"Alex? What…? What are you doing here?" Lexie asked, flustered.
"I work here now," Alex said simply.
"Now, I know it's been frustrating for you, working with the first-year interns, so Dr. King and I have put together a group that we think will be better suited for you," Derek explained, as he directed Alex and Lexie to follow him.
"And you brought Karev all the way from Seattle just to do that?" Lexie muttered.
"He may be an ass, but he's a good doctor. Plus, it was my wife's idea to bring him out here," Derek said jokingly. Alex nodded along, not even insulted by his comments.
"Ah, you must be Dr. Karev. Dr. King," Charlotte said as they turned the corner to find her walking their way.
"Alex," Alex shook her hand.
Then Charlotte joined them as they walked toward one of the study labs. There, they met with four other residents.
"Dr. Grey, Dr. Karev, your new class. And this is Dr. Barksdale, your resident," Derek introduced them.
"He's one of our best. So, make the rest of your introductions and get back to work," Charlotte directed as she and Derek left the room to let the rest of them meet each other.
After they left, Lexie and Alex met the rest of their class, including their resident, Dr. Ethan Barksdale. In addition, there was Jonathan Delgado, Ainsley Matthews, Kira Chen, and Cameron Zidan. They were all second years, which put Lexie behind them all. But Derek and Charlotte had no doubt in their mind that she could keep up with them. They were already impressed by what they saw from her thus far. And it was about more than just her photographic memory.
After that, Dr. Barksdale handed out their assignments, and Lexie and Alex got paired together on a neuro case with Derek. It was only when they walked over to the patient's room that Lexie finally found out why and how Alex got to St. Ambrose.
"So, what are you really doing here, anyway?" Lexie asked.
"Well, I called Montgomery for a reference and the next thing I know, I'm here," Alex said.
"What did you need a reference for?" Lexie asked. Usually, people only asked for references when applying for new jobs, she thought.
"I got fired, alright? Is that what you wanted to hear?" Alex asked grumpily. Lexie couldn't help but chuckle.
"How?" Lexie asked.
"After Izzie left, I kinda got attached to this patient. Ava. Or Rebecca. She…had amnesia and chose the name, Ava, and then later we found out her real name: Rebecca. Anyway, I made the same mistake Izzie did except instead of dying, she went crazy," Alex clarified, referring to Izzie and Denny.
After the LVAD wire situation, Izzie left. Regardless, Richard would've fired her anyway if she hadn't. After that, Izzie went back home to Chehalis with her mom. At some point, she tried to come back, but Richard refused, and rightfully so. Rehiring her after that whole debacle would've put the hospital at risk of losing its UNOS status. And if they wanted to be one of the best hospitals in the country, they couldn't afford to lose something that vital.
When a burn victim with amnesia came in after a ferry boat crash, Alex took care of her. He told himself he was just doing his job. But at some point, he grew attached to her. Even after she got her memory back and her husband came to get her. He thought he was done with her, that her husband coming would end it. But then she just kept coming back. And even though they knew her name was Rebecca, she insisted he call her Ava.
There was a whole pregnancy scare and a psychotic break from Ava. And Alex dug his heels in as he kept trying to take care of her. Something about her reminded him of his mother. He kept trying to visit her in the psych ward, but they wouldn't allow it. And then, Richard found out. Actually, most of the hospital doctors found out. It was affecting his work. He couldn't focus anymore, so Richard felt he had no choice but to let him go. Not knowing where else to turn, Alex called Addison.
"Hello, Dr. Montgomery speaking," Addison answered the phone professionally as she held a sleepy Nate in her other arm.
She didn't recognize the number, but that didn't seem strange to her. It happened frequently enough, with her being a doctor and giving out her number to patients that may need a little extra reassurance.
"Dr. Montgomery, hi. It's Alex. Karev. I, um…, how are you?" Alex asked, stumbling over his words slightly.
"Karev, hi…I'm fine. What are you doing, calling me?" Addison asked awkwardly.
