It seems that most people prefer updates as I write, so that's what I'll do! I'll try to get a new chapter up every week or so, depending on what my schedule permits.

Chapter Two: Inside Us All

Life can hold you down
When you're not looking up
Can't you hear the sounds?
Hearts beating out loud
Although the names change
Inside we're all the same
Why can't we tear down these walls?
To show the scars we're covering


Creed

…

"I love you, too, Mommy. See you tonight."

As Addison hung up the phone, she found it strange that hearing her daughter's voice could simultaneously make her feel like smiling and crying. This had been the longest that she and Elena had ever been apart, and for the first time, she got a real taste of what Derek must have felt.

"Dr. Montgomery?" a young nurse named Carissa said timidly, calling Addison back to the reality of the hospital. "Dr. Richardson needs you for a consult in four thirty-nine."

She nodded. "Tell him I'll be there in just a minute." She then headed upstairs to tend to another patient.

The NICU was quiet except for the footsteps of a nurse and the beeping of the various machines and monitors that kept vigil over the hospital's youngest patients. One patient in particular—a newborn named Johanna Jane, or JJ as the staff had taken to calling her—was Addison's priority.

Even if JJ hadn't been the daughter of one of her oldest and dearest childhood friends, the child would have still been at the top of her list. Born at just twenty-six weeks and surprising them all by pulling through, Addison knew that JJ was a fighter. And she had a special place in her heart for people who were strong enough to beat the odds.

"Hey, there, JJ," she smiled down at the tiny child in the incubator, and she was reminded of six years ago when she had been staring down at her own daughter.

"Addison," a tired voice said from behind her, and she turned to see the exhausted smile of her childhood friend.

"Hey, Meg. How're you feeling?" she asked as she helped her friend into a seat.

Margaret Wentworth-Covington—or simply just Meg to all those closest to her—had been Addison's friend since their boarding school days. Addison didn't have a memory from her childhood that didn't involve Meg in some way; she was the closest thing Addison'd had to a sibling until she'd gained four sisters-in-law upon marrying Derek.

"I'm feeling worn out and large," Meg smiled. "How's my baby girl today? Behaving for her Aunt Addie?"

"She's been great," Addison grinned. "Where's Brent today? Usually I have to yell at him to go get something to eat because he won't leave here."

Meg sighed. "In Chicago. He left this morning. He wanted to send one of his guys, but it's a meeting with one of the big-shots, and I didn't want him taking the risk. He'll be back tonight. When are you leaving?"

"My flight is at seven; maybe I'll run into him at the airport," she said playfully.

"I think you're crazy, just so you know," Meg stated bluntly, then continued. "You're just picking up and moving yourself and Elena across the country again so that you can be closer to your ex-husband. Addie, most people's dream is to have a country separating them from their ex."

"Meg, I just want Elle to be able to have a father in her life. You know that I didn't have the best relationship with my dad, and neither did Derek nor Meredith. We don't want that for our kids."

But Meg shook her head. "And you're friends with his wife. Like I said, you're crazy, my darling."

"I'll come to visit every single time I'm in town, and I promise to call," Addison said. She knew Meg well enough to know that her friend was horrible at saying good-bye. "I'll be back after I go check on another patient, okay?"

Milo Richardson greeted her with a smile as she walked into room four thirty-nine. They had known one another for quite some time now; she had actually dated Milo before Derek years ago. Milo had also been one of the interns who had spent every free moment at Leni's side, so he had been wonderful to both Addison and Elena ever since they'd moved back to New York. Had he not been married, Addison might have even considered giving it another go. But she knew that ship had sailed, and she was thankful for his friendship nonetheless.

On the bed sat a nervous-looking woman holding the hand of a little girl who couldn't have been much older than Elena, hooked up to her oxygen mask and looking quite frightened herself. Pacing uneasily by the window was a man who was unmistakably the little girl's father; their mouths both formed exactly the same anxious frown.

"Mr. and Mrs. Cohen, this is Dr. Montgomery; in addition to being a board-certified OB/GYN, she is also a renowned neonatal surgeon and a specialist in maternal-fetal medicine. And, of course, she also has a fellowship in medical genetics, which is why I requested her assistance on this case. Addison, these are the Cohens and their daughter, Alyssa."

"Hello. I'm pleased to meet you all," Addison said with a smile as she reviewed Alyssa's chart. "'Cystic fibrosis,'" she read, and Milo's request for her opinion suddenly made perfect sense. "Okay, Alyssa, I'd like to do a quick exam, if that's all right with you."

"Are you gonna poke me with a needle?" the child questioned skeptically, but Addison assured her that she wouldn't. "Well, I guess it's all right then."

