Summary: Addison calls Derek and Mark for Amelia's intervention. While they're in LA, the plane crash happens and they are both, therefore, not on the plane. This will be an AU where Jake doesn't exist because he's the best out of the three guys for Addison (sorry, not sorry).
A/N: I'm sorry in advance that this chapter ends in a slight cliffhanger - it'll be answered in both versions of this story (because this story will split into two different versions - one where Derek/Addison get together and the other where Mark/Addison get together. I am not finished with either yet, so I'm sorry that you may be waiting for a while until then. Chapter title inspired by NP.
TW / Talks of drug use, addiction, and character death.
"She lives here?" Derek asked, checking to see Mark's face.
"Wait till you see her backyard," Mark teased as they got out of the rental car.
"Guess I shouldn't be surprised Addie's still got her sense of style intact," Derek chuckled.
"That's for sure," Mark said, closing the car door.
After they reached Addison's front door, they each took a deep breath, glancing at each other. This may be Addison's house, but they both knew Amelia lived here, too. They didn't know what to expect. After Mark knocked on the door, they were relieved to find Addison on the other side.
"What are you doing here?" Addison couldn't help but let out a laugh upon seeing Mark.
"What? You think I'd let Derek do this by himself?" Mark laughed along as he roped her in for a hug.
"Haha, very funny," Derek said sarcastically before getting his turn hugging Addison.
After Addison let them in, Derek found the interior even more impressive. It was vastly different from the old Manhattan brownstone. When she moved, Addison adopted the LA lifestyle in a way. That included the interior design of her home. The private beach backyard was just another perk.
"Is that…the ocean?" Derek asked, now understanding what Mark meant when he mentioned her backyard.
"Yup," Mark confirmed. Addison smiled and also nodded her head to confirm.
"Told you," Mark added. Addison rolled her eyes.
"Where's Amy?" Derek asked. He placed his duffel bag at the bottom of the stairs and Mark followed.
"I don't know," Addison said honestly.
"What do you mean, you don't know?" Derek's tone sounded accusatory.
"I mean, I don't know!" Addison exclaimed, not happy about her ex-husband already blaming her for something. Not that it wasn't warranted, but still.
"Okay, let's just take a step back," Mark physically put his arms out to stop them from getting in each other's faces.
"Where is my sister, Addison?" Derek asked, his voice louder this time.
"I don't know! She's been missing for a week now!" Addison revealed.
"What do you mean, she's missing?" Mark asked, equally concerned.
"Didn't you say you'd take care of her?" Derek was practically shouting now.
"I'm sorry! It's not like you did that much better," Addison said angrily.
It was a cheap shot; she knew it. Something about her ex-husband just got on her nerves. She was right, though. Derek gave up on Amelia a long time ago. She got high and crashed his car into a tree, and he cut her off. He couldn't look at her anymore. Amelia wasn't his baby sister after that, she was the girl who didn't care enough about her well-being to stay alive. Derek couldn't handle it.
"This isn't helping," Mark pointed out.
"We already called the police, every hospital in LA, and even the morgue," Addison said after taking a deep breath.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Derek sighed as he sat down on her couch.
"I thought we could find her," Addison admitted.
She didn't want to have to call Derek. Not for this, anyway. It'd been a week of calling everyone she could think of, and still nothing. She knew she probably went off with her boyfriend, Ryan, but she knew nothing about him other than his name. Ryan wasn't exactly a rare name, either.
"Is there anywhere else she could be?" Mark asked. He knew Addison probably looked everywhere she could, but he also knew Derek needed the reassurance.
"She's probably with Ryan somewhere," Addison plopped down on the armchair opposite Derek.
"Who's Ryan?" Mark asked.
"Her boyfriend," Addison sighed, putting her head in her hands.
"Well, where is he? Did you call him?" Derek got up, feeling frantic.
"I don't know. I don't know anything about him other than the fact that they get high together," Addison added.
She hadn't seen Amelia using again, but the last time she saw her, she looked high and she and Ryan were doing body shots on her back porch. Charlotte also said the same when she asked how Amelia seemed the last time she saw her. Plus, Amelia breaking into the office late at night to retrieve her prescription pad did not make it better.
"So, what do we do now?" Mark leaned against the armchair next to where Addison sat.
"I don't know. Keep calling until we find her, I guess," Addison said.
It wasn't ideal, but they didn't have much of a choice. Neither Derek nor Mark knew how long they'd be in LA, but this new information would definitely keep them in town for longer. Meredith wouldn't be happy. She already wasn't. And Derek figured Julia, Mark's girlfriend, wouldn't be happy either. Neither even remembered to tell Julia about this whole situation.
"Shit," Mark looked at his ringing phone to see that Julia was calling.
"What?" Addison asked.
"I forgot to tell Julia I was leaving," Mark adds quickly before walking farther away to answer the phone.
"Who?" Addison looked to Derek for clarification.
"His girlfriend," Derek said. Addison nodded. She didn't feel like she needed or should say anything regarding Mark's girlfriend.
"Hey, honey," Mark tried to soften the blow.
"Don't honey me," Julia mocked him. She could tell he was just trying to earn brownie points with her.
"I get to the hospital for our date just for Meredith to tell me you're in LA with your boyfriend!" Julia added. Clearly, Meredith still wasn't happy either.
