1 month later.
"Daddy!" Carson said loudly as he ran out of Derek's house, across the decking just in time for Sam to reach the top of the stairs.
"Hello my beautiful boy" Sam smiled, scooping him up in his arms and hugging him tightly "I've missed you"
"I missed you too Daddy" Carson sighed "Mommy's helping a baby today"
"I know, that's pretty cool huh?"
"It's really cool, I'm gonna be a doctor when I grow up too y'know" he smiled "Or a spaceman"
"A spaceman?" Sam laughed "Well I think that is really cool"
"Hey man" Derek said with a small smile as he approached them "Welcome back"
"Thanks, this place, this place is amazing" Sam said, gesturing to the house "I always wanted to come and see it, Carson says he loves it here"
"Cuz we can run around and there's a tree house and Uncle Derek has a telcascope so we can look at stars…"
"A telescope buddy" Derek laughed "Go on, go and get your stuff from Aunt Meredith, she's in the kitchen"
"I'll be right back Daddy" Carson said as he rushed back into the house.
"I'll move his booster seat into your car" Derek said, both him and Sam walked down to the cars, Derek took the seat from the back of his car and then met Sam at his rental car, they stood there silently as he fitted it into the back seat.
"Thanks" Sam nodded "Maybe we could, all meet up, I'd love a tour of this place…."
"You'll have to ask Addie"
"I will, I, I want to be involved with Carson's life here when I visit, I know it's still awkward but, you were good to me when Maya was here…"
"And I'll try to be good to you when you're here for Carson, I do want us to be friends Sam, you just have to understand that, a lot of people around here, they don't know you like I did, they only know what you did, it might have been a long time ago but they hold grudges for a long time, believe me, I've been subject to one of those grudges before"
"So I've got to get into people's good books?" Sam asked.
"Definitely" Derek said with a slight laugh "Carson loves you and tells people about you all the time so, that helps"
"Good" Sam said with a soft laugh.
"Hey" Meredith smiled as she walked towards them, holding Carson's hand.
"Meredith" Sam smiled "How are you?"
"I'm good, thanks" she smiled "You?"
"Glad to be here" he smiled, ruffling Carson's hair gently.
"Here's the spare key to Addison's place" Meredith said, passing it to him "She said she'd try and call before she leaves the hospital"
"Thanks" Sam smiled, putting the key in his pocket "Ok buddy, let's get going shall we?"
"Uh-huh" Carson nodded "Thank you for having me Aunt Meredith" he said, hugging her tightly.
"With manners like that you are welcome anytime sweetie" Meredith said with a soft laugh.
"Bye Uncle Derek"
"Bye Carson" Derek smiled, giving him a high 5.
"Thanks guys" Sam smiled "I guess I'll probably see you around"
"You will" Derek said giving his shoulder a pat, he moved to stand next to Meredith as Sam helped Carson with his seat belt and they both waved them off as they drove away.
~x~
"Hey" Addison smiled as she let herself into her apartment.
"Hey" Sam smiled.
"Hi Mommy" Carson beamed "Did you save the baby today?"
"Yeah honey, I did" she said with a soft smile "The baby is very strong"
"Good" he smiled "Me and Daddy made cookies"
"I thought I could smell something nice" Addison smiled, kissing the top of Carson's head "How are you Sam?" she asked quietly "Was your flight ok?"
"It was good" he nodded "Everyone sends their love"
"Make sure to send it back" Addison smiled "And you picked Carson up ok?"
"Yeah, yeah it was ok, I was thinking we could spend some time with them, Derek said to ask you"
"Sure, we'll set something up, I like Carson to go there when we can so he can burn off all that energy, I always meant to move into a house" she said with a soft laugh "It's just making the time I guess"
"I like this apartment Mommy" Carson smiled "It's ours"
"Me too baby" Addison smiled softly "Now, I suppose we should have some dinner, why don't we treat ourselves to a pizza?"
"Yeah" Carson beamed "Daddy you like Pizza don't you?"
"Sure I do buddy" Sam smiled "We can have some cookies afterwards"
"Ok" he smiled "Daddy come and see my spaceman stuff!" he exclaimed, taking Sam's hand and pulling him towards his bedroom, Addison laughed a little to herself and went into the kitchen to hunt down the pizza take out menus.
~x~
"Daddy?" Carson said quietly as Sam tucked him into bed.
"Yeah buddy?" Sam asked.
"Why can't you live with me and Mommy?"
"Because I live in LA" Sam said with a small smile, stroking Carson's hair gently.