"I have a little girl about your age," Addison told Alyssa as she listened to her heartbeat. "She'll be seven in a few months; her name is Elena."

Alyssa lit up and wondered, "What does Elena like to do? I like to dance and swim and read."

"Elena likes to do all those things, too. When she was a tiny baby, she was sick as well. She had a condition called spina bifida—there was a tiny hole in her back. But she's a brave girl, just like you are, and now it's almost like she was never sick."

"Do you think I'll get better, Dr. Montgomery?"

Addison paused for a moment. The truth was, as of now, there was no cure for this particular illness. Alyssa was probably one of the most severe cases she'd ever seen, and she only hoped that the little girl would make it to see the day that there would be a cure. "I think that within the next five years, they'll find a cure for this."

Upon finishing her exam and bidding the family farewell, Addison was followed out into the hall by Milo, who wore a look of mixed apprehension and hope. "Well, what's the word?"

"Her lungs are beyond damaged; I'm surprised she's as vivacious as she is," she reported.

"Exactly," he agreed.

"If you already knew that, then why did you want my opinion?" she questioned and immediately recognized the boyish grin that overcame his face whenever he was about to propose something completely crazy. "What?"

"I want to do a lung transplant on her, Addie, and I need you to tell me that it's the right thing to do," he finally said.

Addison drew in a deep breath. "Milo—"

"Addison, I know what you're going to say; you're going to tell me that it's a dangerous procedure for a child, and she could be on the list for years, and that the risks don't outweigh the rewards for everyone." By her expression, he knew that he had predicted her response correctly.

"She's just so young, and it's so risky. She's only a kid."

"That's exactly why I think it's a good idea. Kids are way more resilient that adults; the lung transplant could give her the time she needs until they find a cure for this." Seeing that she was still borderline on her decision, he added, "What if it were Elle? Wouldn't you do whatever you could to give her a chance?"

If it had been Elena, Addison knew that she would have given her own lungs if it meant that her little girl would get better. "You played the Mommy Card; that's cheating."

Milo laughed. "Not cheating. I prefer to think of it as strategy," he teased. "So, I can count you in on this surgery, right? Or will you be too busy running Seattle Grace to think of your old pals?"

"I'm going to Seattle, not to Mars," she remarked. But the truth was that it was going to be difficult for her to adjust to the move as well. She was comfortable in New York. Although she knew that Seattle would be best for Elena, there was still a tiny part of her that longed for the security that she had here.

"I'll miss you around here, Addie."

"Of course you will," she grinned coyly before heading back to the NICU.

…

After Meredith had put Aida down for her morning nap, she went downstairs and found Elena sitting on the sofa in the living room. It was obvious that the little girl had a lot on her mind, and Meredith patted her arm comfortingly as she took a seat beside her. "What's with that frown, huh?"

"I was just thinking about something."

"A good something or a bad something?" When Elena shrugged, Meredith offered, "Maybe if you tell me what's on your mind, I can help you figure it out."

The little girl pondered for a moment whether or not her worries were truly legitimate. When she decided that they were—although she knew that Meredith would treat them as such regardless—she confided, "I guess I'm a little bit worried about my interview; I know how important it is, and I don't wanna mess up."

"Sweetie, you have nothing to worry about. You're definitely smart, and you have a wonderful personality," Meredith assured her. "But we can practice if you want."

Elena nodded eagerly; she knew that being prepared was important. "What do you think they'll ask?"

"Definitely your name."

"Elena Amélie Montgomery-Shepherd," she answered, smiling as she said the mouthful. "And of course I can spell it, too, if they ask. Do you think it would be okay if I ask to be called Elle?"

"I'm sure they won't mind." Meredith then grabbed the nearest book and opened it to a random page. "Okay, read the first two sentences."

"A telephone book?" she questioned laughingly but did as she had been told. "'For the best pizza in town, call Angelo's Pizzeria. If it isn't Angelo's, then it isn't pizza.'"

Meredith grinned as she joked, "Well, if the topic of where to get good pizza comes up, you're covered."

"Either that, or I could have a wonderful career as one of those commercial voice people," Elena teased back.

When Meredith finally managed to stop laughing her little girl's ever-budding wit, she stated, "The interviewer will probably also ask some questions about your family."

Elena smiled as her favorite subject was brought up. "That's easy. I have a brother named Hayden and a new baby sister named Aida. And my parents are Addison Montgomery, Derek Shepherd, and Meredith Shepherd."

The child's answer nearly brought tears to Meredith's eyes. It was comforting to know that there wasn't even the slightest hesitation in Elena's response to her view of Meredith's role in her life.

"Was that okay, Mer?"

She nodded. "That was perfect."