"I'm sorry, I had to! Amy's like a sister to me. I couldn't just not come," Mark tried to argue back. Addison couldn't help but remember the fact that Mark and Amelia slept together the last time she was in Seattle but she also figured Derek had no idea. Plus, she, again, didn't feel right commenting on his love life now. So, she kept her mouth shut.
Mark walked to another room to talk to, or rather, get yelled at by his girlfriend for essentially forgetting about her. Derek and Addison sat across from each other, silently trying to figure out what to do about Amelia. They both knew, without having to say it out loud, that it was time to bring in the rest of the Shepherds. Derek's sisters, and even his mother, had become distant with Amelia over the years, but they were still family. And they deserved to know that she'd gone missing.
"I'll call Mom if you call Kathleen," Derek finally said.
"Can't I just call Nancy? She's the nicer one," Addison rolled her eyes.
Kathleen was the most difficult Shepherd sister to talk to. She psychoanalyzed anyone and everyone she could and it was always an exaggeration. Amelia's substance abuse problems just created an even more stressful situation every time they were in a room together.
"She can be the one that tells Kathleen," Addison joked. They both laughed, knowing it was true.
"Fine. As long as it means I don't have to call her," Derek laughed.
"Good. Then, I won't have to call her either," Addison matched his laughing mood.
Before either of them called, Mark came sulking back.
"Well, Julia dumped me," Mark revealed.
"You did jump on a plane to LA without telling her," Derek pointed out.
"I didn't mean to," Mark sighed.
"I'm sorry, Mark," Addison sympathetically put her hand on his arm as he stood next to her.
"At least you don't have to call Mom," Derek added, before dialing his mother's number on his cell phone.
It wasn't a pretty phone call for either of them but it was necessary. The morning after, the rest of the Shepherds landed in LA. Organizing hotel rooms for everyone was an utter disaster. The hotel was pretty booked, leaving them not enough rooms. Sam offered up his place for Derek and Mark and decided he'd just stay with Addison. He technically lived there half the time, he just hadn't given up his place for whatever reason. Plus with Nai coming back to help with the search, it only made things more awkward.
Sam and Addison were together, but they both knew it was only temporary. Labeling things complicated felt like an understatement. Addison wanted a baby. Sam didn't. They couldn't see eye to eye, but they also couldn't let go of each other. At least not yet. It was wrong, but it was comfortable. And right now, Addison needed someone to be there for her. Sam staying at her place full time felt more awkward than either of them expected. They've known each other for 20 years, it made it easy to be together. At least they thought it did.
Now, they were in this weird limbo state. They walked on eggshells around each other, afraid to say the wrong thing. It was bad, but neither was willing to throw in the towel yet. But they both knew it'd blow up in their faces someday. Just not today. Not for a while. There were more pressing issues to focus on, like Amelia's inevitable downfall.
"How could you let this happen?" Carolyn confronted Addison at her house. All the Shepherd siblings were at her house now, trying to figure out what to do next.
"I didn't…," Addison struggled to find her words. Carolyn Shepherd. It felt like forever since the last time she'd seen her. She already didn't like her before. She must hate me now, Addison thought.
"She didn't let anything happen. Amelia's an addict. She tried her best," Mark defended her. Addison gave him a small smile back.
It felt nice to get some support. Especially since her so-called boyfriend just stood there watching. Silence filled the air. All these people and no one knew exactly what to say.
"We should call the police," Nancy broke the silence first.
"We already have been," Addison informed them.
"So, you just want us to give up now?" Carolyn exclaimed. Addison was worried too, but she didn't see how blaming each other got them anywhere.
"Mom," Derek held his mother back with his arm.
"We should put some missing posters up too," Liz decided. Everyone else nodded back. Well, everyone but Kathleen.
"I'm sure she's fine," Kathleen offered. Everyone glared back.
"Seriously?" Derek scoffed at her, saying what everyone else was thinking.
"Oh, come on, it's Amy. I'm sure she'll just show up in a few days," Kathleen added. Everyone continued glaring.
"What? It's not like she hasn't done this before," Kathleen pointed out.
Then everyone started arguing. Kathleen threw around psychological disorders, diagnosing Amelia with disorder after disorder. She attributed it to Amelia's uncontrollable impulsive behavior while everyone else argued back. And, of course, Kathleen reiterates that it's because of Amelia's trauma from witnessing their father's murder.
Yes, Amelia was impulsive, which only made her addiction harder to recover from. And their father's murder was definitely a traumatic event that affected her deeply. But she was still a good person. And Addison tried to butt in to remind her of this. Amelia was still family to her. The little sister she never had, and the one that never judged her for her past mistakes. All she wanted was for Amelia to come home.
"Okay, this isn't helping!" Liz shouted above everyone.
This was ridiculous. They were all here for Amelia. And instead of looking for her, they were all arguing about whether they should be searching for her. It was really only Kathleen who opposed this, but she had a way of making everyone else feel crazy. No wonder neither Derek nor Addison wanted to call her. Everyone stepped away to take a minute to breathe. Liz was right, as always.
Addison walked out to her back patio. She couldn't deal with this right now. Sam watched her leave, but decided not to follow her. She needed a minute alone. As Addison sat outside on her back deck, she couldn't help but wish Sam had gone after her. Even if it was just to sit next to her. He was supposed to be her source of comfort. And right now, he was failing miserably. The truth was, he'd been failing her for a while now. She just didn't want to admit it. Later that night, everyone else left, leaving Sam and Addison alone again in her house. They awkwardly and quietly shuffled around the house, washing dishes and doing just about anything to avoid each other. After a while, Addison couldn't take the silence anymore.
