I wrote this a few weeks ago and really liked the potential for it. I wrote more for Chapter 1 but it wasn't loading as I guess the file was too large as it let me upload a smaller one. So I've spilt it into two parts. I've also wrote some of chapter 3 but it's not quite finished but there will be more to come. There are major changes in this story compared to what happened in Grey's and in my story Derek never met Meredith Grey in the bar. She will work in the hospital but there will be no relationship between them.
"Daddy?" Derek looked up at his daughter.
"Yes sweetie?" He asked her.
"Ariel looks like mommy and Eric looks like you. I miss mommy. Where is she? Why are we here in Seattle? I want to go home and see mommy."
"Oh my sweet girl. I'm so sorry." Derek sighed and he knew he had no right to keep Addison and their daughter apart. He'd been so angry that he'd taken his daughter and ran off to Seattle with her. He'd got a job at the hospital and Addison had called constantly, but he'd never picked up. Now he knew that he had to call her and let her see her daughter.
"I'm going to call mommy right now and I know she's dying to see you. She's been very busy at work and Daddy got a new job here in Seattle so we moved here first but mommy will be here soon."
"Ok daddy. Can I speak with her before bedtime?"
"I'm sure that will be ok. I'll just call her now."
Derek picked up his phone and called Addison's number. She picked up almost straight away.
"Derek?"
"Hey Addison."
"How could you do this to me? I know what I did was wrong but how could you take our daughter and not even call and let me know how you were or where you were. I'm so furious right now. Please just tell me she's ok."
"She's fine but she's missing you so much. She was watching The Little Mermaid and told me that you looked like Ariel. She wants to speak to you before bed and I said that would be OK."
"Thank you. So where are you?"
"Seattle. I got a job with Richard and we came out here. I know I have no right to keep you away from our daughter and I wouldn't want that no matter what happens with us. She misses you Addison and I'm so sorry for hurting you both by doing this."
"I'm sorry I hurt you both too with what I did. I wish I could take it back but I can't."
"So anyway I guess you want to come out here and see her or do you want me to bring her back to New York?"
"I'll come. Maybe a fresh start in a new city would be a good thing. I mean I'm not expecting you to take me back but I can get a job and somewhere to live and she can see both of us."
"Yeah I.. I like it here and I know she has to see both of us and I didn't want her to travel back and forth. So I would have come back to New York. But it's a great hospital here and I'm sure Richard will offer you a great position."
"Ok well I'll check out some flights. Can I speak to Charlotte now?"
"Of course I'll just go and get her." Derek takes the phone to Charlotte and watches her face light up as he tell her it's her mommy.
"Mommy?" Charlotte asks.
"Hi baby. Oh I've missed you so much."
"Mommy I'm not a baby. I'm 5 but I've missed you so much."
"You're not a baby you're my big girl and you're so smart and beautiful, but you'll always be my baby."
"You're really smart and beautiful too mommy. You're a doctor and you save babies. Do you think I can be a doctor when I grow up?"
"If you want to be honey, but that can be your choice we'd never want you to do something that you don't want to."
"Ok mommy. Well I'm only 5 so I have a lot of time to think about it."
Addison laughed and told her. "Yes right now all you need to concentrate on is school."
"Yes well I'm getting good at reading and sums."
"That's great. Are you going to read a bedtime story with daddy?"
"Yes if you stay on the phone then I can read it to you both. Daddy can put it on speaker so I don't have to hold it." She looks up at her dad.
"Yes that sounds great if that's ok with your dad?"
Derek takes the phone from Charlotte and says "That's fine Addison." He then presses down on the speaker.
"When will you be coming to see me mommy?"
"Well I'm going to check out flights and hopefully I'll be there tomorrow."
"That's great mommy. I don't think you'll like where we live though. We are living in a trailer."
Addison laughed. "Seriously? Well I guess you and your dad can have some fun camping out. I'll be staying in a hotel for now but you can come and visit me and then you can help me choose a house."
"Yay mommy. Can I have a princess bedroom?"
"Of course. We can go and pick whatever you want for your room. So this trailer does it only have one room for everything?"
"Yes and a tiny bathroom. You would hate it mommy."
Addison laughed and Derek couldn't help but laugh along.
"Well I guess your dad really wanted a change huh?"
Derek cuts in. "Well I liked the land and I'm intending to build a house here as its a really beautiful place."
"Great well I'll have to see this to believe it."
"Ok. So are we going to read this story now Charlotte. It's time for bed."
"Yes daddy." Charlotte said then got out her book and started to read. After she'd finished she said goodnight to her parents and after she'd fell asleep, Derek picked up the phone and took it off speaker.
"She's asleep Addison."
"Oh good well I'll check out some flights and I'll let you know what time I'll be there. Shall I come to the hospital?"
"Yes it's Seattle Grace hospital."
"Ok. Derek?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm so sorry about what I did."
"Please Addison. Not tonight. Can we talk when you get here?"
