A/N: I am going to first apologize (again? I forget if I've mentioned this before but I probably have) for any medical inconsistencies or flat-out errors because I am not in any way a medical professional. Nor am I smart enough to do extensive research to try to figure it all out lol. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter and look out for more author notes at the end!
"Archer?" Derek said as he saw his pompous brother-in-law walk in lugging what he knew was an expensive, Bizzy-approved piece of luggage.
"Hey, Derek," Archer said back as he left the suitcase near the staircase and found his way to the couch.
"What is he doing here?" Derek mouthed at Addison, to which she just shrugged. They both then proceeded to have a silent conversation where Derek tilted his head towards Archer on the couch, trying to get Addison to ask him aloud.
"She's my little sister," Archer said as he laid out on their couch. "And I can see her whenever I damn please,"
Instead of arguing, both Derek and Addison decided they'd move on. But not before Addison rolled her eyes slightly and Derek sighed in frustration. Regardless, Archer was here. Whatever he was here for, they were sure they'd figure it out eventually. He already came for Bizzy last time, surely he can't be here for the same reason again. Unless Bizzy suddenly wanted annual updates on Addison, which she couldn't fathom to be true.
"So, how's the baby-making going?" Archer joked, disrupting both Derek and Addison's pondering thoughts of why Archer was here in LA.
"We're…looking into adoption," Addison laughed slightly as she went towards the kitchen for a bottle of wine and some glasses for the three of them.
"So I take it screwing didn't work?" Archer joked again as he got more comfortable slouching on their couch.
"Archie," Addison said in a slightly threatening tone as Derek just glared at her ass of a brother.
Archer put his hands up in defense mockingly, as if signaling to both Derek and Addison, that they were taking his comment too seriously. Addison chuckled slightly at this, knowing that her brother wasn't someone who ever took anything seriously.
…
The next morning, Archer tagged along to the office, where everyone, especially Naomi, was surprised to see him back.
"Archer," Naomi said, shocked.
"Hey Naomi," Archer gave her a smoldering smile, to which both Derek and Addison rolled their eyes at.
"Relax, we're all friends here, right?" Archer said, seeing Sam spot him from across the hallway. He didn't exactly leave on the best terms the last time he was here.
Sam was really not in the mood to deal with Archer, however, so instead of trying to make nice, he just walked right past him.
"At least I thought we were," Archer half-joked, adding a chuckle in there for good measure.
"He'll come around," Naomi insisted as she gently stroked the back of his arm and shoulder.
Archer spent the day following Addison around whenever he could and hanging around the office, hitting on any woman he deemed worthy. Derek spent the day talking to Charlotte, either on the fourth floor, or at St. Ambrose. He had a lot of ideas and he didn't mind following her around to figure out the details together. Plus, it gave him an excuse to completely avoid Archer.
Addison, despite her rolling her eyes at Archer whenever he said anything remotely flirty or inappropriate to either her coworkers or patients, liked having him around. He was an ass, sure. But he loved her and was just doing his best to look out for her. She knew other people didn't see it that way, but she knew Archer well enough to know that that was the closest he'd get to being sincere.
Later in the day, Addison just finished up with a patient when she came out to the lobby to find Archer and Naomi talking. They were both smiling at each other and Addison already knew Archer was up to his womanizing ways, again. It still perplexed her that Naomi was falling for it. She knew who he was and yet, she was falling for it. But Addison had to remind herself that they were both grown adults that had the right to do whatever they pleased. It didn't change the fact that it bothered her, but she couldn't really do anything about it at this point.
"What?" Archer turned around after seeing Naomi smirk slightly when Addison rolled her eyes at her.
"Haven't you moved on by now?" Addison asked, sarcastically.
"Maybe I don't want to move on," Archer said smugly, directing this comment more towards Naomi.
"Stop!" Addison waved her hands dramatically in front of Archer's face. But her slight giggling didn't help with asserting her authority over the two.
"Seriously, though," Addison's tone changed as she leaned against the reception counter and fully faced Archer. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Relax, Addison," Naomi said, stepping forward a bit to stand next to her instead of behind her. "We're just…having fun!"
