"Addie wake up," Derek shook his sleeping wife awake, after yesterday with Meredith talking about Addison not being okay and then her not coming home that night he'd been worried.
"Wh- Karev you."
"It's not Karev." Derek snapped coldly pulling his hands away, feeling a wave of newfound anger burning through him erasing any worry he felt.
While he'd been thinking about her, she'd been thinking about Karev apparently, at least she didn't say Mark's name.
"Oh, Derek wh- I was asleep?" Addison asked, looking around confused at waking up on the couch in her office, while she could sleep anywhere she often powered through until she got home or at least to an on-call room.
"So it would seem. We have work."
"What time is it?" She questioned standing up and straightening her blouse, trying to get rid of any wrinkles because God forbid she looked less than perfect Derek thought bitterly.
"Time to wake up and get to work" Derek bit out, even as he was saying it a part of him was telling him to keep it civil, she had just woken up, she hadn't said anything unwanted, yet here he was trying to start a fight just because she said another's man name while half asleep.
"I - fine thanks for waking me up" Addison responded, putting a stop to her stretches, she really hated sleeping on the couch it messed up her body.
A series of emotion flashed across Derek's face when as she would say 'didn't rise to the bait' in fact, her husband looked slightly guilty. "Sorry, that was uncalled for."
Once again Addison surprised her husband by not saying anything she even shrugged her shoulders and side "It's okay" she shrugged.
Addison never shrugs, and she doesn't sleep on couches but more importantly she NEVER just let him have the last words or let him off the hook that easily.
Never.
Maybe Meredith was right to be worried "Are you okay?" Derek asked trailing behind his wife as she got out her 'night stop' kit from her bottom drawer: it had a makeup bag full of toothpaste, mini shampoos and conditioner and of course her make up everything she says was needed if she couldn't get home and still needed to look presentable. Under the makeup bag would be a Black trouser and two different blouses because even if she had to change clothes 'she needed options'.
"Sorry I missed dinner last night," Addison said instead sidestepping the question. "I get why you are pissed. I would be too if I spent all night waiting and calling you just to find you sleeping in your office the next morning."
He hadn't called her, in all his worry and anger he hadn't even called her to see where she was, he was starting to get why Nancy called him an idiot. "Addison-"
"We can rebook it if you like maybe for this weekend. My treat." Addison offered after all she was the one who missed dinner yesterday.
"Sure, that will be nice. Are you okay" Derek asked one more time darting his eyes back to the couch, his anger had well and truly vanished somewhere around the time his wife shrugged her shoulders.
Addison knew what Derek was asking with his questions, he was basically asking if she was dying because like she said before she HATED sleeping on couches. "Let's talk about it on the weekend. We don't have to go out, I know how much you hate the fine dining thing."
"I don't hate it" Derek replied back instead seeing the amused look on Addison's face he clarified. "I don't love it either, but I don't hate it… seriously is there something going on with you."
"We can talk about it later."
"I have a back to back surgeries all day just tell me." Derek sighed.
"It's not exactly appropriate for work, we can talk about it later." Of course, Derek would pick the most inappropriate time to finally be ready to talk to her.
"When has that ever stopped you, just say it."
"I saw you kissing Grey last week, you know when you were meant to be walking Doc, that!" Addison clarified, for all she knew they were multiple kisses last week and she'd just saw one.
"Have you been following me, Jesus Addie, do you even trust me?"
"Seriously do I trust- NO DEREK! I don't, look where trusting you has got me, you've been seeing her behind my back. You said you will try! That you wanted some time to get over her and- are you even trying?"
"Of course I am but, it's not easy, I can't just-"
"Do you even know how this makes me feel, forget kissing her and lying to me, you've been seeing her behind my back."
"It probably feels about the same as walking in on your wife screwing your best friend!" Derek shot out feeling petty, they wouldn't be in this situation id Addison hadn't slept with Mark, Derek would never have moved to Seattle, he wouldn't have fallen for Meredith, and he wouldn't be struggling with what to do about this entire situation.
