"Derek, how in the world can two babies need so much stuff?!" Addison exclaimed as she collapsed on the couch looking at the mounds of presents that had overtaken their apartment. "We are not going to have any room for the actual babies!" she laughed. Derek laughed too as he sat down next to her and pulled her into a hug.
"Actually, Addie, I was going to wait and surprise you with this for Valentine's Day, but I am too excited to wait." Derek smiled. Addison turned to look at him. "The house is going to be ready in just a few weeks. I spoke with BIll earlier and they are ahead of schedule."
"Seriously? That is a whole month before we expected!" Addison exclaimed. "That means we can be moved in before the babies are born!"
"I knew you would be happy about that." Derek replied, giving her a kiss. "Now, can you please tell me what your mother meant about lunch tomorrow?" Addison stiffened at the mention of her mother.
"She meant exactly what she said. Archer, the Captain and Bizzy are meeting us for lunch tomorrow at Blueacre." Addison said, slowly getting up from the couch. "They couldn't possibly pick another restaurant in the entire city that actually makes food I can eat. They couldn't possibly ASK if we want to go to lunch instead of COMMAND!" she ranted as she paced the living room.
"Relax!" Derek said as he walked up and put his hands on her shoulders. He knew she always got wound up when it involved her family. "I am sure there is something at the restaurant that you can eat. And if not, we will make up an emergency at the hospital and leave." Derek smirked.
"Yeah, like we haven't done that before." Addison replied, rolling her eyes.
"You could always just start talking about the delivery and that will make them leave." Derek joked. This made Addison laugh. "Addie, just relax. They will be gone before you know it. In addition to having lunch with your family, we are also supposed to have supper with mine tomorrow. Let's go get some sleep. "
"As if that can happen much anymore." Addison muttered under her breath. She could barely sleep more than 3 hours at a time lately because of the growing aches and pains and the constant having to pee.
The next morning, Derek walked into the bedroom to find clothes strewn all over the bed. It looked like Addison's closet had thrown up everywhere.
"What in the world is going on, Addie?" Derek asked confused.
"I can't find anything appropriate to wear! Your sons have made my belly so big NOTHING fits!" she yelled. She collapsed on the bed fighting back tears. Derek sat down next to her.
"Addie, you are 7 months pregnant with twins. If anyone expects you to be able to wear high heels and tight dresses, they are crazy. Why don't you wear one of those pretty sundresses you bought the other day." he suggested as he rubbed her back.
"Derek. It is February and is 39 degrees out and you want me to wear a sundress?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Honestly, Addie, I could care less what you wear." Derek clipped back, getting up from the bed frustrated.
"I'm sorry, Derek. I know you were just trying to help." Addison sighs.
"It's ok." he answers as he helps her up off the bed. "How about that pants suit you were to work last week?"
"That is actually a good suggestion." Addison conceded but she started to look around with a worried expression on her face. "I don't know. Maybe I should wear a dress and heels."
"No, Addison. You shouldn't." Derek intervened when he saw her beginning to go through the clothes again. He then noticed that she was even starting to look at dresses that were not maternity ones. He knew something else was bothering her and she is taking it out on the clothes.
"Addison, what is REALLY bothering you?" Derek asked as he took her by the shoulders and turned her towards him.
"I don't know what you mean, Derek" Addison exclaimed as she tried to go back to looking at clothes.
"Addison, look at me." Derek said sternly. She slowly turned to look at him and tears began to form in her eyes. Derek pulled her into a tight hug and led her over to the bed to sit down.
"Why are they here?" Addison said softly after a few minutes.
"They came in for your baby shower." Derek answered slightly confused. Addison looked at him skeptically.
"No, Derek. They are using that as an excuse for something. I barely speak to them anymore. They have said almost nothing to me about the boys since I told them about them. Bizzy, the Captain, and Archer are not the type to just fly across the country for a baby shower." Addison fumed, as she stood up. "So, why are they here?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.
"I don't know, Love. Let's just go to lunch and find out." Derek said as he got up from the bed. He kissed Addison on the forehead and gave her a hug. She didn't say anything else as she went to get a shower and finish getting ready. Derek began to pick up all the clothes before Addison changed her mind and started the process all over again.
Soon a driver was whisking them away to the restaurant. Of course, it would be too much for them to drive themselves, thought Derek. He still was not used to drivers and private jets and maids and butlers, and the list went on and on with all the workers it took to run a Forbes Montgomery lifestyle. He was very thankful Addison didn't expect it to be the same.