Naomi's tone sounded more enthusiastic than she felt. What was she doing with Archer Montgomery of all people? It was just sex, she'd say to herself. Though, even she wasn't doing a very good job at convincing herself. If it really was just sex, why did she care about what Addison thought?
Addison decided it wasn't worth the effort of trying to convince her best friend or her brother otherwise and chose to just walk away instead. Instead, she was going to focus more on the adoption process. It still felt surreal that she was going to be a mother. That she and Derek were going to be parents.
The adoption agency already approved their application and told them it was now up to a prospective mother to pick them. They were both doctors, so that must be a plus, Addison thought. Derek kept insisting that it'd be crazy for any birth mother to pick them but he was always much more optimistic than Addison.
Later that evening, Derek came home to find Addison pouring herself a glass of wine and a bag of takeout on the counter. When Derek looked around, he discovered that Archer was nowhere to be found. After giving his wife a quick kiss, she handed him a wine glass and started opening the take out bag.
"Where's Archer?" Derek asked as he started pulling out takeout containers out of the bag.
"Probably out on a night of wild debauchery," Addison joked as they both moved over to the dining table for dinner.
"Well, at least it's gonna be just us tonight," Derek gave her a playful wink and Addison couldn't help but giggle slightly.
"I'd be happier if I didn't already assume that he's with Nai tonight," Addison couldn't help but mutter under her breath.
"What is he even doing with her anyway?" Derek asked, equally frustrated with Archer.
"I don't know," Addison sighed as they started eating dinner.
As for Archer and Naomi, Addison and Derek were right in thinking that they were together. It was still, for the most part, just sex, but both also admitted to each other that they were starting to catch feelings. But Archer also added that he was just the "good-time guy" despite the fact that he decided to spend the evening with Naomi instead of going on a pre-scheduled date with someone else. Naomi had no choice but to just accept and decided that they'd figure it out eventually. But for now, there was no pressure in defining whatever the hell was going on between them.
Things at the practice were great again. Derek and Addison were well on their way of trying to adopt a baby together and Cooper and Charlotte made up, for the most part. Though, when it came to them, there was always something dramatic going on. Even Violet started seeing someone. Or what ended up being two someones. One of which was a fellow therapist working downstairs and the other being Pete of all people. And Violet got pregnant in the process.
Eventually, the secret came out when Violet finally told both Pete and Sheldon about it. And neither were particularly happy. Neither knew that Violet was sleeping with both of them. They both assumed it was an exclusive relationship. More than that, neither were happy that she waited that long to tell them. About the relationship and the pregnancy. But there wasn't much they could do about it at this point. At least not after Violet made it clear that she didn't expect anything from them.
For Naomi, Archer showing up was great. Waking up next to a man again was a nice feeling, Naomi thought. And Archer was fun and unlike everyone Naomi had ever been with. Being with him made her feel cooler and much more easygoing than ever. The last time he was in town, Naomi brushed this thing between her and Archer as just sex. But this was now the second, or more accurately, third time they slept together. And Archer may be the "good-time guy", but he was right to say that she definitely wasn't the "good-time girl". But it was fine, they'd figure it out. Eventually.
Unfortunately, things took a turn. Archer started seizing and even though it didn't end up lasting for too long, Naomi panicked and called the ambulance. Archer was being an ass, as always, brushing it all off. But Naomi was worried. And she knew Addison would be too. But the honest truth was she was terrified. And that only proved to her that whatever was going on between her and Archer might actually be real. The whole no-strings-attached mentality just wasn't going to work anymore.
Naomi promised she wouldn't tell Addison. Or rather, Archer pretended like this incident fell into the whole doctor-patient confidentiality area. And even though Naomi knew Archer wasn't really his patient, she still felt conflicted. She still felt like she owed Archer something, like she had to keep his secret. But why did she owe him anything? Because he slept with her? It's Archer, he sleeps with everyone. After almost a full day of debating in her own head, Naomi did what she thought was right. She walked into Addison's office and told her the truth.
