I meant to post yesterday, but then I went to Hooters. No joke. I've never been there before on account of this being the only one east of Montreal. Anyway, I kinda loved it. Not even ironically. The food is really good and our waitress was really nice. I'm going to have cravings for deep-fried pickles now. But by the end of the night I was so full I thought I was going to be sick. Between 5 and 10 we went to a candy store and bought big bags of candy, went to Hooters and got onion rings, 2 orders of the pickles, mozza sticks and a huge plate of chili cheese fries, then we went out for sushi, so glad that I didn't drink that day. Could you imagine all that coming up again?

You don't care about that do you? You just care about the story.

Fine.

Read it.

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"Addison."

"Carolyn," Addison squeaked then swallowed hard. "Hi."

"Derek," Carolyn looked at her son.

"Mom," Derek ran his fingers through his hair, "Addison is," he took a deep breath, "Addison is Christopher's mother." He smiled weakly at Addison standing there, staring at the top of Shep's head as she held him close to her and avoided looking elsewhere.

"I see that Derek," Carolyn replied tightly.

Addison glanced first at Derek then at Carolyn, but looked away when she saw the hard glare directed at her.

"Mummy, canth Gamma come to our houth fo' thupper?"

"Supper? At our house?" Addison panicked. She knelt down beside Shep and pressed her palms gently against his cheeks, "How about you spend the whole night with Daddy and Gramma tonight? Won't that be fun?"

"Day theep over?"

"No, they won't sleep over, you'll stay at Daddy's new house. You've been wanting to do that haven't you?"

Shep nodded hesitantly.

"Is that okay with you?" Addison glanced up at Derek.

"We can all go out to dinner," Derek looked over at his mother, "Somewhere neutral."

Addison stood, "I have plans tonight."

Derek shoulders stiffened and he turned to walk around his desk once more, not looking up at Addison, "Then I'll take Christopher for the night and bring him into work with me in the morning."

"I'll get his things together this afternoon," Addison replied formally, "I'll call to say goodnight."

"Bedtime is at 8," Derek acknowledged, "Call around 7:30, that shouldn't disrupt your evening to much."

"Fine," Addison stared in vain at the top of Derek's head hoping he'd look up at her, "I'll drop him off at the end of the day." She reached for Shep's hand, "Come on, Shep. Hazel's waiting for us to go to lunch."

"Shep?" Carolyn asked once the door was closed and Addison and Shep were long gone.

"That's her pet name for Christopher. His middle name is Shepherd. Actually, most people call him Shep."

Carolyn swallowed hard and shook her head with an audible sigh, "Derek, I don't even know what to say to you. Addison? What would possess you too––"

"Don't," he interupted harshly, "Don't. He's my son, it doesn't matter how he got here. Okay?"

"Fine," Carolyn sat down on the couch, "For now. But, we're talking about this Derek. Before I leave."

"And when will that be?" Derek asked dryly.

Carolyn smiled, "I haven't decided yet."

XXXX

"Derek's mother is here."

"Did she know about Shep?" Violet asked as she loaded up Hazel's veggie/tofu dog with mustard and relish.

"She didn't know about me."

"Ah."

Addison sighed, "I should have anticipated this. Somehow when I asked Derek to father my son I failed to consider his mother finding out."

"The first time I met Pete's mother I was 7 month's pregnant. She sat me down and told me about the tradition of naming children after a favorite relative and she thought it would a nice gesture to name my baby after Pete's aunt Mildred, said we could call her Milly."

"She hates me. She's always hated me. I mean the adultery was fair, I deserved that, but she just never liked me," Addison looked at Violet, a bit of the old hurt starting to seep into her eyes, "And now I'm the mother of her only son's only child, "Oh, god," she covered her mouth with her hand, "He doesn't even have Derek's name, he has my name. He can't even carry on the Shepherd name! I have nothing! No defense!"

"You need to calm down. Eat your unidentifiable pig parts."

