Since Eliza was laying low for a few days, Addison put her to work. She got the filing cabinets filled with everyone's paperwork and a makeshift workspace in the hallway with all the offices. Addison had her making sure everyone's papers were in the correct files, then making a digital version of everything so it'd be easier to access.

The day after the incident, Zed showed up again. He walked around aimlessly in search of his girlfriend, finally stumbling upon Eliza and her workspace. "Where's Addison?"

Eliza looked up at him. "She's crying in her office."

"What?"

Eliza nodded. "She had a breakdown like an hour ago. Put Bree in charge and locked the door to her office."

"And you're just sitting here?"

Eliza nodded again. "Figured I'd wait it out until she wanted to talk."

Zed groaned and rolled his eyes. He made his way to Addison's office. Eliza had been wrong, considering the door wasn't locked and he managed to go right in without any trouble.

Addison looked up when she heard the door open. Her eyes were red and watery and she had tears still running down her cheeks. She sniffed and wiped her cheeks to no avail.

"Oh, hey," she said in a thick voice. "What're you doing here?"

Zed furrowed his brows. Instead of answering her question, he asked, "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"Just felt like it." She shrugged sarcastically. "Totally not completely overwhelmed and feel like I'm dying and everyone needs my help and I don't get a minute alone."

"Addy…" he said gently.

She dropped back against her chair and groaned. "I just want a break! Why is that so much to ask? Bucky needs me and Eliza needs me and the kids need me and the volunteers need me. I have to keep this place running and my Sweet Sixteen is in two weeks. I have to keep my parents happy and I need to tend to you and give you attention. I want attention too! I wanna be able to sleep at ten o'clock and wake up at eleven and ugh!"

Zed moved around her desk and crouched down next to her. "Hey, Babe, it's okay."

"Stop saying it's okay because it's not!" Addison snapped. She sat up and looked at him. "Why does everyone keep coming to me with their problems? I'm not a therapist for fuck's sake!"

"Addy, you just have a lot on your plate," he said in a calm voice. "It's a lot, and it keeps piling up. And it may be late but at least you understand that you can't do everything the world needs you to."

Addison sniffed and looked at him. "It's not like I can tell everyone no. They're gonna call me a selfish bitch. I still have to be class president and assistant cheer captain and it's just—it's too much!"

"I know it is," Zed said. "How about we start lightening your workload, huh? You could get an assistant."

"I can't afford an assistant," she grumbled. "Only Bucky and Mark are getting paid. All my checks go into my savings account 'cause my parents insisted."

Zed gave her a soft smile. "I'll work for free."

Addison looked at him in understanding, then confusion. She shook her head at the idea. "No, you have football and I can't ask you to do that."

"Football is from ten to one," Zed said. "Three hours. I'll be here in the morning and afternoon. You do your work here, I'll handle your party and anything else you need."

"Zed…"

"We're a team Babe. No one gets left behind and we work together to lift the other up." he told her. "Now what were your other problems?"

"Eliza and Bucky."

"Leave Eliza to me. I'm working on her family, don't worry."

"And Bucky I need to fix before the party…"

Zed pursed his lips as if he wanted to say something. Addison sniffed again, wiping her cheeks. "Just say it," she told him.

"Will you be mad?"

"Probably."

"Well, in my opinion, I'm happy that you care so much about your cousin. But he's an adult now, and he has a job and a scholarship to college and a car. Leave it to him to fix it. Focus on yourself."

"Then I'm being a selfish bitch."

"I remember a certain someone saying to let them talk if they wanna."

Addison's lip twitched in a slight smile. "Don't you dare start," she warned him.

Zed stood up and smiled, leaning in and giving her a soft kiss. "Don't worry, it'll all be okay. High school is almost over."

"Then we're on to the real world." She rolled her eyes. "It won't be better."

Zed picked up her hand, leaned down and kissed her knuckles. "But we'll be doing it together, which will make it better."

"You really know how to make me feel better," Addison told him. "I love you."

Zed kisses her knuckles again, then stood up.

"I love you too." Zed said. "Now, let's get to work. What can I do to help with your party?"

"I left the binders at home."

"Binders? As in plural, multiple binders?"

Addison nodded. "Yes. But for now just check on all the orders. It's less than two weeks away, Zed. I've got a list of all the things that were ordered on my laptop, the links, the logins, everything. The shoes are the biggest issue, the party favors, and the decorations. I'll bring the binders tomorrow."

"Alright."

"Let me go clean my face," she said, standing up and heading to the bathroom.

She came back a minute later and told Zed to sit in her desk chair. She unlocked her laptop and gave him a quick rundown of what to do.

"And, I'm gonna sit here for a little longer too," Addison said. "Just a few more minutes. Then I'll go back."

"Take your time," Zed told her. "You've been working nonstop all summer. Have some Addy-time."

Zed put on her playlist on her laptop. Addison stayed for fifteen minutes, listening to music and relaxing with her eyes closed. Then Jaziel came to get a band-aid and Addison went back out to her class.

It was later that same day that Addison confronted her cousin. Classes had ended a few hours before and it was just her, Bucky, Eliza, and Zoey cleaning up. Addison and Bucky were cleaning the lunchroom.

"So, how are you?" Addison asked. "With the sleeping arrangements and everything?"

"Fine. Though I feel like I owe you rent or something."

"Don't worry," she said. "How…how are you doing with your parents?"

"Raina's helping us figure our shit out," Bucky said. "Mom has finally agreed to talk to me."

"Really? That's awesome!"

Bucky smiled up at her. "Yeah, we're having brunch on Sunday. Hopefully it goes well. I'm not expecting them to just let me back in but maybe we'll be able to meet up more, talk more. Work our way back to what we had. Or something."

"That's good."

Bucky looked at her with a knowing look. "You were gonna say that you can't keep helping me out because it was overwhelming you?"

Addison nodded, a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I should be solving your problems, not the other way around."

"But I wanna help."

"Addy, you wanna help everyone all the time. It's what you do." Bucky told her. Bucky wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Don't worry about me, Baby Cuz, I'll be fine."

(And, over the next few days, they worked out their flow. Addison focused on teaching, Zed handled all of her party and school work. Eliza continued to digitize applications. Her intern kept their paperwork sorted and up to date. Mike worked with the intern with keeping their finances in line.)