Recovery
Part VIII
"Hi mom," Addie said into the phone. She was still trying to get over the shock of finding out she was indeed pregnant. "Do you have time to talk?"
"Of course I do sweetie," Madeline said. She could tell by the sound of her voice something was wrong with her daughter. She wished desperately that she was with her right now.
"I . . . god I don't know how to say this," she inhaled deeply and let out a long breath.
"Oh Addie sweetie, it can't be that bad," she tried to encourage her.
Addie sighed deeply into the phone, "Oh I don't know about that, I . . ."
"Come on dear, just tell me what the problem is. I can't help you if I don't know what is going on," she was really starting to worry now.
"I'm pregnant," she said quickly before she would lose her nerve.
Madeline stared at the phone opened mouthed.
"Mom?" She tried to get a response, "Did you hear me? I said I was pregnant."
"I . . . I heard you dear." Her mind was racing; her daughter was pregnant, "How far along?" She wasn't sure if she wanted the answer to that question.
"Almost seven weeks."
"So it's Derek's then," she grimaced.
"Yes."
"Have you told him yet?" she said with concern.
"No."
"Are you going to tell him?" she closed her eyes and let out a slow breath. She told herself, count to ten and try not to scream.
"Yes."
Madeline's head was spinning; she thought my god Addison say something other then yes and no, "Honey?"
"Yes?"
"Do you want me to come out for a visit?" she immediately asked.
"Yes," Madeline could hear her daughter crying on the other end of the phone.
"Okay baby, I'll get the next possible flight," she hung up the phone and immediately made another call.
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It was coming to the end of the day and Mark had yet to see Addie. Mark had arrived back in Seattle early Monday morning. Instead of having Addie pick him up he had taken a cab to his hotel, and then driven on to Seattle Grace. He knew she had early rounds so he insisted on taking a cab over her protests. If he was being honest with himself then he would admit the truth, he was afraid to see her. Afraid that she was going to regret the kiss they shared. Afraid she had done some soul searching over the weekend and decided that it meant nothing. He looked up from the nurse's station and noticed Addison and Derek walking side by side. Addie looked grim, she stopped and turned her back to Mark and was now facing Derek. He slowly started to move toward the couple, worried Derek was going to blow up at her again.
Addison and Derek had just come from Beth Ryan's room; she was scheduled for surgery the following morning. She had just cleared her so Derek could operate. As the discussion came to an end, Addie realized it was now or never. She abruptly stopped and faced Derek, stopping him in his tracks. "Derek," she began, "There is something I need to tell you, before . . ." she hesitated trying to make the words come. He looked at her expectantly and she inhaled and slowly let out a breath, "This isn't easy, just give me a minute."
Derek could see Mark slowly heading their way, "Come on Addison, spit it out I have other patients to see."
As Mark approached he could hear their conversation, Addie was clearly trying to tell Derek something and he was getting impatient.
"Okay, okay," she closed her eyes and began again, "I . . . I thought I should know let you know, before the gossip made the rounds that I am pregnant." There she said it, now to wait for his reaction. It wasn't at all what she had expected.
She could feel Mark wrap his arm around her waist and then he whispered in her ear, "I guess we have a few things to discuss."
He raised his eyebrows, a smile quickly spread across his face and he looked from Addison to Mark, "Well, I guess I owe you guys my congratulations." He reached out to Mark and shook his hand "Congratulations, I'm sure you will both make wonderful parents. Now if you will excuse me, I have patients to see." He turned and headed to the elevator.
Derek entered the elevator and as soon as the doors closed the fake smile turned into a frown. He didn't know what to think. Addison pregnant, it was something they had wanted for a longtime but then their problems started and everything was put on hold. He couldn't believe that now that they were divorced, now that there was no chance for them, she was pregnant. He leaned against the wall of the elevator. He saw the look of shock on her face when he smiled and congratulated them. He had to do that because he didn't want to admit the truth. It was way too hard to digest, because if the baby was his he had destroyed any chance they had to make their marriage work. The idea that they now might have created a child together, he slammed his fist against the wall, no it was easier to say that Mark was the child's father. They were together now, he had seen with his own eyes how close they had gotten. He knew all too well what that look in her eyes meant. This was something he just didn't want to deal with.
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Mark took a stunned Addison back to her office; he guided her to the couch and gently pushed her down to take a seat. He gathered both her hands in his and looked at her. He had a million questions that he wasn't really sure if he wanted to hear the answers to. "Are you okay?" he looked into her eyes, trying to gauge what she was feeling.
"I . . . don't know." She gave him a weak smile then said, "Surprise?" She raised her eyebrows and tried to smile but it wasn't working, he could see the tears starting for form in her eyes.
He pulling into his arms and started to rub her back. "Hey," he whispered, "That's one hell of a surprise." He pushed her back so he could see her face. He reached up and brushed a tear away with his thumb then smiled at her, a smile that went all the way to his eyes. "You know what?" he asked gently. She shook her head, "You are going to make one hell of a mother." The tears started to roll faster and he pulled her back into his arms.