"But why can't you just move? You can get a job with Mommy and you can, you can have my room if you want, and then we'll be a family all together" Carson smiled.
"Carson I know this is, confusing for you" Sam said carefully "But not all families live together"
"I know that" Carson sighed "But it's not fair! Sofia gets to see her Daddy every day and so does Zola and so does Lucas and so does Olivia! And I don't!" he exclaimed "And all because you and Mommy had a stupid fight"
"Carson it's not that simple" Sam sighed "I would love to see you every day, I really would, but it's just, not that simple, I wish I could make you understand son, I really do, just know how much I love you ok? I love you little man"
"I love you too Daddy" Carson mumbled quietly "I just wish we was a family is all"
"I know buddy, I know you do" Sam said softly, kissing his forehead "Sweet dreams" Carson yawned a little and snuggled into his bed, closing his eyes, Sam moved over to the doorway and turned off the light, closing the door but leaving a small gap.
"Do you want a drink?" Addison asked quietly.
"No, no I'm good" he answered, dropping himself down onto the sofa with a heavy sigh.
"Is everything ok?"
"Carson he just, he just got upset, that he doesn't see me every day like other kids see their Dads"
"He'll get used to it" she sighed as she sat down "We all will"
"I don't have anything keeping me in LA, Maya's in New York, everyone would understand…"
"You have a life there Sam, your job, the practice, you can't just move here, we'll get used to this" Addison sighed.
"I can get a job here, I'll go back to LA and make sure they find someone to replace me, make sure they're ok, but then I'll leave, they don't need me there, they can visit"
"You can't do that" she sighed "You can't Sam"
"Why not? My son, the son I've been away from for his whole life because of my mistake, I need to be with him, I'm not going to do this, I'm not going to see him once a month, it isn't fair on him and it isn't fair on me, you have to see that Addison"
"Don't think we're going to be playing happy families…." Addison started.
"I know that"
"And you stay out of my business, this is about Carson, not me and you"
"I know" Sam sighed.
"And we're not telling him, not until everything is set in stone, I won't raise his hopes like that"
"I agree"
"I'll give Owen a call in the morning, he should be able to give you a job" she sighed "If you want to work at Seattle Grace?"
"Yeah, that'd be great Addie, thank you" he smiled "Thank you"
"Just, try not to let him down ok?" she said quietly.
"I promise" Sam said softly "I know you hate that word but I do, I promise I'll never let him down"
"I'm, believing you" Addison nodded slowly "Just, please don't move here unless you really want too"
"I do" he smiled "I want to be here"
"Ok" she sighed, Sam smiled at her a little before she turned on the TV and they watched it in silence.
~x~
"Hey" Sam smiled as he walked into the conference room at the practice a few days later.
"Hey" Violet smiled "How was Seattle?"
"Good, Addie and Carson say hi" he smiled "And uh, well we did some talking and, I've made a decision"
"A decision?" Pete repeated.
"I'm moving to Seattle" he said simply.
"Dammit" Cooper groaned.
"You can pay me later Coop" Charlotte smirked, patting his chest lightly.
"You made a bet?" Sam asked with a raised eyebrow.
"We knew you'd never be able to stay away from them for long" Sheldon said with a small smirk.
"So, when are you leaving?" Naomi asked quietly.
"After I've got everything settled here, I want to help you look for another doctor, I wouldn't just leave you in the lurch, I'll need to sell my house, find somewhere in Seattle to ship my stuff too, and then I'll leave, but we're not tell Carson until everything is finalised, I don't want to raise his hopes so if you speak to him on the phone…"
"We'll keep it quiet" Violet smiled.
"So does this mean you and Addison…" Pete started.
"Are friends" Sam nodded.
"I give it a couple of weeks before they're back together" Charlotte muttered to Sheldon.
"Mmhmm" he murmured back.
~x~
"Sam" Naomi said quietly as she knocked on his open office door.
"Hey" he said, looking up from his paperwork "What's up?"
"I hope, I hope you'll be happy in Seattle"
"I think I will, I can't wait to be with Carson more" he smiled softly.
"I know" she smiled "And if you and Addison get back together…"
"We won't…."
"If you do, just don't break her heart again, don't, don't let someone mess things up for you like I did"
"Nae we both made that mistake" Sam sighed "Both of us"
"Maybe" she said with a small shrug "I'll, see you around Sam"
"Bye Naomi" Sam said with a small smile, she backed out of the office and Sam got back to his paperwork.
Chapter 11 to follow….