breaking the kiss.

“Yes, but we still have some time.”

“Well, not so much. Look, you’re already 13 weeks pregnant. It’s going so fast. I already lost too much time; I don’t want to lose any more.”

“So we should make a list, and then we’ll share it and vote for the best one, okay?”

“Yes, that seems like a good idea.” Derek says this while putting Addison on top of him. She’s now sitting on his hips, facing him. He’s looking at her with so much intensity.

“What?” Addison says with a big smile.

“Addison, you’re making me the happiest husband. We’re going to be parents, I can’t believe it. It’s our little miracle. The new beginning of our relationship,” Derek says while putting his hands on Addison’s belly and looking at her.

Addison was crying because she didn’t think Derek would react like this. She was so scared of telling him, so she waited. She should have told him earlier.

“Hey, Addison, why are you crying?”

“I’m sorry for not telling you before. Look at you, you’re so happy about this, and me, I was so scared of how you would take it. I hate myself.”

Derek took Addison in his arms. “I’m not mad at you, Addie. You did the best thing. I’m not mad, don’t worry.” Derek says this while kissing her and moving his hands on her back to comfort her.

They stayed like this for a moment until Addison was feeling better. Stupid hormones, she thought. Normally, she didn’t cry in front of people, even in front of her husband.

“Should we sleep?” Derek says.

“If we want to be good at work, yes.”

They both took their respective sides until Derek came spooning Addison and rested one hand on her belly, with his head on the crook of her neck.

“Good night, Addie.”

“Good night, Der. Love you.”

“Love you too, Addie, and love you too, baby girl.” That made Addison laugh, and with that, Derek captured her lips for a kiss goodnight before they both went to sleep.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Derek and Addison weren’t working because it was Christmas Eve, so for the next couple of days, they were going to stay in Seattle and spend Christmas just the two of them. Derek had made a reservation at the best restaurant in Seattle for dinner, which Addison didn’t know about. For today, she was thinking that maybe they could go for a walk in the forest or near the lake and relax.

Derek woke up first, so he wanted to make breakfast for Addison. Now that he knew she was pregnant, he really needed to take care of her and the baby so it could grow correctly.

Addison was really tired, so since she had the day off, she decided to sleep and rest well until the smell of eggs and bread woke her up.

“Hey!”

“Oh hi, Addie, how did you sleep?”

“So good. I think this day off was needed, I was so tired from the last few days. And you, how did you sleep?”

“I slept well too, I actually dreamed about you.”

“Really? Was it a good dream or not?”

“It was so good I didn’t want it to end.”

“What was it about?”

“We were in our dream house, here on this land. With a little monster in her mother’s arms and another little one on the way. The three of us were on the couch watching a movie, you in my arms and our little girl in yours. We were so happy and love was overflowing.”

Derek said this while moving behind Addison and wrapping his arms around her, placing his hands on her belly.

“The way you looked and the way our daughter was happily watching the movie, her little giggles and movements, the way she spoke to us, ‘Mom, Dad, when is the baby coming? I can’t wait to meet him and play with him.’ A little redhead just like her mother, the two most beautiful girls in the world.”

And with that, Derek rested his head on Addison’s shoulder, giving her a soft kiss.

“In a little while, this won’t be a dream anymore,” Addison said, tears pricking her eyes.

“I love you, Addison. I’m so happy and so sorry for everything I ever said to you that wasn’t appropriate.”

“That’s already forgotten, Der. Let’s move on from the past and take this as our new beginning,” Addison said, giving Derek a kiss on the lips.

They both went to the table and ate what Derek had made for them.

“Wow, Derek, I’m impressed. You’ve never done this for me, what’s happening to you?” Addison laughed, putting fruit in her mouth.

“I figured that maybe you would be hungry and that the baby needs his mommy to eat for her well-being.”

“Yes, but I wish she would let me keep something in my stomach for more than 30 minutes.”

“The nausea, isn’t it going away?”

“No, it’s not, but it’s not as strong as in the beginning.”

“Do you have medication for that?”

“Yes, I do, but it’s not strong enough, and I can’t take as much as I want, or the baby won’t like it.”

“Oh, I see. Well, I hope for your sake that it’ll pass.”

“Yes, me too.”

Derek and Addison finished breakfast and decided to go back to bed and chill, reading their books, when Addison said to Derek, “So, what do you think about a walk in the forest?”

“I would love that.”

“Then let’s get ready,” Addison said as she went to the bathroom to get dressed.

“Addison, your body is stunning. You haven’t looked like this since the first time I met you.”

“Oh, shut up, I gained so much weight, and it’s not even the baby, it’s only fat,” she said, looking in the mirror and turning around to see the changes in her body.

“She will start to show in less than a couple of days. It’s only a matter of time.”

“I know, but right now I look horrible. Look.”

Addison said this while pulling up her shirt and showing Derek her belly.

“The only thing I’m proud of is my boobs. They’re so big I don’t even know what to do with them.”

“Oh, I think I might have an idea. If you let me, I’d be thrilled to show you.”

As Derek said this, he looked Addison right in the eyes while slipping one of his hands inside her bra.

Addison let herself be consumed under Derek’s touch. It was so good; she needed more. He lit a fire in Addison’s body, and she knew that the same fire was building in him too.

They made their way to the bed without breaking contact, Derek kissing Addison deeply while removing her clothes. He laid her on the bed, facing him. He started to kiss her legs, moving up slowly.

Addison moaned with desire at his touch and kisses. Derek knew what he was going to do to her. It was their moment; they had to make up for lost time.

After a lot of passionate moments, Addison and Derek went to the bathroom and took a shower. Once they were done, they were finally able to go for a walk in the forest.

“Oh, do you feel it?” Derek asked, taking Addison’s hand in his.

“What?” Addison asked, smiling.

“This cold and fresh air, it feels so good.”

“Yes, I feel it a little too much. I didn’t take the best coat for this walk,” Addison said, wrapping her arms around herself to get warm.

“Come here, I’ll warm you.”

Derek said this while wrapping one of his arms around Addison and starting to walk again.

“Thank you. That’s exactly what I needed,” she said, looking at him.

They kept walking in the forest and arrived near the lake. They were enjoying their time until Addison suddenly didn’t feel well.

“Der?”

“Yes, Addie?”

“I’m not feeling so good.”

“What’s wrong? Tell me.”

“I don’t know. It’s just… I’m a little bit dizzy. I just need to sit down for a minute. I think I’m gonna faint.”

“Ok, here, let me carry you. I’ll sit you down here, and when you feel a bit better, we will go back to the trailer.”

Derek said this, worried about Addison. He had never seen her like that before.

After they were seated together, Derek started to talk to her. “Addison, this isn’t the first time you’ve been in this state.”

“No, it’s not,” she said, focusing on her breathing.

“I was thinking that maybe you should take some time off, you know, for you and the baby. This pregnancy seems to be taking a toll on you, and I don’t want you or our little girl to be hurt.” Derek said this while placing his hands on Addison’s belly.

“Derek, everything’s normal, don’t worry, nothing’s wrong. It’s just that sometimes I’m tired. The vomiting makes me feel weak, but I don’t need to take time off. I have two departments to run, and I’m not taking time off now. The baby and I are perfectly healthy, don’t worry.” As Addison said this, she placed her hands on Derek’s cheek to make him look her in the eyes.

“Okay, if you say so, but really, think about it. People can replace you. Look, today and tomorrow we’re not working, and it’s not the end of the world.” Derek told her.

“I know that. We’re not indispensable, but it’s me. I don’t think I can stop myself and stay in this stupid trailer.” Addison said, feeling a bit better.

“Yeah, you’re right. But Addie, you know that at some point, you’ll have to stop working, so why not stop right now? We don’t need the money; we’re fine. I just want to be sure that you and the baby are healthy and that everything is going well.”

“Oh please, Derek, not now. You know what? Let’s talk about this later. Come on, I’m feeling much better.” As Addison said this, she got up and took Derek’s hand to go back to the trailer.

When they finally arrived at the trailer, Addison felt the need to relax and immediately went to sit on the edge of the bed. Derek followed her and sat next to her.

“So, for the rest of the day, I propose that we spend it here. Stay in bed all afternoon, enjoy our time together, and think about what comes next. And for the night, I’ll take you to a restaurant to celebrate Christmas Eve. What do you think about that? Does that sound good to you?” Derek said this to her.

“I think that’s a really good plan you came up with for us. I could get used to it,” Addison said, giving him a big smile.

Derek took the opportunity to kiss her deeply.

Addison went to the kitchen to prepare their meal because the walk in the forest had made them both so hungry.

Once they had finished eating, they went directly back to bed and each picked up a book. They were going to spend the afternoon doing nothing except reading and relaxing.

Addison was falling asleep on Derek when he put his book down to just look at her.

“Addison?”

“Yep?”

“I’m deeply sorry for everything. I made your life awful when you arrived here, and even before, in New York. I was horrible to you, and I couldn’t see that you were truly the woman of my life, the mother of my children, and that I couldn’t live without you. You’re everything I need, and you’re the only one I want to spend my life with.”

Addison was speechless; she didn’t know what to say.

“I’m sorry for everything too, Derek. I mean it. But wait— I’m not going to be the only one anymore, you’ll have to share me.” Addison said this while placing one of her hands on Derek’s cheek.

“For my daughter, I’ll do anything. If it means I have to share my beautiful wife with her, I’ll do it without hesitation. But I think there’s still something I’m not willing to share with anyone else, and neither are you.”

“Oh? And what is it? Tell me,” Addison asked, adjusting herself on Derek.

“Let me show you,” Derek whispered, kissing Addison on the neck.

“I can work with that,” Addison moaned.

And with that, Derek and Addison were making out again. Ever since Addison told Derek about the pregnancy and moving in, everything had changed. It was like they were 20 again—they couldn’t stand being next to each other for more than four hours without having sex, making each other feel alive and happy.

After their makeout session, they both took a nap before getting ready for the restaurant where Derek had made a reservation.

“Addison, I think we should get ready for tonight. You don’t want to miss it, do you?”

“Oh no, I’d never miss that. Christmas is our season—let’s get ready.”

Once they were in the parking lot of the restaurant, Addison was blown away when she saw where Derek had made the reservation.

“Derek, it’s the most renowned restaurant in the city! How did you manage to get a table?” Addison asked, taking Derek’s hand as they walked into the restaurant.

“I just had to make a few calls, and here we are.”

Once they arrived at their table, they were greeted with two glasses of champagne, but unfortunately, Addison couldn’t have any. Their server then proceeded to present the menu for the night. They went for a four-course meal.

“Wow, thank you so much, Derek! It’s beautiful, and it looks delicious,” Addison said, admiring her appetizer.

“Don’t thank me, it’s nothing. But I have something I need to share with you.”

