My Never
Chapter 33

Wow. This is it – the very last official chapter, besides the two epilogue chapters. I have to admit, writing this made me smile :D. I can't believe Derek and Addie are finally at the end of their journey.


Mark ~ Derek's property ~ present

Mark looked through the misting rain up at the cottage towering above him, pushing through the dreariness of Seattle like a misplaced fairytale. It was all russet wood and stone archways and pergolas adorned with rose bushes, not exactly Mark's style but beautiful all the same. He could see Addison and Derek in it, raising a brood of Shepherd children as the dream couple they were becoming again after healing all past wrongs.

"I say we steal it for ourselves," Callie whispered in his ear seductively, her arms curling tantalizingly around his shoulders. Sure, they had secured a different sort of happiness for themselves, neither of them exactly being conventional, and Mark enjoyed discovering all the things he'd been missing throughout the years. "Derek and Addison won't be here for a while …"

Mark was seriously considering taking her up on that offer as he pulled the raven haired woman into his arms to kiss her intensely, but his phone vibrated in the back pocket of his jeans and he sighed at Derek's capacity for neediness.

"Sloan," he answered sharply. "What is it this time, Derek?"

"Unca Mark?" came the giggly whisper from the phone, and Mark recognized Devony's voice instantly and let a smile dominate his face for his surrogate niece. He supposed that having a child like her wouldn't be so bad someday.

"Dev, did you steal another cell phone? I remember you stealing that social worker's the day we met you …"

"Daddy is being boring," Devony complained wretchedly, and Mark could picture the four-year-old curled up in the corner of the jewelry store and frowning at her father. "He's taking forevwer to – wait, no, Daddy, no, I has to talk to Unca -"

Devony's voice was replaced by Derek's. "Mark, I am seriously freaking out here, so please, please tell me that the house is done."

"The house is done," Mark confirmed, skating his foot over the gravel driveway. "Landscapers finished a few hours ago, Adele, Izzie, and Miranda just left, and the furniture looks great, even Addie won't have anything to complain about. The fridge is stocked; you need to pay me back for that champagne …"

"Okay," Derek said, his voice exuding stress and happiness in equal quantities. "I have to go, Mark, but thanks, and I'll talk to you later …"

Mark sighed, shook his head, and turned back to Callie. "Whadya say we head back to our own love shack? I think our work here is done …"


Devony ~ Tiffany & Co.

Devony contemplated her panicking father with confusion, unable to comprehend why he was so worried about a ring. She had lots of rings, pink rings, purple rings, rings with googly eyes, that she could lend him and spare him the hassle, but he had said he needed a different sort of ring.

"Daddy," Devony said as Derek paced between the glass cases yet again, running a hand through his perfectly styled curls, "Why do you need to get Mommy a ring? She already has a ring. She wears it around her neck."

Derek bestowed a smile on her and swept her onto his shoulders, ignoring the disapproving looks of the employees, and tickled the undersides of her knees gently, making her giggle and squirm and nearly topple into the expensive jewelry. "Well, Dev, those rings represent my old life with your mother, but we're going to start a new life, together, with you and the baby, so we're getting new rings."

Devony tapped her chin, considering this. The only change to her life would be living in a house instead of a hospital, but this seemed important to her father, so she peered over his shoulder and looked at all the sparkly rings being displayed. "Daddy," she said after a minute, "how about that one?"

Derek bent with her still riding his back, and had a salesman pull out the ring for him. Devony listened carefully as the man explained that the circular diamond was 1.5 carats, flanked by two pear shaped diamonds in the platinum setting. She memorized the details so she could have Tuck buy a similar one for when she got married. He was disappointed that she said they had to date for three years first, but compromised when she promised to let him kiss her on the lips at their wedding.

"This is perfect," Derek breathed. "Excellent work, Dev. You've got your mother's taste, that's for sure."

"I'd still rather have a rainbow ring," Devony responded. "But I like that sparkly one too, Daddy."

"You think Mommy will like it?"

"Yeah. Auntie Savvy said they're her bestest friend."

"Diamonds?"

"Yeah. She also said Hannah Montana is an obnoxious slut and that there's no such thing as too much chocolate. Auntie Savvy's wreally smart."

"I'm sure she is," Derek said, adding an eye roll to the establishment. He loved Savvy, of course, but she tended to be a bit … frank for conversations with a small child. Banishing these distracting thoughts from his mind, Derek knelt beside his daughter and placed his hands gently on his shoulders, making sure their mirrors of eyes were connected. "Listen, baby. I know you want to go see the new house but I'm going to need you to stay with Uncle Mark and Callie for a bit, all right? This is important to Daddy."

