You don't wear my chains
"Derek. Derek!" her heels clicked frantic little beats on the linoleum floor as he walked away from her and she chased after him.
"She has your eyes! Your nose! Your hair- well, kind of a combination of our hair but that's not really the point." Addison called after him, hand in the air before it dropped to her side when he slowed.
"I want a paternity test."
"No." she responded almost immediately.
Derek raised his eyebrows and scoffed, "So you just expect me to believe this girl is my child without proof. She could be anyone's child."
"Derek." Meredith scolded.
"Addison." Avery groaned.
"Derek, look at her." Addison tried again. "Just, look at her. She's yours, she's ours."
Derek took a long hard look at Avery, "I'm sorry, I just don't see it."
"Oh common on Derek!" Addison was loosing her patience, "You don't see it because you don't want to see it."
"I'll take the paternity test. Whatever." Avery intervened, "But lets be clear," she stepped in front of Addison somewhat protectively, "When the results come back and say you're my father, and they will, I want nothing to do with you." And with that she turned on her heel and stalked away.
When Avery was out of eat shot, Addison narrowed her eyes and hissed, "She hates doctors, and hospitals, and needles! That's why I didn't want her to have a bunch of unnecessary tests done."
"Great." Derek replied sarcastically, "I'm sure she'll fit right in."
Meredith prepared the needle to draw blood for the paternity test, "You're just going to feel a small pinch." She told the girl softly as she rolled up her sleeve.
Avery nodded and looked away, but Meredith could see the faded remains of scars that lined the girls arm.
"Derek, he, he'll come around." She told her. When she received no answer she retracted the needle, "All finished." She placed a Band-Aid on the girl's arms
"Are you his girlfriend?" Avery asked as she pulled her sleeve down immediately.
"I am." Meredith answered as she stood, "I'm just going to run these to the lab and grab your discharge papers." She disappeared leaving Avery alone in the curtained room as she let out a shaky breath, suddenly feeling the need to just breath in the claustrophobic hospital when the curtain was once again pulled open.
"Hey."
"Hey."
Addison sat down on the bed, "I'm sorry about all that."
"He deserves to know for sure." Avery replied after a moment.
Addison nodded, "You're right." Now that she knew Archer was going to be okay, her focus once again shifted to Avery. "You look exhausted." The girl had developed dark circles under her eyes but she shrugged and looked away.
Addison nodded before standing, "Lets get you to a hotel then."
Avery had changed into her pyjamas and curled up in her bed, facing away from the bed Addison was sleeping in.
She felt the weight of the bed sink down behind her, "It's okay to be disappointed." Addison told her softly.
"It's hard to be disappointed when you have no expectations." Avery replied, staying turned away from Addison.
"Still, Derek shouldn't have…" she trailed off with a small sigh, knowing she shouldn't have sprung it on him like that, especially after he had just saved her brothers life. And he was entitled to a paternity test, but she had just been trying to protect her daughter because that was the most important thing now.
"It doesn't matter Addison, really, I'm used to people not wanting me." Her voice was hard but a small tear leaked down her cheek.
"He doesn't not want you." Addison whispered, trying to figure out what Avery needed, she reached out to rub comforting circles on her daughters back when to her surprise, Avery turned towards her, tears streaking down her face.
"He doesn't want me." Avery choked on a sob, she was sure she was delirious from being up for 48 hours straight when she began to hyperventilate and in her distress, she allowed Addison to wrap her in her arms.
"I'm sorry." Addison whispered stroked her hair, rocking back and forth a bit, knowing there was no point in arguing with the teen.
"It doesn't matter." Avery sniffled. Not wanting to ruin the moment, Addison said nothing and just held her until her breathing slowed and she fell asleep before settling down and switching off the beside light.
Tomorrow she would talk to them both because it did matter.
Addison awoke with a start as the covered lump beside her thrashed about, "Avery." She reached out to the girl sleepily.
"Get off me!" Avery shrieked causing Addison to become fully awake in an instant as she retracted her hand and pushed herself into a sitting position.
"Avery, it's Addison." She said clearly.
Avery looked at her with wild eyes for a moment before jumping from the bed and began to gather a random assortment of items before she began rummaging through the drawers: pillow case, toothbrush, hairbrush, a bag of chips, a water bottle.
"Avery." Addison said a little hesitantly, aware that the girl was sleep walking.
"Where is it!" she slammed the drawer shut forcefully.
"Where is what Avery?" Addison asked gently.
"I have to get out of here…I have to…" she ran her hand through her hair before running to the door and struggling to unlock the door.
"Let me out!" she cried as she pounded on the door.
"Avery." Addison said quietly being careful not to startle the girl but Avery didn't even seem to notice her as she turned and headed to the balcony.