Derek handed her an envelope with a piece of paper inside. Addison took a moment before recognizing what she was holding.

“Is that the drawing we made during med school?”

“Yes. This morning, while you were still sleeping, I was thinking that it was finally time to build the house we dreamed about when we were bored in class,” Derek said, looking directly into Addison’s eyes to see her reaction.

“Oh my God, Derek, are you sure?”

“Of course, Addie. I can’t let you live in the trailer forever, and especially not our little girl. She needs her princess bedroom.”

“Derek, I’m so happy, you can’t imagine! But I have a question—where are we going to build it?”

“On the land I bought. We just need to move the trailer aside, and then the construction can begin.”

“Okay, that sounds good, but what about the next couple of months? What are we going to do when the baby arrives? The house won’t be done in time, and I don’t think I’ll be able to handle a move.”

“Don’t worry, I already thought about that. I was looking at small houses nearby that we could rent, and there’s actually one that could be perfect for us.”

“I’m impressed, Derek. I’m sorry to say this, but I never thought you were capable of all this planning.”

“I’m changing, Addison. Christmas makes you want to be with the people you love,” Derek said, taking Addison’s hands on the table.

Once they were finished, they went straight back to the trailer. Addison was really tired, and she was starting to feel sick—like usual. When they got in, she sat on the edge of the bed. Derek followed her and knelt down to take off her shoes. She loved when he helped her take off her heels because most of the time, he would give her a little massage, helping her relax after spending all day in high heels.

“Oh, you have no idea how good this feels,” Addison sighed, leaning back on the bed.

“Yeah? You feel better?”

“My feet are relieved, but not my stomach. I think I’m going to throw up.”

As Addison said this, she ran straight to the bathroom and threw up. Derek followed her closely and held her hair. He was getting used to it now—she got sick every time she ate a bit too much.

“Okay, let me take you to bed,” Derek said, gently grabbing Addison, who was still dizzy from the vomiting.

“Even the best food in the world doesn’t stay down. That makes me so angry,” Addison muttered, resting her head on her pillow.

“Hey, don’t worry. It will pass.”

“I know, but when? It was supposed to stop last month. I know it’s not as bad as the first three months, but I can’t stand being sick every time I eat.”

“Addison, it’s for a good reason, don’t you think?”

“Yes, but look at me, Derek. I’m miserable.”

“Oh, come on, you’re not. You’re stunning, Addison.” Derek said, playing with Addison’s hair.

Addison laughed and playfully tapped Derek on the arm.

“I mean it, Addison. I’ve never been so crazy about you until now. You’re changing something in me—something that makes me want to be around you forever and love you until eternity.”

“Oh, Der, I love you too. Forever. We’re strong and unstoppable in our love for each other.” Addison whispered, moving closer to Derek and kissing him.

The Next Morning

Derek and Addison were sitting in their chairs, eating breakfast.

“What about Christmas shopping today?” Addison asked, breaking the silence.

“Why not? Yes, we could buy the presents for our families and give them when we see them, or send them.”

“We should probably send them, because they’re probably not going to come here.”

“They’ll definitely have to come in a couple of months,” Derek said, eating a piece of bread.

“Oh, I think only your family will come.”

“Don’t say that. Your parents would be thrilled to come and meet their grandchild.”

“Bizzy would go crazy at the idea of being a grandmother,” Addison said, laughing at the thought of her mother as a grandma.

“You know what? I think I should call my mom and my sisters today to tell them. A Christmas surprise before they get their actual gifts. My mom will be so happy—I definitely have to call her today.”

“Yes, that’s a great idea! She’s going to be so happy to be a grandma again. But if we want to get everything done today, we need to get ready.” Addison said, placing their dishes in the sink.

After that, she went into the bathroom to take her shower. Derek was doing the dishes when he suddenly heard Addison screaming his name.

“DEREK!”

Derek put down the dishes and ran to his wife, who was standing naked in front of the mirror, staring at herself.

“WHAT?” Derek was scared until she turned around, and that’s when he finally understood why she had screamed.

“Look at that! Our little girl is finally showing!” Addison said, tears in her eyes.

“Oh my God, Addison, I can’t believe it! Let me see.”

Derek knelt down, placed his lips on Addison’s small bump, and kissed it.

“Hello, my baby girl. I love you so much already—you can’t even imagine. It’s the best Christmas gift I’ve ever received in my whole life. I can’t wait to meet you.”

Derek kept kissing Addison’s belly as he slowly stood up. Addison was crying from joy, seeing that her little girl was growing and how happy Derek was.

Once he was up, he took Addison in his arms and kissed her deeply.

“Addison, this is the best Christmas gift I’ve ever received.”

“Me too, Der. You being here, with me and the baby—I couldn’t dream of anything more beautiful for our season,” Addison said, placing soft kisses on Derek’s lips.

They stayed like this for a little while until Addison moved and looked at herself in the mirror again. She placed her hands on her belly, and Derek did the same, standing behind her. They stayed like that for over twenty minutes, just enjoying the moment—finally feeling like a family of three, not just two.

After a while, Addison went to take her shower, and Derek continued the dishes. The smiles on their faces weren’t going anywhere today.

In the shopping center

“So, where do we start?” Derek asks Addison.

“What about the presents for your nieces and nephews?” Addison says while going into the toy store.

“Perfect,” Derek says, following Addison.

Once they had bought the presents for all the kids in the family, they still had to get some for the adults, so they went to various shops. When they finished, Derek spotted something and took Addison with him.

“Look, it’s the house I was talking about last night. Come with me, I’ll show it to you.”

Inside the real estate agency, Addison and Derek looked at pictures and descriptions of the house.

“Derek, I think we should schedule a visit. It looks perfect for the transition.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, totally. It’s only for a couple of months, so why not?” Addison says.

Addison and Derek left the shopping center with big smiles on their faces. On their way back to the trailer, they picked up Chinese food for lunch—it was their favorite, and neither of them wanted to cook for Christmas.

Chapter Text

Once they arrived, they ate while chatting about the house. They had scheduled a visit in the following weeks. After eating, they both relaxed on the sofa.

“Addison, I have something for you.”

“Really?”

“Yes, I got you a present. Don’t tell me you thought I wasn’t going to give you one?”

“Well, with the situation, I thought you wouldn’t want to.”

“Addie, I will always have something for you. It’s our season,” Derek says while going into the bedroom and taking out a small envelope. Inside was a ticket for two weeks at a French ski resort.

“Wow, Der, you’re crazy! You shouldn’t have done this,” Addison says while getting up to kiss him tenderly. She was so happy—she loved France and skiing. But with their work, when would they go? “We’re never going to be able to go; with work, it’s too complicated.”

“Don’t worry about that. Richard is okay with both of us leaving.”

“No way! Really? But when?”

“We’re leaving tomorrow morning,” Derek says with a big smile.

“WHAT? Tomorrow morning? But I have nothing ready and nothing appropriate to wear!” Addison says, starting to panic. She couldn’t go without warm clothes.

“Don’t worry about that. I’ve planned everything. You just need to come with me tomorrow. You have nothing to worry about. Everything’s waiting for us there. Just bring a carry-on suitcase with the essentials.”

“Derek, you’re crazy! How can I thank you? My gift seems so small compared to this,” Addison says with a big smile, hardly believing that Derek had given her such an extravagant present—it wasn’t in his habit to do so.

“Addison, no gift can compare to the one you’re giving me,” Derek says while placing his hands on Addison’s belly. “This is already the best gift I could ever receive.” He kisses her tenderly.

“No really, my gifts are so boring next to this,” Addison says while going into the room to get the presents.

Addison hands Derek the gifts with a bright smile. He opened the first one and saw three expensive shirts.

“Thank you, baby,” he says while looking Addison in the eyes.

“Open the others,” Addison says, pointing at the two other gifts.

Derek opened the second one, and inside he found two new pants that went perfectly with the shirts. Derek was really happy. Addison knew that Derek preferred clothes as gifts rather than small things he didn’t necessarily have a use for.

“Okay, so the last gift is pretty different from the others.”

“What is it?” Derek tries to shake it but hears nothing.

Derek opens it and immediately feels touched. Addison had given him a Hermès bracelet.

“Wow, Addison, you shouldn’t have done this. It’s too much; it’s beautiful. Thank you.” As he says this, he kisses her deeply. Addison returns the kiss.

Later in the afternoon, Derek and Addison were preparing their cabin suitcases for the next day.

“Do I have to be scared of what clothes you prepared for me?” Addison asks while putting her makeup in her suitcase.

“No, don’t worry, Addie. The outfits are perfect for you. They’ll look incredible on you,” Derek says, smiling widely. He had planned some surprises for both of them that Addison wasn’t aware of.

“Oh shit, I forgot to call my mom! I have to do it now before it’s too late,” Derek says while grabbing his phone. “Can you get me the picture of the baby so I can send it to her at the same time?”

Addison went into the kitchen, took the picture that was on the fridge, and gave it to Derek, who took a photo of it.

“Merry Christmas, Mom!”

“Hello, darling! Merry Christmas to you too. How are you?”

“I’m doing good, and you? What have you done today?”

“All your sisters and their families came today. We spent lunch here at the house. We missed you.”

“Well, we missed you too. But how is everyone?”

“They’re doing good. Nothing alarming to say—you know your sisters.”

“Oh yes, I clearly do,” Derek says, laughing a bit.

“Derek, are you alright? Is everything good between you and Addison?”

“Yes, Mom, I’m better than ever. We are doing great,” Derek says while looking at Addison, who comes near him to give him a little cuddle from behind. “Speaking of Addison, she’s right here with me.”

“Hello, Caroline. Merry Christmas!”

“Thank you, Addison. You too! How are you doing?”

“I’m doing good, and you?”

“I’ve had better days, but it’s okay.”

“Mom,” Derek says, “there’s something we need to talk to you about.”

“What is it, Derek? Something wrong?”

“No, no, not at all. It’s something good—”

Caroline cuts him off, “You’re coming back to New York?”

“Not for now, no, but I think we will come for a little trip and bring you all your presents.”

“Then what is it you have to tell me?”

“Okay, look at the picture I just sent you.” Derek smiles brightly at Addison, excited to tell his mom.

“Oh my God, Derek! You’re having a baby?”

“Yes, Mom, we’re going to have a baby.”

“Addison, how far along are you?”

“A little more than four months,” Addison says.

“Wow, you two were still in New York when you found out.”

“Well, yes and no,” Derek says.

“Derek, it is your baby, isn’t it?”

“Hey, Mom, of course, it is my baby,” Derek says as Addison starts to pull away from him.

“How can you be so sure about that?”

“Mom, I just know,” Derek says, looking at Addison, who suddenly feels guilty.

“Okay, okay, but really, Derek, when the baby is born, you should do a paternity test. You might be surprised.”