"Ok I wanted to say that. I know we need to talk properly. I'll see you tomorrow, Derek."
"See you tomorrow, Addison."
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The next day Addison had arrived in Seattle. She had called Derek to let him know that she was on her way and he told her that they'd wait by the entrance.
Addison's breath caught in her throat as she saw them standing there. Charlotte saw her and ran into her arms. She picked her daughter up and smothered her with kisses.
"Oh baby. I've missed you so much."
"Me too. I love you mommy." Charlotte tells her.
"I love you too. More than anything else in the world."
Addison puts Charlotte down and they walk over to Derek.
"Hey Derek." She says smiling sadly at him.
"Hi Addison. So I was thinking that we could all go out for lunch?"
"Can we go for pizza?" Charlotte asks.
"If you want to honey. But you've got to eat your vegetables later ok?"
"Ok I actually like them. I just like pizza better." Charlotte told them. She was actually a good eater and ate most things without causing a fuss.
"I know you're a good eater. So we can go for pizza." Derek replied.
"Yeah let's go for pizza." Addison agreed.
Charlotte was busy colouring a picture as they waited for their pizzas. She was drawing a picture of family and a picture of their house with a dog and a baby sister.
"Thank you for calling me yesterday. I was so worried and I didn't want to push you and I wanted to give you time. But I missed Charlotte so much. I missed you too. I'm so sorry and what I did was unforgivable but please don't take it out on Charlotte."
"I won't and she deserves both her parents in her life. This won't just go away and I'm still so angry about what you did. But I know that it wasn't just what you did. Things weren't good between us for over a year and that was my fault too."
Addison gives him a soft smile and then looks down at Charlotte's drawing.
"What have you drawn sweetie?"
"It's a picture of our family and I drew our new house and there's a garden for a dog and room for my baby sister." Charlotte told them.
Addison smiled sadly. "Charlotte you don't have a baby sister but maybe we can get a dog and we can find a lovely house with a garden."
"But you can have a baby soon. It has to be in your tummy and maybe it won't be a sister. I don't mind if I have a brother instead."
Addison looked over at Derek who said. "Charlotte that may not be possible right now sweetie but me and your mom both love you very much."
"Ok daddy. I love you both too."
'Thank you.' Addison mouthed at Derek.
They all ate their pizzas and then they took Charlotte to the park. Then they went on the ferry over to Derek's land.
"Mommy do you like the ferry boats?"
"Yes, Seattle looks beautiful from here."
"I love them too. I think it's one of my favourite things about Seattle. Daddy loves them too." Charlotte said looking over at her dad.
"Yes, I do. You know I have a thing for ferry boats. I even got a ferry boat scrub cap." Derek told them.
Addison smiled softly at him and then looked out into the distance. They had been getting on well today but she knew that it was for Charlotte's sake. She hated that she'd ruined everything between them. She just hoped that they could be civil for their daughters sake.
Derek looked over at Addison and knew that she was a million miles away in her thoughts. She had a sad look on her face. He saw that Charlotte was looking at her mom too and gave her a small smile. Charlotte hugged her mom around her waist.
"I love you mommy. I missed you so much."
Addison looks down at her smiling daughter and gives her a smile. "Oh sweetheart, you're my world and I love you more than anything in this world and I missed you so much too."
xxxx
They reached Derek's land and Addison laughed when she saw the trailer.
"Seriously? This is where you live?" Addison gasped.
"Yes, for now. This is where we live." Derek replies.
"Well the land is beautiful out here." She tells him.
"Yes, well let's go inside and we can make some dinner for Charlotte. Then we can drive you back to the ferry for getting to your hotel. If Charlotte wants to come with you then that's ok with me. I know you've had weeks without her."
"Thanks. Charlotte would you like to come back to the hotel with mommy? We can cuddle up and read some stories together."
"Yes mommy, but what about daddy is he coming too?"
"Daddy's going to stay here in the trailer but you will see him tomorrow."
"But won't he get lonely without us?"
"I guess I could come to the hotel or we could stay here, if that's ok with your mom?" Derek says not being able to resist his daughter's plea to have both her parents.
"I guess we could go to the hotel as I have a suite so there's more room for us all."
"Is there a bath tub? I've missed having a bath."
"Yes Charlotte and it has a Jacuzzi."
"Ooh, Mommy can you paint my nails and do my hair? Daddy is not very good at it."
Addison laughs. "Of course I can."
"Ok so, you've seen the trailer and we're going to the hotel. So shall I make something here for us to eat or at the hotel?"
"Can we go to the hotel, daddy?"
"Sure. I'll just pack us some things."
Derek packed a few things for them in a bag as Charlotte went off to play.
"I'm sorry, Derek. I know this is hard but Charlotte's happiness is the most important thing right now."
"I know. You said you had a suite so I'll sleep on the sofa or little bed and you and Charlotte can sleep in the big bed."