They arrived at the restaurant exactly at noon. Addison's family arrived precisely on time as well. Archer did a double take when he saw Addison but quickly recovered. He was shocked to see his little sister pregnant.
"Hello, dear. You came!" The Captain exclaimed as he greeted his daughter.
"I was summoned." Addison said dryly.
"How are my grandsons doing?" the Captain asked smiling, glancing briefly at Addison's mid-section.
"Um, they are fine." Addison said, surprised that her father was asking about the twins . He seemed a lot more chipper than normal. She was also surprised to see Susan was joining the family for lunch. Her mother's secretary was close to Addison's age and had worked for her family for over 20 years., but she usually stayed in the background and didn't join the family for private gatherings.
"Now, tell me all about life in Seattle." the Captain said after everyone was seated at the table.
"Well, we found out this past week that our house will be finished in a couple of weeks." Derek offered when Addison didn't say anything.
"Is this house on the same property you made Addison live in a trailer on?" Archer said as he glared at Derek.
"Archer, it is a beautiful piece of land with a lake, woods, and an amazing view." Addison responded as she felt Derek tense up next to her. She decided to ignore the comment about the trailer.
The waiter brought everyone menus, and as Addison expected, there was very little food she could eat since it was almost all seafood. She ended up ordering a salad.
"Addison, why are you only getting a salad?" her father asked, confused. "You love seafood. That is why we came here."
"I can't eat seafood while I am pregnant, Captain." Addison answered, plastering a smile on her face. Derek hated that smile. It didn't reach her eyes and she only used it around her parents.
"Plus, you wouldn't want to gain a lot more weight while pregnant." Bizzy chimed in. Derek put his hand on Addison's knee under the table to calm her down as he could all but see the steam rising from Addison from her mother's comment.
"Do you have names picked out for the boys yet?" Susan asked, trying to diffuse the situation.
"Not yet." Derek answered as the food arrived.
"Montgomery men need strong names." the Captain bellowed.
"They will be Shepherd men." Addison replied, matter-of-factly.
"Yes, but you are going to give them the last name of Montgomery-Shepherd, are you not?" the Captain asked.
Addison realized in that moment exactly why her parents had flown across the country BEFORE the babies were born. As Archer did not have any children, and honestly, no one expected he ever would, Addison's boys were the sole heirs to a fortune. This meant that her parents wanted to ensure that the boys were trained "properly" and would not be an embarrassment to their friends. Addison knew she didn't want to subject her boys to that. She was never more thankful to be living so far away from her parents.
"No, Captain, we are not. I will not give my children extremely long names." Addison said pointedly. The Captain raised an eyebrow at her.
"Addison, those boys need Montgomery in their last name. It will open many doors for them." Bizzy said sternly.
"These boys will only have the last name of Shepherd." Addison said icily to her mother. "It is not up for discussion." Derek was a little shocked. Addison actually stood up to her parents.
With that, Bizzy got up from the table and walked to the bathroom. Susan followed her.
Derek looked back and forth between Addison and her father. He didn't understand why everyone was so upset about the name. Even after all these years, WASP was very hard for him to follow.
Just then Addison's pager went off. Then Derek's pager went off.
"Well, isn't THAT convenient timing." the Captain said sarcastically. "Is this a little stunt you set up to get out of dinner?"
"Oh my gosh! There was a ferry boat accident!" they heard some one exclaim from the next table.
"No, Captain, There is truly an emergency. We have to go to the hospital." Derek answered as he helped Addison get up.
"I see. Well, we will see you guys later. We will have the driver take you to the hospital." the Captain replied a little nicer when it was obvious that there was an actual emergency.
Once they were in the car, Derek turned to Addison. "What the hell happened in there? Why are you all so mad about a name?"
"My parents are trying to establish control over our boys, who are the sole heirs to almost $500 million if you count all of my father's investments around the world plus everything my mother inherited.." Addison said as she stared out the window. It still shocked Derek exactly how rich Addison's family actually was.
"It makes our investments and assets look small in comparison." Derek muttered. And that was saying something considering they both made several million a year.
"Derek, that isn't the point!" Addison said frustratedly as she attempted to cross her arms over her growing belly.
"I know." Derek said as he placed a hand on Addison's knee, trying to calm her down. "Look, Addie. I don't fully understand what your father is trying to do, but even if he did the unthinkable and write you and our boys out of his will, we have plenty of money. They will inherit plenty from US. Please calm down." Derek said as he pulled into the hospital. He leaned over and gave Addison a kiss. "Let's go save some lives and worry about your family later."