“Mom, stop. Either you’re happy for us, or you’re not, so just keep quiet,” Derek says firmly.

“No, no, honey, I’m so happy for you! You were meant to be a dad. I’m going to be a grandmother again. It’s just… can’t I have doubts?”

“You know what, Mom? I’ll call you back. Bye.” Derek hangs up.

He turns to Addison, who is sitting on the bed with her hands covering her face, crying.

“Addie, don’t cry.” Derek goes to her and tries to put his hands on her back, but she moves away from his touch.

“She never liked me. And now, I’m the stupid bitch who cheated on her husband, and everyone will think that it’s not your baby,” Addison sobs. “Oh, and these stupid hormones. I’m crying all the time.”

“Come here, Addie,” Derek takes Addison in his arms and tries to calm her. “That’s not true, and you know it, she likes you.”

“Come on Derek, if she had liked me, she would have never talked about this,” Addison says, crying. “I’m sure you think exactly the same thing as her. You can’t be a hundred percent sure that it’s not Mark’s baby. What if I had sex with him more than once?”

“Addison, what are you trying to tell me? It is my baby, right? You’re scaring me.”

“See? You think exactly the same as her.”

“Addie, please calm down. I need you to relax, you’re hyperventilating, it’s not good for the baby.” Derek is worried about what’s going on, he doesn’t know what to do, he’s confused about everything now.

“Oh Derek, don’t talk to me about what’s good for the baby, I know,” Addison says, getting up to go out. Derek runs after her and takes her arms in his hands to block her from the exit.

“Derek, leave me alone, I need a breath of fresh air. With everything going on, I don’t want to scream right now,” Addison is still crying and trying to pull away from him.

“Oh no, you’re not going anywhere, it’s too dangerous. It’s cold outside, and it’s getting darker, something could happen to you, and I’ll never forgive myself for letting you go. So you stay here with me. If you want fresh air, you’ll get it tomorrow at the ski resort. Now you need to calm down, Addison, you’re scaring me,” Derek says, getting a bit angry at all this drama.

“I’m not going with you tomorrow. The slut doesn’t want to come.”

“Addison, stop, this is stupid. You’re not a slut, you’re my wife, the most perfect wife. Okay, we had some troubles, but that’s in the past. We’re moving forward, not backward. We need to focus on the future. We’re going to be parents, of the most beautiful little girl.” Derek lifts Addison’s head to focus on her eyes.

“Derek, everyone will think that it’s an adulterous child,” Addison says, now calming down a bit. She’s stopped crying.

“We don’t care about what people think, it’ll be just the three of us. We’re the only ones who know the truth. Let people think what they want. Our family will be our strength. Nothing can break us anymore. Look how far we’ve already come. Okay, we’re not the best example of the perfect married couple, but who doesn’t make mistakes? We love each other, right? Even if we thought that we were not meant to be together anymore, the universe brought us back together and with it, this little miracle you’re carrying. We were at an impasse back in New York. We needed to think about what was happening between us, we needed some change. But that doesn’t fit us. We’re Addison and Derek.”

“Thank you for saying this. I’m sorry, Derek, for making all this mess. With the pregnancy and everything going on, my hormones are driving me crazy,” Addison kisses Derek on the lips to apologize.

“Don’t be sorry, Addison. I’m part of that. I wasn’t able to see that I was losing my wife by not being present for her. I’m the cause of this mess. I put you aside, and this is what it’s cost us. Things will never be the same, I’ll never put you second after everything. You’re the most important person I know. You know me by heart. How could I have felt like I didn’t need you anymore? You’re the love of my life.”

Addison is crying again after what Derek said.

“Derek, I love you so much. How could we have been so stupid? We need to communicate more often like this. It helps us. Don’t you think?”

“Yes, definitely. From now on, we need to tell each other what’s wrong and what makes us angry.”

“Yes, we clearly have to, even if it’s painful. We have to do it.”

“So, did you finish packing your stuff?” Derek asks her.

“Well, I didn’t have many things except my makeup and a book. Is there anything else you think I should take?”

“Actually, no, you don’t need anything else. For our last vacation, just the two of us, I’ve planned something big.”

“Oh wow, that’s so nice of you. That’s a great idea. For our health, I think we need some time alone from everything. It’ll be beneficial.”

“Yes, it is. But not only,” Derek says as he leaves the room to order food for the night. She goes into the shower because her makeup is ruined from all the crying. They go to bed after eating because they need to be at the airport early in the morning.

Derek and Addison were relaxing in the first-class lounge at the airport, waiting for their flight. It gave them a moment to unwind before the long journey ahead.

The flight was long, and by the time they landed at the French airport, both Derek and Addison were exhausted. Derek had pre-booked a taxi to take them to the ski resort. The drive to the hotel took about two hours. Addison was laying against Derek, both of them staring out the window, admiring the beautiful snowy landscapes. 

By the time they arrived, it was snowing and already dark, so they couldn’t truly appreciate the view of the resort.

“Bonsoir Madame, bonsoir Monsieur. Que puis-je faire pour vous ?” the hotel receptionist greeted them warmly. Thankfully, Addison had taken French lessons as a child, so she understood perfectly.

“Good evening, we have a reservation under the name Shepherd,” Addison replied.

“yes, you have a private chalet at the foot of the slopes, with your own swimming pool, a ski room, and access to all of the hotel’s services.”

“Wow, that sounds perfect,” Derek said, smiling at Addison.

“I’ll send someone to collect your luggage. Everything you requested is already waiting for you. Here is the key to your chalet. Welcome to L’Alpe d’Huez.”

“Thank you very much. Have a good evening,” Addison said, taking the key.

They took an elevator and then a private shuttle that led them directly to their chalet.

“Derek, this is insane. It’s way too big for just the two of us,” Addison said, amazed as they stepped inside the luxurious chalet.

“Nothing is big enough to represent how much I love you,” Derek said before gently kissing her.

“Thank you, honey. This holiday are going to be perfect,” Addison said, walking deeper into the chalet to explore.

“Hey, look at this!” Derek called out, sampling some of the food that had been prepared for them.

“Oh, French food! The best. Let me try that bread… mmm, how is it even possible to make bread taste this good?” Addison said with her mouth full.

Derek laughed, watching her with amusement. “Slow down, you’re going to choke.”

“But it’s so good, I can’t help myself—it’s the baby who wants it!”

“I think it’s not just the baby,” Derek said, giving her a playful smile.

“Okay, you might be right.” Addison laughed. “What time is it?”

“It’s almost midnight. We should probably get some rest and explore more tomorrow. We don’t want to be too tired to ski,” Derek said, taking her hand and guiding her to their room.

“You’re right. We’ll need energy tomorrow.” She’s says

“Look—everything I ordered for us is already set up in the dressing room,” Derek added as he walked in.

“DEREK?” Addison called out.

“What?”

“You got me lingerie to sleep in? Couldn’t I have something warmer?” she said, holding up a lacy nightie and throwing it in his direction. “I mean, I usually like this stuff, but it’s winter!”

“Don’t be so dramatic. You’ll have me to keep you warm,” Derek said, teasing her. He moved closer and whispered in her ear, “There’s something warm for you that you like… right now.” Addison looked down and realized exactly what he meant.

“I guess now’s a good time to tell you—I’m freezing,” she said, teasing him back with a kiss on the neck. “Let’s try the shower.”

Without saying a word, Derek lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bathroom. It was stunning—spacious, with glass walls enclosing the shower. But for now, they were more interested in each other.

As the warm water poured over them, Addison felt grateful. Derek had planned everything without any help, and everything was perfect. She wanted to show her appreciation. As she undressed him, she kissed his skin gently, feeling how much he was enjoying the moment. Her hands explored his body, making him smirk. They gave in to each other completely, letting passion take over.

Later, they stayed under the warm water, catching their breath.

“Wow, that was—” Addison started to say.

“Totally wild,” Derek interrupted.

After drying off, they crawled into bed. Addison curled up next to Derek, shivering slightly in her thin nightie.

Thanks to the time difference, they slept in until 10 a.m.—something they hadn’t done in ages.

“Derek?” Addison said, slowly waking up.

“Mmm?” he mumbled, still half-asleep.

“I know we’re on vacation, but we should get up and do something—even if it’s tempting to stay in bed all day.”

“You’re right, but we still have time.”

“Oh no, we don’t—look at the clock.”

“What?! It’s past ten? Wow… I haven’t slept like this since I was a kid.”

“Me neither. Must be the jet lag,” Addison said, heading to the bathroom. When she returned from the dressing room, she was dressed in warm clothes.

“You picked great outfits for me,” she said, checking herself out in the mirror and placing her hands on her belly.

“You look perfect,” Derek said, wrapping his arms around her. “I’d better get ready before we miss breakfast—this little girl won’t be happy if we skip a meal.” He kissed Addison on the cheek and headed to the bathroom.

Addison used the moment to explore the chalet. When she reached the living room, the view took her breath away—everything was covered in snow, with skiers gliding right past the windows.

“Derek, look at this view—it’s incredible,” she said as he joined her.

“Wow… it’s even better than the pictures,” Derek said, stunned.

They headed to the hotel breakfast to fuel up for the day ahead.

“So, the receptionist said all our gear is already in the ski room. We just need to change and then… WE’RE READY TO GO SKIIIINNNGGG!” Derek shouted with excitement.

“Calm down, kiddo,” Addison laughed.

“Come on, don’t tell me you’re not excited.”

“I am—but I can control myself. Unlike you.”

“Normally I could too, but I’m just so happy to ski again. When was the last time?”

“Let me think… nine years ago, for my brother’s birthday.”

“Oh yeah! I remember.” Derek started laughing.

“What are you laughing at?”

“I just remembered the last day. We were celebrating for the fifth time at a nightclub, completely drunk, and you suddenly disappeared. We found you on the dance floor, totally in the zone, moving to the music—so sexy by the way. Then I came to dance with you, and you whispered, ‘Baby, I think I’m going to puke,’ and then you vomited on me—right in front of everyone. Thank god Archer doesn’t remember much. Your parents would have freaked out.”

“Oh my god, I’d completely forgotten about that night. It was awful. I felt so sick the next day. You can’t imagine how I miss my younger body,” Addison sighed.

“Trust me, I wasn’t doing much better. But if it makes you feel better, I prefer you now. You’re more beautiful than ever. I can’t get enough of you.”

“Oh really?” Addison smirked. “So if I just do this…” she pulled her shirt down slightly, exposing her chest, “…you’ll lose your mind?”

The look in Derek’s eyes told her everything. They ended up in the living room, undressing each other again. Skiing would have to wait.

Finally, they got dressed in their ski gear and stepped outside.

“I missed this feeling—the snow under my skis, the fresh air,” Addison said.

“Me too. And I’m so happy to be here with you,” Derek replied.