"Well, I was wondering if you could give me a reference for my resume," Alex stated plainly. He tried to sound nonchalant rather than nervous like how he felt.
"A reference...Sure. But, if you don't mind me asking, what do you need a reference for? Do you not work for Seattle Grace Mercy West anymore?" Addison asked, confused.
"Yeah, not since a few days ago," Alex said.
"Why? What happened?" Addison asked, growing concerned. He didn't work for her for long, but she could already tell that he'd be a great doctor someday. Despite the attitude problem.
"Oh, you know, merger," Alex said casually.
"The merger happened four months ago," Addison stated. Lexie came after the merger had already done a few rounds of layoffs. She couldn't imagine they'd be doing more this long afterward.
"Alright fine, I got fired, okay?" Alex gave up trying to sound professional. Addison knew him well enough to know he was lying anyway.
"What happened?" Addison asked, moving to grab a bottle out of the fridge for Nate.
"It's a long story," Alex said dismissively.
"I have time," Addison replied.
It was true. She was already done with work for the day. Alex sighed on the other end, which made Addison smile. She wasn't trying to torture him, but somehow he must've felt like she was.
"There was this patient. I…got attached, and I shouldn't have. But I did, and it'll never happen again. Anyway, I got too attached and Webber fired me for it. Can't say I blame him either," Alex said.
Addison nodded along as Alex heard something beep on her end of the phone.
"Is that your pager? 'Cause, that's a loud pager," Alex commented.
"No, the microwave," Addison clarified as she opened the microwave to retrieve Nate's bottle.
"Dr. Montgomery Shepherd using a microwave? Never thought I'd see the day," Alex said jokingly.
"It's not for me, it's for Nate. My son," Addison clarified, chuckling.
"I could've boiled some water and warmed up the bottle that way, but that takes forever," Addison said as Nate reached for the bottle. Addison pulled it out of his reach, careful to make sure it wasn't too hot before letting him hold it.
"Wow, a kid," Alex couldn't help but comment.
"Yeah," Addison chuckled.
"So, I guess that means you and McDreamy made it after all," Alex added. It'd been a while since Addison heard that nickname.
"Yeah, we did," Addison smiled, looking at her son, who looked up at her, still waiting for his bottle.
After determining Nate's milk wasn't too hot or too cold, she gave him the bottle, helping him hold it as it went into his mouth.
"So, where are you planning on going then?" Addison asked, sitting down on the couch.
"Well, there's Seattle Pres'. Or just…anywhere that'll take me, really" Alex said honestly.
Seattle Presbyterian, at the moment, seemed to be the best option. Or at least the most convenient one. But in all honesty, he could care less what hospital he worked at if it meant they'd give him a job after everything that happened.
"How do you feel about Los Angeles?" Addison asked.
"Nice weather, hot babes. Why?" Alex shrugged. Addison rolled her eyes. He really was a Mark Sloan lackey.
"How would you feel about coming down here? St. Ambrose could use some more residents. Ones like you," Addison teased.
She knew, regardless, Alex was probably desperate for a job. And she was hoping her being here, even if she didn't officially work for St. Ambrose, would be a good reason to get him down here.
"Really?" Alex asked, unsure if she was serious or not.
"Yes! I'm sure Der -, Dr. Shepherd, would love to have you," Addison replied.
"Dr. Shepherd? What about you?" Alex asked.
"Well, I don't officially work at the hospital. But I do have privileges there. And, depending on the case, I let some of the residents help out on my cases from time to time. I also have some pull considering I'm married to one of the chiefs of staff," Addison filled him in.
"There's more than one chief?" Alex asked.
"Technically, no. But Dr. Shepherd is Dr. King's right-hand man," Addison explained the best way she could.
Derek's official title was still just the head of neuro. But people around St. Ambrose knew he still had a lot of pull with Charlotte, as well as the overall hospital. And he helped Charlotte out with the paperwork from time to time.
"Okay…," Alex said, seemingly accepting this answer.