"Please, just say something," Addison finally said.
"What?" Sam asked.
"It's just too quiet in here," Addison said back. Something about Amelia being gone caused her to forego her filter the way Amelia usually did.
"Well, you weren't saying anything either," Sam threw it back at her. Addison sighed. Couldn't her boyfriend just once pretend like he cared?
"What do you want me to say?" Sam got defensive, flailing his arms up.
"Something. Just…anything!" Addison exclaimed.
"I…I don't know what I'm supposed to say," Sam pointed out.
"What are we even doing anymore?" Addison plopped down on the couch, putting her head in her hands.
It'd been like this for months now. Addison started getting fertility treatments, and they walked on eggshells around each other. She didn't tell him about getting shot up with hormones because he didn't ask. And even if he did, she knew he wouldn't want to know, anyway. It was a vicious cycle. They weren't communicating anymore. They hadn't been in a long time. And with the pressing weight of Amelia's disappearance sitting on her shoulders, she couldn't help but wonder why they were still together.
Sam stayed silent. No surprise there. Addison wanted a baby, to be a mother. Sam didn't. He already got it all. But it wasn't enough for Addison. Not anymore.
"I think you should go," Addison finally said.
"Addison," Sam protested. He knew this was her breaking up with her. But for him, it felt like it came out of nowhere. At least at this moment. He knew it'd been a long time coming, but this felt abrupt.
"No," Addison said before he could say anything more.
"Please, just go," Addison said. She tried her best not to cry in front of him, but a few stray tears made it through.
Sam thought about arguing. About fighting harder. But he knew that even though the timing was weird, their relationship was headed toward this breakup for a long time. It already happened before. Addison showing up that night and kissing him changed things. It was a sign that, despite their differences, she could move them aside. Even if it was temporary. But that period was over. Postponing their inevitable breakup wasn't working anymore. It never really did. They just pretended it did.
So, instead of trying to convince Addison that they were better together rather than apart, Sam walked away. He'd have Mark and Derek, Addison thought. He'd be okay. She would be too. Eventually. But right now, all Addison wanted was to cry.
Actually, all she wanted was someone to lean into. To tell her it'd all be okay, even though she knew, instinctively, that she would be. She wanted someone to hold her and tell her it'd all work out in the end. And some quippy and sarcastic comment about how she was better than him would help, too. Then, she realized what it was she really wanted: She wanted Amelia back.
Over the next few days, they all continued calling the police, hospitals, and morgues, hoping Amelia would show up somewhere. The siblings put up missing posters all around town, and Carolyn even made a plea on the local news channel. Everyone at the practice did their part, too. But they also couldn't just stop working.
After some convincing, Addison convinced Charlotte to give Mark and the Shepherd siblings temporary privileges at St. Ambrose to help ease the burden. Everyone at the practice felt worn out. They all searched for Amelia, but they could only do so much. And they were all used to working long hours, anyway. So sitting around waiting for the phone to ring or for someone to knock on Addison's door wasn't very helpful.
12 days passed, and they still hadn't heard anything. That is until Amelia showed up at the office as if nothing happened.
"Hey, Coop!" Amelia chirped as she walked into Oceanside Wellness early Monday morning. Cooper, standing at the reception desk, looked back with utter shock on his face. He couldn't even find the words to say anything.
"Amelia?" Addison got up from her desk when she saw Amelia walk past.
"Morning, Addie! Let me grab some coffee, then I'll be back," Amelia yelled back as she walked towards the kitchen.
"I have news!" Amelia said excitedly.
Addison came out of her office and Violet followed suit beside her as they stared at Amelia walking around the office like normal. They both couldn't believe what they were seeing. She was alive. And she seemed completely unconcerned about the fact that she'd been missing for the past 12 days. Everyone else sat in the kitchen and when Amelia walked in, they all looked stunned.
"Hey, everybody. Coffee. I need coffee," Amelia's voice dragged as she walked over to pour herself a mug full of coffee. When no one responded to her, she turned around to see everyone's reactions. Complete and utter silence.
"Okay, I took all the coffee, but I will make a fresh pot," Amelia mistakenly thought her taking all the coffee left in the pot was why they were all staring at her.
Sheldon went up and hugged her tightly after a minute passed.
"Wow, okay. Hi. Sheldon," Amelia's body stayed straight as Sheldon hugged her. She didn't know how to react. Violet and Addison finally came into the kitchen. Much like everyone else, they stared at her.
"Do you guys know already? Was Ryan here or something?" Amelia still didn't catch on to the real reason everyone stared at her.
"I'm engaged! Hello!" Amelia exclaimed in a sing-song voice. To her surprise, Addison slapped her in response. Everyone else silently and slowly went to pull Addison back.
"Woah! What the hell was that?!" Amelia asked angrily. Sheldon instinctively grabbed Amelia's arm to hold her back. But even so, he hesitated to pull too hard.
"We called the police," Violet told her.
"And every hospital in LA," Cooper added as he stood under the door frame.
"And the morgue," Pete added.
"Why?" Amelia asked, confused.
"Cause we thought you were dead," Addison said, her fingers clenching on the kitchen counter. She stared at the counters, unable to look Amelia in the eyes. Sam thought to put a hand on her back to soothe her, but ultimately decided against it. It wasn't his job to comfort her anymore.
"Why would you think I was dead?" Amelia asked, trying to get the redhead to look her in the eyes.