“I think we should take it easy today. It’s been a while, and I’m pregnant, so I don’t want to risk falling.”

“Of course. Just tell me if you want to stop or take a break.”

“Deal.”

They started off with a blue slope. Both of them were experienced skiers, but it had been a long time, and safety came first. They made several stops to admire the stunning views and take pictures. The weather was perfect—sunny, with no clouds in sight.

“Why did we wait so long to come here? It’s beautiful,” Addison said.

“Maybe because we’re two world-class surgeons who never take time off—unless you tell the Chief of Surgery, who happens to be a close family friend, that we need time away before the baby arrives,” Derek said with a sheepish grin.

“You told Richard about the baby?”

“Well… kind of. Sorry. But I knew he’d let us go if it was for our relationship and the baby.”

“It’s okay. We should bring him something back as a thank-you.”

“Definitely.”

“So, once we’re done here, maybe we can grab lunch at a restaurant and try the hotel spa this afternoon?” Addison suggested.

“Sounds like a perfect plan,” Derek said.

Addison skied ahead. “Hey! Wait for me!” Derek shouted.

“Admit it—I’m better than you at skiing!” Addison teased as she glided down the slope.

“We’ll see about that—give me a few days, and I’ll be flying past you!” Derek shouted back, laughing as he chased after her.

Once they arrived, they went straight to the restaurant and ordered food. The hotel was five stars, so the quality of the food and the service was incredible. After eating, they went back to the chalet and booked a couples’ massage for later in the afternoon. For now, they were just going to enjoy each other’s company on the sofa in the living room. Skiing had taken so much energy out of them—they were really tired.

“We should get ready for the spa,” Addison said to him.

“We don’t need much time to get ready. We just need to put on our swimsuits and grab a towel.”

“You’re right, so that means I have time for a nap.” Addison said as she laid herself on Derek and rested her hand on her belly. It had become a habit for Addison—a gesture of protection.

Derek placed a hand on Addison’s back, made gentle circular motions, and kissed the top of her head.

It didn’t take long before Addison fell asleep. Derek noticed, and took the opportunity to gently touch her belly and feel the baby.

“Hey, little princess, it’s me—Dada,” Derek whispered, not wanting to wake Addison. “I love you so much, you can’t even imagine. I can’t wait to see you. I’m sure you’ll be the most beautiful baby, and you’ll grow up just like your mama. You know, your mama is the most beautiful and kindest woman in the world. You’re going to have the best mom. She’s a hero—she saves babies just like you for a living.”

Derek paused, simply resting his hand on her belly for 15 minutes. Then he continued, “Baby girl, I’m so sorry for the pain I caused your mom and you. I shouldn’t have left. I wasn’t there when she needed me the most. But things are changing now. I’ll never leave you or your mom again. It’ll be just the three of us, in our home, and no one will ever break us apart.”

Derek leaned down to kiss Addison’s belly. Addison was sleeping deeply—she didn’t even stir.

“What do you think about Julia? Do you like it? I think it would be perfect for you,” he whispered, kissing her belly again.

This time, Addison felt it and slowly woke up.

“What are you doing?” she asked, struggling to keep her eyes open.

“Just talking to my baby girl. She deserves some time with her dad,” Derek said, gently squeezing Addison’s hand.

“You’re already conspiring with her about her mom.”

“Oh no, not at all. I told her she was going to have the best mom in the world. I told her we’d be there for her all her life, that I was already crazy about her, and that I couldn’t wait for her to come into the world.”

“You’re going to be the best dad too. You were meant to be one. But for now, she still needs to wait.”

“Did you hear that, baby? You need to stay in there a while longer. Don’t listen to your dad—don’t come out yet,” Addison said, smiling at her belly and gently caressing it.

“I was thinking about Julia for her name,” Derek said, looking at her.

“Oh, that’s a really beautiful name. But what about Hanna? I really like that one too.”

“That’s a good one yeah. You know what? Let’s make a list and argue about all the possibilities.”

“Yes! Let’s do that,” Addison said as she got up and grabbed a piece of paper and two pens. “Okay, you write the names you like and I’ll write mine.”

Addison and Derek made their lists. Seven names were written down.

“So you wrote Maria, Carla, Donna, Mandy, and Julia. I wrote Hanna and Isabella”

They voted, and the top two names on the list were Isabella and Julia. They decided to keep those names in mind until the baby was born. It was now time to head to the spa for their massage.

“Bonjour Madame, Bonjour Monsieur,” the receptionist greeted them in French.

“Hello, madame. We have a reservation for a massage,” Addison said.

“Okay, yes. Follow me.”

Derek and Addison followed the receptionist to the room where they met their massage therapists.

“Here you go—I’ll leave you in Lucas and Gabrielle’s hands.”

Addison turned to Derek with a big smile. That name—it was perfect. Gabrielle. It would be the perfect name for her daughter.

After their massage, Derek and Addison returned to the chalet.

“Derek, we need to call her Gabrielle. It’s perfect. A French name—it’s perfect.”

“I was about to say the exact same thing. I really like that name.”

“I think we’ve found her name,” Addison said, placing her hands on her belly and looking into Derek’s eyes.

He leaned in and kissed her tenderly on the lips.

After a couple of hours, they were ready to go out for dinner and discover the resort.

The receptionist told them about a mountain restaurant where you go inside with a snow groomer because it’s located on the slopes.

Derek and Addison were enjoying their evening. The restaurant was good — French food was one of their favorites, so they really enjoyed their meal.

“Wow, that was really fun. The two rides were great. I liked that restaurant,” Addison said.

“Yes, it was so cool. I’d never been on a snow groomer before. It’s really big and powerful — I like it.”

They decided to walk back to the hotel; after everything they ate, a little walk wasn’t so bad.

“Oh wow, look at that, Derek,” Addison said, pointing at something in front of them. There was a little square with a really big tree, lights, and no people. They were alone.

“Let’s take a photo of us,” Derek said. He took his camera, and they both went under the lights and in front of the tree.

Derek placed the camera on a small wall and started the countdown.

He took Addison in his arms and put his hands on her belly, while she placed hers over his and looked into his eyes with a bright and shiny smile.

“Thank you, honey, for everything,” Addison said, putting both her hands on his cheeks and kissing him gently on the lips. “I still can’t believe that we’re going to be parents. A little person will call us mom and dad. I thought we were never going to be able to have children — you were the only person I ever wanted to have kids with, but we never had the time. And now, it’s finally coming true.”

“Addie, don’t thank me. I’m just doing my job.”

“What job?”

“Making my wife happy,” Derek said, kissing her. “The only kids I want are yours, no one else’s.”

They stayed like that for twenty minutes before going back to the hotel and falling asleep.

Chapter Text

For the next couple of days, they skied, explored the resort, shopped, and ate really well.

One day, they went sled dogging — it was amazing. Another day, they visited an ice cave; they visited an ice cave; they had never seen anything so beautiful. They even went ice skating. Their holiday was perfect, and they knew they would never forget it.

For their last day at the resort, they wanted to stay in the chalet all day. They wanted to enjoy each other, take some time for themselves — even if they had plenty of time, tomorrow would be different.

They stayed in bed all day. They eventually got up to eat in the kitchen, and then went right back to bed.

“I can’t believe it’s already over,” Derek said.

“Yeah, me neither. It was really nice to spend time alone, just the two of us. Far from everything and everyone. It was magical. I don’t want to go back — we’re so good here, in this bed,” Addison said as she snuggled up to Derek.

“Me too. But we still have some time left,” Derek replied, gently making little circular motions on Addison’s head.

“Babe, you know we have to pack our stuff — we’re leaving tonight, in less than six hours,” Addison said, looking at Derek.

“That’s why we need to be quick.”

As Derek said this, he lifted Addison on top of him and took off her shirt. She was already naked underneath. “You’re beautiful, Addie.”

Addison laughed and bent down to kiss him deeply. Derek didn’t take long to start moving, and once they were both near their climax, Addison let out a pained scream.

“Ouch, Derek,” she said, looking into his eyes.

“Sorry, baby, I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he said, a bit worried. He hadn’t done anything rough, so he just slowed down.

“No, no, don’t worry. Keep going. It was just a weird sensation,” she said, turning them so she was now underneath him.

Everything was okay until Addison felt another strange sensation.

“Okay, Der, stop.”

As she said this, Derek made a confused face. Why stop now, right when they were at the peak?

“What? Why?” he asked, frustrated.

“I think the baby is kicking me.”

As she said this, she felt another strange movement inside her — one she had never felt before. She took Derek’s hands and placed them on her belly. “See? Can you feel it?”

She was so happy — she was finally able to feel their baby.

“Oh my god, yes!” Derek shouted when he felt another kick. “That’s crazy. I can’t believe it.” He was so happy, he kissed Addison.

“Hey baby girl, it’s your mama — show us again what you’re capable of,” Addison said, caressing her belly.

“Yes, come on, my little girl,” Derek said, kissing Addison’s belly.

They waited for five minutes, and then another little bump appeared.

“Oh wow, I can’t believe it,” Derek said, kissing her belly again.

“Me neither, that’s amazing.”

As she said this, she took Derek’s cheeks in her hands and kissed him deeply.

“Now baby, we’re sorry, but Mommy and Daddy need to finish and celebrate something.”

She turned them over — she was now on top, laughing.

“You’re unbelievable,” Derek said, laughing too. “But you’re not wrong. Where were we again?” he added with a playful look.

“Let me show you,” she said, taking the lead.

Once they were on the plane, Addison was exhausted.

“Der, it was magical. Thank you so much again. It’s been the best trip we ever took—”

He kissed her on the lips.

“Yes, it was the best. We should do this more often. Take two weeks off — with Richard’s approval of course. But look how amazing it was. And next time, we’ll be three. We could show our daughter different cultures and countries. It’ll be perfect for her development.”

“Yes, it’ll be perfect for her education,” she said, resting her head on his arm, trying to find a good sleeping position.

When they got back to the trailer, it was 9 a.m. They were exhausted from the flight, but today they had a house visit scheduled — one they’d arranged last time they were in Seattle.

“Babe, remember we have to be at the house in two hours!” Derek reminded his wife.

“Oh yes, I almost forgot it was today. We should get ready.”

“Go first in the shower, I’ll start unpacking.”

He went into the kitchen to serve two glasses of water.

“But first — here, you should drink some water.”

“Yes, thank you, babe,” she said, taking off her clothes and drinking the water.

After they finished showering and unpacking, they were finally ready to go.

Once the visit was over, Addison and Derek were thrilled.

The house was perfect for this transition in their lives — it had a pool, three bedrooms each with its own bathroom, a spacious kitchen, and a cozy living room. There was even a garage and a reading nook.

“Oh Derek, the house is perfect. I can’t believe that in three weeks we’ll be living here,” she said, eyes shining.

