"Rain on my hopes, rain on my soul, rain on everything that I know" – Seattle, The Classic Crime
x
They stared at the doctor blankly, their souls deeply shaken by his words. Derek had seen the scans, he knew it was true. But he had just been told he had six months left, and it was shocking. Terrifying. Unbearable.
He glanced at Meredith, sitting lost beside him. In his mind, the consciousness that she wasn't the person he wanted to spend his last six months with was starting to rise.
x
Three days later
She opened the door, and jolted when she saw her ex-husband in front of her and soaking wet.
"Derek... what are you..."
The man thought that she was very kissable in that white dress and without makeup. He leaned forward to kiss her, because he was in a situation where every instant was extremely important and he needed to feel her.
She stared at him as he moved, it all seemed like in slow-motion, and right before their lips touched someone appeared behind Addison. A kid embraced her legs and looked curiously at him.
"He, he is Toby. My son."
Crack. His heart broke, but he didn't feel any pain.
"Oh." their eyes met again, making them shiver in unison.
"My husband is working right now. Do you wanna come in?"
Derek followed her in the house, wagging his hair.
"How old is... are they?" he corrected himself when he saw another child in an highchair.
"Toby's three and Thomas one and a half." she told him proudly, pouring him some wine.
"So, two boys." the man smirked. "You've always wanted a daughter."
"It doesn't matter anymore. I'm happy. Why are you here anyway?"
Derek's smile faded slowly, and he tried to hide his sadness.
He saw death everyday, she was used to it, but living it, feeling it, was a very different story.
"You might want to sit."
Addison didn't say anything and did as he'd told her.
He took out his scans.
"What happened?"
He waited another moment, then handed the envelope to her.
As she eyed it, he saw fear in her eyes.
"They gave me six months. I was going to come and get you, but you have an husband and two sons."
Addison stared at him speechless.
"I don't know what happened Addison... I just realized it was you. It's always been you."
"Mama." Thomas exclaimed happily.
"Yeah baby..." she said weakly.
She took his hand, in silence, and walked to the living room.
"Toby, why don't you go play in your room?" her voice was low and a little broken, as if she was doing her best not to burst into tears.
As soon as the boy ran upstairs and the door was locked, she finally kissed him.
x
Seven months later
"Derek Shepherd was an honest man. He always tried to make things right, to please everybody with his actions. He didn't want the people around him to suffer, and when it was inevitable he did his best to soften it. He was... he was a good man. He was my husband for twelve years and they were some of the best of my life. Of all people... he didn't deserve to die. But now he made Heaven a better place." Addison wiped some tears away as she sat down next to Eric, who was holding their boys. She put a hand on her belly, feeling the baby move. She drew closer to Eric.
x
Alyssa Marianne Rodriguez was exactly like her mother. She had her eyes and her light skin, her charming and loving expression. She was beautiful.
As soon as she found herself alone in her hospital room, Addison ordered a paternity test, making sure to also be alone when the results arrived.
She closed her eyes, sending a grateful prayer to Derek. It was his last gift, giving her a daughter.