Immediately, Addison wanted to see the scans to see if there was anything that could be done. She ordered the scans from St. Ambrose from Archer's most recent seizure and she made a series of phone calls to hospitals back in Connecticut and New York. And Naomi just watched her for a moment as she frantically made call after call to multiple different hospitals. When Sam peeked into her office, Naomi walked out with him and filled him in.
"Hey, can I call you back later, the ER's a little crazy right now," Derek said on the phone.
"No, it's Addie," Sam said, ominously.
"Why? What's wrong?" Derek asked, concerned.
After Sam filled Derek in, he got to the office to find Archer also arriving.
"A tumor?" Derek said as they stepped into the elevator together.
"How did you…?" Archer started to ask. He didn't know Naomi told Addison already.
"Naomi," Archer sighed.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Derek asked, slightly angry.
"Excuse me?" Archer asked, acting more offended than he felt.
"I know you're an ass, but she's your sister," Derek started. "You didn't think it'd be a good idea to tell her that you're dying?"
"What good what that be?" Archer asked. Derek just gave him a disgusted and confused look back.
"No, I'm serious," Archer added as the elevator doors opened. "I'm gonna die, and I don't want the last few years of my life to be Addie trying to save me even though we both know she can't,"
Instead of saying something, Derek sighed and made his way to Addison's office. When he and Archer got there, the rest of the Oceanside Wellness doctors were already there, looking at Archer's brain scans, trying to figure out what they could do.
"I'd feel flattered if I wasn't dying," Archer joked.
"That isn't funny," Naomi muttered.
"The doctor said it's operable," Addison said, leaning against the front of her desk.
"One did, three said no," Archer countered. "They'd have to tear through half by brain to get this,"
"How about chemo?" Sam offered.
"Radiation?" Pete threw in a suggestion as well.
"Chemo's not proved effective for this kind of lesion, and radiation would fry all brain tissue before it made a dent," Archer said, simply.
"I'd lose my sense of humor," Archer added to lighten the mood. Meanwhile, Derek just kept staring at the scans, trying to figure out if there was a way to save him. He might hate his brother-in-law but he was still family. And Addison still loved him more than Derek thought he deserved.
"You can't just give up," Addison insisted.
"I'm not giving up!" Archer exclaimed. "At the rate this is growing, I could have five years. Five great years and I get to keep all my hair,"
It didn't matter how serious his condition was, Archer always knew how to make a joke. Whether it made much of a difference or not.
"I'll adjust my seizure medication," Archer settled.
"What if it's not slow-growing?" Naomi asked, genuinely concerned. "What if instead of a couple of years, it's a couple of months? Or worse?"
"When was your last CT scan?" Addison asked. But Archer debated whether or not he should actually tell her.
"You know her, she's not gonna give up on this," Pete said after seeing Archer's face.
"These were my last," Archer started as he walked up to the scans everyone left up as Derek stepped aside.
"They were taken, uh, three weeks ago. They follow a set from two months ago…" Archer continued as Sam, Pete, and Derek watched him. They all noticed it.
"Wait, read that date again. This time, don't tilt your head," Sam said.
"What?" Addison asked as she walked closer to try to see what the three men clearly saw.
"Yeah, he has an upward gaze palsy," Derek said, agreeing with Sam.
"He's right, you can't look up," Pete added. "But that's not consistent with third-ventricle glioma, is it?"
"No, it's not," Derek answered for him.
"What else could it be?" Naomi asked.
"We need to do another CT scan and we need to do it now," Addison said as she walked over to her desk to get him in at St. Ambrose.
"Looks like we might be stuck with you," Derek joked. Addison glared a bit as she waited for someone to pick up at the hospital.
Regardless, Archer wasn't in the mood to joke anymore. He'd been living with this diagnosis for almost a year now. And now this roomful of doctors were telling him it was the wrong diagnosis? Was there a chance he could survive after all? Part of him wanted to be hopeful, especially after almost a year of thinking he was dying. But he also knew that even though his diagnosis was wrong, it didn't mean there wasn't something wrong. He'd spent the last few months trying to pretend like it wasn't true, like he was just living life like normal. But he was kidding himself, and he knew it.