"Because no one has seen you," Sheldon told her.
"What are you talking about? I miss a couple of days of work and suddenly I'm -," Amelia went on before getting interrupted.
"It's been 12 days," Naomi interrupted her.
"What?" Amelia looked stunned.
"No one has seen you in 12 days," Sam added, his arms crossed as he looked seriously back at her.
"12 days?" Amelia asked. She didn't realize it'd been that long.
"Amelia, what are you on?" Charlotte asked, dreading the answer.
"What are you talking about?" Amelia pretended not to know what they were talking about.
"Are you high right now?" Charlotte asked, her tone still as serious as before.
"Look, okay, I was. On drugs, I was. I slipped," Amelia lied.
Charlotte watched her closely. She could tell she was lying. Everyone watched as Amelia told this story about how Ryan saved her, how she'd been getting clean over the last few days. The only truly honest thing she said was that she didn't realize it'd been 12 days.
"You're okay?" Addison asked.
"I'm okay," Amelia nodded.
"I mean, I'm gonna have to go to two or three meetings a day for as long as it takes, but I'm good. I swear, I was lucky," Amelia said, her voice dragging on.
It was complete bullshit, and she knew it. So did Charlotte. But Addison needed it to be true. Addison pulled her into a hug, just glad that she was back. That she was alive. After a few more seconds, Amelia pulled away and excused herself to go catch up on all the work she missed. It didn't take long after Amelia left for Charlotte to reveal to everyone that Amelia was lying.
"That's a relief," Addison breathed out.
"I know, I thought that, um," Sam started. He was going to say that he thought Amelia might be dead. After 12 days, it wasn't completely out of the question. But it still felt like a morbid thought.
"She's lying," Charlotte interrupted him. Everyone looked back, stunned.
"She is lying," Charlotte repeated herself.
Everyone discussed it further. They all wanted Amelia to be okay, to be clean. But Charlotte insisted. Amelia was high, and Charlotte knew it. Addison called the Shepherds and Mark anyway, letting them all know Amelia was safe. But this was far from over.
After everyone from the practice discussed it further, Violet suggested they hold an intervention. Close the practice for a day, trap Amelia in, and force her to talk. Then, the wheels turned into motion. Violet found a mediator to help facilitate the whole thing. Addison even got the Shepherds and Mark to agree to the idea. Inside, Addison wondered if having Amelia's family around would help or hinder the process.
The next morning, Amelia came back to the office. Little did she know that Charlotte had just found her stash of pills in her office. In the plant by the window. She immediately got Cooper to take them out of her hands. Sam got them to meet everyone else in the lobby once he saw Amelia's car pull up in the parking lot. Addison greeted her when the elevator doors opened.
"Hey!" Amelia chirped.
"Morning," Addison said solemnly. She blocked Amelia's way to get her attention.
"Can we talk to you for a minute?" Addison asked, chuckling nervously. She'd never done an intervention before. And she still wasn't entirely sold on the idea that it would work.
"Who's we?" Amelia asked. Addison stepped back to reveal everyone sitting in the lobby. The other doctors, Mark, Carolyn, and all of Amelia's siblings. Plus, there was a woman she didn't recognize: Leni, the mediator.
"You called my mother?" Amelia looked back at her.
"I called Derek," Addison revealed.
"And Nancy," Addison added.
"Right, of course. You're not gonna call the woman that hates you," Amelia said. She could already tell they were staging an intervention. Addison sighed. She was right. Carolyn did hate her.
Leni stood up first since she had the most experience. This wasn't her first intervention, and it certainly wouldn't be her last. After introducing herself, Leni calmly tried to facilitate the intervention. Amelia lashed out, yelling at everyone. She knew this was an intervention, and she also knew how they worked. Leni was just the facilitator. Everyone else was supposed to talk. But Amelia didn't think any of them were brave enough to speak up. And she was partly right. So, Amelia tried to leave. The elevator dinged, and she got inside. But Sheldon held the door open.
He wasn't going to let her leave. And Derek was right behind him. They both expressed that they weren't just going to let her leave. She'd already gone missing for 12 days. They knew she would just go back out to get high if they let her leave. They were all afraid she'd never come back. Actually, they were all afraid of getting that dreaded phone call from the police saying they found her body somewhere.
Addison still wasn't completely on board with this intervention. She knew Amelia would just feel trapped, that she'd just want to leave. But Violet pushed. She knew this was hard for everyone, but especially for Addison. She wasn't her sister-in-law anymore, but she still saw Amelia like she was her little sister. The one she never had, the one that she'd always wanted. So, Addison took a deep breath and told Amelia to get off the elevator.
Addison threatened to fire her, but that didn't work. Then Pete chimed in, saying he'd call the police. Amelia didn't think there was anything they could tell the police. Nothing they could use against her. But it turned out Charlotte did have something to hold over Amelia: her prescription pad. Charlotte knew she'd been writing prescriptions for herself and that would be enough to land her in prison.
The threat kept Amelia in the office. But she refused to talk to them. She went straight to her office and started throwing shit around. The drugs were wearing off, and she was going into withdrawal. Leni encouraged everyone to keep fighting, to go after her. This wouldn't do any good if they all gave up this easily.
They continued arguing until finally, Addison agreed to go after her. She just wanted her to hear them out. That's all any of them wanted right now. When Addison went into Amelia's office, Mark followed her for support. They continued arguing and Amelia threw Addison's desperation for a baby in her face. She mentioned Sam and said he was smart not to try breeding with her. Clearly, Amelia didn't know about the breakup. But it didn't matter. It didn't make it hurt any less.
