Title: New Beginnings 1/?
Rating: PG
Pairing: Derek/Addison
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Summary: It starts as a phone call to check on Archer, and thus begins a friendship, one phone call at a time.
You're probably not supposed to be friends with your ex wife he thinks as his fingers hesitate on the keys. This is different though, he tells himself. It's Addison and Derek. Plus, this is just a call to check that Archer's okay. No reason to feel guilty, he thinks. He feels a slight twinge of nerves as his fingers dial the number he knows so well. He clears his throat as he nervously awaits her to pick up.
"Hello Addison Montgomery"
"Hey, its me"
"Hey Derek"
He automatically hears the change in her voice when she realises its him.
"How's Seattle?"
"Same as ever, rainy"
She laughs.
"It's not raining here"
"Well I didn't call to talk about the weather, I called about Archer"
"Did you find something else?"
He detects the note of concern in her voice and quickly dismisses it.
"No, nothing like that, I just wanted to make sure that he was okay, following everything that went on"
"Well, he's back to being Archer, if that's what you mean, every last cheating piece of him"
"So he's back to his usual ways, no sign of anything untoward?"
"You could say that"
He chuckles softly, knowing what she means by 'Archer's usual ways'
"What's he done this time?"
"I caught him kissing another girl, in my house, while Naomi was outside"
Derek inwardly cringes at her words.
"Ouch, does she know?"
"No, and that's not the worst of it, I also caught him post sex"
"With the same girl?"
"No, a different one, Charlotte King, she's his boss"
"And you haven't told Naomi yet?"
"It's not as simple as that"
She pauses to pour herself a glass of wine.
"Addie, she's your best friend"
"Yes, but he's my brother"
"Your brother, who knows exactly what he's doing, and you're letting him get away with it"
"I'm not!"
She exhales, knowing that he's right.
"I'm not advocating what he's doing but tonight we all had a celebratory dinner for him, so I couldn't tell her then"
"You're making excuses"
"I'm not, and I have had him about it"
"What did he say?"
"He said" she pauses, knowing that this will no doubt bring up her cheating.
"He said Montgomery's look the other way"
"I think he's forgetting all those years you spent as a Shepherd"
She laughs, thankful that he didn't bring up Mark.
"Eleven years as a Montgomery Shepherd"
"Still a Shepherd" he counteracts.
She knows he's right. She has to tell Naomi, her loyalty to her brother can only go so far. Plus, what she said to him in the office was true. She spent years covering for her father, and she's not going to do the same for Archer.
"Addie, are you still there?"
After everything, she's surprised he stills calls her by the nickname he gave her all those years ago.
"Yes, sorry I was just thinking about the situation"
"Well I think you need to tell Naomi"
"You're right"
She sighs, knowing to well that this is going to end in tears.
"Do you think she'll be angry that I didn't tell her right away?"
"I think she'll understand how much you love Archer, and you didn't make the decision lightly"
"I hope so too"
"Well, at least we've established that Archer has bounced back from his surgery"
"Hmm...yes, straight back to his old self"
She laughs, as even though she hates him for screwing over her friend she's happy that he came through his illness unscathed.
"Hey Derek"
"Yeah"
"Thanks for talking me through this"
"Any time Addie"
As she she hangs up the phone she feels sure of her decision to tell Naomi, and even though she's divorced from Derek she feels confident that they can move forward, as friends.