After she calmed down, he brought her back to her hotel suite. As they approached the door, they saw Madeline standing at the door readying to knock. She turned and saw her daughter and ran to her and pulled her into her arms. Addison instantly burst into tears and Madeline looked up at Mark with concern. He quickly opened the door to her room and Madeline guided her daughter to the couch. While Madeline comforted Addie, he made a call to room service and ordered something for them to eat. He looked over his shoulder at the two women, Addie was sitting back on the couch, she was drying her eyes, she had stopped crying.
Mark walked back over to the couch, "I ordered something from room service for dinner."
"Thank you Mark," said with a nod Madeline.
"I'm not hungry," Addie said.
Both Mark and Madeline looked at her reproachfully and said, "You have to eat."
"Fine, fine, I'll eat something," she gave up.
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Cristina, Meredith and George were sitting in a corner booth at Joe's they were waiting on their dates. Meredith tried not to pay attention to Derek; he sat at his usual seat at Joe's and was nursing his usual scotch. He seemed more depressed then usual, but there was no way she was going to find out why. She looked up as the door opened and saw Burke enter. He waved to them, but took a detour when he saw Derek at the bar.
"Hey Shepherd, what brings you here?" Derek raised his glass.
"How's the physical therapy going?" Derek inquired.
Burke opened and closed his hand, "It's getting better."
Derek finished his drink and stared straight ahead, "Addison is pregnant."
Burke's eyes widened, "Are you sure?"
"Yeah she told me today," he said evenly.
"And . . .?"
"I congratulated her and told her she and Mark will make wonderful parents," he motioned Joe for another drink.
"You just automatically assumed it was Mark's?" Burke closed his eye and shook his head, "You really are an idiot."
"I know," he said and he picked up his drink.
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"Thanks Mark. You made an excellent choice," she grinned at him. "I guess I was wrong, I really was hungry," as she looked down at her empty plate. "But now I am exhausted, I think I will turn in." She rose from the table, walked over to Mark's side and gave him a hug, "Thanks again."
Madeline rose from the table as well, and followed Addie into her room. She sat on Addie's bed and waited while her finished up in the bathroom. Addison returned fifteen minutes later, her face freshly scrubbed, teeth brushed and wearing a pair of dark green plaid flannel pajama bottoms and a dark green over sized t-shirt. She sat down on the bed and looked at her mother. "He congratulated me and said Mark and I will make wonderful parents," she closed her eyes and tried to keep her emotions in check.
She rose from the bed and started to pace. "Oh god mom, I don't know what to do."
"Well, I guess the first question is," she looked up at her and gave her a reassuring smile, "Do you want to have this baby?"
She stopped her pacing and kneeled by her mother's side and put her head in her lap, Madeline started to stroke her long wavy red hair. "Yes," she managed to squeak out.
She pulled Addie up to her side and put her arm around her, "There the hardest decision is made then." She looked into her daughter's blue green eyes and saw the turmoil in them and smiled, "So, I'm going to be a grandma again."
She gave her mother an anxious look and nodded, "Yes . . . you are." A small smile appeared on her face, "I might not be happy about how this came about, but now that I've had some time to adjust to the idea, I really am happy about having a baby."
"I knew you would be, once you got over the shock." She had her lay down in bed and she pulled the covers up over her. "So I guess we have a lot to talk about," said as she curled up next to her daughter and continued to stroke her hair.
"Mom?" she asked.
"Yes sweetie?"
"Thanks for coming. I really did need you here," she gave her mother a little smile.
"No thanks needed dear. I will always come when you need me," she tilted her head and smiled down at her daughter. "You just need to let me know when you are in trouble and I'll be here."
They continued to talk about the baby and how it was going to change her life.
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She closed the door to Addie's bedroom and walked over to Mark, he was staring out the window at the city skyline. "Mark?"
He turned to her voice, "Is she a sleep?"
Madeline nodded.
"Oh god Madeline, I don't know what to do. I love her so much," the distress in his voice was evident.
"Mark, you know under these circumstances you can not pursue a relationship with my daughter," she said firmly.
He looked at her questioning, urging her to go on.
"You know as well as I do that she is not completely over Derek, and if you push the relationship now, you both will be hurt in the end." She reached out and touched his cheek, "I know how devastated you were when she left you before, I warned you back then." He tried to protest but he knew she was right. "She is carrying his child," she looked at him sympathetically, "And I'm not saying that she will choose him but if he decides he wants her back." She sighed, "And he fights to get her back, there is a distinct possibility that she will go back to him."
He whispered, "I know." The devastation of her words echoed in his head.
"Do you remember what I told you before?" she narrowed her eyes.
"And I didn't listen. Instead of being there for her, supporting her when she needed a friend, I took advantage of her. I was an idiot, I truly thought after Derek left, she would divorce him and stay with me." He closed his eyes and remembered the kiss they shared at the airport, his heart started to ache. "I know better this time and I am not going to do anything that will hurt her," he continued, "I know she needs to figure this out on her own. And if she truly does love me now and not Derek, I need to have faith that she will realize this and choose me." He took a deep breath, "I told her before that no matter what I will be here for her, as her friend, even if she decides to go back to Derek." Madeline felt so bad for him; she reached out and pulled him into a hug.
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