Addison just had to walk away. She didn't know what to say back, and it hurt too much seeing her like this. Amelia kept going through her drawers to find anything to feed her addiction. Meanwhile, all the doctors talked with Leni about what to do next. It didn't seem like this was working, but Leni knew Amelia was high. She could see it in her eyes. No one else, other than Charlotte, could tell. Leni knew it'd only be a matter of time before Amelia would go through withdrawal. And when she did, that would be their chance to strike.
"This is stupid," Carolyn commented.
"Mom!" Nancy scolded.
"I agree," Kathleen added.
Derek, Mark, Liz, Nancy, and even Addison sighed in response. Addison was starting to think that having everyone here wasn't such a great idea after all.
"Any minute. She's coming through those doors," Leni coaxed them.
Everyone looked around at each other for another minute or two before Leni proved her point. They heard Amelia coming, her boots clacking on the floor. She agreed to hear them out, but she clearly wasn't happy about it. She sat in the empty chair next to Addison, her arms crossed. The Shepherds couldn't help but still see Amelia as a teenager. Even more so, seeing her with her arms crossed like that.
Then Leni instructed them to talk, one by one. Violet went first, but Amelia lashed out. Actually, she lashed out at anyone that dared to speak. She somehow insulted Violet, Pete, and Charlotte all in the same sentence. Leni was right: withdrawing from oxycodone did make someone a bitch.
Pete and Violet walked away and met in the kitchen. They laughed at Amelia's attempt to hurt them. They were both very aware that Amelia was hurting, and they saw Amelia as someone just grasping at straws. Amelia's insults weren't all that hurtful to them. And they laughed over how ridiculous Amelia sounded.
Charlotte came in as they were on the floor, laughing. It was hard to tell if Amelia's comments wounded Charlotte. Regardless, Charlotte proposed they'd go to the next step in their plan. And Pete agreed. Leni also laughed at Amelia's comments.
"Is this some kind of sick joke to you?" This time, it was Derek's turn to lash out.
"Yeah, are you even qualified for this?" Liz asked.
"Is there some kind of certification for something like this? Or are we just winging it?" Liz added.
"Truth be told, your sister just amuses me," Leni said honestly.
"As long as I overlook the fact that you're a giant oxy addict who's killing herself," Leni added. This one was directed at Amelia. The room grew quiet for a minute.
"I'll change the locks. Until you get help. I'll change the locks. You can't live at my house anymore," Addison spoke up.
"Addie," Mark put a hand on her arm before she got up to sit next to her.
"You can't just leave my daughter out on the streets," Carolyn chimed in.
"I will change the locks. I will throw you out. And if you think calling in your family wasn't bad enough, I will call the medical board and report you. Because I love you Amelia, but I will not love you to death," Addison ignored Carolyn as she continued staring at Amelia.
Meanwhile, Amelia stared at the floor. In terms of housing, her mother clearly would take her in if Addison didn't. She'd have to move back home, but Ryan would probably be okay with it, she thought. Or even better, she could just stay with Ryan. But her medical career still meant everything to her. Despite the drugs. But she wasn't ready to give it up yet.
Charlotte handed her the bottle of water, but Amelia knew what it really was the second she opened the cap. They were smart, she'd give them that. But not as smart as her. Or so she thought. Everyone just wanted to help her. The bupe would help her with the withdrawal pains.
"I told you, I'm drug-free; I have been for five days. I'm not going through withdrawal. I'm clean," Amelia said. Derek scoffed.
"Well, then take the bupe," Cooper shrugged.
He thought the easygoing attitude might help convince her, but really, he was taunting her, and she knew it. She wouldn't take the bait. They all knew Amelia was lying. She was sweaty and irritable. There was no question about it. All they wanted was for her to stay and to hear them out.
"You want me to stay and listen so I can get sober?" Amelia asked, playing around with the water bottle she wouldn't drink out of.
"Yes," Charlotte answered for everyone.
"Okay. Fine," Amelia walked over closer to them. They all looked relieved.
"Get me some oxy," Amelia said, scraping the water bottle label.
"Score me some oxy, and then I will stay as long as you want," Amelia said, tossing the bottle over to Leni.
"No," Carolyn stood up, scolding her. She went over to Leni and took the bottle out of her hands.
"You will drink this and you will listen to what we have to say," Carolyn couldn't take all of this anymore.
"No," Amelia resisted.
"No?" Carolyn was furious.
She started marching towards Amelia. Amelia lifted her legs instinctively in her chair to protect herself. Something about her mother and that angry look on her face scared her. Addison still wanted Amelia to take the bupe, but not like this. The Shepherd siblings and Mark came to hold Carolyn back as Addison shielded Amelia. When she did, she felt Amelia wipe her face. Seeing her mother pounce at her was enough to evoke an emotional response in her.
"Mom," Derek said, still holding onto her shoulder.
"Not like this," Liz whispered.
"Are you okay?" Addison whispered.
Amelia looked away and got up from her seat, walking farther away. She didn't want anyone else to see her cry right now. Addison bit her lip, thinking about their options. Amelia wouldn't drink the bupe, but if they gave her the drugs, it'd at least mean she'd stay here.
"What?" Mark asked upon seeing Addison looking like she was seriously considering Amelia's demands.
