A/N: I do not own Guess how much I love you by Sam McBratney. No copyright infraction intended.
picric drea- I have a poll going for that, although personally my choice would be addek. I know how you feel, we do have very few joys left. Thank you for reading.
j0k3- Thanks for reading and thanks for the vote.
alterus- Thank you for reading and thanks for the vote.
TXCharm86- I can live with Mark and Addison too. And I thought London calling Mark 'dada' would give the story a nice twist. Thanks for reading.
goldentail- Thank you for reading. I hope you keep with it.
daisyduke95- Thanks for the vote. And there's a pic of London on my profile. Let me know if the link isn't working.
VillageVoice- Thanks for the review. And I know I might be portraying London a bit mature for her age, but in all the research I've done, it says I have her right on track. My baby cousin, she's 6 months old, and she already said 'dada'. Sure, she can't crawl yet, so maybe I'm a bit ahead with that. I'm just taking a little creative lisence with London. Again, thanks for reading and I really appreciate your reviews.
greysfan16- Thanks a million for doing what you do, which is to push me into writing. I love it that you love it, so yea.
LoveandLearn- How about we think of the outside pool as decorative and we have a pool inside the house? I think that's a cooler idea. :) And no, don't worry, I love London too much to put her in harm's way. She's just teething, which is a very uncomfortable thing for her. Thanks for reading.
Fangirl44- You got most of it right. I'm not going to tell you what you got wrong because then I'd be spoiling most of the fic. Thanks for reading.
QUEENADDEK- Thanks for reading. And yes, London is a cutie.
Thanks to everyone for their support. I'm sorry for the lack of updates, but school is kinda kicking my behind. Anyway, just wanted to thank everyone and to remind you all that the poll's still open for voting. The poll will close by the end of THIS week. So, please, if you haven't voted, go do so. Also, I'd like for you guys to read my best friend's (Greysfan16) fics. She's awesome.
Enjoy!
A very happy eight month old London sat in her playpen while her mommy worked away at her desk. The dark haired baby currently had her two front lower teeth already, which made for the cutest grin ever. Although Addison thought that her baby was growing up way too fast, Arizona assured her that London was right on track and that she had nothing to worry about. Maybe she was a little wiser for her age, but that was ok because every baby is different, so every baby develops at a different pace.
London was playing with her musical toy and speaking her gibberish. After saying her first word a month ago, Addison had encouraged her to keep speaking, but apparently it had been a false alarm. London had gone back to her gibberish though Addison encouraged her to speak. It didn't matter to Addison though, London was happy and healthy and that was all that really mattered. She'd just have to keep encouraging her and when the baby was ready, she'd speak again.
Addison placed her pen down with a sigh before she looked at her baby girl and grinned. She got up and picked London out of the pen, which caused the baby to erupt in a fit of loud giggles. Addison took her heels off and sat on the floor, against the couch with the baby straddling her stomach.
"Hello, princess." Addison said and leaned in to shower her daughter with kisses.
London laughed and rewarded her mother with her gibberish.
"Do you want to play with mommy, or do you want mommy to read you a story?" Addison asked. She showed London a fuzzy ball when she said the word play and then showed her the book when she said the word story.
London grabbed the ball and threw it before laughing. At her eight months, London was able to throw the ball. She eagerly bounced on her mommy's tummy, wanting to be set on the floor. Once Addison set her down, London crawled to the ball.
"London, can you throw it at me?" Addison asked.
London threw the ball, but certainly not aimed at Addison. Addison laughed, got the ball and rolled it to London who caught it easily.
"Way to go baby." Addison cheered for her. London threw it again and Addison went after it before rolling it back to her.
They kept this up for the next ten minutes before London got bored and crawled to her mommy and sat next to her. She tapped her book and babbled something. Addison grinned at her daughter and picked her up. She sat with her on the couch and picked up London's copy of Guess how much I love you by Sam McBratney.