Devony shrugged, recognizing her advantage, and pushed for a more slanted compromise. "Okay," she said finally. "But only if I get to play my pwrincess keyboard with M&M's. I saw it on Princess Diaries."

"Sure," Derek said. "We'll let Uncle Mark deal with that one. He needs to practice cleaning chocolate off kids in case he and Callie ever have any."


~ Addison ~

"Now, remember, Addie, if you feel even the least bit not fine, you call us, okay? Or have Derek take you in. Because as of right now this is a high risk pregnancy and I don't want anything to happen to you or my future grandbaby. Got it?"

"Okay, Richard, I got it," Addison laughed, exasperation coloring her voice as she complied with hospital policy and accepted a wheelchair escort out to the parking lot, where Derek was bringing the car around.

"You better be damn sure," Bailey muttered from beside them. She glared at the various doctors who were staring unabashedly at the newly healed and 2½ week pregnant Addison Montgomery, casting out warnings and discomfort with just her volatile brown eyes.

"I am an OB," Addison reminded them, but she might have well been speaking into thin air for all the response that garnered. "And one of the foremost neonatal …"

"Foremost neonatal blah, blah, blah," Alex, who had just approached them, cut in. "Here, Dr. Montgomery. Izzie made these for you and the baby." He placed a basket of warm cookies on her lap and Addison inhaled the scent longingly but decided to wait until the car until totally pigging out.

"Tell her thanks for me!" Addison called to the young resident as he hurried away to answer a page. "And I promise you a spot on my service when I return!"

"Will do, Dr. M!" he replied.

They had nearly reached the door before Preston hurried up to them, carrying a wrapped gift in his large, steady hands. "Congratulations, Addison. You know we all love having you in this hospital, but we prefer you as a doctor instead of a patient."

Addison peeled off the paper to find a jazz CD of a group she'd never heard of, but, as Preston commended them, was sure she'd enjoy. "It's for the baby," he explained. "I don't know what you did to make Dev such a genius but I thought we could instill a love of music early with this one …"

"Devony had to listen to medical jargon all the time, so that explains her," Addison chuckled. "Thanks, Preston, this is great. I'll try to grow a musical prodigy for you, okay?"

"That's all I ask. See you soon," he promised before patting her shoulder and seeking out an impatient Cristina.

Richard had barely pushed open the double doors to wheel her out into the parking lot in the hospital version of a throne when a brand spankin' new twilight grey '09 Lexus LX rolled up, with Derek behind the wheel. Addison's jaw dropped as she took in the perfection of a car, complete with DVD player, GPS, and an intuitive parking system.

"Like it?" he inquired as he stepped out with a bright grin and assisted her in climbing into the front seat without displaying too much of her underwear for the parking lot to see. "I thought with another kid on the way and all the vacations I have planned an SUV would be a must …"

"It's amazing, Derek. I get out of the hospital and you buy me a new $80,000 car? I guess I should be a patient more often."

"Not if I have anything to say about it, because next time I'm afraid a heart attack is eminent."

"I guess if you're afraid to see me in the hospital again you'll have to deliver the baby on the floor of the trailer …" Derek winced and she smirked in triumph. "Anyway, Der, where's Dev? I'm surprised you managed to suck her away from this DVD player."

"She's with Mark and Callie," he explained lightly, and the twinkle in his eye hinted at dastardly plans for the two of them she could only guess at.

"All right, you two," Richard eyed them speculatively, "Be safe. Derek, I expect you back next week. Addie, you can start working whenever you feel comfortable."

"Thanks, Richard," Derek said while Addison nodded her head fervently, "For everything."

"I know all about second chances – well, technically for you two, this is the third. I'm just glad you got another one. Don't mess it up," their old mentor warned. "Oh, and by the way, Adele is planning a dinner party next week." He shut the car door, slamming closed one of the most painful but enlightening periods of her life.

Addison played with the hem of her hospital gown against the leather seat with one hand, her other resting on their baby as she occasionally peered over at Derek from under her lashes. He hummed meaninglessly, but, whenever he caught her looking, granted her a huge grin. It was so flawless, so dreamlike that her most hidden wishes had come true that she was having difficulty believing it was real.

"I still can't believe it sometimes. After everything that happened, we're lucky enough to be here," she said, emphasizing the last word.

"I think we were always headed here," he argued lightly, joining their hands between the wide seats. "All that other stuff was just meant to push us here because we're so damn stubborn."

Addison gazed out over the towering evergreens, which, instead of a nuisance that represented a life in a city they hated, as they had five years ago, they now inspired peace and tranquility inside her. "It probably sounds crazy, maybe a little masochistic, but I'd do it again, just to end up right here, with you," she admitted softly.