“Yes, it is. But Addie — it’s still not as good as the one we’re going to build — our dream house,” he said, hugging her from behind.

They were back on the land next to the trailer. They stopped for a few minutes, imagining the future.

“When does construction begin?” she asked.

“In less than a month. The first workers will start on the foundation.”

“I can’t wait. But first, we need to move out of the trailer and into our new home.”

Back in the trailer, they went straight to bed. The flight and the visit had drained them.

The next day was their last day off. They wanted to take a relaxing walk around the lake.

“Addie, wake up, honey,” Derek whispered, not wanting to startle her.

“For our last day, I thought we could go walk near the lake. It’ll be nice.”

“Okay, yes. But let me sleep a little more. The trip really wore me out,” she said, placing a hand on his face.

“Of course, sleep a bit more. We’ve got time.”

When Addison woke up, it was past 11 a.m. She went straight to the sofa to join Derek.

“Hey, sleeping beauty. How’d you sleep?” he said, opening his arms for her.

“You have no idea how much I needed that. The trip and the visit really wore me out. Thanks for letting me sleep, babe. What about you? When did you wake up?”

“Three hours ago,” he replied with a smile.

“Wow, you didn’t sleep much. Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine. I just don’t need as much sleep as you do.”

“The baby makes me really tired. I need more sleep than usual to stay in shape.”

“How is she doing?” he asked, putting his hand on her belly.

“She’s good. Still moving a bit. It’s such a strange sensation — but I kind of like it,” she said, caressing her belly with his hand over hers.

“I’m glad to hear that. I can imagine it must be weird — no one’s really prepared for it until they feel it for the first time.”

He kissed the top of her head.

“So… do you want to go for that walk?”

“Yes, definitely. Just let me take a quick shower, then we’ll go. Okay?”

“Perfect. I’ll wait here,” he said, pointing to the bed.

But after 30 minutes, Derek began to worry. There was no sound just the sound of water pouring from the bathroom. So he knocked.

“Addie, are you okay?”

No response. He went in.

She was sitting on the floor of the shower, water pouring over her, arms wrapped around her knees, staring at her feet.

“Addie, honey, what’s going on?”

He sat down next to the shower.

She didn’t answer.

“Babe, tell me what’s wrong. Is it the baby? Are you hurt? Do I need to take you to the hospital?”

“No, no, I’m alright. It’s nothing. Don’t worry, I’m coming,” she said — crying. He could hear it in her voice.

“No, I’m not going anywhere until you tell me why you’re crying.”

“But I’m fine, really. Go — it’s just the hormones. I’m fine, it’ll pass,” she said, finally looking at him.

It had been a long time since Derek had seen her like this.

Without hesitation, he climbed into the shower, soaking his clothes, and pulled her into his arms.

She couldn’t hold back anymore. The tears came in waves. She curled up against him and sobbed.

Derek said nothing. He held her in a big embrace and didn’t let go until she felt a bit better. Fifteen minutes passed before she could finally calm down.

“Der…”

“Yes, Addie?”

“I’m so sorry.”

“For what, baby?”

“For this. For you seeing me like this. You shouldn’t have to.”

“Addison, you’re my wife. Of course I can see you like this. My love for you will never change. You don’t have to be afraid to cry in front of me.”

“But I look so vulnerable.”

“You’re not. I love you.”

He kissed her gently.

“I love you too.”

She placed a hand on his cheek, looking into his eyes.

“Derek, I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t here. If you had left, I don’t think I would have kept the baby. Being a single mom — raising a child who’d never meet their father — would’ve been too painful. I’m scared, Derek. I’m scared of being a bad mom like mine was. Scared of losing everything and everyone I love. I want this baby to be happy and to have the best mom — but what if I’m terrible? What if she doesn’t like me?”

“Addison, you’re going to be the best mom. She already loves us — I promise.”

“But what if she doesn’t? What if we mess up? What if she grows up and thinks we’re the worst parents ever — like I do with mine?”

“Then we’ll face it together. We’ll support each other. Our love will be our strength. And our kids will love us because we’ll love them — always.”

“You’re right. I love Jade so much already, and I don’t even know her yet. I just couldn’t bear it if she hated me one day.”

“If we’re monsters, it’ll be for her own good. Someday, she’ll understand. But for now, let’s just focus on her growing healthy and strong, okay? We have time.”

“Okay. You’re right. Thank you, honey. Thanks for staying.”

“You don’t need to thank me, Addison. It’s normal to support the person you love.”

“So… what about we get out of the shower and get ready for that walk?” she asked, trying to stand.

“Yes, let’s go.”

He took her hand and helped her up.

Together, they stepped out of the shower, got dressed, and walked outside into the cold air.

They were walking through the forest when Derek turned to Addison and said he was hungry. Luckily, they had brought some food with them.

“Look, let’s stop here,” he said, pointing at a rock where they could sit comfortably.

They sat down and unwrapped their little sandwiches, they really enjoyed the meal. Once they were finished they decided to get back on their feet and continue walking.

“I can’t believe we’re going back to work tomorrow,” Addison said. “It feels like it’s been forever since we were last in the hospital.”

“I know, right? It’ll be good to see everyone again. I’m sure they missed us,” Derek replied with a laugh.

“Oh, they’re definitely missing you,” Addison laughed back.

When they reached the lake, Derek sat down on the grass and waved for Addison to join him.

“I can’t get enough of this view,” she said as she settled beside him. “It’s so beautiful.”

“It really is,” he nodded. “Deep down, I knew you’d love it—even if it’s so different from the life we had before.”

“I do. It’s a big change, but it’s a good one.”

They stayed by the lake for over an hour, quietly watching the water, the animals, and the occasional fish jumping from the surface. They were completely alone, surrounded only by the peaceful sounds of nature. It was calm, serene—until the air turned chilly, and they realized it was time to head back

Chapter Text

Their first day back into the hospital went good; it was exactly the same as before they left; nothing had changed, except that now everyone in the hospital saw how Addison had changed and how pregnant she was. Gossip started to flow all the way through hospital; everybody knew about Derek and Addison getting a child together.

Later in the day, Addison and Derek were back into the trailer.

“So, what a day,” Derek says to his wife.

“I know, now everybody knows about Jade. Most people were good with me today, I don’t get why because when we left everybody hated me and now that I’m pregnant they kind of appreciate me. It’s nonsense.”

“They just understand that you were a good person, and that they were wrong to be rude to you before.”

“Yeah, that must be a reason but I think it’s because they just want to know everything about the baby to gossip more in the hospital.”

“Yes, part of it too. But they won’t know until she’s born,” he says to her.

“Oh yes, we stay quiet until the birth, I don’t want the whole hospital to know that we are going to have a daughter who will be named Jade,” Addison says to Derek as she starts to get undressed and put on her nighty clothes.

“Yes, I totally agree with you, nobody should know.”

Derek and Addison were both ready for bed when Addison turned to cuddle Derek and get comfy with him to sleep.

For the two following weeks everything was coming back to normal for Addison and Derek, they had finally moved into the house and everything was finally settled; for now it was their new HOME. They were so happy about that but particularly Addison. The only thing that they didn’t prepare in the house was the nursery but it’s ok they’re not late, they actually planned a day to go into stores to get the stuff for the baby.

One morning Addison and Derek went to work and it was not a simple day because something not so joyful happened.

Early in the morning Dr. Burke and Richard were watching the board of surgeries when Burke said something.

“Quiet board.”

“I know,” Richard says.

“That’s a bad sign.”

“I know that. Don’t you think I know that?” Richard says to Burke when Derek arrived to meet them.

“That a quiet board,” Derek says.

Richard groans.

“Is he in a bad mood?” Derek asks Burke.

“Quiet board.”

“He hates quiet board,” Derek says to him.

“I can hear you talk about me,” Richard says.

“We’re saying…” Burke says when he got cut by Richard.

“A quiet board means trouble. A quiet board is death. A quiet board bodes bad news. And stop looking at me like that.” And as soon as Richard finished the three of them went back to their journey.

“Hey. What are you doing?” Addison asks Derek.

“Waiting for it to pass,” he says to her.

“For what to pass?”

“This day, I have a feeling, and not a good one,” he says to her as he leaves.

An interesting case arrived at the hospital: James Carlson, age 46. Paramedics found him unconscious and bleeding. Mechanisms of injury are unknown, but he has a large sucking chest wound. And a wife with very healthy lungs. And a paramedic has her hand inside the man, Christina says to Dr. Burke.

Yes, the board was quiet but it was not the case for Addison who was dealing with Dr. Bailey who came back because she was in labor.

O’Malley and Richard were posted next to the door of the room when Derek arrived to give a paper for Addison to the nurse.

“Hey guys,” Derek smiled to the men. “Would you, uh, give this to Dr. Shepherd?” He says this as he handed the fill to the nurse. “Thanks. What’s going on?”

“Bailey’s in there,” George says.

“Oh, Bailey’s back? That’s excellent.” And as he says this he came closer to the door and watched inside the room from the window. “And her cervix is being examined by my wife, which is a visual I’ll never get out of my head. Thanks for the warning.” As he says this he turned around not wanting to look anymore.

“Well… A gathering of men outside the delivery room. How mid-century of you,” Addison says as she got out of the room.

“Say hi to Bailey for me,” Derek says this to her as he gives her a little kiss on the cheek.

“Hm.”

After that Derek left because he got a page.

“How is she doing?” Richard asks.

“Taking it like a woman. Six centimeters dilated, 50 percent effaced, and refusing pain meds, which I think is stupid but I’m not in labor, so…” As she says this she left the two men standing outside the room.

Derek’s pager was about a car accident, and the man was in a very critical position, but the man in question was no other than Bailey’s husband, so they directly went into an OR. Near their OR there was the surgery of James Carlson who was beginning.

Derek and Burke were in the scrub room when Addison met them.

“Hey, you got Dr. Bailey’s husband on the table?” Addison asks Derek.

“Bailey’s husband is going into surgery?” Preston said.

“Got into a car accident trying to get to the hospital before the birth.” Derek said.

“What do we tell Bailey?” she asks.

“Nothing,” Derek says. “Let’s just wait until I get in there and see how bad the damage is.” As he says this, Addison ties his mask like she used to do back in New York. “Have something concrete to say.”

“Yeah, no use upsetting her until we know,” she said. “Okay, keep me posted.”

“Okay.”

And with that, she just left and both men were going into their respective OR.

Alex came rushing into Burke’s OR.

“Dr. Burke, I need to speak with you,” Alex said.

“I am in surgery, Karev.”

“You want to talk to me, sir.” Alex said

Preston lifted his head and went to talk with Alex.

“Karev, if you interrupt me, it better be for a…” he was cut off by Alex and couldn’t finish his sentence.

“Was it through and through?” Alex asked.