"And since I know you're planning on going into plastics, at least for now, Dr. Mark Sloan is the head of plastics here," Addison teased.
Even though she knew he was interested in plastics, she also thought there was a big chance he'd change specialties. And Mark was a well-known plastic surgeon. One of the best in the country.
There was a pause as Alex thought about it. The weather was infinitely nicer. He could spend his free time on the beach, with hot chicks, and he could have the go-to plastic surgeon as an attending. Then he thought about it some more and realized there wasn't anything tying him to Seattle. Not anymore.
"When can I start?" Alex smirked.
"Like I said, I don't officially work there, but I can pull some strings," Addison chuckled, silently cheering.
"I'll call you tomorrow and let you know," Addison added.
"Thank you," Alex said appreciatively, sighing, grateful he had somewhere to go.
"Goodnight, Karev," Addison said before hanging up the phone.
When Derek came home that night, Addison talked to him about adding Alex to St. Ambrose's class of residents. And the next morning, they talked to Charlotte, who, after looking over his official resume, which he sent over the night before, made the same conclusion Derek had. Alex would make a great addition to the St. Ambrose family. Addison called Alex back later that day and he made his way to LA in his beat-up Jeep.
"That's it?" Lexie asked after Alex gave her the cliff notes version of what happened.
"Yup," Alex said just as they turned the corner, meeting Derek outside of the patient's door.
Meanwhile, at Oceanside Wellness, things were great professionally. But personally, they were kind of a mess. Naomi started the process for Callie and Mark, but had to rush to back to Switzerland after hearing William was getting worse. Violet was back, but she butt heads with Sheldon, who took over her cases while she was gone. They may have somehow had a casual sexual relationship before, but apparently working together wasn't the easiest.
Charlotte and Cooper were starting to get friendlier again. They weren't back together, but the practice could see how things were changing between them. The breakup happened months ago, after a month of radio silence. Then there was avoidance, and when they couldn't physically stay away, there were harsh words between the two. Both were angry. She told him she used to be married. And this was after the whole almost-getting-married thing that happened after her father passed.
But things were looking up. A recent case opened Cooper's eyes to why he was so angry at her for lying. When they almost got hitched, she said she didn't want a big ceremony because Big Daddy wouldn't walk her down the aisle. And it'd remind her that he never would. But if she had already been married, it couldn't have been true. They weren't back together, but they didn't fight like mortal enemies anymore. It was some strange limbo state where they were friendly and possibly waiting for the other person to make the next move.
Taking Sheldon's advice, Charlotte tried to take the next step. But at every turn, Cooper pulled away. When Violet asked him about it, he didn't have a good answer. He was hesitant to give her another chance. They still loved each other, they were just tiptoeing around each other, afraid to disturb the peace, in a way. And everyone saw it. Watching them made the office a little more awkward. And it was already awkward enough with Pete and Violet's situation. The one thing that brought the practice together at the moment was their patients. Medical topics were safe. There were still kitchen debates and camaraderie, but they avoided personal topics. It was almost like an unspoken rule at the office.
"Where is everyone?" Mark asked as he and Derek came by Oceanside Wellness for lunch. Derek went over and kissed his wife's cheek before letting her answer.
"In their offices," Addison sighed, grabbing some napkins out of the drawer.
"You guys don't have lunch together anymore?" Mark asked, pulling out takeout boxes for the three of them to share.
"Not so much these days," Addison muttered.
"Is this because of the whole Cooper and Charlotte thing?" Derek asked.
Charlotte had been on edge more than usual lately. When Derek asked her about it at St. Ambrose a few days ago, she told him about her and Cooper.
"Yes," Addison replied.
"That and Pete and Violet," Addison added.
"Oh yeah. That's the one that got the baby…," Mark started.
"Yes," Derek answered for Addison, chuckling at how no one could complete the sentence when referencing it back.
"So, what's with you and Callie, anyway? You guys are really gonna have a baby together?" Addison asked, changing the subject.