"Little Nutbrown Hare, who was going to bed, held on tight to Big Nutbrown Hare's very long ears." Addison began the story while London pointed to the pictures.
Halfway through the book, Addison noticed London's head falling slightly. She gently tilted her daughter's head back, so that it rested against her body, as she kept reading the book. She knew that if she stopped now, London would throw a fit. By the time the book was finished, London had fallen deeply asleep. Addison stood up and placed the book on the couch before she placed her sleeping daughter in the playpen for her afternoon nap.
Ten minutes later, Addison's pager went off. She swore and before she dashed away to tend to the emergency, she stuck her head out the door. She saw Mark walking by. 'Probably screwing one of my nurses.' She thought.
"Mark." She called him.
He looked at her and smirked. She was just peeking her head out of her office as if she were hiding something. He walked up to her and smiled.
"What can I do for you, Addie?" He said, his voice dripping with sexual innuendo.
Addison rolled her eyes and opened the door wider.
"I wouldn't ask if I had another choice. I need you to take care of her while I tend to this 911." Addison asked. She hated leaving London with Mark because he utterly hated her child, although that reason was still a mystery to her.
"No." Mark said angrily and walked away.
Addison sighed and suppressed every fiber of her being that wanted to go after him and give him the beating of a lifetime for despising her daughter that way. London hadn't done anything to earn Mark's utter hatred. She'd leave that argument for some other time.
Addison called Derek, because paging him would make her even more late to her emergency.
"Chief Shepherd." He answered his line at the office.
"I need you to watch London while I tend to a 911. She's asleep in my office. I can leave a nurse to watch her until you get here." Addison said.
"Yea, ok. Give me ten and I'm there." Derek said as he signed a document.
"Thanks a million, Derek. Remind me to castrate Mark with my bare hands later." Addison said before hanging up.
Derek laughed and hung up. Mark's hatred for London was visible to anyone. The only time he'd been with the baby had been a month ago when he'd been called 'dada' by her. It wasn't that he hated the kid, it's just that he hated what she represented. London's his kid and Addison hadn't had the decency to tell him. The baby was eight months old and there was still no sign of Addison ever telling him that London was his.
Two hours later, Addison was on her way back to her office. When she opened her door, she didn't see neither London nor Derek, but there was a note on her desk.
'Adds, London's with me in my office. Don't worry, she's fine. She woke up about thirty minutes after you left. Hope your surgery went well. Come find us. -Derek'
Addison smiled at the thought that London and Derek seem to have a very special relationship. 'Father-daughter much?' She thought to herself. Addison shook her head and went off to find her baby girl. She was exhausted, and her shift was nearly over. She had worked through lunch, so her stomach was growling.
When she entered Derek's office, she smiled at the sight before her. Derek had London in his arms, singing to her while she babbled along his words. As if she were singing with him too.
"London Calling, yes, I was there too And you know what they said? Well, some of it was true London Calling, at the top of the dial And after all this, won't you give me a smile?" Derek sang to London.
When he said the word smile, London grinned her best smile at him, in the process, showing off her two little baby teeth. Addison rolled her eyes at him.
"You couldn't pick a child appropriate song, could you? You had to sing to her that horrible The Clash song." Addison teased him as she entered the office.
London looked at her mommy and squealed in delight that she was there. Addison went to take her from Derek's arms but she pulled back and hid her face on Derek's neck. Addison raised a questioning eyebrow at her daughter's behavior.
"She doesn't want me?" She rhetorically questioned.
"What can I say? Babes dig me, right, London?" He said and tickled the baby, who in turned laughed.
Addison laughed but leaned in to kiss London. Derek grabbed her arm and winked at her. He placed his index finger on her cheek and looked at London.
"Kiss for mommy, London? Can you give mommy a kiss?" Derek asked in a silly voice.
London looked at Derek and then at her mommy before she happily leaned in to place a sloppy kiss on her mommy's cheek. Addison laughed and so did London and Derek. On a dry spot of her cheek, Derek placed a kiss. Addison pulled away and stared at him.