"No, there's no way we're giving her oxy," Derek butted in.
Amelia smiled. It was working. All she wanted was to get high right now, and Addison was all she needed. It was like planting a seed of doubt. Realizing that it probably wouldn't be the best idea to discuss all of this in front of her, they all moved to Addison's office. But Leni stayed to keep an eye on Amelia.
"There's no way we're doing this," Nancy insisted.
"If she gets on that elevator, it's over," Addison just wanted Amelia to stay.
The last 12 days had been hell for her. All she could think about was where she'd go if they let her leave. It was a miracle she was even alive. She couldn't help but think about how a phone call from a police officer would be the next and last time she'd hear from Amelia if she left the practice. Amelia's body was already used to the drugs. Giving her another small dose, even if it was just to get her to stay, couldn't hurt. Plus, they were in an office full of doctors. If something did happen, they'd know how to take care of her.
"Do we really think giving her drugs is gonna help anything?" Kathleen asked.
"No, we're not doing this. We're not supporting her drug habit. Just because she lacks discipline, and is acting like a child -," Sam refused. A habit? This wasn't a habit, it was an addiction.
Then, they took a vote, per Pete's suggestion. Charlotte tapped out, saying she shouldn't get a vote because of her history. The only people who thought they should give Amelia the drugs were Mark, Addison, and Violet. Though Addison hesitated to raise her hand at first. And Violet's vote was just in support of Addison. Everyone else was skeptical, and Pete thought it was dangerous.
"We're doctors," Liz pointed out.
"We can't just give an addict drugs," Liz added.
"But if it'll make her stay…," Nancy was starting to consider it.
"What good is making her stay if it makes her worse?" Derek asked.
"Would it really make it worse? I mean, it's already pretty bad. It's probably been worse than this," Kathleen said.
"She went missing for 12 days. She's never gone missing for that long before," Addison argued.
"I agree with Red. We can't let her leave again," Mark finally said.
"Thank you," Addison appreciated the sentiment. But it still wasn't enough to make up the majority.
"I still think we should get her to drink the bupe," Liz added.
"Well, it's gonna be a lot harder now after what just happened in there," Nancy pointed out.
"It might not be as hard as we think," Addison added.
"What do you mean?" Mark asked.
"Amelia was crying," Addison revealed.
"When Carolyn went after her, she wiped some tears away. I don't know…maybe we can convince her," Addison added.
It was weird calling her Carolyn again. After she and Derek got married, Carolyn insisted that she call her "Mom". But it didn't feel right to call her that anymore, for obvious reasons.
"I say we go for it," Liz said, after briefly thinking it through.
"But first, we need a plan. If we go in there blind, Amelia will figure out a way to get the upper hand," Liz added.
"Please, someone as rebellious and impulsive as Amelia would never agree to it. She'd just want to do the opposite of what we ask her to do," Kathleen said.
"So, what? Your plan is just to pretend like we don't care now to get her to drink it?" Mark asked. It sounded like the dumbest plan ever.
"No. I'm saying maybe we should just drag her to rehab," Kathleen offered.
"That's not gonna work," Pete commented.
"Yeah, research shows that forced treatment is problematic. It's better when people want treatment," Violet pointed out.
"Well, yes, of course, it is, but it's pretty impossible when it comes to Amelia," Kathleen said.
"Look, this has been rough on everyone. Let's just…take a minute," Cooper suggested.
They were all exhausted. It'd only been about three hours, but they felt emotionally drained. All they wanted was for Amelia to get clean and to make sure she wouldn't leave to score some more drugs. Right now though, they knew that that was exactly what she'd do if they let her out of here. Seeing Amelia struggle through withdrawal pains only made it worse. Especially since they all offered her a less painful way to come down from her high.
"Maybe we're trying too hard," Liz suggested.
"You want us to try less?" Mark asked.
"No, I mean, maybe she'd trust us a little more if we weren't so hard on her," Liz thought out loud.
"It's too much pressure. She's clearly not responding to us, begging her to stop. So maybe we just ease up on her a little and see where that takes us," Liz continued.
"That's your plan? Ease up on her?" Derek mocked her.
"Derek," Carolyn scolded. He might have a point, but she still didn't approve of her kids making fun of each other. Not at a time like this.
"Right now, she just feels like everyone's against her," Liz pointed out.
"She needs to feel like someone's on her side," Liz added.
"I'll be the bad guy," Liz offered.
"She won't believe us if one of you defends her," Liz referred to almost everyone else in the room. They were all too involved, and they'd already voiced their concerns and pleaded for Amelia to stop. Liz was the only one who hadn't said anything earlier.
"Or Kathleen can do it," Liz half-joked.
"I'm always the bad guy!" Kathleen argued.
"Gee, I wonder why," Nancy muttered under her breath.
"Girls!" Carolyn scolded.
"Look, you guys can keep being all emotional and everything and I'll swoop in to protect her," Liz added.
"Unless one of you has a better idea," Liz added when no one contested her.
"Alright, fine," Derek resigned.
"We'll try things your way," Derek added.
When everyone else got back to the lobby, Cooper was reading out the letter he wrote, per Leni's suggestion. They'd all written letters, so this was just the time to start reading them aloud. Amelia, however, wasn't having it. Which wasn't a surprise, given how on edge she'd been all day.
"What do we want? Drugs! When do we want them? Now!" Amelia chanted, getting louder and more irritated as she repeated the phrase.