"Yeah," Mark said simply.
"You sure that's a good idea?" Derek asked as they all ate out of the takeout boxes that sat in between them.
All those years in med school and they still all ordered the same things and ate out of all three takeout boxes together. In college, they did it so that they wouldn't have to wash any dishes. After that, they got used to it.
"Yeah. I want a baby, she wants a baby, I keep Lexie, and now she and Robbins are back together. Everyone wins," Mark said. Derek and Addison looked at each other and shrugged, knowing they weren't going to change his mind.
"Well, congrats. I guess," Derek said, jokingly lifting his to-go coffee cup up to cheer him. Mark chuckled as Addison rolled her eyes.
Two more weeks passed as Thanksgiving rolled around. Derek and Addison already told Carolyn they'd visit for the holidays, so they made their way with Nate and Amelia. But before they left, Derek made sure everything was taken care of at St. Ambrose. Charlotte was staying in LA this holiday season as it was the first year without Big Daddy. Meanwhile, Addison left Sam in charge of the practice for the time being.
In addition to Derek, Addison, Amelia, and Nate, Mark and Sloan were also coming to Connecticut to celebrate with the Shepherds. Mark had been coming every year since he and Derek were seven, and he wasn't going to stop now.
When Derek and Addison got to the Shepherd house, his other sisters were already there with all of their kids. Thankfully, Nate didn't have too hard of a time on the flight. He did cry for a bit, but Addison was able to calm him down after a while. By the time they reached the Shepherd house, Nate was fast asleep. After Derek parked, he just looked back at Nate sleeping peacefully in his car seat with Amelia sitting next to him, the car engine still running.
"It was nice while it lasted," Derek said jokingly.
Addison and Amelia giggled. They knew that the minute they came in, everyone would bombard them, which would inevitably wake up the baby. Derek turned the engine off. Soon after, they heard another car pull up next to them: it was Mark and Sloan.
"Well, if I have to face everyone, so does he," Amelia commented.
Derek and Addison got out of the car as Amelia got to unbuckling the car seat gently, trying not to wake Nate up. Addison opened the door for Amelia to get out, who also grabbed the diaper bag as Derek picked up the car seat. When they reached the front door, all three of them took a deep breath before Addison opened it. During the holidays, the Shepherds never locked the door. Not until after everyone arrived.
"Auntie Addison!" Thomas, Kathleen's son, exclaimed, running over to her.
"Hey, kiddo. You've gotten so big!" Addison exclaimed as she bent down to hug him. He was four now and the last time she saw him, he was at least an inch shorter.
Soon after, the other kids followed suit, and Derek and Amelia's other sisters popped out from the kitchen excitedly. But by the time that happened, Nate woke up from his nap crying. At the sound of the crying, Carolyn came out from the kitchen to get a glimpse of the baby.
"It's okay, baby," Addison soothed as she picked Nate up from his car seat.
"That's a lot of people," Sloan commented.
"Told ya," Mark chuckled.
About a minute later, Nate stopped crying and resigned to cuddling close to Addison's chest. After seeing him settle, Carolyn went back into the kitchen to continue with dinner preparations. One by one, Nate met everyone, not that he could really comprehend who exactly he was meeting. Everyone got their turn carrying Nate, who looked like a fish out of water before getting fussy and crying. He didn't love being in a crowd of people he didn't recognize, but they carried on, passing Nate back to Addison or Derek every time Nate started crying.
"Who are you?" Lucas, one of the nephews, asked Sloan, looking up at her.
"I'm Sloan," Sloan said simply, giving back an awkward smile.
"My daughter," Mark filled the boy in.
"How come we haven't met her before, Uncle Mark?" Lucas asked.
"Well, because I didn't know about her until nine months ago," Mark said.
He found it best to just be honest when talking to the kids over the years. And if they started asking inappropriate questions, he'd direct them to Derek, who always knew how to figure out how to clean up his mess.