"It's been a month since that night, Addison. I get it. I just felt like giving you a kiss. Was that ok?" Derek asked, still holding London.
"Sorry. I know. I just wasn't expecting it. Yes, it's fine." She smiled a little awkwardly at him.
"And I picked that song to sing for her because it has her name on it and she grinned every time I said her name. Can she recognize her name?" Derek asked, trying to change the subject.
Addison nodded her head. She grabbed London from his arms, placed her on the floor before she grabbed Derek and kissed him for all she's worth. It was instinct or something. It was her body craving his. It was her wanting to feel like a woman again rather than just a mom, and although she loved London more than she ever thought possible, she also wanted to feel desired.
Derek pulled her hips flush against his and pinned her against his desk. They were quickly forgetting the presence of the child in the room. He pushed his tongue inside Addison's mouth who gladly accepted it. She moaned lustfully while her hands ran up and down Derek's chest. He had one hand around her waist and the other one locked in her hair. Their moment was broken when London laughed loudly after the tower of blocks she'd been so busy constructing, tumbled to the ground.
Addison pulled away and sighed. Her eyes still closed as Derek rested his forehead against hers.
For the best part of the next three months this keeps happening. Addison and Derek flirted subtly with each other, though they did not let it get in the way of work. No one noticed that the exes were friendlier than usual, but they did notice the friendship. They kissed secretly and Derek did the occasional sleep over, though Addison had made it very clear that she wasn't having sex with him.
London is now eleven months old and Addison can't believe how quickly time has slipped away from them. She's back to her words, but not many of them. She knows that Addison is mommy, and she calls Derek daddy because of the amount of time they spend together. Neither Addison nor Derek mind that London seems to think Derek is her father. After all, she does need a father figure. And Derek feels honored and blessed to be it for London. The first time she called him 'dada', Derek almost cried and Addison most definitely did.
She now cruses along holding onto the house's furniture, which threw Addison to tears the first time she saw London doing it. She called Derek immediately to have him see London taking steps on her own, and while she still doesn't do it without holding on, she's still standing and walking around.
This morning, London was babbling away in her room. Addison could hear her through the baby monitor. Derek had slept over and was still asleep which left Addison the only one awake in the house. She gently got out of bed and went to kitchen to start the morning pot of coffee. As she did that, she sighed.
'The Derek in my bed is the same Derek I fell in love with so many years ago. He's proven himself to me and especially to London, although, I've been careless in letting them get attached to each other. I should have protected her more. What if something happens? What if… What if I fall in love with him again and he breaks my heart? I can't submit London to that.' Addison kept thinking to herself.
After that moment in Derek's office, he had asked Addison for another chance. She hadn't given it to him, which he was ok with. He told her he'd wait for as long as she needed to think things through. In the mean time, he'd focus on regaining her trust back. He'd focus on making sure London was ok and that she was ok.
"Your thinking woke me up." Derek said as he came behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.
"Sorry." She said and leaned into him.
He kissed her cheek and rested his chin on her shoulder while they waited for the pot to brew.
"It's our day off." He said nonchalantly.
"It is." Addison said, but her tone was a little more excited.
"What are we doing today?" He asked her.
"Well, I don't know about you, but London and I are going shopping. She needs new clothes." Addison said.
"That should take you the whole morning." Derek said. "I'll give you an extra day off if you don't go shopping today and do something else with London and me." Derek bribed her.
"Like what?" Addison asked.
"I thought maybe we could take London on her first ferry ride and then up to the Space Needle. You know, sight seeing?" Derek suggested.
Addison smirked at him and added, "We can show her cute little view finders."
The day was long and tiring and London was now fussing because she was sleepy. She had missed her afternoon nap which is ok, because it meant an earlier bed time for her today. She had had so much fun though. Addison and Derek had bought her a few things from the souvenir shops at the Space Needle, at the Aquarium and at the zoo.