Mark couldn't help but laugh a little. It was, admittedly, pretty clever. Addison glared back as if silently telling him to behave. Like a little kid, Mark sank into his chair. Like he'd just been called to the principal's office. Everyone else, however, just looked beat. But they were ready to start their plan.
"This is ridiculous!" Carolyn yelled above Amelia.
"Amelia, don't you see what this is doing to you?" Nancy asked loudly. Amelia sat with her arms crossed again.
"Everyone here loves you, Amelia. Don't you think you should at least hear them out?" Violet asked. Amelia glanced at the ground, her arms still folded over her chest.
"Don't you care about us?" Mark asked.
"You think she doesn't know that?" Liz jumped in. Amelia looked up, shocked to see her sister come to her defense.
Before they could enact more of their poorly thought-out plan, the elevator dinged. The practice was closed for the day. There was no reason why someone would be coming up. When the doors opened, Ryan appeared behind them.
"Ryan!" Amelia exclaimed, running right into Ryan's available arms.
"Who the hell are you?" Nancy asked. She didn't know who he was, but he made an impact. That much was clear.
"Ryan, her…fiance," Addison struggled to call him her fiance. She barely knew the guy, and she figured Amelia probably barely knew him too.
"Fiance?!" the entire Shepherd family plus Mark exclaimed, shocked.
"Uh Ryan, meet my family. They're here for a visit," Amelia gestures.
"A visit? That's what you're calling this?" Kathleen laughed. They were only here to pull Amelia off the edge.
"Hi," Ryan waved awkwardly. Amelia held tighter to him as she buried her face into his chest. As she did, his watch came into view.
"You gave him your father's watch?" Addison moved closer, picking up the watch as it stayed clasped around Ryan's wrist. Everyone's ears perked up.
"Amelia," Addison looked straight into her eyes, but Amelia looked past her.
"Amelia, look at me," Addison demanded, moving Amelia's chin with her hand.
"It's his engagement present," Amelia brushed it off like it was nothing.
"It's your father's watch!" Addison exclaimed. Even she knew the significance behind the watch.
"Leave me alone," Amelia muttered, walking towards the other side of the room.
"Maybe just give her a little bit of space…," Ryan started.
"This is none of your business! I'm speaking to my sister!" Addison stopped him before he could say more.
The Shepherds, especially Carolyn, were surprised to hear her call herself Amelia's sister. They knew they'd always been close, but Derek and Addison got divorced years ago. And even when they were married, Derek cut Amelia off, making it hard for Addison and Amelia to spend any time together. Plus, after Amelia got clean, she focused on her studies. The rest of her family didn't completely cut her out the way Derek did, but they didn't keep up with her very well, either. Amelia, while she worked with Addison now, had only been here for just over two years.
"I'm not your sister," Amelia hissed back.
"When did you take this?" Derek got up angrily from his seat.
"That's a good question," Carolyn put her hands on her hips.
The watch used to sit in the drawer of her bedside table. On her late husband's side of the bed. After he died, she couldn't look at it anymore. She kept the watch he fought so hard to protect, but she hid it away in his drawer because all it did now was remind her of the day the police told her about her husband's murder.
"Okay, let's…everyone calm down," Leni said, softly.
"What is the significance of the watch?" Violet asked, curiously.
"Nothing, it's just a watch," Amelia brushed it off. Everyone else who knew the story scoffed.
"Amelia…," Violet said, gently. Amelia wasn't the best liar. Especially when she was this irritable.
"My mom gave it to my dad for their anniversary one year," Amelia mumbled, trying to get through her lie quickly.
"That is not the significance," Addison fought back.
"Addison," Mark said softly.
"It's not, and you know it's not, Mark," Addison added.
"It's the watch our dad was wearing when two guys shot and killed him," Nancy said.
"Shut up!" Amelia shouted.
"You weren't there! You don't get to tell that story!" Amelia continued shouting.
"He wouldn't give it up. He let them have everything else in the store. But the watch…," Derek stuttered as he talked.
It clearly still affected him, too, but it didn't steer him towards substance abuse issues the way it did for Amelia. Amelia was right. Nancy wasn't there - but he was. And if he had to retell this story, he would. As much as it hurt him. If it'd stop her from leaving, he'd do anything.
"You need to go," Sam finally said, referring to Ryan.
"Sam," Amelia said, going back over to Ryan to physically protect him. Sam was much bigger than her though, so he could get past her if he wanted to without a problem.
"No, he's gotta go. Leave, now!" Sam repeated himself.
"Ryan and I are getting married. Don't speak to him like that," Amelia said.
"You realize you'll never get sober if you stay with him," Pete said, standing up from his seat.
"Amelia's addiction is not Ryan's fault," Leni started as she turned and got out of her chair as well.
"In fact, Ryan, if you wanna get sober, we'll help you too," Leni looked back at him sincerely.
"No, no, we won't," Sam nodded his head.
"Yes, we will. If that's what it takes," Violet said.
"No, our commitment, our concern, is for Amelia," Addison argued.
"I know, but she would do better if the person she loves is also in the program, and is getting sober as well," Violet pointed out. Addison felt conflicted, but she couldn't deny that Violet had a point.
"I mean, there are studies on them. Sheldon? Back me up?" Violet looked back at Sheldon.
"Yes, but what if the incessant drugs and alcohol feed into their relationship? What if it's the only thing holding them together?" Kathleen asked, playing devil's advocate.
"You're not helping," Liz pointed out.