"Cool," Lucas commented, satisfied with Mark's answer.
"This is Lucas," Mark introduced him to Sloan before he went on to introduce her to the rest of the Shepherd cousins.
After watching Derek and Addison struggle with introducing Nate to the kids from afar, the Shepherd sisters and their husbands came up for their turn. They greeted the two and excitedly waited in line (literally) to hold the baby. Derek and Addison repeated their earlier process of trading Nate off between the Shepherds' arms and theirs, trying to calm Nate whenever he got fussy.
Finally, Addison got ahold of the baby after passing him around and told everyone she'd take him to the kitchen to greet Carolyn. When Addison reached the kitchen, she found Carolyn pulling out the turkey to baste before shoving it back into the oven. There were cutting boards out, dirtied knives, plastic containers with cut-up vegetables, and prepped food in bowls ready for the oven or the stove slewed all over the kitchen counter. And Addison had no doubt in her mind that the Shepherds were in here earlier helping her prep.
"Hi Mom," Addison greeted from the doorway. Nate turned and looked at her, confused.
"Addison!" Carolyn smiled when she turned around and went to wash her hands.
"Nate, this is Grandma Carolyn," Addison spoke softly.
He'd cried enough already, and she wanted him to like his grandmother right away. It also didn't hurt that it might earn her brownie points with her mother-in-law. One that didn't necessarily hate her anymore, but one that didn't like her as much as she'd like either.
"Hi Nate," Carolyn cooed as Addison gently handed the baby to her.
"You look like Mark when he was a kid," Carolyn commented.
Addison stayed close as Nate kept looking over at his mom. Thankfully, he didn't start crying. And hopefully, he'd stay that way, Addison thought.
"He does, doesn't he?" Addison would be lying if she didn't admit she saw it, too.
"He's also already a troublemaker like him, too," Addison said jokingly.
Nate wasn't a troublemaker, per se, but he was always amused when he misbehaved. Whenever he dropped a toy on the ground or spilled food on the floor, he laughed. It was cute now, but it wouldn't be if it continued it into his later years.
"I'm sure you are," Carolyn cooed. Nate looked over at his grandmother, confused.
At least he isn't crying, Addison thought.
"Hey, Mom," Derek said as he came into the kitchen.
"Derek!" Carolyn exclaimed, handing the baby back over to Addison. She went in for a hug and stepped back to get a better look at him.
"You're skinny. Are you eating enough?" Carolyn asked.
"Yes, Mom. I'm eating plenty," Derek insisted. Addison chuckled.
"Is he still keeping you up at night?" Carolyn put her hands on his face, inspecting him closer. Derek pulled at her hands to get her to stop touching his face.
"Yup," Amelia interrupted, coming into the kitchen. Carolyn smiled upon seeing her youngest and gave her a hug, too.
Nate turned to see his favorite auntie upon hearing her voice, holding out his arms toward her.
"Hi! I missed you too, kid," Amelia said as Addison handed him over.
"We missing the party?" Mark peeked in, with Sloan following closely behind. Behind her were the rest of the Shepherd sisters and their husbands.
"Come in!" Carolyn exclaimed, going over to give Mark a hug.
"And you must be Sloan," Carolyn added after they pulled away.
"Hi," Sloan said shyly before Mark introduced her to the rest of the Shepherds.
"You must look more like your mother," Kathleen commented.
"Oh yeah, the blonde hair blue eye thing screams Mark Sloan's type," Nancy added. Mark and Sloan chuckled along. She really did look a lot like her mother.
"Oh, actually…your eyes look like there's some green in there too," Kathleen said.
"Kinda like Addie's," Kathleen added.
The room was silent for a minute, with Mark and Addison looking down at the floor.
"Way to clear a room, Kate," Amelia commented. Carolyn and the other Shepherds glared at her, but Addison and Sloan couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
"So, you guys are really cool with this whole…arrangement?" Liz asked, gesturing with her hands.