“What?”

“The wound. Was it through and through?” Alex asks again.

“Not. There’s just an entry, no exit. Why?” Preston didn’t understand why all those questions.

“There is a bomb inside this man” Alex said.

“What? Explain.”

“This man was playing with a bazooka and his friends shot him by accident but they didn’t have an explosion, so it means that the man still has the bomb inside him.”

“Hanna, what do you feel inside of Mr. Carlson?” Burke asks—he wanted to be sure about what Alex just told him. “What is your hand touching?” he asks her.

“What do you mean?” the paramedic said.

“Is your hand touching anything hard? Like metal.”

“Um… I don’t know.”

“Don’t move your hand. Just tell me what you feel.”

“Um, my fingertips are touching something… Kinda hard. Yeah, yeah, definitely.”
“What’s wrong?” she says, starting to panic.

“Hanna, I don’t want you to move, not your hand, not your body. Not an inch,” he says to her.

“Okay. You should know you’re starting to scare me.”

“Don’t be scared. Everything’s going to be fine. Dr. Grey, can you…” He didn’t say anything else before Meredith was coming next to him. “I want you to walk out of this room. Walk, do not run. Go and tell the charge nurse that we have a code black,” he said to her, trying to be as calm as possible.

“I’m sorry. Code black?” She said to him.

“Code black. Tell them that I’m sure. And then tell them to call the bomb squad,” he said to her.

So after that, there were only four people in the OR: Burke, Hanna, the nurse anesthetist, and Meredith.

They wanted to evacuate Derek’s OR, but he refused. He decided to stay because he had an open brain on his table, and this was Bailey’s husband.

When Addison learned there was a Code Black, she was really not in a good state. She started to panic.
O’Malley talked to her in the elevator but she wasn’t in a good mood.

“I don’t like having to lie to Dr. Bailey,” he said to her.

“Now is not the time, Dr. O’Malley.”

“She’d want to know…”

“Not the time.”

“She’d want to know about her husband.”
They’re cut off by George’s pager.

“Code black? What’s a code black?” George asked.

Izzie rushed into the elevator. “Dr. Shepherd, the other Dr. Shepherd wanted me to let you know that Tucker’s bleeding is more extensive than he originally thought. It’s gonna be a few more hours before he has anything concrete to tell Dr. Bailey.”

“Thanks, Stevens.” She was feeling so sick and stressed.

“Dr. Shepherd? What’s a Code Black?” Izzie asked her.

“Just go to your locker room and wait for your resident to give you instructions,” Addison answered.

“We have no resident.”

“What’s goin’ on?” George said.

“Yeah. It’s something bad,” Addison said, looking outside the elevator and seeing all the mess.

When Addison heard about her husband not evacuating the OR, she went directly into the bathroom and vomited, she was feeling so sick. She needed to do something.

After she started to feel a bit better, she got to Bailey’s room to check on her. But she was distant and cold with Bailey.

“Dr. Shepherd?… Where… exactly… is my husband?”

“He’s with my husband.” Addison was near to breaking down, but she had to be strong for Miranda.

Addison left Bailey’s room and went to see the chief.

“Calm down,” Addison said to Richard.

“I have an evacuated OR. A bomb in a body cavity. Two world-class surgeons in harm’s way. A man on a table who may bleed out at any moment. Unless we remove the bomb from his chest, and my favorite resident in labor, who you are now telling me refuses to push. Really? Calm down? You really want to say right now to me, calm down?”

“Ok, don’t calm down.” Addison talked louder than him, she was losing composure.

“Dr. Bailey is scared, sir. It’s a day to be scared.” George came and said that to Richard and Addison. They looked at him and it meant shut up.

“She won’t let me examine her, but from what I can tell, her contractions are 40 seconds apart, and she is refusing to push. The baby could go into distress, and if she doesn’t come out of this, I mean, and soon… then I’m gonna need an OR to do an emergency C-section.”

“I can’t give you an OR, Addie. I don’t have an OR to give. Can’t you convince her to push? Bailey’s rational.”

“She’s not Bailey right now. She’s a woman in labor. Whose husband is in surgery next to a bomb.”

“So is yours.”

“This is about Bailey— I need an OR.”

“I don’t know what to tell you.”

“Look, Richard, we have about an hour to change Bailey’s mind. And then I’m gonna need you to get me an OR. Build me an OR. Find me a helicopter to fly me to any OR in the city. Otherwise, instead of having a baby, she’ll be losing one.” And with that, she just left. She was really angry at Richard.

When George found Addison, he asked her, “Doctor Montgomery-Shepherd, what are we gonna do? I mean, about Doctor Bailey. Can—we drug her?”

“Against her will?” she said.

“No. Well… yes? I mean, can’t we force her to push? If, uh… declare her temporarily insane?”

Addison sighed. She couldn’t hold out anymore, it was too much.

“You want me to declare Miranda Bailey incompetent? Do you think that’ll help? Do you think it’ll make her more inclined? More comfortable giving birth?”

“I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking you—” he couldn’t finish his sentence because Addison just cut him off out of annoyance.

“Do you think I’m not doing everything I can to help her? Do you think I’m just out here because, I don’t know, I’m feeling a little lazy? Just needed a little ‘me’ time?”

“I’m just asking—”

“Stop asking,” Addison screamed, saying this to him, “because no matter what you ask, the answer is I don’t know. I’m doing everything I can. Everything I can? Miranda Bailey’s husband is in mortal danger, actual mortal danger, and there is not a lot I can say to comfort her right now, because there’s not a lot anybody can say to comfort me. I’m doing my best. Dr. Bailey is doing her best. And I need you to do your best. And I need it to be better than standing here asking me the world’s stupidest questions. I don’t know, O’Malley!”
After that, she tried to relax and concentrate to keep her composure.

After a long war, Addison managed to give birth to Bailey’s baby with O’Malley’s help. It was a complicated birth, but now everything was good, except one thing: her husband was not coming back. So she decided to head to Derek’s OR, but when she crossed everyone and got next to Burke’s OR, she saw that Hanna was alone in the OR. She was breathing heavily and shaking; she was so scared and panicked.

“Hey, where is everyone?” Addison asked.

“They left,” she said to Addison. “I think I’m gonna take my hand out now.”

“No, no, you need to wait a bit. The bomb squad’s going to do everything they can soon.” As Addison said this, she went into the OR. When she went in, Meredith saw her and went right after her.

“Dr. Montgomery-Shepherd, what are you doing here?” Meredith asked.

“I needed to see my husband, but then, she was all alone,” Addison said calmly to Meredith.

When they finished, Hanna talked again as they both reached her.

“I’m just going to take it out now. Okay?”

“Come on, Hanna, you can do this,” Meredith said.

“I just want to take it out and be done with it,” Hanna said.

After that, Burke and the bomb squad came in.

Burke told Addison and Meredith to leave — this was getting really dangerous — but both of them told him they weren’t leaving the girl.

“Addison, go with Dylan. You’re pregnant. I don’t want anything to happen to you or the baby, please,” Burke pleading her to go.

“You go with Dylan, I’m not letting this girl be alone,” she said to him.

“Please, Addison. Please, Meredith. You both need to go. We’re taking the lead now.” As Burke said this, the paramedic panicked and put her hand out of the body. Everyone went on the ground, except one.

Addison was now the girl with her hand in the body.

“Addison,” Meredith said.

“What did I do? Oh God,” Addison said, now realizing what she just put herself through.

“Ok, so everybody just stay where they are,” the man said.

Addison kept repeating, “What did I do.”

“So you have a plan, right?” Addison asked with tears threatening. “You’re really gonna get me outta this, right?”

“We’re going to find one,” the bomb squad man said.

After a couple of minutes, the squad guy left and let Addison, Preston, and Meredith alone.

“So, is this the strangest thing that’s ever happened in your OR?” Addison asked.

“I’d have to say that it is,” Preston said.

“Good. Cause I’m very competitive.”

“All best surgeons are,” he said.

When the squad guy came back, the plan was established: Addison had to get out the bomb from the body very carefully in a certain manner.

“Do I have a choice?”

“You have to be ready” Burke said.

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Scalpel” has he said this he saw that Addison was not ready completely. “Addison.”

“The baby. You should save the baby, not me. Derek, I’ll need someone,” she said.

“No. You hear me?” the squad guy said.

“Please make sure he has someone. Make sure to save the baby and not me.”

“Addison, his pressure’s dropping,” Burke said. “Addison.”

“I can’t. No. I can’t. This is crazy. Preston, you’re gonna go. You go. Both of you should go.”

“Nobody’s dying today, Addison.”

“Addison, I want you to look at me,” the squad man said. “Look at me. I know this is bad. And I know that I’m this ass who’s been yelling at you all day. So you pretend that I’m not. You pretend that I’m someone you like. Whatever you need to. But you need to listen to me.”

Addison’s thoughts:

“I’m scared,” she said.

“I know,” Derek said. “You can do this. It’ll be over in a second. You can do this, Addison.”

“Ok.”

“Ok.”

End of thoughts – back in time

“Gently,” the man said to her.

Addison removed the bomb from his body and gave it to the squad man.

“You did good,” he said to her.

The man started to leave by the door very carefully, and Addison went by the door to watch him leave when suddenly the bomb exploded, and in a second, Addison was lying on the floor.

The elevator opened and Derek got out with Preston.
They both looked like heroes when coming out.

Richard spotted Derek and went to talk to him.

“Where is she?” he said, he was scared and worried.

“You had to be a cowboy,” Richard said.

“Where is she?” he kept asking.

Richard didn’t answer, because he didn’t know where the “she” he was asking for was.

“Where is my wife?” Derek sounded more and more scared.

Burke heard him and went to him.

“Don’t tell me nobody told you,” Burke said.

“Told me what?”

“Your wife was the girl with the bomb.” And as Burke said this to him, Derek didn’t wait another minute and ran as fast as he could to get his wife.

When he arrived in the hallway, he saw Addison lying on the floor. She was alive but fragile, so he carried her with Burke’s help and went into a room. Richard followed them as he paged the other OB to see if the baby was okay.

“Addison, are you hurt somewhere?” Derek asked as he held her hands in his.

“No, I’m good. Derek, I’m scared for the baby.”

“Me too, but it’s going to be fine. At least you’re not injured,” he said to her as the doctor came in.

“Ok Addison, you know the procedure. We’re going to run some tests to see if your baby’s good,” the doctor said.

“Yes, we know,” Derek said as he watched his wife while caressing her hair.

Once the ultrasound was finished, Derek and Addison were both alone in the room.

“My God, Addison, I was so scared,” Derek said as he looked at her with tears threatening to fall. “Why were you there? Weren’t you supposed to stay with Dr. Bailey? Look what you put yourself through.” Derek was becoming angry at Addison.

