III – Part 24

"Addison?"

Addison turned smiling at Meredith when she had caught her attention. She could see Meredith was distressed and a concerned look came over her face. "Is Ellie okay?"

Meredith nodded her head, "Ellie is fine." She hesitated not sure what to say next.

Addison furrowed her brow starting worry at Meredith's behavior. "What's wrong?"

Meredith bit her lower lip swallowing hard then quickly said, "Its Richie, he's missing."

Addie stared at her not quite comprehending what she just said. She played her words over in her head Richie is missing. "What?" she asked hoping she heard the other woman wrong.

"Richie is missing. Derek and I went to Ellie's room and he was gone."

It wasn't like Richie to run off and not say where he was going. It was silly to panic though; he was a little boy maybe he got bored. "It's not like him to run off, maybe he got bored playing Barbies," she said trying not to sound worried. "Did you check to see if he was with Richard, Miranda or Tuck?" She watched Meredith shake her head and could tell she wasn't telling her something.

She steeled herself clenching her jaw then asked in a controlled tone, "What are you not telling me Meredith?"

"Ellie told Richie that Derek was his father." Meredith watched the redhead visibly pale.

Addison stared at the other woman trying to control the panic rising inside her then asked in a low whisper, "Is this your idea of a joke?"

"I'm sorry Addison I had no idea she knew. I . . ."

Addison cut her off rushing past her. She pulled out her cell phone quickly calling her husband.

Riley watched Meredith follow the distraught redhead out of the NICU. They had both entered the elevator and as the doors closed Riley watched Addison close her cell phone and turn to Meredith. The doors closed before Addison spoke to the other woman.

Addison looked down on the other woman she was struggling to keep her emotions in check. The combination of fury and fear was racing through her. The fear was winning out at the moment. The anger had to be put aside until after Richie was found safe.

"Just how did Ellie know that Derek was Richie's father?"

Meredith stared straight ahead she couldn't look Addison in the eye. "I swear to god Addison if I knew I would never have allowed Richie visit Ellie."

"That was not the question I asked," she said trying to maintain her composure.

Meredith could feel the tears burning the back of her eyes. Addison had every right to be furious with them.

Before Meredith could answer the doors to the elevator slid open. Addison could see Richard and Derek talking a security guard. She rushed out of the elevator to Richard's side.

Derek was immediately at her side reaching out to touch her shoulder. "Addison I am so sorry I didn't. . ."

She turned to Derek batting his hand away giving him an icy look as she cut him off, "Derek, I don't want to hear it." She was hanging by a thread she didn't need one of Derek's incessant apologies at the moment.

"Addison we've gone over the security tapes and we don't think Richie left the hospital. We have everyone on alert and we are searching the hospital. We will find him," Richard said reassuringly as he placed his arm around her shoulder.

Bill ran up to Addison out of breath. "We found him," a big smile broke out on his face.

Relief flooded through her, she quickly brushed away the tears that were threatening to fall. "Where is he?"

"He was hiding in the basement, don't worry Molly and Lucy are with him. I'll take you to him," he said with a nod.

Still trying to get her emotions under control, Addie turned to Bill gently touching his wrist and asked, "Can you please wait for Sullivan and let him know where we are?"

He nodded with a understanding smile, "Yeah, I'll bring Dr. Sanders to you as soon as he gets here."

"Thank you," she said the relief evident in her voice. Addison turned quickly heading to the basement. Derek started to follow but Richard held him back. "Don't you think you've done enough?"

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Addison watched her son sitting in the corner with Molly and Lucy flanking him, when he saw her he turned away. The young women quietly rose moving away to give them some privacy.

She closed her eyes took a deep breath and shook off her pain at seeing him so hurt. This wasn't about her it was about Richie. She couldn't allow her emotions to become an issue here. Her not telling him Derek was his father hurt him. Now she needed to try to explain to him why she lied to him. She wished Sully was here to help her explain things.

She walked over and sat down next to him. "Hi," she said softly and tousled his curls.

He kept his head turned away from her and didn't say anything.

"I was worried about you."

He shrugged his shoulder still not saying anything.

"You're pretty mad at me aren't you?"

He stared straight ahead asking, "Is it true?"

"That Derek is your father?"

He nodded.

"Yes," She reached out caressing his cheek. "I'm sorry I never told you."

He lowered his gaze wrapping his arms tightly around his legs. "Were you ever going to tell me?"