It was only a couple months ago when he realized he didn't want to die with regrets. As much as Archer hated (or at least strongly disliked) Derek, he loved his little sister. He'd always been overprotective of her, and she reminded him of this when she waited with him to get his new CT scan.
"We were about a half-mile from home and you picked me up," Addison said as she continued telling the story of when she fell off her bike at seven years old.
"You told me it was gonna be okay and you carried me home. You weren't even that big. But you were my big brother. And you knew I was scared. And you carried me home," Addison waited another moment before continuing.
Archer looked back at her, seeing the tears fall down her cheek. They both grew up with Bizzy and the Captain, but Addison always had a soft spot for him. She couldn't hide how she felt with him.
"Who's gonna carry me home if you die?" Addison's voice wavered as she wiped a tear away.
"I fix things, Archie. It's what I do. I wanna fix this for you," Addison pleaded.
"Some things you can't fix," Archer said, honestly.
There were very rare moments when Archer was sincere. In the face of Bizzy and the Captain's general indifference and fake niceties, Archer developed what was now his signature sarcastic sense of humor. But Addison was his soft spot, just as he was hers. They both loved to tease each other. Addison called him an arrogant ass while Archer called her a bleeding heart. But it was all in good fun. As cold as the rest of their family was, they knew the love they had for each other was real.
Addison leaned her head against the door frame as Archer got in to do the CT scan. Afterward, Archer realized what was wrong with him. Neurocysticercosis. Leave it to Archer to diagnose himself. Addison, as well as most of the other doctors, wanted Derek to remove the cyst. Archer wanted to take the medication instead.
"No way am I letting your tool of a husband dig into my brain," Archer said after Addison tried to convince him to get the surgery.
"There are other neurosurgeons," Derek said. If Archer didn't want him operating on him, fine. But not having the surgery at all was stupid, in his opinion. And as much as he hated him, he was still family.
"None as good as you," Addison added as she continued arguing with her brother. Derek couldn't help but feel a little flattered by the sentiment. Addison probably didn't even realize it was a compliment. Instead, she was too focused on trying to get Archer to change his mind.
"Addison, he has the right to make his own decision," Naomi butted in after Archer laid out all the reasons why he thought it'd be better to take the antiparastics.
Archer looked up and gestured towards Naomi, grateful that he had someone on his side now.
"Come on, Nai! You've been sleeping with him for a few weeks and now you're on his side? " Addison scoffed, even though she knew that was a bit of a low blow.
With Addison frustrated, Derek put an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, knowing it would help relax her. Even if it was only slightly. Derek felt Addison exhale sharply leaned into him a little more.
"It's his field, and it's his life," Naomi said, calmly. She knew Addison was just lashing out and thought it'd be best not to lash out back. She was insulted, yes, but not enough to make matters worse at the moment.
"No, actually it's mine," Derek argued back. Everyone was surprised to see Derek take a stance. He'd been quiet throughout most of this process, just being here to support Addie. And they expected that much because they never really got along. But Derek speaking up now was curious. Though, he was right, this was Derek's expertise.
"Right now, it's a single cyst in the third ventricle," Derek started, as he pointed it out on the CT scan.
"But the meds could work," Archer continued insisting.
"Or they could send your immune system into overdrive," Derek countered.
"If you wait, it could not only rupture, but it could multiply. And if they do, there would be no way I could surgically navigate through them without rupturing one," Derek added, knowing that as arrogant as Archer was, he knew he was right. Though, he'd never admit it though.
"You're getting that surgery," Addison said with conviction.
"Fine," Archer resigned.
He thought about arguing even further, but he knew it wouldn't make a difference. Addison made up her mind and even though this was his life, he knew that Derek and Addison were right. As much as he hated to admit it. Derek might be a great neurosurgeon but he wasn't world-class the way that Archer was. In his mind, that still made him better than him. But it was times like these when Derek's expertise reigned supreme.