Addison took a large bite, "I should have stuck to the plan," she said carefully around her food, "When we were first dating we were going to do it the other way around, Montgomery Shepherd. I should have just done that and then she'd like me."

"No, she wouldn't."

"No, she wouldn't," Addison agreed, "Oh and he kissed me again. So clearly… you know… i hate my life."

"You two," Violet turned both kids away and gave them a little push, "Go away. Go… play. He kissed you." she stated once the kids were gone.

"All him. I may have been the kisser yesterday but today I was the kissee."

"Interesting."

"And I'm going out with Jeremy again tonight."

"How does your life get so complicated before noon?"

"I don't know," Addison sighed, "Karma?"

XXXX

"His toothbrush is in the front pocket," Addison instructed, "Make sure he brushes for at least 2 minutes. And make sure he says his prayers. And––"

"I've put him to bed before," Derek swung the small bookbag over his shoulder and picked up Shep's hand, "Come on little man, lets go get something to eat."

"Wif Gamma!"

"Yes. With Gramma. Say 'goodbye' to Mom."

"Bye Mummy," Shep launched himself at his mother and was instantly wrapped in her arms.

"Bye Honey," she held him tight, "Be good for Daddy." She puckered her lips and Shep kissed her, "I love you."

"Bye Mummy," Shep waved to his mother over his shoulder as Derek once again took his hand and pulled him away.

"Gamma leth me geth da weally big ith cweam."

"The really big ice cream?"

"Yeah, it was like…" Shep held his hands far apart, "Dis big. An she says dat I haf cousins an' dat I canth go sees dem at Kismas."

"She's planned Christmas? Mom will be happy to hear that."

"Where'th we goin' for thupper?"

"I dunno, we need to grab Grandma from my office and then we can decide."

"No, need. I'm all ready," Carolyn greeted them.

"Gamma," Shep threw himself at her, "Mummy thays dat I can thpend the whooole night wif you an' Daddy."

"And we'll have lots of fun," Carolyn agreed as the walked across the parking lot to Derek's car.

Derek opened the back door, "Into your seat buddy."

"Dere's Mummy," Shep pointed as he climbed into his car seat.

Derek looked over the roofs of parked cars until he spotted Addison smiling at her date from the night before, then climbing into the front seat of her own car.

"Who's dat?"

"That's Mummy's friend," Derek replied, dragging his eyes away from his ex-wife. "You all buckled up?"

"Addison has a boyfriend?" Carolyn asked sweetly.

"She met him yesterday," Derek grumbled, "Let's go."

If Carolyn noticed that he followed Addison's car out of the parking lot, two cars behind her, she didn't say anything. And if Derek was purposely following Addison deep into downtown Los Angeles, he would never admit it.

They circled the same block two or three times before Derek pulled into an empty parking space. "Italian?"

XXXX

"You've never been to New York City?" Addison asked amazement.

"Nope. Born and raised in Texas, and I've either been overseas or living here in LA."

"But you have to go to New York," Addison was scandalized, "It's the most amazing… how can you have never been to New York?"

Jeremy laughed, "If you love it so much why aren't you living here?"

Addison looked down at her plate and smiled softly, "I needed a change."

"How long have you been in LA?"

"Almost six years. Since my divorce."

Jeremy nodded.

"Dat's her. Daddy. Mummy'th right there!"

Addison turned in confusion. She could hear Shep but she couldn't ––

"Mummy!"

"Hey, Sweetie," Addison looked around as she put an arm around Shep, "What are you doing here?"

"We's havin' thupper."

"I see," Addison glanced around again and finally spotted Derek, who had the good grace to look sheepish and ashamed, "Shep, this is my friend Jeremy."

Shep suddenly became shy.

"Do you know what Jeremy does? He rides on really big boats all around the world."

"Weally?"

"Really," Jeremy confirmed, "If it's okay with your Mom, the three of us can go see one some time."

"Cool," Shep breathed, his eye shining.