This time Addison's eyes widened in concern, they were on the seventh floor and she was positive Avery wouldn't survive the fall, she scrambled towards the patio just as Avery managed to get the door open.
Avery began climbing over the railing when Addison caught her by the arm and tried to pull her back over.
"Let go of me!" Avery cried wrenching her arm away.
"Avery please!" Addison begged, not realizing there were hot tears cascading down her cheeks.
Avery blinked and looked down at Addison who once again had a firm hold on both her arms before she looked around and then back at Addison and allowed herself to be pulled back over the railing and into Addison's arms.
Avery stood there awkwardly, "What happened?" she asked as Addison held her head to her chest.
Addison was shaking so much that it took her a moment to compose herself, when she finally pulled back to look at Avery an arms length away. "You were sleep walking."
"Oh." Avery's muttered looking away, "What time is it?"
Addison glanced inside at the digital clock, "4:30"
Avery stepped back into the hotel room and Addison followed, climbing back into bed as Avery picked up a sweater out of her duffle bag and wrapped it around her as she moved towards the door, "What are you doing?" Addison shot back up in bed.
"I just need to clear my head." Avery replied.
Addison had an internal debate about whether or not to give Avery her space. It took her all of three seconds to decide she didn't want her kid wandering the Seattle streets alone at this time of morning. "I'll come with you." She decided as she swung her legs over the bed and quickly got dressed.
Addison and Avery walked in silence all the way down to the pier, stopping only once to get coffee.
"Derek has a thing for ferry boats." Addison broke the silence.
Avery looked up at her briefly before looking back to the giant boat docked at the pier.
"He's not a bad guy you know." Addison continued.
Avery groaned, "Addison I really don't want to talk about it."
"But you're upset." She reasoned.
"I was delirious." Avery countered, explaining her emotions off as though they were something to be ashamed of.
"I just, I don't want you to think he doesn't want you. It's not your fault he didn't believe you were his daughter, it's mine. I…I've broken his trust too many times." She sighed. "So if you want to get to know him-"
"I don't." Avery cut her off.
"He is your father."
"I don't need a father. I have you." Avery replied looking away.
Addison gave her a sad smile and poked Avery gently in the ribs, "Aw look at you being all nice."
"Don't get used to it." Avery grunted.
"So what was the nightmare about?" Addison continued.
Avery sighed, "I guess that means quiet time is over then?"
"Well you did try to jump off the balcony." Addison replied sombrely a chill running down her spine as the sight of Avery climbing over the balcony railing flashed in her mind.
"Don't remind me." Avery groaned.
Addison looked at Avery seriously, "You scared me."
"Sorry." Avery kicked at the ground with her converse shoes.
"Were you dreaming about Robbie?" Addison asked.
"No." Avery replied.
"Than what? Help me understand Avery because right now I'm freaking out here a little bit."
"Derek."
"Derek?" Addison was so not prepared for that answer, when it finally sunk in she quickly replied, "Avery, Derek would never hurt you."
Avery held up a dismissive hand, "I know, but it was a dream, it's not like I can control it."
"Do you have those dreams a lot?" Addison asked after a moment.
"It's not like you have to bar up the windows." Avery's patience was wearing thin.
"So it is reoccurring?" Addison frowned.
"It's not usually jump off the balcony bad, but yeah. Sometimes, when I meet new people I have it. It's not a big deal."
"Yes it is."
Avery sighed as she sunk down to sit, dangling her feet off the edge of the pier.
Addison sat down beside her, "In time, they'll start to fade." She offered.
"I know." Avery replied as she swung her feet back and forth, her shoes crashing against the underside of the dock, not believing her words or Addison's.
"Derek will come around." Addison told her, "Whether you want him to or not, he will."
"Derek."
Derek looked up helplessly from his desk where he had been staring absentmindedly at his paperwork.
"I put a rush on the labs for Avery's paternity test." Meredith told him as she fiddled with the folder in hand.
"And?" he asked standing.
Meredith strode forward and handed him the envelope. "I haven't looked at them yet."
Derek nodded as he accepted the envelope, hesitating only a moment before tearing it open.
Meredith watched as he stared blankly at the paper, wanting to give him time, but after several minutes of silence she asked, "What does it say?" even though she already knew. She knew the moment Addison had first said something, as she chased Derek down the hall.
Addison was right, she had Derek's eyes and his nose and hair.
"She's mine."
Meredith nodded.
Derek leaned back onto the desk and ran his hands over his face, "How could I not have seen it?"
"It's not your fault." Meredith tried to comfort him.
Derek pushed himself off the desk and headed for the door, "I have to talk to Addison."
Meredith hesitated a moment before calling after him, "Derek?"
He turned back to her.
"Does this change things between us?"
He gave her a comforting smile, "It doesn't change a thing." He replied before letting the door close behind him.
But he was wrong, Meredith thought, it changed everything.