It was a fair question. As if the affair wasn't enough, Sloan and Nate entering the picture not only changed things but complicated them as well. And, on paper, it seemed like it should be awkward all the time. For the first few months of Nate's life, it was awkward whenever they were around Sloan. But now, Sloan made a habit of visiting Nate once a month. And Derek and Addison were very open about making sure she knew that she would always have a place in his life.
After having the baby, it was hard for Sloan to see him. Too hard. But after enough time passed, she opened up, letting herself spend time with him. It helped that she also got to know Derek and Addison better as people, tool. She knew they were good people, ones that would do a great job taking care of Nate. And that made the experience that much easier for her, knowing Nate would be okay, more than okay, with them.
"Yes," Sloan confirmed when Derek, Addison, and Mark looked at her.
Any one of them could've answered for her, but having it come from her meant more than it would if it came from them.
"Mama?" Nate said, looking over at Addison.
Addison's smile widened as Amelia passed Nate back over to his mom. Once he was back in her arms, he rested his head against her chest.
"Oh, that's adorable," Nancy commented.
"Now that that's settled, is anyone gonna help me finish dinner?" Carolyn asked.
The adults moved around the kitchen counter and resumed their routine of chopping vegetables, mixing bowls of food, and setting the table. Addison offered to watch the other kids with Nate still in her arms, and Sloan joined her.
As they started Thanksgiving dinner, the adults finally got to talking.
"So, how is being a dad, anyway?" Liz asked, tapping elbows with Mark.
"It's great," Mark's smile widened. Sloan smiled back awkwardly, still not knowing exactly where she stood with the Shepherds.
"Yeah, he's gonna have another one," Derek added.
Addison gave him a look. She wasn't sure if Mark was ready to tell everyone. Especially since Callie wasn't officially pregnant yet. It'd only been two days since insemination.
"Wait, what?" Nancy exclaimed. The other Shepherds looked back, surprised.
"Please tell me you didn't get another girl pregnant," Carolyn commented.
"Well, not yet," Derek started.
"What do you mean, not yet?" Liz asked.
"He and Callie are having a baby," Derek added.
"Who's Callie? Is that the little intern you're dating?" Nancy asked teasingly.
"Nope. That would be Lexie," Amelia chuckled, amused by the situation.
Everyone looked at Mark for more of an explanation.
"Callie's a friend. A good friend. And we're having a baby together," Mark explained between bites of food.
"So…you did get another girl pregnant. Don't tell me you cheated on the poor girl," Nancy commented.
"Dude…really?" Andrew, Kathleen's husband, chimed in.
"No," Addison commented, bouncing Nate in his arms.
"She hasn't even slept with her," Amelia commented, chuckling.
Addison gave her a look, scolding her silently. Everyone, again, looked at Mark for clarification.
"We're having a baby together with her egg and my sperm," Mark explained.
"Yes, we're well aware of the scientific process of how a baby is made in the female body," Kathleen commented.
"Nai's helping them get pregnant. She injected her a few days ago before she left. Now, we just wait and see," Addison said, stepping in to explain further.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Liz asked.
"He's made up his mind," Derek answered for Mark.
He knew there wasn't anything they could say that would change anything now. And Mark appreciated that he defended him. The last thing he needed was the Shepherd sisters coming at him for his decision. Derek's comment may not completely deter them from their pestering questions and judgemental comments, but at the very least, it was a small warning to the girls to keep to themselves. Everyone nodded awkwardly in response, effectively backing off. At least for now.
The rest of the holiday went off without a hitch. Well, other than a few more pestering questions from the Shepherds about Mark's situation, as well as intrusive questions about Sloan. Nate warmed up to the Shepherd siblings eventually as they played with him and some of the toys they brought along. Addison and Derek ended up helping the other Shepherds clean up, letting Carolyn have some more time with Nate.
As they got ready for bed, Carolyn caught Addison rocking Nate gently as they waited for Derek to come up with his bottle.
"You met a lot of people today, didn't you?" Addison looked down at her boy's big brown eyes looking back at her.
