III – Part 25
Addison purposely walked toward Derek. Yes she was pissed off at him for making this situation harder then what it should be, but she knew she was mostly to blame. She should have explained things to Richie before coming here. It was stupid of her to think Derek would put his son's feelings before his own. When Derek saw her approach, a smug look crossed his face which only made the anger she was feeling flare.
She stopped in front Derek glaring at him and slapped him across the face, "Are you happy now Derek?"
Derek stood before her the smug look gone from his face, his cheek stung from her slap but he didn't dare touch his face. "Do you think I really wanted him to find out like this?" he said in a defensive tone.
"I don't know what the hell you were thinking Derek. All I know is that I have a little boy who is hurting right now and the only thing he wants is to go home."
Derek narrowed his eyes at her. "What did you tell him?" he demanded.
She stood back looking at him with disgust, "I only told him the truth Derek."
Derek paled; she was going to make his son hate him. "Addison you had no right. . ."
Addison rolled her eyes and interrupted him, "Oh god Derek, why do you always have to make this about you?" She sighed placing her fist on her hip shaking her head as she looked at him. "You can relax. Do you really think I would ever tell my son anything that would hurt him?"
Derek lowered his head ashamed he jumped to conclusion. "I'm sorry."
"I told Richie that you were his father and you wanted to be a part of his life. I also told him it was my fault you never knew about him."
"Well if you wouldn't have lied to him about who his father is he wouldn't be hurting right now would he?" he snapped at her.
"Don't you think I know that?" she snapped back. It took all her will power not to slap him again. She took a deep breath and started counting to ten, but before she got past two her pager went off. She looked down reading the message, it was the NICU. She glared at Derek one more time, "I am not finished with you." Derek watched her turn quickly and storm off to the elevator.
He went over their encounter in his head. He realized that she only talked about was Richie finding out that he was his father. She never mentioned anything about Richie living with Derek. If she was pissed off now, she was probably going to kill him when that little fact surfaced.
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Instead of taking Richie back to Beck's, Sully took him for a walk in Waterfront Park. He knew Richie still had questions and if they went straight to Beck's he wouldn't ask them. They stopped for some ice cream and were now sitting on a bench watching the boats on the water.
"Dad?" Richie asked tentatively.
Sully looked over at Richie ruffled his hair and smiled, "What son?"
A small smile appeared on Richie's face when Sully called him son, "Can we go home when mom gets back from the hospital?"
Sully studied Richie for a moment, "You know we can't go back yet, we haven't finished what we came here for."
Richie furrowed his brow, he was scared, and he didn't want to help anymore if it meant he had to live with Dr. Shepherd. "What if I don't want to do it anymore?"
A concerned look crossed his face, "You know what you are doing is very important, we would have never asked you if it wasn't."
The tears started to form in Richie's eyes, "but I'm scared. I don't want to do it anymore."
"Richie there's no reason for you to be afraid. I'm not going to lie to you, it is going to hurt, but your mom and I will both be there for you."
"I. . . I'm afraid if I do it, I will have to live with the Shepherds."
Sully tried not to let the shock register on his face, "Why would you think that?"
"Because that's what Ellie said. She said when she gets better I have to live with them," Richie answered with panic showing in his voice.
"Ellie told you that?"
He nodded. "So I'm scared."
"You know your mother and I won't allow that to happen."
"But what if you don't have a choice? The Judge made Brandon live with his dad even though he wanted to stay with his mom. Now he doesn't even get to see his mom anymore."
Sully pursed his lips; he knew Richie's concerns were valid. Brandon's mom had taken him away from his father against a court order and when the authorities caught up with her, the courts granted sole custody to his father.
Sully was fully aware if Derek took them to court he could very likely win sole custody of Richie and deny them visitation. He had always been so sure they would never have to worry about something like that happening, but after meeting Derek Shepherd he was not so sure anymore, it didn't seem like Derek put his children's well being first.