Addison gave him a small smile before getting out of the car. Derek was always amazed at the transformation that happened with his wife as she exited the car and walked towards the hospital. It was like she was shedding skin from Addie, his over analytical wife, to Dr. Shepherd, the kickass surgeon.
"There are mass casualties, people. It is going to be a long afternoon." Dr. Webber was saying to the group of doctors gathering as the Dr. Shepherds entered the ER.
"Addison, promise me you will NOT over do it." Derek whispered in her ear. He knew she would push herself farther than she should, and since she was already stressed out, he was afraid she would use surgery to escape her thoughts on her family.
"Derek, I know what I can handle." Addison replied tersely. Derek raised an eyebrow at her. "Fine. I will not over do it." she replied, rolling her eyes.
"Inoming!" one of the nurses yelled.
"Stevens, keep an eye on her. Page me if she shows ANY signs of contractions!" Derek yelled as he ran off to help with a head wound.
"Dr. Stevens, what my husband meant to say is that my wife is a kick ass doctor and is more than capable of knowing if I am in labor so there is no need to page me unless my wife is unconscious. Are we clear?" Addison said pointedly as she turned to face the resident.
"That's exactly what I heard, Dr. Shepherd." Izzie responded, trying not to smile.
"Good." Addison answered as she took the chart a nurse was handing her. "Now let's go. There is an 8 month pregnant woman who needs our attention."
When Addison approached the woman, she was surprised to learn she hadn't been on the ferry.
"What seems to be the problem, Serina?" Izzie asked the patient as she began to set up the fetal monitor.
"I am only 34 weeks but I am having contractions." she replied. Addison stepped out and let Izzie take over the case. The resident was more than capable of examining the mother.
As she looked around the ER, she was surprised to see 4 other OB's taking on patients from the ferry boat accident while she was given a fairly simple case. She had a feeling Derek had something to do with it.
"What is the situation, Dr. Stevens?" Addison asked as she stepped back to her patient.
"The baby looks good and the contractions appear to be Braxton Hicks." Izzie answered. Serina looked mortified.
"I am not in labor?" she exclaimed. Addison walked over near the bed and smiled at the young woman.
"Serina, as you can see, I too am very pregnant. With twins actually." Addison said sweetly as she placed her hand on her belly. "I too have experienced Braxton Hicks. They can be very painful and seem like real labor. You did the right thing by coming in. We are going to monitor you for a few hours just to be sure." Addison filled out the chart and left instructions for Izzie to monitor the patient for the next 6 hours.
Addison walked over to the nurses station to see if any other victims of the ferry boat needed her attention.
"Um, I'm sorry, Dr. Shepherd, but we were told not to give you any severely injured patients unless there was no other option." a very young, nervous nurse informed her.
"On whose orders?" Addison asked as she crossed her arms.
"On my orders." Dr. Rahar answered. She gave the young nurse a nod of thanks as she pulled Addison over to the side of the room.
"Addison. You have to stop jumping in to long, complicated surgeries. You are almost 8 months pregnant, with twins." Dr. Rahar said pointedly, looking at Addison square in the eye.
"I know my limits. Besides, I am your boss." Addison pointed out.
"Yes, but I am your doctor. You need to listen to me if you want to do what is best for you and your babies. You need to understand the realities of your pregnancy." Dr. Rahar said as she crossed her arms. Addison too crossed her arms in response and raised an eyebrow. Dr. Rahar did not back down.
"Fine." Addison exclaimed. She threw her hands up in the air and walked off. Deep down she knew everyone else was right, but it was still hard to admit the limitations the pregnancy was starting to take.
Addison made her way to her office, where she decided to lay down for a bit to wait for Derek. Four hours later she woke up to Derek kissing her temple.
"Hey." she said groggily. "Are you done?" she asked as Derek helped her sit up.
"No. I need to stay a little longer to ensure my patient's brain bleed doesn't get worse. But, I really think you should go home. Sleeping in a bed is hard enough for you right now. I am not sure how you even are sleeping on this couch." Derek laughed.
"I guess I was more tired than I thought." Addison shrugged. She didn't want to admit how much her back hurt from sleeping on the couch. "What about supper with your family?"
"Amelia informed them of the emergency. She too has been in surgery for the past few hours. We are going to reschedule for breakfast in the morning. They don't fly out until the afternoon, so it is ok." Derek answered.
