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III – Part 20

Meredith sat on the bed in the on call room with her head in her hands. Her mind was reeling she didn't know what to think. Last night her husband was threatening to take the woman's child away now he was in his office making out with her. He must know it's her fault he was kept away from his son. Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door, then someone entering.

"Hey," Derek said softly as he sat down next to her. "I don't know what you thought you saw, but you were wrong Meredith."

"I found my husband with his arms around his ex-wife and he was kissing her, what the hell am I supposed to think?" she snapped at him.

"Meredith first off that is not what you saw. What you saw were two people coming to terms with how to deal with their son. There is no reason for you to feel threatened by Addison," he took her chin in his hand and turned her face to him. "And secondly didn't you just tell me last night that I needed to talk to her about Richie instead of going to an attorney?" he said in exasperation. She bit her lower lip and nodded. "Well that's all this was," he reached out and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "I finally understand why she never told me about Richie and she has agreed to allow me to be a part of his life."

"She told you why?" she swallowed hard. Then said in a whimper, "It was my fault she didn't tell you because of me." She bowed her head.

"It wasn't because of you. It was my own fault Meredith," he said giving her a small hug.

"So she really agreed to let Richie know you are his father? And she is going to let you spend time with him?"

"She did but she still wants time to explain everything," he said with a nod. "So are we okay?"

She gave him a half smile and said, "Yeah we are okay."

"Good," he leaned over and gave her a kiss on the side of the head.

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George and the interns watched the raven haired woman approaching the nurse's station her curly hair pulled back into a ponytail. Understated make up giving her a fresh and wholesome look. She was dressed in a white and pink floral sundress and a pair of pink sandals.

She smiled at them then looked at George asking in a sweet tone, "I'm looking for Dr. Tucker do you know if he is free at the moment?"

"He just had a trauma come in, so I think he will be busy for a little while, can I help you with something?" George said with a smile.

"No I can wait." She glanced around the ER then smiled back, "I'll just wait for him in chairs."

"Who do you think she is?" whispered Riley.

"Well, Dr. Tucker is married maybe that's his wife," Molly said.

Riley tilted her head and pursed her lips while analyzing the woman. "That's not how I pictured his wife to look like."

"What do you mean by that?" Molly asked puzzled.

"She seems too sweet and innocent," she said with a shrug.

The interns took a moment to scrutinize the woman. "Do you think she's a doctor too?" Lucy asked looking at the woman.

Riley looked her over then said, "Naw she looks more like a teacher, she looks like a kindergarten teacher." They all nodded in agreement.

A commotion broke up their musings when a patient who had been released early came bursting into the ER. The man had been denied pain medication because they all knew he was just looking for a fix. He grabbed the woman who had been looking for Dr. Tucker by the arm then pulled her close to his chest and wrapped an arm tightly around her and held a knife to her throat. "Someone better give me pain medication right now or I am going to slit this woman's throat."

Beck raised an eyebrow at the man holding her captive and said in a low whisper, "You can let me go right now and I promise not to hurt you." The man looked her over then let out a low snort.

The nurse had alerted security and Dr. Tucker came running out of the exam room he was in and looked at the man who was holding his wife. He shook his head, "You really don't want to do this Mr. Rollins it will only end badly. So be smart and let her go right now."

George and the interns were now flanking Tuck. George whispered, "She was asking for you do you know her?"

Tuck leaned against the nurse's station desk gave a slight nod then said quietly, "She my wife." Tuck shook his head again then chuckled, "The man doesn't know who he is messing with." Then he grinned, "She is going to kill him."

George raised an eyebrow at Tuck looking puzzled at the other man and whisper, "You seem kind of amused by this."

He shrugged, "Beck can take care of herself." He gave George a sidelong glance and added, "You probably should give Callie a call. I'll bet good money that Mr. Rollins will be in need of her services very shortly." George's eyes widened in surprise but he didn't move. Tuck gave him a nod, "I was serious you should have her paged."

George narrowed his eyes at the other man and realized he really was serious. He turned to the nurse's desk and asked, "Betty can you please page Dr. Torres?"