Addison stayed quiet for a few minutes trying to rein in her temper, this was why she wanted to wait until later on to discuss it, so she didn't get into a shouting match with Derek for everyone to hear. "No, this feels worse because the difference is I've stopped seeing Mark unless he's consulting on one of my cases I don't see him. You, you are sneaking behind my back and seeing her"
"I'm sorry I kissed her and went on walks with her, it wasn't even about that, she needed a friend, I needed a friend."
"Right" Addison shook her head in disbelieve, "Out of the hundreds of people that work here she's the only one you can be friends with…. If you wanted to stay with her and continued the affair, you should have just signed the divorce papers and sent me back instead of making me live in a trailer-"
"I'm not making you do anything, Addie. I am not, you were the one who decided to come to Seattle, and you moved into the trailer all on your own."
"Can you even admit that Meredith is an affair or do you think it doesn't count because it's payback…. If sleeping with Mark makes me an adulterer then you kissing her makes you one too."
"I have-"
"Sorry to interrupt Dr Shepherd" came a timid voice belonging to one of the junior nurses who had obviously been selected to play sacrificial lamb. "We have a patient wanting to see you."
"Me or him?" Addison quizzed.
"You Ma'am she said-"
"It's fine, give me twenty minutes to get ready then send them up" Addison dismissed, "You can leave too, we can continue this at home or in therapy."
x.x.x.x
Her 'patient' if you could even call her that was a fourteen-year-old you had literally googled OBGYN in Seattle and had ended up getting a bus and two trains to come to see her because she needed an abortion.
A fourteen-year-old was sitting in her office begging for an abortion, and Addison felt- it didn't matter what she felt because there was a fourteen-year-old in tears informing her about how she hadn't meant to get pregnant, how her brother's friend had said it wouldn't happen and that everyone was 'doing it, so she had to as well'
"It's okay sweetie, just-" Addison was at a loss for words, she didn't know what to say. "How about we check on the baby, I can, we will, there's a machine called the ultrasound invented in the fifties it can show us how the baby is doing, and we can go from there."
"Can't you just get rid of it?" Kasey asked, needing this to be just over.
"I-" Addison couldn't admit that while Kasey gave her consent because she was underage her parents also needed to provide their consent, call it a feeling but she thought if she mentioned that little fact Kasey would bolt. "Just need to make sure everything is okay, we can do it here if you like, or on the ward with other people."
"No, I don't-" the fact that Kasey didn't want strangers to know about her pregnancy didn't give Addison any confidence in Kasey's parents knowing, the girl had already travelled all this way to come see her instead of going to her nearest hospital to get a termination.
"It's okay… I'll be right back I just need to get someone to bring the machine to me instead" Addison said forcing a grin onto her face, she hoped it looked reassuring because it felt as stiff as a cardboard box. Slowly closing the door behind her Addison looked round to find Karev, she'd basically ordered him to wait outside her room while she had the 'meeting' if she'd known she would have, she would have probably still taken it but asked for a nurse or someone more reassuring than herself be in the room.
"Finally, you've been ages, can I go now? Because as much fun as-"
"Shut up!" Addison hissed cutting him off, "Find a nurse and tell them to contact social services and family liaison and call the police" Addison instructed as soon as Kasey had mentioned her age and the circumstances of her situation Addison just knew this case will involve multiple departments.
"Wait seriously? She's just a kid no more than-"
"Fourteen? Yes I know, hence why you need to do what I say, and find Richard tell him he might need to get the hospital lawyers up here, also get me an ultrasound machine and bring it to my office and find me the friendliest nurse we have on staff, I don't care if you have to pick her up and carry her here I give you permission."
"I-"
"Panic after, do what I ask first."
x.x
"So Kasey, the baby looks great, very healthy, strong heart-beat and all ten fingers and toes" Addison continued explaining what she could see.
"Good, now can we get rid of it?"