"Okay, I think we just need to discuss this before we…," Cooper started.
"I think what Violet and Leni said is right. I believe we can help anyone who wants to get sober," Charlotte interrupted him.
"He didn't say he wants to get sober," Sam pointed out.
"Ryan, do you want to get sober?" Nancy asked, point blank.
"I…," Ryan stuttered. He didn't even know Amelia had a problem. He knew they'd gotten high a lot over the past few days. Or months. The specifics surrounding the time they spent together as a whole felt fuzzy. Maybe they did need to get sober.
"Ryan, if you want to get sober, we'll help you, too," Leni repeated her earlier sentiment.
"Maybe they're right," Ryan spoke softly to Amelia. She clearly looked fragile. And completely strung out. Amelia looked back with such innocence in her eyes.
"I take back every mean thing I said about you," Kathleen said.
Ryan looked back at her, confused. He had no idea who most of the people in this room were. He'd really only met Addison and Cooper that one time at the taco truck. Even then, it was brief. But whoever these people were, Ryan could tell that they all cared about Amelia. Probably more than he did.
"Hi, Kathleen Shepherd," Kathleen introduced herself and held out her hand. The poor guy had no idea what he was stepping into.
"Shepherd?" Ryan asked.
"And you must be the guy that's been sleeping with our baby sister," Kathleen said.
"I'm assuming you're the fiance," Nancy got up to greet him, more politely than Kathleen had just moments before.
Then, the rest of the Shepherds introduced themselves. When they got to Carolyn, she introduced herself politely, but her eyes glared at him. Ryan definitely felt intimidated meeting Amelia's entire family. It didn't change how he felt about her though. Amelia still buried her head into Ryan's chest, not wanting to hear what anyone said anymore. She was still sweating, her hair greasy, and she was practically shivering. The withdrawal pains were getting to her.
"Amelia," Charlotte walked through the crowd of Shepherds that surrounded Amelia and Ryan.
"We're just trying to help you," Charlotte said softly. Amelia peeked out but still held Ryan close.
Pete somehow ended up with the water bottle filled with bupe. It'd been passed around through people's hands and, at some point, it landed in his hands. He hadn't noticed before, but he scratched off about half of the label by now. Instead of saying something, Pete walked up with the bottle still in his hand and gestured it toward Ryan and Amelia.
"No," Amelia muttered, still close to Ryan's chest.
"What is that?" Ryan asked. He didn't see why a bottle of water affected his fiance so much.
"Bupe," Nancy answered.
"It prevents any drug from getting people high for the next 72 hours. But it'll also relieve withdrawal pains," Pete explained.
"Amelia. Please," Derek pleaded.
"Here, I'll take it first," Ryan grabbed the bottle from Pete's hand and immediately took a sip. He winced as he swallowed, the bitter taste still lingering in his mouth. Amelia watched him intently.
"Your turn," Carolyn instructed her.
"It's not that bad," Ryan added, seeing how wide her eyes looked staring back at him.
Amelia slowly clasped her fingers around the bottle and looked up at everyone. Their eyes were soft and sympathetic. All she wanted to do was drop the bottle or hurl the contents at everyone's faces. Ryan had already drank it and if he drank it, maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
"Amelia, we believe in you," Charlotte added.
"It's for your own good," Violet added.
Then Amelia took a sip and also winced as it went down her throat. Everyone exhaled, relieved. If they all knew that it'd be as easy as getting Ryan involved, they would've gotten him here sooner.
"So, can we go now?" Amelia asked. She took the bupe just like they all wanted, but she still didn't want to stay here.
"Only if you promise not to disappear for another 12 days," Cooper stepped in.
"I promise," Amelia mockingly drew a heart on her chest and put a hand up like she was getting sworn in.
"Please, be careful," Addison added. Amelia nodded before she and Ryan stepped into the elevator and went downstairs.
"So, what do we do now?" Mark asked. Everyone looked around to see who would speak up.
"Wait and see what happens, I guess," Cooper suggested. Everyone solemnly nodded their heads. At least they couldn't get high for another 72 hours.
A day later, Amelia sent a text to Addison saying she was staying in a hotel room with Ryan to detox. She gave her the hotel name and their room number, saying she'd be fine on her own. When Addison told Mark and all the Shepherds, they wanted to drag her to rehab. But Amelia wanted to do this her own way. However, it didn't stop Amelia's family from checking in over the next week to make sure she was clean and sober.
After a week, they all had to admit defeat. This was the best they could do at the moment. The Shepherds minus Derek all went home, but not until after Addison promised them that she'd take care of her. Derek and Mark said the same, as they both decided to stay a while longer just to be sure.
Two more weeks passed and the worst news came for Mark and Derek. A plane went missing. Both Meredith and Lexie were on it. They were both frantic, but going back to Seattle wouldn't do them any good at this point. Whether they were in LA or Seattle, they'd be worried. If they went back to Seattle, they'd worry about Amelia. If they stayed in LA, they'd worry about Lexie and Meredith. It was a lose-lose situation. Addison said they might as well stay here to save money on another last-minute plane ticket.
Almost five days passed before they got any news from Owen. The plane crashed somewhere between Seattle and Boise. Among those on the plane were Meredith, Lexie, Arizona, Jackson, Cristina, and Dr. Jim Nelson, who most people called, "Shadow Shepherd". Unfortunately, not everyone made it out alive.
A/N: Thank you to my friends Stephanie and Chantel for helping me edit this.