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Addison found Derek in his office. Now that the minor crisis in the NICU had passed she was ready to finish her discussion with Derek. She had been glad for the distraction in the NICU, because it had given her time to cool off. Now she hoped to have a rational conversation with Derek. She had to once and for all find out what he really planned to do. She had thought they were finally on the same page, but now she wasn't so sure about that. The fact that Richie wanted to go back to New York worried her. She knew he would be upset when he found out about Derek being his father, but his wanting to go back to New York didn't make sense to her.
Derek looked up from his desk when Addison entered his office. He knew he had to tell her what Ellie had told Richie. If she hears it from Richie, she will be furious.
"Look Addison there is something else I need to tell you. Please understand I told all of this to Ellie before we talked and worked things out. Believe me, I feel horrible about this entire situation."
Addison's cell phone started to ring, she held up her hand silencing him. "Hey, how is he doing?" she said with obvious concern in her voice.
"Addie we have a serious problem."
Addison looked at Derek while she listened to Sully on the phone, "What happened now?"
"Richie doesn't want to be a donor anymore."
"Oh hell, did he say why he changed his mind?"
"He's afraid."
"Well, of course he's afraid. Did you tell him we will be with him during the entire procedure?"
"He's not afraid of the procedure Addie."
"Well if he's not afraid of the procedure then what's the problem, why doesn't he want to do the bone marrow transplant."
Derek listened to one end of Addie's conversation, and it was scaring the hell out of him. If Richie doesn't want to donate his bone marrow, would Addison force him to donate?
"He's afraid he will have to move in with Derek if he does."
"Oh god, what gave him that idea?"
"Ellie told him he had to move in with them once she was better."
"Shit," Addison said under her breath. "I don't think you need to tell me where she got that idea." She turned and glared at Derek then stepped out of his office. Derek rose from his desk and started to pace his office. If Richie refused to be a donor and Addison didn't force him to be a donor. Oh god he couldn't think about what would happen. His head snapped up when he heard Addison reenter his office.
"I'm going to talk to Derek. I'll see you at home soon." She closed her cell phone.
She stood in front of Derek; he could see the fury in her eyes. "Are you happy now?" she shouted at Derek.
"Richie is refusing to do the bone marrow transplant?"
Addie gave him a firm nod.
"Why?"
"Because of you, he is refusing to do the transplant because he is afraid if he does you will force him to live with you and not allow him to see his family again," she said with barely controlled rage in her voice.
"What would give him that idea?" Derek said with feigned surprise.
Addison pursed her lips seething at Derek giving him a knowing look, "Oh please don't act innocent here. We both know exactly where he got that idea."
"Okay so I told Ellie Richie was going to live with us, but we both know that's not true," he said the desperation showing in his voice.
"Oh do we? That is exactly what you were going to do, so why on earth should we believe that you aren't going to try to do it now?"
"Because I won't Addie," he insisted.
She continued to glare angrily at Derek, "I honestly don't think there is anyway I can persuade Richie that you will not try to force him to live with you. Your daughter was quite convincing when she told him that he was going to live with you."
"What are you going to do about the transplant?"
"I don't know Derek, it was hard enough having him do the transplant when he was being cooperative, but now he is scared to death to do it. We are going to need time."
"Can I come to the house tonight and talk to him?"
"I don't know if I like the idea of you talking to him right now. I think you've already caused enough problems."
"Please Addison," he pleaded with her. "I swear I will make this right."
"I don't know how you possibly can Derek. He is not going to trust what you tell him. He is only going to think you are telling him what he wants to hear in order to get him to go ahead with the transplant."
"Please just give me a chance."
Against her better judgment she finally relented. "Fine you can come by this evening and talk you him, but not alone."
"Thank you." He watched her leave his office. He sat down in his chair behind his desk and thought about what he had to do. It was a simple choice and it would be best for everyone.
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