"We only have one car here. I can stay with you." she said practically.
"That's ok. I can drive you home and then come back to the hospital." Derek replied. "I will be able to focus better knowing that you are more comfortable at home." he continued.
"Ok." Addison said as she knew it was pointless to argue. Besides, the thought of getting a bath and then sleeping in her own bed seemed like a great idea to her.
Derek proceeded to take Addison home and then head back to the hospital.
After a few more hours of sleep, Addison woke up feeling as much like herself as was possible. She had a voicemail from Derek saying he got pulled into an emergency surgery and was just going to stay the night at the hospital. There was also a voicemail from her brother telling her to call him. Addison rolled her eyes. She really didn't want to deal with her family, but she knew since they were in Seattle still, it was unavoidable.
"Addie, how are you?" Archer said as he picked up his phone.
"I am almost 8 months pregnant with twins and have very little patience, Archer. That is how I am." Addison replied dryly.
"Yes, I can see that. Well, I wanted to make sure you were ok after dinner." Archer replied. Addison smiled in spite of herself. Her brother was always looking out for her.
"I'm fine, Archie. Bizzy and the Captain will learn that they are not going to control my children's lives. It is that simple." she said. "Archie, would you like to come over for a bit? Derek is stuck at the hospital with patients from the ferry boat, so I have the whole apartment to myself."
"I'd love to hang out, Squirt." Archie said, laughing when he heard Addison groan at the use of her childhood nickname. "But, I would rather you come over here, to the hotel. Would that be ok?"
"Um, ok, yeah. Sure. I'll be there in about 15 minutes." Addison answered. She sent Derek a text, letting him know where she would be, and drove over to the Archfield.
As Addison entered the lobby of the hotel, she was surprised to see her mother sitting at the hotel bar with Susan. She watched them for a few minutes, trying to decide whether to go over to them. All of the sudden, Bizzy leaned her head to rest on Susan's shoulder. Susan leaned over and kissed the top of Bizzy's head.
Shell shocked, Addison made her way to the elevator and up to Archie's room. What in the world had she just seen? Addison entered Archer's room completely silent when he opened the door.
"Addison, are you ok? You look a little pale?" Archer asked with concern.
"I need water." she answered, a little horse. What she wanted was something a hell of a lot stronger than water, but her current state of pregnancy would not allow for that.
Archer watched her gulp the entire glass of water he gave her before asking. "What is wrong, Addison?" he asked sternly.
"Our mother. Susan. Touching. Kissing." Addison blurted out incoherently.
"Addison. Slow down and tell me exactly what you are talking about." Archer said as he sat down across from Addison. She proceeded to tell him what she saw in the bar.
"Addison, I know." he said quietly. She looked at him in surprise.
"What exactly do you know, Archer?"Addison asked, still unsure if she was jumping to unwarranted conclusions.
"I know that Bizzy and Susan are lovers." Archer said bluntly. "And they have been for almost 20 years."
"What?!" Addison yelled as she jumped up from the couch. "How in the world do you know and you didn't tell me?"
"I only found out a few weeks ago. I walked in on them kissing in Bizzy's office. And well, you know Bizzy. She didn't want you to know at first, but I put my foot down. I said I was going to come out here and tell you myself. Well, naturally, she couldn't have that. So, we all came out here. The plan was to tell you last night at dinner, but well, you know how that went. That is also why I asked you to come over here. I wanted you to know the truth." Archer said, trying to get his sister to sit down.
"Does the Captain know?" Addison asked, still shell shocked by the news.
"Yes. He has always known. Same as Bizzy has always known about his affairs. Apparently, they had an agreement that it was best for us if they stayed married and keep each other's secrets." Archer said bitterly. Addison stared off into space for a few minutes, processing what Archer was saying. Her entire childhood had been a lie. Both her parents were cheaters and liars. No wonder both Archer and her were so screwed up!
"So wait. All those times the Captain had us lie for him while he screwed our nanny, his secretary, or whoever he could get his hands on, Bizzy KNEW about that?! And the whole time, she didn't even love the Captain!" Addison was now pacing around the room. She felt like the walls were closing in on her. Why had her parents done this to them? Soon, she felt like she couldn't breath.
"Addison, calm down!" Archer exclaimed as he rushed over to his sister. The doctor in him could tell she was struggling. All of the sudden, Addison passed out. Thankfully, her brother was there to catch her.
