McMarried Snapshots
Chapter Three: Roses
Summary: Random fic snippets of Addison & Derek Shepherd. AdDek.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Only this fic idea is mine.
Author's note: 'lo! I look forward to reading your reviews on this chapter.
The scent of roses makes Addison tear up. Even though it has almost been 22 years, the smell of roses can still make her cry at the drop of a hat.
The anniversary of one of the saddest days in Addison's life was tomorrow. Addison has been quiet and withdrawn all day. She barely said two words on the drive home, her sad eyes speaking volumes as they stared out the window. When they finally made it home, Derek watched as Addison just stood in the rain for a few moments before he grabbed her hand and tugged into their trailer. Addison silently struggled out of her coat as Derek grabbed a towel and started drying off her hair. She pressed a soft kiss to his lips before she went out to their covered porch to sit and just stare out into the rain. Derek grabbed a bottle of scotch and two glasses before he joined her outside to just be there as his wife relived her one of her saddest days.
The weekend had just begun, and the day had started off rainy and gloomy. The rain had continued long into the night. Addison had just turned fifteen three days before. They had a very small celebration with her aunt in the hospital. It had been a bittersweet gathering for everyone because they knew that Blair would not be around for Addison's sweet sixteen birthday party. A few hours after the party, Blair had slipped into a coma. It was as if through sheer force of will Blair held on so that she would be able to see her niece and nephew happy one last time. The smell of roses clung to the air as Addison sat next to her Aunt Blair in the hospital room, just holding her hand. Visiting hours had ended hours ago but the nurses didn't have the heart to tell them that, especially when the end was so near.
"Ethan," Addison cried out as her aunt's breathing became labored. Her older brother rushed out of the bathroom to take their aunt's other hand before pressing the nurse call button.
Blair had fought a long, hard battle against breast cancer. Three month earlier, she had gone to the doctor complaining of dizziness, nausea and vomiting. After many test they found that her cancer had metastasized to her brain. Further test revealed that it had also metastasized to her liver, lungs and bones. The doctor's outlook had not been very positive, so Blair had begun to get her affairs in order. She had started by calling Addison's older brother, Ethan Forbes Montgomery. Ethan was eleven years older than Addison, when their parents had died he had just started college. At sixteen, he had not been old enough to be named Addison's guardian, even though their parents had left both of them sizable trust funds. While finishing his education Ethan spend his vacations with Aunt Blair and Addison. After Ethan graduated, Addison often spent most of her vacations visiting him or with the Shepherds. Now nearly ten years later he was a professor at the University of Tokyo and when Blair passed on he would be the only family Addison would have left. As Blair got weaker and needed to be hospitalized, Ethan arranged to come and stay with Addison. They both needed the chance to say good bye, which they had been denied with their parents. They needed a chance to acknowledge the inevitable, make peace with it while they still prayed for a miracle.
Blair opened her eyes, and smiled serenely at her niece and nephew before taking on last shuddering breath. Ethan stared unseeing at the doctor who called the time of death as he gathered his sobbing little sister in his arms.
They had a small private funeral for Blair a few days later. The whole Shepherd family was in attendance because they were all the family Addison and Ethan had left. Addison was shrouded with pain and gut wrenching grief as Ethan and Derek guided her from the cemetery.
As the clock chimed midnight, twenty two years later a slightly less than sober Derek pulled a very drunk Addison on to his lap as tears ran down her face. He whispered words of comfort, to share in the grief of losing a second mother. It had been years since Derek had seen Addison so vulnerable and felt that Addison needed him this much.