"Did you have fun today?" Addison asked. Nate was still too young to respond in any meaningful way, but she and Derek were trying to encourage Nate to be more communicative. Even if his response would just be Mama or babbling nonsense.
"Mama," Nate replied, looking around the strange new room he'd never been in before. Addison giggled, holding her boy tight and giving him a kiss on his forehead.
"Still just Mama, huh?" Derek asked as he came in with a bottle in his hand.
When Nate turned around to see him, he reached for the bottle. He hadn't said Dada yet, and it was getting to be frustrating. But, by now, Derek made a point to joke around with it. Maybe he'd say it when they least expected it.
"Alright, it's coming," Derek said jokingly, which made Addison chuckle.
"Can you say, Dada?" Derek asked, enunciating the word clearly. Addison bounced him slightly, hoping the boy would respond.
"Still no, huh?" Derek asked, his voice sounding defeated slightly.
"It'll happen when it happens," Addison reassured him.
"You're just saying that because he already says Mama," Derek joked.
"Maybe a little bit," Addison resigned as Derek leaned in for what was supposed to be a quick kiss. But she deepened it, craving the attention and alone time they now had.
"Dada?" Nate said softly, his small hand trying to grab the bottle still in Derek's hand.
"Did he…? Did you just?" Derek asked excitedly.
"Say it again!" Derek exclaimed excitedly.
Addison laughed, knowing that Nate did things on his own time. And this just happened to be his time to finally say, Dada. But he wasn't someone who would just say something on command. And she ended up being right as Nate continued going for the bottle, his nose scrunching in frustration.
"Alright, here you go. I'll take what I can get, I guess," Derek chuckled, finally giving Nate the bottle.
"Told you it'd happen eventually," Addison said as Derek moved closer to hold her from behind so they could both watch their boy fall asleep on her chest.
"They're pretty obnoxious, huh?" Amelia came up behind Carolyn as she watched from the farther side of the staircase. Carolyn, shocked to see her at first, playfully rolled her eyes.
"They really are okay now, aren't they?" Carolyn asked, pleasantly surprised to see Derek and Addison, who were finally in a good place again.
"Yeah, they are," Amelia confirmed.
Once they reached the weekend, Mark, Sloan, Derek, Addison, Amelia, and Nate said their goodbyes to everyone.
"And you, behave," Carolyn said to Amelia after hugging the girl.
"Scout's honor," Amelia said jokingly, putting a hand up.
"She's doing just fine," Addison came to her defense, putting an arm around her shoulders and pulling her in for a squeeze. Amelia smiled and leaned into the side hug. Then, Derek handed Addison the baby so he could get his hug from his mom next.
"And you. Take care of your little sister," Carolyn said as Derek stepped up for his hug.
"I will, I promise," Derek said.
"Just for the record, Addie's better at it," Amelia commented.
Derek and Addison just chuckled in response as Carolyn mockingly glared. Addison and Amelia just had a connection she never understood. But, if anything, she was appreciative that someone else was looking after her youngest and keeping her out of trouble.
"You guys better be back for Christmas," Carolyn added as they all stood outside on the welcome mat.
"We will. I promise," Derek said before they all headed out toward their rental cars.
A/N: And that is the end of this chapter! It's a little longer this time (though I've realized you guys seem to like the longer ones lol so thank you for that), and I didn't intend on this one being the Thanksgiving chapter, but it just ended up happening. There wasn't as much drama this time with the Shepherds, I think there was plenty of drama the last time they showed up in this story (lol). Maybe there will be the next time we see them (around Christmas time).
As for Alex's storyline, I always thought it was weird that Izzie still not only stayed but got to work at Seattle Grace again after the whole Denny incident. So, I feel like her getting fired/her quitting, and just not coming back, felt more realistic. At least to me. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this one and I hope you guys have a great holiday season if you celebrate Thanksgiving. Or even if you don't, I hope you're doing well lol. Until next time!