Chapter 20: Hold Onto Your Friends
Summary:
Summary: Derek gets Olivia her birthday present as Addison stays at Callie and Arizona's place, telling them more about her new boyfriend. Meanwhile, Amelia gets support from Charlotte as the weight of everything starts to hit her.
Back in Olivia's room, Addison looked around and saw the walls were painted a bright pink while her bed sheets and comforter were a different shade of pink. It was definitely a girly room, and very different from Olivia's room in L.A.
Olivia pointed out her toys and the pictures on the desk. Addison also noticed Olivia had been in here earlier while she and Derek were gone because the stuffed version of Milo sat on her bed.
"Knock knock," Derek said playfully as he knocked on Olivia's bedroom door.
"Who's there?" Olivia asked, giggling.
"What? You don't know me anymore?" Derek joked.
"Of course I do, Daddy!" Olivia exclaimed, laughing harder.
"So, since you're seven now and not napping, are you ready to see my present?" Derek asked teasingly.
Olivia giggled and nodded back excitedly. Derek held out his hand for Olivia to hold, which she took happily after running toward him. Addison raised an eyebrow, knowing it'd be something big. Derek couldn't keep that goofy smile inside, even if he tried.
Addison followed them into the backyard, where they found a pink, rideable kid's Porsche. On the license plate, it read OLI - VIA and there was a comically large black bow tied around it.
"Happy birthday, Livvy," Derek smiled.
"Can I ride it?" Olivia asked, her eyes wide and sparkling.
"Can you say thank you to Daddy first, Livvy?" Addison asked gently.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you, Daddy!" Olivia shouted, reaching up toward Derek to be picked up.
"You're welcome, Peanut," Derek said after picking the girl up and kissing her cheek.
"Let's take her for a spin, shall we?" Derek asked playfully as he carried her to the car and put her in the front seat.
"Are you sure that's safe, Derek?" Addison asked.
"No, I bought our daughter a death trap," Derek joked as Olivia ran to the car. Addison gave him a look.
"It's fine, Addie," Derek brushed it off as he showed Olivia how to use the car.
Another two minutes passed before Addison heard the electric engine start. And they both heard Olivia giggling happily.
"Remember to be careful, Liv," Derek warned.
Olivia pushed down on the gas pedal, and the car jolted forward. It took her another minute or two to master the controls, but she was a quick learner. Olivia eventually drove around in a big circle, honking the horn in the car.
"Look, Mommy! I'm driving like you and Daddy!" Olivia shouted.
"I see that!" Addison said loudly, making sure Olivia could hear her.
Derek moved to stand beside Addison, watching Olivia tear up the grass. He knew Meredith was keeping the house for everyone else, so he'd just replace it in the spring. But for now, he was happy watching Olivia drive around her new pink Porsche. Even if it was just in circles. He'd take it to the land in a few days, so she'd have plenty of space to ride it.
"Are you taking her home tomorrow?" Derek asked, slightly disappointed. He always wished he had more time with her, but he knew things worked out for the best this way.
"I am," Addison smiled sympathetically.
"Are you taking her to your hotel tonight?" Derek asked, hoping she'd say no. He wanted one more night with his girl.
"Nope. She's all yours tonight, Daddy. We're on the one p.m. flight tomorrow though, so soak it all up," Addison said, watching Olivia drive.
Derek nodded silently, knowing she had to go home soon. Instead of dwelling on what he couldn't control, he just stood there with his ex, watching their daughter drive around in circles.
Later that night, Addison settled herself in at Callie and Arizona's place. Callie insisted she stay with them instead of at a hotel for the night, and Addison didn't refuse. Plus, Callie missed having some face-to-face time with her old friend.
"So, Sloan said something about a boyfriend when she was out there last month. Care to confirm?" Callie asked, wanting the juicy gossip.
"She's not wrong," Addison chuckled. Callie raised an eyebrow and moved closer, waiting for her friend to provide more details.
"His name is Jake. He's a doctor at the practice, and his daughter, Angela, is about the same age as Sloan. They get along well, I think. They hung out with my neighbor's daughter, Maya, all week when Sloan was visiting. Jake and Angela love spending time with Liv and they get along great with Amelia," Addison explained.
"When can we meet him?" Callie asked impatiently, much to Arizona's chagrin. She didn't want to harass the older woman.
"Well, I guess now," Addison commented, seeing Jake FaceTime-ing her on her phone. Callie impatiently grabbed her phone and answered the call for her.
"Jake, hi," Addison giggled after grabbing her phone back from Callie.
"Hey, just wanted to check in and see how it's going," Jake said nonchalantly.
"It went well. Liv was surprised to see me. I think I made her day," Addison smiled at the thought.
"How's Milo?" Addison asked, knowing Jake was watching her cat for her.
"I don't think Ange is gonna want to give him back," Jake chuckled.
"She's gonna have to," Addison laughed along, knowing the teen wouldn't purposefully want to upset Olivia.
