Hey guys, sorry for the delay, work got crazy, but you know how you can help with quicker updates, right? :P
It's a beautiful day to save lives
"So what do you think about Archer staying with you guys?" Kevin asked as he glanced over at Avery in the car, coffee in hand.
Avery shrugged, "No comment."
"No comment?" Kevin raised his eyebrows.
"You don't like him." Avery noted shooting him a sideways glance.
"I…I like him."
Avery snorted, "Riiiight."
"He's just…"
"Kind of an ass?" Avery supplied.
Kevin cocked his head to look at her, "So you agree."
"I call em as I see em," Avery replied as Kevin pulled up in front of Dell's house. "He talked to you about the trust fund didn't he? Me too."
Kevin looked at her incredulously, "You're kidding! You're her kid!" he shook his head, "Unbelievable."
"It's okay."
"It's not." Kevin told her, he paused a moment, "I didn't know, I mean, I knew she was well off, but not a multi millionaire." He looked at Avery.
"I didn't know either." Avery answered quickly, looking out the window towards Dells house.
He blinked at her a moment before changing the subject, "So what did Addison have this morning?"
Avery downed the contents of her coffee cup, "Early meeting or something."
"On a Saturday?"
Avery shrugged hopping out of the car, "Yeah I guess."
Kevin nodded, "Right, see ya later Av."
"Thanks for the ride." She called with a wave of her hand towards the open window of the car as she strode towards the house.
Avery was sitting on her surfboard with Betsy between her legs, the two of them watched Dell catch a wave. "Your Daddy is so cool." Avery told the little girl as she fixed one of her long pigtails.
Betsy grinned up at her, "I know."
Avery paddled a little closer to shore as Betsy stood on the board; Avery's arms lingered on either side of the child, just in case.
"Daddy look!" she cried.
Dell looked over and smiled, "That's my girl!" he wadded into the water and scooped Betsy off the board as Avery jumped off, grabbed the board under her arm and made her way onto the sand. She watched as Dell put Betsy down and the child scooted towards her towel.
Avery came up beside Dell as they walked back to their spot on the beach, "You're good with her." He commented, eyes still fixed on his young daughter.
Avery looked up at him, "Does that mean I pass the test?" she smirked, the past few weekends had been spent hanging out with Dell and Betsy in an attempt to prove she was babysitting material.
Dell looked at Betsy, "What do you think of Avery being your new babysitter?" he asked his daughter.
"Really?" Betsy's eyes widened with excitement as a small smile spread over her face and she ran to Avery and hugged her legs.
Avery patted the little girls back, "I'm excited too." She told her before looking up at Dell and mouthing, 'Thank-you.' Whether he knew it or not, she needed this.
She grabbed her bag from the sand and shifted through it, pulling out her phone as her brow ruffled into an uncharacteristic concern.
"What's wrong?" Dell asked immediately.
"Four missed calls and a 911 text telling me to meet Addison at St. Ambrose asap." Avery looked up at him.
"I'll drive."he told her.
Avery, Dell, and Betsy ran through the hospital doors, to find Addison striding down the hall talking into the phone, "Come on, come on, come on! Derek. I need you."
Avery froze as she watched several doctors flanked by Addison, Sam, and Naomi wheeling Archer in a stretcher towards the emergency room doors.
Addison was holding her phone, "Okay the Med evac.'s going to meet us at Santa Monica airport. We'll be in Seattle in less than 3 hours and in the OR 45 minutes later. Avery come on."
Avery trailed behind, "Can't I stay with Kevin?"
"There's no time." Addison answered as she moved to climb into the ambulance. "Nay come with me, I need you there." Addison told her best friend as she waved her over.
Naomi placed a gentle hand of Avery's shoulder, guiding her in the vehicle and the three of them climbed into the ambulance.
When they arrived at Seattle Grace Hospital Addison and Naomi got out of the ambulance first, Avery followed and scrambled to the side. She watched as Addison hugged an an older African American man and then a younger man with dark hair. She knew that it was Derek, but it all seemed so surreal, seeing him standing there.
"He was fine." Addison fought the tears, "Up until lunch I thought he was fine." He led her into the hospital as Avery trailed behind, seemingly forgotten in the chaos.
Avery watched through the glass as Addison, and Derek argued over what was best for Archer. Derek seemed to win, and when they did whatever it was they were doing, the monitor flat lined.
"Get the crash cart!" the older man yelled with an air of authority as Addison turned into Naomi. Derek pounded on Archers chest with his fist causing his heart rate to jump back up to normal.
Avery pursed her lips, this was going to be a long day.
"Who are you?"
Avery looked up at the tall, dark and handsome doctor and slurped her juice box loudly, "Who are you?"
"Alex Karev, you Addison's kid?"
"I am here with Addison, yes." Avery fidgeted under his gaze.