"Good idea. So can we talk properly tonight when she's asleep and work out how we're going to go on from here."
"Yes we can talk later."
xxxxxxx
They were settled in at the hotel and Charlotte had fell asleep. Addison looked over at Derek and then bent down and kissed Charlotte softly on the head. Then she got off the bed and went over to the mini bar to get a glass of wine.
"Do you want something?" She asks Derek.
"A glass of scotch would be great."
She pours their drinks and they sit down at the table.
"I just want to know why you did it, Addison?"
"Derek, I..." She sighs. "It was a huge mistake and it wasn't planned. It just happened. I know that's no excuse, but I felt like we were falling apart and Mark was there comforting me and saying all the right things and I'm so sorry. I know I ruined everything and he was your best friend and I've ruined that forever."
"Well it wasn't just you, he did a pretty great job of ruining our friendship too and by the sounds of it taking advantage of you when you were upset."
"Well it wasn't just him and he wasn't the cause of our marriage falling apart. Not really, that may have been the final straw but we weren't happy for a while. I don't know about you but I've felt us drifting apart for over a year and I wanted you back but you seemed to be spending more and more time at work."
"I'm sorry. I know that I caused problems to our marriage too. It wasn't just what happened with Mark. I just we have to work something out for Charlotte's sake. I don't know if I can get passed all this right now but maybe in time we can try again. But if that happens we need to really work on communication and spending more time with each other and if it doesn't work out then we can't use Charlotte against each other."
"Yes I agree. If I was lucky enough to get another chance with you then I'd be so happy. But I know it will take a lot of work and I don't expect you to forgive me but I still love you Derek so if you can find it in your heart to give me another chance then I promise you that I won't ever do anything like that again."
"I love you too, Addison and I love our daughter and that's why this hurts so much. I want to give us another chance but right now we can spend more time with our daughter and you can get settled here in Seattle and then maybe we can start spending some more time together and try and have a new start."
"Thank you, Derek. Right now that's all I can hope for. So I'll go in and see Richard tomorrow and hopefully I can get a job at the hospital."
"I'm sure you will. Richard loves you and you can do great things here. You're amazing and you can do surgeries that only a few other surgeons in the world can do." Derek tells her.
She smiles at him. "Thanks. You're an amazing surgeon too. In fact you're my favourite."
"Oh really? Well you're mine too. I always feel so proud when I watch you in an OR."
"Me too. We haven't really got a chance to do that lately."
"Yeah so when you have your first surgery here. I promise I'll make time to come and see it unless there's an emergency, and if there is I'll make sure I come and see another surgery."
"Yeah I'll come and see one of your surgeries too. Or if we get a chance to work together."
Derek smiles at her and takes a sip of his scotch.
"So I'm going to go to bed now. Are you working tomorrow? I want to spend the day with Charlotte and go in and see Richard."
"Yes I have a couple of surgeries. It's the holidays as you know so I've been putting Charlotte in the day care but she's getting a bit old for that. We should work out a schedule where we can and maybe get a nanny for when we're both working. I guess we need somewhere to live first though."
"Yeah good idea. We can talk about it tomorrow. I don't mind spending a week or two with her. I've really missed her and I can ask Richard if I can start in a few weeks."
"Great. Well Charlotte will be happy with that. I guess we should find her a school for next term, find a house and a nanny for next year. Wow there's so much we need to do."
"I'll look at some places tomorrow. I don't know if you want to look with me or see the choices. I know you want to build on the land but we do need somewhere now. I mean I'm not pressuring you to move in right away, but if we're trying then I don't want to exclude you from finding a house that we'll both like."
"Yeah I'd like that and you can help me on designing our house. I want it to be a dream home for us all."
"Hmm I'm sure me and Charlotte can come up with some great things for that. Goodnight Derek." She tells him as she goes over to the bed and gets in beside Charlotte.
"Goodnight Addie." He sits there for a while and watches his sleeping girls. Then he goes into the next room and gets into the single bed.
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The next morning Derek's alarm woke them all up. He got up and went to see them.
"Sorry I have to get to work early. You two can go back to sleep for a while if you want?" Derek grins as he watches his daughter turn over and fall back to sleep. It was always hard to wake her even with an alarm as soon as the alarm went off she'd just go back to sleep.
"Well at least she has no trouble getting back to sleep. I'm good at sleeping when I can too, being a doctor and all." Addison tells him.
"Good well. I need to get ready and I'll try and be quiet and you can go back to sleep."
"Ok I'll see you later, Derek."
"See you, Addison."
Addison cuddles up to Charlotte and closes her eyes.
Derek goes to shower and then gets dressed. Before he leaves he goes and kisses Charlotte goodbye. She stirs in her sleep and cuddles into Addison. He smiles sadly and wishes that he could be cuddled up with them, but he was still angry with Addison for what she did and even though he was trying to get along with her for the sake of their daughter, he still wasn't ready for any of that.