The surgery went without a hitch as Addison, Sam, Naomi, and even Charlotte sat in the gallery watching Derek. They'd all, at one point or another, seen him operate. But this was different. Archer was the body on the table this time. The pressure was higher and Derek knew Addison expected greatness out of him.
But as nerve wracking as it should've seemed, Derek felt exhilerated. This was the rush he was looking for. And it only made him want to strengthen St. Ambrose's reputation even more. As Derek scrubbed out of surgery, he heard the door open behind him. When he turned around, he found Addison standing there, leaning against the door frame.
"What?" Derek asked, laughing slightly after a minute of Addison watching him.
"I know that wasn't easy for you," Addison started as she walked over to grab him a towel to dry off his hands.
"It wasn't that bad," Derek said. And it was true. It was a single cyst and seeing the parasite wiggle out afterwards was a relieving moment.
"No, not the surgery," Addison added. "Archer,"
"Oh," Derek said.
"I know he's a handful but he's still my brother," Addison said, feeling the need to defend him.
"And he'd do anything for me," Addison added.
"I know," Derek said, knowing she was right.
"But does he always have to be such an ass?" Derek joked, causing both of them to break out in a laugh. After the day they'd had, it was nice to finally relax and laugh it off.
"Come on, let's go," Derek said, roping an arm around Addison's waist and kissing her temple as they walked out the scrub room together.
After letting Archer get some much needed rest, he woke up in a mood. He complained of a headache and insisted Derek missed something. When Charlotte came in to check on him, he demanded a CT. Derek was busy with another patient by then but she knew it'd be a good idea to get another CT scan anyway. She knew Derek wouldn't be happy about it but Archer was the patient. And he was asking for it.
"See?" Archer pointed out a spot on the scan. "He missed it,"
Shocked and panicked, Charlotte went to find Derek, who was finishing up a surgery.
"Dr. Shepherd," Charlotte said with a stern voice while holding her face mask with one hand, Archer's CT scan in the other.
"Dr. King, what can I do for you?" Derek asked as he continued operating.
"Archer Montgomery," Charlotte started. "He's saying you missed something,"
"I didn't," Derek insisted. "Archer's just being an ass,"
"Then, what's this?" Charlotte walked closer to him holding up the CT scan for him to see.
"It's Archer being an ass," Derek scoffed.
"You wanna say that again?" Charlotte asked.
Derek explained to her why Archer was completely fine. And why the CT scan still showed some fluid. But Archer clearly didn't know or remember that. After the explanation, Charlotte and Derek had a nice little laugh over how neurotic Archer was being.
"You've got one hell of a brother-in-law," Charlotte finally said as she was leaving.
"I sure do," Derek said, sighing.
When Charlotte got back to Archer's room, he was crying. Legitimately crying. All over crashing Sam's old car in the past and apologizing over how he he was leaving Naomi all alone because he was dying. Charlotte couldn't help but laugh hearing them but finally went in when enough was enough.
"Relax Archer, you're not dying," Charlotte said, chuckling.
Archer angrily grabbed the CT scan from her hand as Derek walked in.
"What do you mean?" Sam asked, hoping for some clarification.
"Next time I save your life, Archer, a simple thank you would suffice," Derek butted in. Archer still looked back at him angry.
"If you were a neurosurgeon and not just a neurotic, you would know that it is common for a CSP to temporarily fill with fluid post-surgery. Repeat a CT in a month and it'll be clear," Derek explained to everyone, including Archer.
"What? Wait, you mean he's gonna be fine?" Naomi asked, just to be sure.
"Yeah, he's gonna be an ass like he's always been," Derek couldn't help but add before leaving again to check on his other patient.
Archer looked embarrassed, putting down the CT scan as Charlotte and Addison couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
"It was a nice sentiment," Violet said after a moment.
"He crashed my car," Sam looked back at her.
"Well, yeah but he apologized," Violet pointed out.
"I think it's nice that he wanted to lay it all out there before he died," Violet added.
"But he's not dying anymore," Pete pointed out.