“Not now, please,” Addison said, very fragile and still in shock. She couldn’t deal with an angry Derek. Now the only thing she could do was take a shower.

“Addison, I could have lost the two of you. Can you imagine?”

“I know. But please, can we talk about this later? I need to get rid of everything I have on me now. The baby’s fine that’s all it matters” As she said this, she tried to get up but in vain. She couldn’t, her body was sore from the explosion.

“Let me help you.” Derek calmed down and went next to her and grabbed her to take her into the shower.

“Thanks.”

Derek put Addison on her feet and started showering her — she couldn’t do it alone.

Chapter Text

 They stayed in silence for a couple of minutes until Addison broke the silence.

"I was so scared, Derek. I thought I was going to die." She said without looking at him.

"I know. Addie, you put yourself and the baby in a bad place, but look, the baby's fine, and you look pretty fine too." As he says this, he lifts Addison's chin so that she can look into his eyes.

"I don't know what I was thinking. The girl was all alone, she was trembling with fear, and crying. So when I saw that, I took a look inside the OR to see where the others were, and she told me that they all left, and she was going to take off her hand, so I came into the OR to try to calm her and persuade her to keep her hand inside, but I was too far gone. When she took out her hand, I didn't know what happened to me, and I put my hand as fast as she left it." She pauses a bit before continuing. Derek doesn't say anything; he just lets her talk.

"After that, I started to panic. I don't know what happened to me, why I put my hand inside. That was crazy. I couldn't stop thinking about the baby, you, it was too much, Derek. When they had a plan to take my hand off, I started to panic really bad. I couldn't move my hand, it was really scary, so the bomb squad man told me to think he was someone else that I love, and he made me think that he was the person I love and want to think about."

Derek took out hairs from Addison's face and tucked them behind her ears.

"Derek, you were this person, the person I saw, the person I love the most. The only person I want to spend the rest of my life with. You're the one who convinced me to take my hand off. If something had happened to me, but the baby could be saved, I knew that you would have told her about me and let her know that I loved her so much. I knew how good you were going to be with her even alone."

"Hey, come here," Derek said to her as he took her in his arms.

"But when the bomb exploded, I thought it was the end of everything. Everything went dark when I fell, and then you found me. First, I thought it was finished for me, but when I saw that our girl was good, I knew it was real."

"It is real, Addie. You're here with me and the baby. Here, you can feel me."

Derek took one of her hands. " I'm so sorry I couldn't be here to protect the both of you. If I knew it was you, I would have never taken this long in the OR, and I would have probably lost Bailey's husband just to find you."

"Derek, we're surgeons. We're meant to save people. Even if you put yourself in danger. Only great surgeons are this competitive. Look, today was a tough day. I think we should be back at home. I'm feeling the need to be in bed with the two people I love most." As she says this, she went to peck Derek on the lips and put her hands on her belly. " But first, I think I'll need you again to stitch up my face and my arm. I got hurt during the explosion."

"Yes, I'll do it. Just let me get a look." Derek looked at Addison's forehead and arm.

Once Derek finished showering Addison, he took her some extra scrubs and went back into the exam room.

Derek had stitched Addison on the forehead, on the arms, and even on one leg. When he finished,

both went back to their house, and on their way home, they stopped in a Chinese restaurant that was still open because it was late, very late in the evening, and neither of them ate during this tough day.

Once in the house, Addison went upstairs to change when Derek was in the kitchen waiting for her to eat.

After what felt like an eternity for Derek, Addison was still upstairs.

"Addie, you're okay?" Derek asked loud enough for her to hear.

He waited for two minutes, but no answer was coming from upstairs.

"Addie?" As he says this, he started to go upstairs. She wasn't in their room, she wasn't in their bathroom. Where was she?

"Hey, is everything alright?" He spotted her on the floor of their future baby room.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good, don't worry. I was just looking for something." But as she says this, Derek knew something was not okay. He had known her for more than twenty years.

"Tell me what's on your mind, Addison. I know you. There's something you're not telling me."

"No, it's just that— Derek, if I had lost Jade, I don't know if I would've gotten through her loss. I love her so much already, and just the idea of losing her in the explosion makes me sick." As she says this, tears are now coming out.

"Hey, it's not going to happen anytime soon. Our little girl is a fighter, just like her mother. I already know that she would be just as courageous as you are, and if anything was going wrong today with Jade, we would have faced it together, the both of us. It would've been very difficult and painful, but I'm here for you, Addison, as I'm here for our daughter too, and I know that you're here for me too. Together, we're stronger." As he says this, he just takes Addison in his arms and, without her knowing, he lets a tear fall and whispers to Addison, "Jade is doing good. You saw her. She's healthy, and you too."

She stayed in his embrace for ten minutes until Derek spoke to her again. "We should be getting down to eat, or it's going to be cold." He kissed her tenderly and looked at her.

"Yes, you're right." She said to him.

Derek started to leave the room when Addison called him from behind.

"Derek?"

"Yes, Addie?" He's now facing her.

"Thank you for being here for me even in times like this. You've changed. You're not the same from New York. You care. You see me. Every day you make it more impossible not to fall in love with you more than I'm already. What changed?" Addison says.

"Addison, the time when you were still in New York, I thought that it was the best for the both of us, that everything was coming to an end. I thought that I wasn't in love with you anymore, and the only thing that mattered to me was Meredith, so when you came back, I was so angry because you were here, but then I started to think that you were the only person who could make me feel home, the only person who can make me feel happy again with just a little smile, the only one who knows when I'm not good just with a single look in the eyes. You understand me, you know me like nobody else. So, when you gave me the divorce papers, it's when I got a flashback of us. Do you remember the time when we were on the boat?"

"You mean the boat near my parents' house on the lake?" She says.

"Yes."

"Of course, I remember the time you threw me out of the boat."

"It was so funny. The face you made, I couldn't stop laughing." Derek says this while he looks in the air to remember the scene.

"Of course, I made a face. That day was not a good day, and with that, you threw me in the water."

"Yes, but look, after I joined you in the water and made you laugh, it became one of our best memories together. Moments like this are unforgettable."

"It was only a good memory because the karma got you, but I still don't know how you lost your bathing suit during your jump." Addison says this while laughing.

"I think I can tell you today because it's been a long time since that day."

"What?"

"I did it on purpose."

"AH, I knew it." Addison says that while pointing at Derek.

"Hey, stop pointing at me like that." Derek says this and took Addison's hand in his and took her in his embrace. "Come here." As he says this, he gives Addison a loving kiss on the lips. "That's one of those moments we had together that made me think that you were the woman I love the most and that it would be a total disaster if I had signed these stupid divorce papers. I could have lost the only family I want to be with."

"Thanks, Derek." Addison kisses him on the lips. "The food's definitely going to be cold."

"Definitely, let's go before it's totally frozen."

Addison and Derek made their way into the kitchen to eat. After their little dinner, they directly went to bed. They were really tired; today was a really stressful day.

For the following weeks, everything was back to normal. Addison was entering her sixth month. She was pretty tired because the baby was kicking so much during the nights. It was hard for Addison to sleep. During the day, the surgeries were so long that she couldn't stay on her feet for that much time anymore.

One day during midday, Addison joined Derek in his office.

"Hey, you!" Derek says while looking at her.

"I was thinking about something that would make you very happy."

"Let me guess. You want to have sex in this office?"

"Are you out of your mind, no ! We're not going to have sex in this office."

"Too bad, you would have made me a very happy husband."

"Will you stop wanting me to have sex with you everywhere? I'm supposed to be the one who has hormones on fire, not you.— Anyway, I was going to tell you that I'm going to cut back a little. I'm tired. I can't sleep normally, and I can't do more than 2 surgeries a day anymore."

"Finally, it's going to make you feel so much better. You're going to have so much time to think about you and our little Jade."

"Well, it's not my official maternity leave, but I'll keep working every day. However, my surgeries are more extended. I will not have more than two surgeries a day, and Richard told me that for my and the baby's well-being, I should be able to leave the hospital whenever I need to."

"That is so nice. I'm so happy, Addison. You can't imagine how relaxed it makes me. I'm not going to lie to you, but the last few days made me worried a little. You are so tired, and I don't even know how you manage to get up from bed. I know you don't sleep really well, so you cutting back a little makes me so much relieved."

"I know that's why I'm going to spend more time in the house."

"Yes, totally. By the way, I think we should go out shopping for little Shep's room. We still have nothing prepared."

"Again with that nickname ?"

"Yeah, I like it, and because we're at work, I don't want the nurses to know how we're calling her." Derek says.

"OK, deal. We use this nickname just here."

"Deal." Derek says. "So what do you think about tomorrow afternoon? We're both on day off. Maybe it's the best day to go out shopping."

"Tomorrow afternoon can be great, yes."

"Perfect."

"I'm so happy we're doing this."

"Yeah, me too. I can't wait," Derek says this. "Wait before you go. Tonight, I'm going to be home after you because I'm out for a drink with Preston and Alex."

"Oh, okay. Since when are you friends with Karev?"

"You know, he's pretty funny. The other day, I had lunch with Burke, and he joined us. At first, it was kind of weird because we're attendings to him, but we laughed quite a lot, so we thought that a drink would be good."

"Well, thanks for telling me. I'll certainly be sleeping when you come back."

"I'll try to come back not so late," he says to her.

"Don't worry. Have fun. You know I'm glad you're having friends here to go out with, and it means I can watch romantic movies without you mocking me when I cry."

"Ahahaha, yes." Derek laughs at Addison.

"So enjoy your night. See you later, Der." As she says this, she comes closer to Derek and kisses him deeply on the lips.

"What was that for?" Derek was pretty disoriented after that kiss. It had so much effect on him, and Addison was well aware of that.

"It was for you, thinking that we would ever have sex in this office." And with that, Addison starts to leave Derek's office.

"So badass of you, Addison Shepherd. You know what those kinds of kisses do to me." Derek starts to move uncomfortably on his chair.

Addison was closing the door with a bright, shiny smile on her face. She knew exactly what she was doing. Derek was definitely going to make it worse for her later.

"What am I going to do with that now?"

Derek says, looking in the direction of his pants.

Once the day came to an end, Addison decided to come back to the house. She wanted to eat something that only a pregnant woman would have tried: melon with ketchup. She ate like three pieces of that combo, and after she just ate a yogurt with strawberries, something more common.

When Derek arrived at the bar, only Preston was there, so they got to an empty table and ordered two Scotches.

"So, I heard you had an interesting surgery today." Derek says.

"Yes, the patient arrived by helicopter from Portland. It was pretty intense, but the team and I managed the situation perfectly. The man's out of trouble and—"

"Hello, guys!" Alex came to their table and cut Preston's sentence.

"Hey, Alex, busy day?" Preston asks.

"He was with my wife all day, so I think he had a pretty busy day, learning from the best." Derek laughs at that with Alex and Preston.