After London had fallen asleep, Addison went downstairs to the living room. Derek was on her couch, serving her a much needed glass of wine.
"You always know how to please me." She teased him.
"Well, I know other ways too." Derek said and leaned in to kiss her.
"Not like this, Derek. I don't want it to happen with London in the house. I don't want to be worrying about if she wakes up or not. When and if it happens, I want to feel the whole thing. I don't want to be feeling like a mom one minute and a woman the next. I want it to be special." Addison said softly.
Derek understood, he kissed her gently before smiling at her.
"And I just want you to know that it's ok if it doesn't happen. I mean, yes, I'd love to see you naked, moaning and whimpering and begging for more. But if it doesn't happen, then it doesn't. I'm not trying to push you." Derek said and stole a kiss from her.
After a while of just comfortably appreciating the silence, Addison sighed.
"She'll be one in a month." Derek said.
"Don't remind me. She's growing up too fast." Addison said, with a hint of nostalgia in her voice.
"She'll be an exceptional human being. That much I can already tell. You're doing a fantastic job with her." Derek said.
"Thank you. I just hope I don't mess her up. She deserves the best and I'm not really sure I qualify as the best." Addison said.
"Just by you taking her in, giving her a loving home, a family and raising her is enough to make you so worthy and deserving of her. You're a great mother, Addison. Don't second guess yourself." Derek said and kissed her cheek.
They stayed quiet for a little while before Derek broke the silence again.
"What are you planning for her birthday? I mean, it'll be Christmas after all." Derek said.
"Well, I wanted to go down to LA. Nae hasn't see her since we came here and I'm pretty sure she'd love to see Lucas, Betsy and Maya. So she'll have fun. And I kind of miss them all. And like you said, it'll be Christmas, so maybe you could spare some of your surgeons for a baby birthday party down in LA?" Addison smiled at him. She knew that that smile she'd just given him would let her win anything she wanted from him.
"If that's what you want, then sure. Callie, Arizona, Miranda and Mark can have a few days off." Derek said.
"I don't think Mark will want to come. For some reason , he seems to detest London. Do you know why he could hate her?" Addison inquired.
"No idea. She's such a sweet little girl, I don't have the slightest idea why he would hate her." Derek said and caressed her cheek.
Mark was walking to the bridge of the hospital when he spotted Derek in an empty hallway. He saw his best friend leaning in as if to kiss someone and Mark figured it was Meredith. He hadn't known that Addison and Derek were having a secret friendship with benefits thing. So when he saw Addison and London walking away from the hallway, both with a goofy smile, he saw red.
"Derek!" Mark yelled.
"Yea." Derek turned to see an angry looking Mark. "What's up?" He asked.
Mark answered with a punch to his face, which knocked Derek down.
"Mark, what the hell, man?" Derek questioned as he got up.
"You're an asshole, that's what." Mark said and launched himself at Derek.
Fists and kicks where thrown about for a few moments until Addison stepped onto the bridge with her daughter in arms.
"What the…" Her eyes bugged out.
"She's my kid, Shepherd. How could you do that?" Mark demanded before he punched Derek's face again.
"She's…" Derek was about to reveal Addison's secret, before she stepped in.
"That's enough!" Addison yelled at both of the men. They both stood up quickly, but painfully.
"You two are an embarrassment to this hospital and to yourselves. Acting like little boys fighting over a toy. Well you both listen and you listen well. Neither London nor I are toys to fight over. Furthermore, London is my child, and the only one who has to fight for and over her is me." Addison said before she slapped both men hard.
"You're immature and childish and I don't want either of you near London and me until can act like the civilized men I know Carolyn Shepherd raised you both to be." Addison said.
She walked away angrily. She grabbed London from a frightened intern and left the bridge to go to her patient's room. Mark and Derek could clean themselves up. At that moment, all Addison wanted was to be away in sunny LA, where she'd once been happy and life was so much simpler.
Reviews? Was the wait worth the chapter? You tell me. :D