Addison didn't so much as respond as hand Kasey a tissue to wipe the gel off her stomach "About that…"
"What, what is it."
"Kasey, I have to tell you that I can't legally perform any procedure on you without your parent's consent…. You are a minor."
"They can't find out, I" Kasey didn't even bother to look to Abigail (the nurse) for help, her sole focus was on Addison. "It's my body, and I don't want to go through with this."
"I understand that really I do, but I can't help you until your parents sign off on this if you could give us your surname or their names it would-"
"No!"
"Kasey-"
"Why did I think a stupid bitch like you could even help, all you care about is wearing fancy clothes and eating your posh food."
Kasey kept on going insulting Addison from her hair to her makeup and clothes to even saying that she should burn in hell, through it all Addison kept calm and took it on the chin because as scared as she felt Kasey was probably feeling a thousand times scared. "Listen to me, if we have their names or their number and they agree I can do the procedure for you. I will do the procedure, but they need to agree."
"It's not their body, and I don't want it."
"How about we call them to take you home, I can discuss your opinions with them."
"What options there is no other option. They will make me keep it, can't you help? Do it before they come, say you didn't know how old I was. Please" Kasey broke down sobbing into Addison's arm.
"It's okay, it's okay, it's all going to be okay." Addison soothed, making false promises
x.x.x.x
"So, what happened?" Karev asked, taking a seat next to Addison as she knocked back her third straight shot of tequila. He hadn't been allowed into the room being a lowly intern; however, the few times he walked past he heard a lot of raised voices.
"The parents came they brought their son and his friend, I punched the rapist piece of shit, and the Keller's found out that they are about to be grandparents…. They said no to the- I cannot do the operation."
"You punched-"
"The lawyers aren't too happy with me, but the cops are, and so it's Kasey's dad and so is Richard... so all in all, I don't think I'll be in much trouble."
"So we can't…"
"Perform a procedure on a minor without parental permission even if she wants it? No, we can't not without losing our licence…. Joe another one." Addison called out waving her shot glass in the air.
"It's going to be okay."
"Is it? How we have a teen who got- you know it was rape, right?" Addison question switching track "It's still statutory rape, I don't care that he's a minor as well he's older than her, pressured her into having sex, and now Kasey's being forced to keep the child. We have a family dealing with some deep-rooted religious issues regarding pre-marital sex, pregnancy and single mothers then we have an innocent yet to be born child whose mother doesn't even want it…. If she had lied about her age, I could have just-"
"Heard you had a tough day at work," Mark stated, grabbing the seat on the other side of Addison.
"Go away Mark."
"What I'm just-"
"Today's been long, so freaking long with lawyers and cops and social services and rapist and innocent children I don't want to deal with any more drama."
"What drama, I just came to see how you are. Glad you punch that prick."
"You are drama; a walking talking.." She paused to knock back the shot of tequila Joe had handed her "Drama."
"Sorry, you feel that way." Addison didn't even have to look at his face to know she'd hurt his feelings.
"Don't be offended, I'm drama too; before my patient, I was basically screaming down my ward arguing with Derek so I'm drama too, and I punched someone so more drama."
"Addie…" Mark's voice did that soft, comforting thing that he always did when he wanted Addison to look at him except she didn't.
Tonight wasn't about her, it was about Kasey and her child and social services and... it wasn't about Addison.
"No more talking, either one of you, we are just going to keep drinking until I forget about today."
"Fine by me, I'll get a nice break from your hearing your talk" Karev muttered reaching for his beer.
"No talking." Mark agreed "But can I order my drink, or does that break your rule."
"Be quick about it- Hey Joe, can I get some Vodka coke?" Addison called out switching drinks "And something to eat, I don't think I ate today and it's been a really long day."
Writer's note:
For all of you asking Yes this will be ADDEK, I love ADDEK but their journey won't be easy no matter how much I want it to be all sunshine and lollipops for them.
Next chapter: Therapy
Thanks for reading.