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Derek was trying to sleep in an on call room when his pager went off. "Noooooooooo!" he groaned. He was so tired. He looked at his pager and was shocked to see he was being paged to the ER. "I am not on call. Why are they paging me?" he grumbled as he drug himself out of the bed.
"Where am I needed?" Derek asked Owen as he entered the ER.
"Addison is in bay 2." Owen said quickly.
"Addison? What is she doing here?" Derek asked confused.
"Oh, you don't know." Owen said with concern. "Addison was just brought in by ambulance. She is the patient." Derek ran over to the room and busted through the door. He saw Archer sitting next to Addison, who was propped up in the bed with oxygen. Dr. Rahar was checking the babies out on the ultrasound.
"Both boys are just fine, Addison. You seem to have had a panic attack, which caused you to pass out. I would like to keep you here for the rest of the night for observation." Dr. Rahar said.
"What in the world happened?" Derek exclaimed as he rushed to Addison's side as Dr. Rahar left the room. He shot a questioning look at his brother-in-law.
"Addison is going to have to tell you." Archer said to Derek as he stood up. "Addie, I will talk to you later."
"Addison, are you ok? What is going on?" Derek asked as he tried to get into the bed with Addson. She pushed him away and shook her head no.
"Not now, Derek. Not here." Addison choked out as she took the oxygen mask off. Derek looked at her and instantly knew whatever happened involved her parents. She had the glassy stare in her eyes she always did after being around her family. Only this time was slightly different. She was also doing her best not to lose it.
"Addie…" Derek said pleadingly. He wanted to help her but needed to know what was going on to know what to do.
"Take me home, Derek. I don't care what anyone else says. I am fine. I want to go home." Addison responded hollowly.
"I really think you should stay a couple more hours." Derek said cautiously. He didn't want to upset her again but also really didn't want to take her home yet. Addison looked at him coldly for a few minutes before responding.
"One hour and absolutely no questions." she countered.
"As long as you keep the oxygen on." Derek replied coolly. He crossed his arms and stared down at his wife. She proceeded to put the oxygen mask back on and stare at the wall. Derek wasn't sure what to do next. Addison obviously didn't want him to hold her, as that would cause her defenses to break down. And she couldn't have that happen in public. He wasn't even sure she wanted him in the room. Derek started to head to the door when he heard a very small voice say "Stay". He turned and looked at Addison. She stretched her hand out to him. Derek walked back over by the bed, sat down in the chair, and held his wife's hand. She gave it a tight squeeze. He knew this was her way of communicating love and thanks when she couldn't find the words.
The couple sat there for about 15 minutes before Derek felt Addison's hand go limp. He looked up to find her sleeping. He looked up at the clock. It was almost 2:00 in the morning. He slowly stood up, made sure Addison was still asleep, and left the room.
Derek was surprised to find both Amelia and Nancy in the hallway.
"What are you two doing here?" Derek asked his sisters.
"I heard Addison was brought into the ER, so I called Nancy." Amelia answered. "I wasn't sure what was going on, but I knew that Nancy might be able to help."
"What is going on, Derek?" Nancy asked. "Did Addison over do it by helping with the ferry boat accident?" she continued.
"No. Addison barely helped with that." Derek responded, running his hand through his hair. He wasn't even sure what to tell his sisters. He didn't even know what had happened. "Look, I appreciate the concern, but you guys really should go get some sleep. Addison is currently sleeping. When she wakes up, I am taking her home. Something happened with her family. That is all I know. The babies and her are both fine now."
"I don't get it." Nancy said, crossing her arms. "Her family caused this? I know they are difficult, but what in the world happened to cause Addison to pass out?"
"I don't know yet." Derek sighed. He looked frustrated and defeated. Both Nancy and Amelia were a little surprised to see their brother respond like this. While they had heard their fair share of Forbes/Montgomery horror stories, they had never experienced it up close and personal. Nancy leaned over and gave Derek a hug. He was surprised at her reaction and also very thankful.
"I need to get back in there. I will call you guys in the morning." Derek said as he began to turn to go back in the room.
"Derek. Don't worry about breakfast. We will be back out here soon enough when the babies are born." Nancy told her brother. Derek gave her a small smile and nod of thanks, and then entered his wife's room.
"Hey." Derek said quietly as he approached Addison's bed. She was beginning to stir. He reached out and moved some hair out her face.
"Hey." she said, giving him a small smile. "Let's go home."
"Ok." Derek answered. After getting all the discharge paperwork filled out and strict instructions from Dr. Rahar for Addison to take a few days off, they left the hospital.