"Yes, sorry by the way for being late, but before I left, I was paged because one of the mothers who had a c-section this afternoon was not feeling well, so they paged me."

"Don't worry, I arrived 5 minutes ago. What do you want to drink?" Derek says.

"I'll take a tequila." Alex says.

"With that, I hope you're not working tomorrow." Preston says, laughing.

"No, I don't, and by the way, I saw that both of you too don't either, so that means that tonight we can celebrate." Alex says with a hopeful smile that the two other men would be okay to party tonight.

"What are we celebrating?" Derek asks.

"I don't know?" Preston says.

"Let me think. I'm trying to come up with something." Alex says.

"Ahaha, you're unbelievable." Derek says while laughing at Alex's sentence.

"I know, we are celebrating Derek, who's going to be a father in less than 3 months." Alex says.

"Come on, Alex, we're not going to celebrate this. Thank you for that thought, but no. Find something else." Derek says.

Preston laughs next to them. "Yeah, I'm okay with Derek. We can't celebrate that."

"OK, so what about my first solo c-section? Well, with Dr. Shepherd next to me to control if everything was right, but everything was in control, so she just looked." Alex says this with so much pride; he was really happy.

"OK, that's a better excuse to party." Preston says now looking at Derek. "Now I'm okay with Alex; we can totally party; that's a valuable reason."

"I don't think I can. Addison's at home, and she's pretty tired. I'm a bit worried." Derek says.

"Yeah, she told me that she was cutting back a little." Alex says. "But this afternoon, she also told me that you said to her that we were going out tonight, and she thought that it was really good for you and that we should take advantage of tonight because tomorrow we're not working." Alex says.

"She really told you this ?"

"Yes, she did; I'm not in the process of inventing." He says.

"She told me that too, that you would want to go home with her for an excuse." Preston says.

"No way; she told that too. She's unbelievable. But if she said to you that, well, I think she's okay if I'm not coming back right away." Derek says.

"OK, perfect; I'm so happy now we can party. So who wants another drink?" Alex says.

The two other men look at each other and burst out laughing.

"A bottle of tequila," Preston says.

"Oh my! Tomorrow's going to be painful," Derek says.

As Alex and Preston went to the bartender, Derek stayed at their table and texted Addison.

After Addison ate her yogurt, she decided to head into her bathroom to change into something more comfortable. Tonight, she didn't have to make an effort to look nice—her husband's not here.

So she put on some old joggers and a hoodie that's three times her size, but she's so comfortable in it. Once she went downstairs, she just put on some music and started singing and dancing. Addison was in a phase of her life where she was so happy and content. She was going to have the child she always dreamed about with the man she wanted to have kids with. Her husband was back, and he was even a better husband than before.

She was feeling every beat of the music; she was flying over the song like nothing could happen.

After an hour of singing and dancing, she was cut off by a message from her husband.

"So you were the one who told the guys that we had to celebrate tonight?"

"Yes, I told them that just one drink was not enough."

"You're okay with that? You're sure you don't need me?" Derek says.

"Derek, don't worry. I still know how to take care of myself. Enjoy, because in less than 3 months I doubt you'll be able to go out, come back home late, and completely drunk."

"Yes, you're right. But really, if you need me for anything, let me know, okay?"

"Yes, honey, but don't worry, everything's good. Enjoy!!!"

"Thank you, honey, you know that I love you?!"

"I love you too, Der. See you tomorrow, I'm heading to bed 😘🫶🏼❤️"

"Good night, honey, sleep well. I'll try to be discreet when I come back 😎❤️🥰"

When Derek finished texting Addison, the boys came back with a bottle of tequila, salt, and lime. Tonight was going to be a crazy night.

"Ouch, tomorrow's definitely going to be a hard day," Derek says.

"So, you know the principle of Teq Paf? Salt, tequila, and lime in this order and no other," Alex says to Derek and Preston.

"Hey, kiddo, do I have to remind you that we have 10 more years of experience than you?" Preston says with a big smile, and Derek couldn't stop laughing.

"He's right, we created the Teq Paf," Derek adds.

"That means we have a competition starting. The old men against the kid. What about that? Are you in, grandpas?" Alex says with determination.

"Grandpas? Really? Deal, I'm in," Derek says, now looking at Preston.

"Alex, you're going to regret what you've put yourself through," Preston says.

"Game on," Alex says.

Addison was now in the middle of the bed in a very comfy position, watching a romance movie. After her little concert session, she decided to take a bath and got into bed afterwards.

The movie she was watching was The Age of Adaline.

"Oh no, stupid hormones, I can't stop myself," Addison says, while taking tissues to clean her tears.

Once the crying stopped and the movie was finished, she was now ready to sleep.

"Jade, I think that if you want to sleep tonight, it would be best if it's now, because when your dad gets home it will be like an elephant in a china shop. And tomorrow afternoon we're going shopping for you, so try to sleep. Good night baby." Addison laid her hands on her belly and drifted off to sleep.

The three boys were starting to get a little bit drunk. So they started another game.

"So Derek, would you rather have sex at the Space Needle or on the ferry boat?" Alex says.

"Tough one bro, but I think I'll choose the ferry boat. One day I'll convince Addison to do it," Derek says.

"Ahaha, she's too chic for that," Preston says.

"Think again, she's capable of a lot of things when there's the word 'sex' in a sentence. But first I need to convince her to have sex in my office. —Oh, I shouldn't have said that," Derek says, while putting a hand on his forehead. "She's going to kill me with her bare hands if she knows I told you that."

Preston and Alex couldn't stop laughing.

"I mean, who wouldn't want to have sex in their office?" Alex says.

"Addison doesn't want to, and I don't get why. We already did it quite a lot of times in New York and in Seattle, she just doesn't want to do it," Derek says.

"Thank God I'm drunk and I probably won't remember this conversation, because we're talking about the attending I'll be assigned to for the rest of my life," Alex says, laughing so hard, with Derek and Preston too.

"Yes, thanks to the tequila," Derek says, while raising his glass in the air, waiting for the boys to do the same.

"Let's get another bottle, I'm paying," Derek says.

"YESSSSSSSS!!!!" Alex shouts in the bar.

"Okay good, I'll come back," Derek says.

When Derek came back to the table, Preston was now asking Alex:

"Would you prefer sleep with Nurse Caroline or Nurse Cassidy?"

"Ahaha, you know what? I already had sex with both of them, try something else," Alex says, laughing so hard at this.

"What? Both of them? No way!"

Derek says, surprised by that.

"Yes, and they're not the only ones."

All of the men couldn't stop laughing—they were so drunk, the tequila was definitely working.

They stayed in for 3 more hours until they all decided to leave.

"I hope there are still taxis, because we're definitely not able to drive," Preston says.

"Yes, I just called one for myself," Alex says.

"Perfect, I'll call one," Derek says.

"Hey guys, we should definitely do this more often," Preston says.

"Yes, totallyyyyyyy," Alex says.

"I'll have to be good with my wife for that," Derek says.

"My taxi's here. Thanks again, good night," Alex says.

"Yes, see you Alex," Derek says, waving to him.

Then Preston's taxi arrived.

"Bye Shepherd."

"Burke," Derek says, giving a little gesture to Preston.

Two minutes passed and Derek's taxi arrived.

It's only when Derek got in the front door that he understood how completely drunk he was. He couldn't find the keyhole of the door. He tried so hard to focus his mind and coordinate his hands that after what felt like an eternity, he managed to open the door.

"Honey, I'm home," Derek shouted in the house.

"Oh no, I'm a stupid ass. Why did I say that this loud?" Derek says, with his hands over his mouth.

He went into the kitchen to see if he could eat something—try to eat some leftovers.

"Ohhhh my gosh, I can't believe we have that."

Derek takes one piece of chocolate cake that Addison bought two days ago.

"Mmh, that is so good."

Derek devoured the piece and decided to eat the rest of the cake.

Once he finished the cake, he was feeling sleepy, so he tried to be quiet while getting inside the master bedroom and into their bathroom, but in vain, because when he started taking off his clothes, he heard someone opening the door.

"It's you," Derek says.

"Yes, it's me, Derek," Addison says, while looking at him. "As I can see, your night was good," she asks him.

"Oh yes, definitely. It was so fun and we destroyed Alex at his own game. By the way, I'm sorry but I'm pretty drunk," Derek says, while getting into the shower.

"Thanks for telling me the obvious," Addison laughs, saying this.

"Weren't you sleeping? Did I wake you up?"

"Yes, you did, when you shouted 'honey I'm home'," Addison says, while putting her head next to the glass door to be able to see him.

"Oh yes, so sorry about that too," Derek says.

"Don't worry, I'm not mad. I'm the one who told you to celebrate. So apparently, this is what I get," Addison says.

"Ad, did I ever tell you that I love how your boobs are growing?" Derek says, while looking at her chest.

"No, you didn't," Addison says, still looking at him and laughing. She can see how her husband has no filter when he's under the influence of alcohol. "So, if you like them so much, you better take advantage before your child is the only one touching and sucking them."

"Oh, I doubt that."

And as he says this, he grabs her and takes her into the shower with him.

"Ahaha stop, Derek, you're crazy."

Addison couldn't stop laughing, because as she says this, he started to tickle her.

"Ahah, I won't stop until you can't stand it anymore."

Derek's now tickling her even more than before.

"Stop, stop, Der," Addison says, and to stop him, she licked his face. And after that lick, he stopped tickling her—she was relieved.

"I think I found the stop button."

"Yes you did," Derek says, as he's now looking into Addison's eyes. "Berk, Addison," Derek couldn't stop laughing after that move.

"So I think we should head to bed," Addison says.

"Definitely yes. I don't think I can stay up much longer. It's been a while since I was this drunk. I don't think I'll have a good night's sleep," Derek says, now taking the soap to clean himself as Addison gets out of the shower.

As Addison starts to get undressed, Derek couldn't stop himself from looking at her—he was captivated, and he wasn't really discreet.

"You're staring," Addison says.

"I know. It's just that I can't stop looking at you. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

"Stop it. I look like a whale. Look—I have big hips, huge legs, and don't even get me started about my face. I can't recognize myself in the mirror."

"I really like it. You have better curves and your face makes it impossible for me not to want to kiss you. Just like your ass," Derek says, as he starts to laugh again.

"Oh you really are a man. You think about sex all the time," she says.

"Hey, you can't say that, because you think about it as much as I do."

"Definitely not," she retorts.

"Okay, if you say so," Derek says, as he gets out of the shower. "I need to sleep, I'm really tired."

"Yes, me too. Let's go," Addison says, as she opens the bathroom door.

They're both on the bed. Derek wraps Addison in his arms and puts one of his hands on top of her belly to feel the baby, and with that, they both directly went to sleep.