"I'd give anything to have switched places with you," Derek stated, his knuckles turning white on the steering wheel. "But since I can't, I just thank God everyday that you're here beside me."

"We're Addison-and-Derek," she grinned.

"And we don't quit," he finished, squeezing her fingers. This probably didn't have quite the effect he was hoping, because through the sprinkling rain she recognized the turn off to Derek's trailer.

"The trailer?" she harrumphed, crossing her arms over her chest, her heart plummeting low into her stomach. She would almost rather be stuck in the hospital.

Derek gave her a placating smile that had zero potency. "Just for a few weeks, and then we'll start looking at houses, I promise."

"Maybe I'll just sleep in the car. It's the nicer of your large pieces of metal," she grumbled, trying not to imagine wood-chopping, flannel-wearing Derek, an energetic four-year-old and a pregnant, cranky version of herself sharing the trailer. It did not paint a particularly happy picture, and Addison found herself frowning at the mossy emerald undergrowth, as if it was the plants' fault she had only a tin can to go home to.

She frowned in confusion when their tires screeched against the sudden change to gravel and craned her neck, wondering if Derek had taken a wrong turn. The interest changed to awe when they rounded the last grouping of foliage and she saw what loomed before them: a beautiful cottage, shrouded in mist and surrounded by a sloping green lawn and beautiful forest. Addison could've sworn Derek had reached in and plucked it straight out of a fairytale, something she was sure he wouldn't hesitate to do if it was possible.

Rendered speechless, she could only gape at the gorgeous family-sized cottage, noting that ivy had been planted near the stone portions and that vines with white flowers were entwined around the pergola in front. It was even more beautiful than the brownstone and had a park all to its own, and through her tears she could barely make out Derek's proud, pleased smile.

She also glimpsed the trailer hiding behind a few trees and smiled evilly to herself, picturing all the things she could do to it. Like burning it. Spray painting it. Egging it. Maybe she could even get some dynamite …

Derek popped open his car door, interrupting her malevolent trailer fantasies, and hurried around to her side, opening hers as well so she could take in air that smelled of rose petals and sawdust and the mist that hovered on top of the wildly growing grass. "Do you like it?" he asked, leaning on the car next to her, clearly already anticipating the answer.

She shook her head, bringing forth a confused frown from him. "I love it, Derek," she choked out through her tears. "After all you've done for me I don't know how I'll ever do anything that compares."

Derek was on his knee in a second on the ground beside the elevated seat of the car, one hand tugging on hers and the other presenting a platinum ring with three glimmering diamonds. "Marry me."

"W-what?" she stuttered, taken completely off guard.

"I know we made a mess of it last time, Addie," he said calmly, his twinkling azure eyes beseeching, "but for the first nine years of our marriage we distilled true happiness each and every day. With all we know now, and with all we've discovered and all we've got to lose, I think – I believe we can do it again. We can get back what we once were. Because when I look at you, Addie, all I see is forever."

"Forever is feeling our babies move through your skin. Forever is the way you laugh, unrestrained and utterly filled with joy. Forever is the way you make me feel, the man I've become because you let me take you out for coffee on that snow covered night, the fact that I can't truly live without you by my side. I love you, Addison Forbes Montgomery. And I can't promise to never hurt you again, I can't promise that there won't be yelling and fights, all I can promise is that I will love you with all of my heart until the end of forever. So, will you marry me … again?"


~ Derek ~

The gravel pushed into Derek's knees, grating against his bones and staining his pants with large, wet blossoms as the rain frosted his body in tiny droplets. He could hardly feel it. Addison was sitting completely frozen in the seat of the car, shock waves emanating from her still form. He was beginning to feel apprehensive – was it too soon? – when suddenly she launched herself into his arms, wrapping her lengthy legs around his waist and kissing him with a passion that permeated his very soul.

"You were actually worried for a second there, weren't you?" she whispered into the moist black hair that curled around his ear when they paused for a much needed dose of oxygen.

"Nuh-uh," he protested quickly.

She rolled her eyes. "Of course I'll marry you again, Derek. Nothing would make me happier. Except perhaps your secret for being able to afford a luxury SUV, a Tiffany's ring, and a large and very expensive looking house in just a few months."

Derek wiggled his fingers in front of her face as an answer, and, when she expressed nothing but confusion, cupped her face, fingers caressing her delicate skin, and whispered, "Two million dollar a year hands, remember?"

She laughed and kissed him again as rain fell softly on their joined faces, soaking through her hospital gown and leaving it see-through, but he couldn't complain because she was huddled as closely as possible to his body for warmth. When shivers began to wrack her body he stood, still cradling her, and started to walk toward the front door of their house and the rest of their lives.


Yes, very fluffy, I know, but they needed a happy ending. Epilogues coming soon!