The interns looked at the attending eyes widen in shock at his nonchalant attitude to his wife being held at knife point. Then their gaze passed from their attending to his wife. To their surprise she stood there relaxed like the man was just asking her for the time, instead of holding a knife to her throat.

She calmly said in a low whisper, "I will give you one more chance to let me go and you can leave with no consequences, because I know you had no clue I was a cop when you started this."

The man held her tighter and pressed the knife against her throat a little harder. He growled in her ear, "You aren't going anywhere until I get what I came for." Beck rolled her eyes and let out a sigh. The man then shouted, "Where are my pain meds, you better hurry or . . ." He didn't get out another word because to the shock of all who were watching but Tuck, Beck reached up and swiftly grabbed the hand that was holding the knife deftly twisting it. The knife dropped to the ground making a loud clanking noise when it hit, then a sickening snapping sound was heard. She twisted him around so quickly the next thing they all knew he was laying face down on the ground she had him pinned in place with a knee on the small of his back holding his undamaged arm behind his head waiting for the security to come and take him off her hands.

She leaned over him gave him a quick pat on the back and said shaking her head, "Next time if someone is nice enough to offer you an out take it." The man let out a small groan in pain.

Tuck looked over at an opened mouth George and said with a chuckle, "See I told you we would need Callie's services." He pushed off the nurse's desk and walked over to his wife crouched down took a quick look at the man's free arm then said with a sharp nod, "Yep it's definitely broken." He turned to his wife and grinned then gave her a quick kiss saying slightly amused, "Are you ready to go out to lunch?"

"Yeah," she said with a smirk. Then she said suggestively, "But I think you owe me more than lunch." Then she leaned in and lightly bit his lower lip before giving him a long lingering kiss.

"Okay, I don't think she's a kindergarten teacher," Riley said stunned. The other interns shook their heads in stunned agreement.

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Sully and Addie sat on the bench in Waterfront Park eating a picnic lunch they picked up at a deli on the way over. "So you agreed to tell Richie Derek is his father?"

Addie nodded, "He agreed to let me wait until after the bone marrow procedure though."

Sully nodded with a small smile playing on his lips, "Good I'd rather wait to tell him after too." He reached over and brushed a red lock of hair out of her face then said, "It's going to be okay. We will make him understand he is gaining family not losing anything." Then his smile grew, "Just think how happy he will be to find out that Grandma Aileen is his real grandma and that all his aunts and cousins really are part of his family."

"Yeah," she said wistfully with a small smile playing on her lips. "Knowing they are really his family should make an easier adjustment for him." She leaned over and kissed him softly on the lips, "I like how you always know how to make me see the positive side mio caro."

She leaned back on the bench looking out on the water she pursed her lips as she thought about what Derek had told her. She really wanted to believe what he said because she loved Richie beyond belief. It nearly destroyed her to think Derek was using her during their reconciliation as a replacement for Meredith. His cutting her off so completely after the divorce had only reinforced that notion. She bit her lower lip and glanced over at her husband to see he was carefully studying her, he knew her so well.

He reached over and caressed her cheek then softly said, "I know you told him why you never let him know about Richie."

She took a deep breath and slowly let it out watching her husband carefully so she could read his reaction. "He told me I was wrong."

His face remained neutral and he asked, "Wrong about which part?"

She gave a little shrug then a half smile appeared on her face. "He swore that when we made Richie it was only about us trying to make our marriage work," she said with a shake of her head dislodging the lock of hair again.

His face softened and he brushed the lock of hair from her face again. Then he reached out and took her hand giving it a little squeeze, "And how do you feel about that revelation?"

She swallowed hard the tears were threatening to fall a tight smile formed on her lips. "A large part of me is relieved. I want to believe him."

He put his arm around her and pulled her close then gave her a soft kiss. He said in an understanding tone, "You should take him at his word then." He turned her head and looked tenderly in her eyes then added, "I know how much it hurt you to think he was imagining being with Meredith. So, it's a good thing for him to tell you that it wasn't true."

She smiled up at him and said, "Have I told you lately just how wonderful you are and how much I love you?"

He grinned at her and hugged her tighter then whispered, "Only everyday mia cuore."

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