Author's note: This is the happy(ish) Addek chapter that I said I'd try to write haha. It's short but I hope you all like it! :)
New York, 1996
The doorbell rings a couple of times, insistently. They aren't expecting anyone, so Derek frowns when he sees Mark and... is that a dog?
"Hey", Mark starts with that well known grin that indicates he is up to something and Derek is about to get in trouble. "Listen, I need a favor. Jessica and I are going to spend two weeks in the Bahamas and we don't have anyone to take care of the dog while we're gone so I thought maybe you and Addison would like to have a dog for a few days? I mean, I know you guys don't want kids yet, but what about a dog? Just for two weeks, you know. I mean, I read that many people start with a dog before deciding to have children".
"Whoa, slow down", Derek makes a gesture with his hand. "Who is Jessica?"
"My girlfriend", Mark says as if it's obvious. "You know, the new anesthesiologist?"
"Right", Derek thought Mark's girlfriend was Nicole, but apparently he had already moved on and Derek didn't catch up this time. He points at the dog. "And this is her dog?"
"Yeah".
Derek looks at Addison and she frowns. "You want us to take care of some stranger's dog?", she asks Mark. "I mean, we barely know her".
"I convinced her you two are very responsible", Mark grins again. "And she likes you guys already. You are Derek-and-Addison, everyone likes you two 'cause they think you're the perfect couple".
Derek spends a few seconds thinking if this is a good idea.
"Will you please take the dog?", Mark insists.
Addison shrugs, looking at Derek. "Well, he's kind of cute", she admits.
"Fine", Derek agrees reluctantly.
"Thank you", Mark says, relieved. "Look, I brought everything he needs. His name is Jack, by the way. Alright, Jack, say hello to your temporary parents", Mark hands the dog to him. "Be a good boy".
"You're right, he is cute", Derek recognizes after Mark leaves.
"Yeah", she smiles at the dog. "Hey, Jack. We're going to have fun, aren't we?"
"When you asked us to take care of your girlfriend's dog", Derek observes when Mark comes back from the Bahamas, "You failed to mention he was the canine version of the devil. He pees everywhere. He peed on our very expensive carpet. And he eats everything. He ate the bottom of one of Addison's dresses. She is pissed. He also ruined our sofa".
"Sorry", Mark says, embarrassed.
"You're sorry?", Derek raises his eyebrows.
"If I told you, you wouldn't agree to take care of him", Mark confesses.
"You're unbelievable", Derek remarks, slightly mad, but not really; he's used to getting in trouble because of Mark. "You know that theory of yours?", he can't help but bring that up though. "That married couples start with dogs before having kids? I'm afraid your dog scared us for life, thank you", he jokes sarcastically. "I don't think we're going to have kids any time soon".
New York, 2005
Addison wakes up at the sound of very loud barks next to their bed.
"What is it, Doc?", she asks the dog, still half asleep.
He keeps barking, which makes Derek grumble, until she sighs and gets up. Doc runs to the trailer's door, scratching it while making noises.
"What is it? You need to pee?" She opens the trailer's door and the dog immediately runs outside. She waits outside of the trailer, but turns out the dog didn't want to pee.
"Really?", she asks when she realizes what he wants, a little bit annoyed. Doc looks at her eagerly and she sighs. "Derek", she calls. "Doc wants to play".
"It's 5 a.m.", Derek complains in a sleepy voice. "Get him back inside".
"Alright, come on, Doc, we can play later", she forces him to go inside, closes the door and goes back to bed.
She barely closes her eyes when Doc jumps onto the bed, barking insistently, startling both of them.
"Jesus", Derek exclaims. "Come on, Doc, just go back to sleep".
"He won't leave us alone until we play with him", Addison realizes, getting out of the bed again.
"Really?", Derek grumbles.
"Come on, it's not that early anyway".
Derek sighs and gets up. "We really need to work on you letting dogs tell you what to do", he jokes.
Their crankiness quickly goes away though, and they actually manage to have fun - throwing sticks so Doc can bring them back, running after him when Doc demands, laughing at each other for no evident reason. Addison can't remember the last time she and Derek were happy like that.
It is like a glimpse of what their lives used to be. And, before she notices, she finds herself holding onto that happiness, desperately, afraid that it might slip through her fingers any second.
Everyone, there are only a few more chapters planned until the end of this story, and I'm kind of running out of ideas, so, is there anything y'all still want me write in this story? Any suggestions? Headcanons? Unfortunately though, I decided I won't be writing any AUs in this story - maybe in another one though ;) - but if you guys have some possible scenarios you think I should write about, preferably in the Med School years, tell me!
Also: do you guys think I should name the chapters? Because my brain insists on relating songs to fictional characters lol, so I ended up thinking of songs that remind me of chapters from this story and vice versa, I don't know if it's a good idea?