"Whatever." Karev replied sounding annoyed, "Addison told me to look after you."
"I don't need looking after." Avery crossed her arms over her chest.
"Look this is a busy place and we can't just have random kids running around, so just sit tight and don't move." He pointed at the chair, "I have work to do. I'll check back in a bit."
"Great." Avery groaned as she flopped into the chair as she tapped her feet on the floor, "Screw this." She grumbled as she headed to Archers room.
"Hey." She greeted.
"Hey." He replied a little groggily.
"Where's Addison?" Avery asked.
"Rumour has it she's gone to church." He snorted as Avery sat down on his bed.
"Are you really dying?" she asked him straight up.
He paused a moment, "I think so."
Avery was quiet, "I'm sorry."
"Life's a bitch." He replied.
Avery lingered at the door to the chapel, watching as Addison knelt in one of the pews before taking a deep breath and going to sit beside her, "What are you doing?"
"I'm trying to pray. But I don't know how to pray because I'm a WASP and we only go to church on Christmas." Addison replied.
"Oh." Avery said quietly as Addison sat back into the pew.
"I have no connection with God. God doesn't even know who I am." Addison massaged her temple with one hand. "Which sucks, because I could…I could use some help right about now."
Avery watched her a moment before she knelt forward, cleared her throat and folded her hands, "Dear God, I need your help, Archer has worms in his brain, and, from what I know, which isn't much, it's basically inoperable. I know that everyone has a time to die, but I don't think this is his, not yet. So, if there's any chance you could help us out with a miracle that would be great. Amen." She made the sign of the cross and sat back.
Addison placed her hand on her knee, "Thank you."
"You're an amazing doctor. You save babies. God knows who you are." Avery told her gently as she grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze.
Addison forced a small smile before looking around, "Do you really believe in all this? In God?"
Avery shrugged, "Sometimes."
Alex Karev burst into the observation room. "You!" he pointed at Avery. "I told you not to move!"
"It's okay Karev." Addison informed him without looking away as she stood with her fist on the glass, resting her head against it. "Say it Derek, come on, say it, say it, say it, say it," she muttered.
"Okay everybody," the man who was Avery's father announced, "It's a beautiful day to save lives."
Addison smiled, relaxing, if only slightly.
Archer was in recovery with Naomi as Avery paced back and forth. She really did hate hospitals, apparently inheriting neither parents love for medicine.
A woman with her dirty blond hair pulled up in a ponytail approached her.
"You okay?" she asked.
Avery glanced at her, "Do you know where Addison is?" Avery asked feeling like a broken record, and despite her normally independent streak, it was getting late and she was exhausted.
The woman nodded and placed a hand on her shoulder, "I think she's in Dr. Sheppard's office, lets go find them."
"Derek, you have no idea how much I…" Addison took a deep breath and locked eyes with her former husband. "Thank you, for saving Archer."
He smiled, "You're welcome."
Addison wrung her hands together, "So, um, seeing as I'm here, there's something you should probably know."
Derek looked at her a little skeptically, "Okay." He nodded, "What is it?"
"The girl that came with me." Addison began.
"Naomi?"
"Avery."
"Okay…" Derek wracked his brain to recall this girl Addison was talking about with all that had been going on. Everything had happened so fast and the day seemed a blur.
"She's my daughter." Addison came out and said.
Derek's minds eye locked onto the girl standing beside the ambulance, "She's a teenager."
Addison looked to the side and nodded. "Remember when we were in Med school, and I um," she picked at her cuticles, "I broke up with you for a while."
"A year give or take." He replied before placing the pieces together, "Addison what are you trying to say?" his voice turned icy.
"She's our daughter Derek." Addison admitted quietly, "I gave her up for adoption because I knew you wouldn't be able to, and I couldn't, I couldn't be a mother, not then."
He raised his eyebrows, "Is this one of your ploys to get me back?"
"Ploys?" Addison repeated, "Seriously?"
"I'm with Meredith now."
"I know Derek, but that doesn't change the past." Addison replied.
"No." he shook his head and turned away from her.
"I'm sorry." Addison's voice shook slightly, "I don't want anything from you."
"No!" he yelled, startling her, before he took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair, "How could you not tell me?" his voice was cold.
"Derek." She took a step towards him.
Derek took a step back, "Don't." he shook his head, before pointing a finger at her, "How do you even know she's mine?"
Addison narrowed her eyes, "Trust me, she's yours."
Derek ran his hands over his face before sinking down into the chair, head in hands, "Get out." He told her.
"Derek." Addison tried again.
"Get out!" he yelled, "I don't want to look at you anymore." He growled before dropping his head once again.
A knock startled both of them as the office door was pushed open. Derek looked up from his hands as Addison looked over her shoulder.
"Meredith." Derek breathed.
"Avery." Addison frowned.
Meredith raised her eyebrows as she looked between them, "Are we interrupting?"