"Yes," she sighed. "I know it's easy to say yes I was going to tell you after the fact sweetie, but I really was going to tell you. I wanted to wait for you to be older so you would understand. Then we found out Ellie was sick and you could help her. I am so sorry baby, I should have told you before we came out here."

He turned to his mother for the first time; she could see the tears in his eyes. It broke her heart that she had hurt him so much.

He frowned at her; he wanted her to explain to him how he had a different father. All his life he believe Sully was his dad. They showed him pictures and Sully was there from the beginning, even before he was born.

"How?" he managed to choke out.

Addison thought about how to explain this to Richie. "You know how Jacob's mom and dad don't live together?"

He nodded. Jacob was his best friend, his mom and dad had gotten divorced last year.

He thought he understood what she meant. He furrowed his brow and asked, "You use to be married to Dr. Derek?"

She nodded, "We were married for almost twelve years." He looked up her with surprise.

"But if you were married to him why didn't I know about him before?"

"Because this is the first time we have seen each other since we got divorced."

"Did he know about me when you got divorced?"

She shook her head, "No, I never told him. We had problems for a longtime before we divorced. I thought he wouldn't want us to be a part of his life."

"Why did you think he wouldn't want us?"

"Because we both moved on and started new lives. I didn't think he wanted to be reminded of the past."

"And were you right?"

She shook her head. "I was wrong about Derek not wanting to know you. Richie I shouldn't have kept you from him."

Sully and Bill came up behind Molly and Lucy, who were watching the exchange between Addison and Richie. Sully moved past the two women making his way to his wife grabbing her hand giving it a squeeze. They exchanged worried looks. He nodded to her giving her a reassuring smile as he sat down next to Richie putting his hand on his knee.

Richie was glad his dad was here now too, but what if he didn't want to be his dad anymore because Derek wanted to be his dad. He pursed his lips and furrowed his brow, "What if I don't want Dr. Derek to be my father?"

She gave Richie a poignant smile ruffling his hair. "We can't change the fact that Derek is your biological father."

"Richie," Sully spoke for the first time. "Derek might be your biological father, but that doesn't change anything between us."

Richie turned to Sully, his bottom lip quivered. "But Derek is my father not you." The fear could he heard in his voice.

Sully shook his head and said in a reassuring tone, "Just because Derek is your father doesn't mean I stop being your dad."

"Come here," he held out his arms to Richie letting him climb on his lap. Addie smiled at Sully sliding closer to her husband and son. Sully put his arm around her pulling her close and she rested her head on Sully's shoulder. "I will never stop being your dad. You see I was lucky, I got to choose to be your dad."

"You did?" his eyes widened in surprise.

He nodded at his son smiling. "Your mom told me she was pregnant with you the night we met. When I asked her to marry me, I asked to be your dad too."

"You did?" Richie was visibly relieved.

Sully nodded, "Yeah I did." He smiled at his son reaching up and tweaking him on the chin. "I love you Richie." The little boy smiled for the first time.

"After you were born your mom and I made a decision not to tell you about Derek until you were older. But we were wrong not to tell you and we are sorry. We were being selfish because we didn't want to share you. We didn't mean to hurt you."

"I love you sweetie and I am so sorry." Addie reached out to her son caressing his cheek and asked, "Do you think you can forgive us for not telling you?"

He nodded at them putting an arm around each of his parent pulling them into a hug. "I love you mommy and daddy."

The three stayed that way for sometime. Richie thought about what else Ellie had said, how Dr. Derek wanted him to live with them. He was still afraid Dr. Derek might try to make him live with him. Maybe if they went back home New York Dr. Derek wouldn't try to make him live with him.

He pulled back and looked at his parents, almost pleading with them. "Can we go back home now?"

"Sure buddy, we are all done at the hospital today." Sully said smiling at his son.

"Not to Aunt Beck's, I meant back to New York."

Addie and Sully exchanged concerned looks. Richie asking to go back to New York surprised them since he always seemed to prefer Seattle in the past and was usually asking them why they couldn't live in Seattle.

"Sully, why don't Richie and you go back to Beck's? I still have to finish checking on the swift baby, and there are couple of other things that still need my attention here."

Sully knew exactly what the other things were that needed her attention. "Are you sure you don't want me to take care of this?"

"No, I need to take care of this myself," she smiled at him. "I promise I won't be long."

"If you are sure," he said the concern still apparent in his voice.

"I'm sure," she said with a decisive nod.

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Well I hope you enjoyed the update please let me know what you think.