"Go back and finish your supper," Addison instructed, "I'll call you before you go to sleep."

"'Kay. Bye Mummy." Shep darted off.

Addison watched him go then turned back to Jeremy, "Sorry."

"No. He's a cute kid."

"You didn't have to promise him that, it was incredibly nice of you."

"Well, I'm trying to score points with his mom."

Addison smiled coyly, "Mission Accomplished."

XXXX

"Derek," Carolyn began the moment they stepped into Derek's apartment.

"Someone needs a bath," Derek pointedly ignored his mother and flipped Shep upside down in his arms.

"Ugh, Daddy, don't," Shep whined without his usual enthusiasm.

"You are covered in ice cream," Derek teased and tickled Shep's side, "And guess what? I bought a big boat for you. Just for bath time when you stay with me."

"Daddy, puth me down," Shep whined and squirmed.

"Hey," Derek patted his back, "What's wrong up there?"

"I don'th feels good."

Derek carefully set him on the floor and carefully looked him over, "What doesn't feel good," he asked as he felt Shep's forehead for a fever.

"My tummy," Shep pouted as tears sprung to his eyes, "I want Mummy."

XXXX

"You're calling her," Carolyn stated more then asked as Derek left Shep's room.

"Of course I'm calling her, he's sick."

"He just had to much sugar, my fault, but he'll be fine in a few hours."

"But he's not fine right now," Derek protested, reaching for the phone, "Right now he's not feeling well and he wants Addison. He wants his own bed in his own room, he's never spent the night here before and I'd rather his first memories of being here weren't of being miserable and wanting to go home."

Carolyn shook her head, "You're searching Derek. You just want an excuse to interrupt her date."

Derek hesitated, gripped the phone tighter, and squared his jaw. "No, he's feeling sick. I'm calling her."

XXXX

"I'm sorry," Derek spoke as soon as he answered the door, "I'm so sorry, but he was just miserable. He cried through his whole bath."

Addison's face softened, "He loves playing in the tub. Where is he?"

"He's in his room, he just drifted off," Derek rested his hand on the doorknob to Shep's bedroom.

"You can probably go back to your date," Carolyn spoke from the doorway off the kitchen.

"Mom," Derek warned.

"It's fine, we rescheduled," Addison lowered her voice as Derek pushed open the door to the bedroom.

Addison stepped cautiously into the room, not even pausing to take in the decor of the room Derek had decorated for their son. She sat down on the edge of the bed and pressed her palm gently to his forehead to check for a fever–– he was cool and peaceful.

"I think," Derek whispered, "It was just to much sugar and excitement."

Addison nodded and leaned over to kiss Shep's cheek.

"I can take him home if you want."

Addison shook her head, "No. It's okay." Without so much as a second glance at Derek, Addison carefully crawled over Shep and stretched out beside him. She lay her head down on his pillow and rubbed small circles on his stomach.

Derek watched them for a moment, then took a seat in the armchair in the corner.

Addison fell asleep almost immediately.

Derek watched them for another long moment, then stood and approached the edge of the bed. He gently wrapped his fingers around her ankle and carefully slipped off her shoes and placed them upright beside the bed, then reached for the blanket folded at the end of the bed and covered her. He sat down on the edge of the bed, still watching them sleep. He couldn't bring himself to leave.

With an audible sigh Derek tore himself away and stood. When he turned around his mother was standing in the doorway watching. Derek sighed again and walked towards her, backing her out of the room and closing the door firmly behind him. He barely glanced at his mother before walking past her silently.

"Derek," her tone stopped him in his tracks, "When did you fall in love with her again?"

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Can I tell you a secret?

I have no idea how to end this fic.

This fic makes me long for the simplicity of BBYL… I feel that they need to be happy in this fic, I didn't feel that way about BBYL. I mean, I ended it so it seemed like they were happy, but in my head it continued and wasn't happy. Which is why you need to be grateful that I stopped writing it and wrote this instead.

Review.

Oh, and Kitten won.

So, Review.