"Still," Violet said.
Later in the day, everyone got together at the local bar to wind down after a long day. Well, everyone but Archer, who was still recuperating at the hospital. While everyone eventually came together for Archer, the other doctors still had their own patients to deal with. Pete, Cooper, and Violet dealt with a new mother who was completely sleep-deprived to the point of post-partum psychosis. And Violet struggled through it with her newfound pregnancy hormones.
"You know what I couldn't stop thinking about today?" Naomi asked.
"What?" Addison asked as she took a sip of Derek's scotch.
After feeling the glass slip away from Derek's fingers, he couldn't help but smile at Addison. For a while, Addison avoided caffeine and alcohol because they were trying to get pregnant. Now that they were trying to adopt, she went back to her morning coffee and the occasional glass of wine in the afternoons.
"Your song," Naomi started. "Did you guys think all those years ago that we'd be here?"
"Not the song," Derek started. The rest of the Seaside doctors looked confused.
"I like the song," Addison insisted.
"What song?" Pete asked, swallowing a sip of his beer.
"Derek wrote Addison a song," Sam filled everyone else in. "And then he sang it at their wedding,"
"Wow," Charlotte commented. "Didn't take you for a songbird,"
"I wanna hear the song," Violet added, sipping her club soda. God, she missed wine.
"No, no, no no," Derek refused.
"Sing it, sing it, sing it!" Cooper started chanting. It wasn't all that loud but Derek couldn't help but look around at the other customers, looking embarrassed.
"Our eyes met over the cadaver," Naomi started. Derek sighed, this was going to happen whether he wanted to or not. Cooper clapped his hands softly like an excited little kid.
"And I knew I had to have her," Naomi continued, laughing in between.
"Had his mitral valve grown too thick," Sam continued where Naomi left off.
"Is that what made our cadaver so sick," Naomi kept singing.
"Okay, but what's the chorus?" Sam asked.
"All I remember is that your name starts the chorus," Sam pointed to Addison, who couldn't help but laugh along.
"Addison Montgomery, he met her in the summery," Addison sang, giving a little dance with it as well.
"It wasn't summery, I'd never use summery as a noun," Derek pointed out while everyone else laughed along.
"I met her in the summer she," Derek corrected.
"Oh, summer she! Really?" Addison exclaimed.
"Yeah," Derek laughed along.
"She was cutting up a very dead body," Naomi went back to singing their song as Sam joined in near the end of the sentence. Derek was still embarrassed, but at least they were embarrassing together.
"And in her eyes, I saw my life," Sam sang out.
"I knew that she would be my wife," Naomi continued on.
"And she would breathe the life back into me," Sam and Naomi sang in unison, with Naomi adding an adlib at the end.
"From every day until eternity," Sam and Naomi continued singing together as the rest of the doctors watched.
"Or until I'd be as dead as that body," Sam's voice got lower, causing all the doctors to bust out laughing at his strained baritone voice.
Sam and Naomi bowed as if they'd just put on a show to the entire bar. The bar didn't have too many people in it but the people who were there clapped and laughed along in support.
A/N: So, as per usual, I still took some stuff from both Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice, but I wanted everyone from Private Practice to be involved this time. And I just had to put Derek's song in there somewhere, even though story-wise, it didn't really need to be in there. But the Addek nation, myself included, just loves that song too much so I had to include it. I also eventually want to add more about Derek and Archer's strained relationship but haven't gotten too many ideas on how I want to go about that just yet.
As for Mark (not that anyone really asked), he will eventually come into this story (physically, not just thinking about him and the overall affair). I just need to figure out how I want that to go down. Also for my fellow Private Practice fans, I'm keeping the crazy baby stealing storyline for Violet but I might change some details about the aftermath though I'm not entirely sure yet. Lastly, Addison's parents will eventually make it out to LA, I just want to get through everything else first before I bring them out. Anyway, thanks for following this story and reading along, I'll try not to make you guys wait too long for the next chapter! And I can actually say that this time because now, everything's caught up to where it was on ao3 hehe.