"So, I'm staying with my friends for the night. They want to meet you," Addison added, a little embarrassed, before throwing a look at Callie, who was impatient.
"Go ahead and put them on," Jake chuckled, realizing that her friends must be on the other side of the phone.
She chuckled, pulling the phone back so he could see them.
"This is Callie and Arizona," Addison pointed.
"It's nice to meet you two," Jake smiled.
"It's nice to meet you, too. So, Addison said you're also a doctor?" Arizona asked.
"Yeah," Jake confirmed.
"What kind of doctor?" Callie asked.
"Fertility. I'm a fertility specialist," Jake said.
"Interesting…," Callie said thoughtfully.
"He's being modest; he's also a general surgeon," Addison added.
"Double-board certified. I see you've found your match," Arizona commented playfully. Addison blushed and smiled as Jake chuckled nervously.
The four continued talking long into the evening, getting to know each other until Jake had to leave to get Angela to bed. He wanted her to get to bed early, but he tried not to enforce her bedtime too much since she was a teenager now.
"So that was Jake," Callie teased.
"It was," Addison chuckled.
"You're falling for him, aren't you?" Callie asked.
"Yeah, I think I am," Addison admitted, blushing.
"You guys must be serious then," Arizona said.
"Yeah. I…I mean, I didn't expect it to, at least not this fast, but yeah. I don't think I've ever introduced Olivia this early to anyone I've ever dated except for Pete, but Liv was too young to really…get any of it. I wasn't planning on introducing her to Jake that early either - she just showed up and ran into my office while he was there - but I think he's the first guy to…I don't know, take on the challenge, I guess. We'd been dating for a few weeks already when he found out I had a kid, but it was like he completely switched gears from being a boyfriend to being a boyfriend to someone with a kid. It's kinda scary how fast it happened, but he's been really great with Liv," Addison said.
"What's he like with Liv?" Callie asked curiously. She had Arizona from the start, so dating as a single parent is something she didn't know.
"He's…," Addison started, struggling to find words to describe their relationship.
"It's like they became friends overnight. He never hesitated or doubted, he just went all in.
And I think she just knows that somehow. She's got him wrapped around her little finger; all she needs to do is bat her eyes and ask, and he'll do it. He does these little voices while reading her a bedtime story - he has a really good Winnie the Pooh impression - and it's like…it's like he was meant to be a dad," Addison said, her words just tumbled out as she tried to explain their dynamic.
Callie and Arizona melted at Addison's words. Jake had already won them over but if he hadn't? This would've done it.
"He seems like a good one. Is he planning on sticking around?" Callie asked.
Addison shrugged. She hoped so; she could see a future with Jake, but she didn't know if it'd work in her favor.
"I don't know. I hope so," Addison said honestly.
"I hope so, too. He seems great," Arizona commented.
Callie agreed, knowing her friend needed it to last. And with that, the conversation lulled until they all headed off to bed.
Back at the hotel, Charlotte had gone to check in on Amelia. Since finding out about the pregnancy just barely a week ago, she grew more protective of the young brunette.
"Charlotte?" Amelia asked, sniffling.
"Amelia, what's wrong?" Charlotte asked instantly, bending down to her level and making eye contact.
"I feel like I'm drowning," Amelia said.
"What do you mean?" Charlotte asked, concerned.
"Exactly what I said," Amelia sniffled.
"I'm trying, but it's just so hard. Everything just sucks," Amelia said.
"Tell me about it," Charlotte commented, sitting back.
"I'm barely hanging on. Meetings aren't enough, Char," Amelia said.
"My baby is sick, I'm sick. She has no dad. I have to move and figure out how to raise a baby on my own, and I can barely handle Liv. How am I supposed to handle a baby? Erica's sick, Michelle's sick and dying. I didn't ask for any of this," Amelia ranted.
"What's wrong with the baby?" Charlotte asked, deciding the baby would be the safer topic. They couldn't do anything else for Michelle or Erica at this point. Erica was recovering from the tumor removal and Michelle was doing fine for the most part, but she knew how much Michelle's deteriorating health was affecting Amelia.
"She has something wrong with her heart. Addie wanted to get Sam involved, but I couldn't. He doesn't even like me. There's no way I can trust him with my baby," Amelia said.
"There's plenty of good cardio surgeons at the hospital. Why don't I find the best one for you?" Charlotte suggested.
"No. It's too close to home. I need someone good that I don't know," Amelia said.
"Okay. Well, how about someone here in Seattle? I've heard good things about the people here," Charlotte suggested.
"I don't know," Amelia said indecisively.
"Amelia," Charlotte took her hands firmly.
"Stop deflecting. Tomorrow morning after we check in on Erica, we'll go talk to one of the cardio attendings, okay?" Charlotte asked.
"Okay," Amelia nodded in agreement. Charlotte wasn't an easy woman to say no to. And she knew Charlotte was just doing what was best for her. Besides, it was kind of nice having someone to take charge and tell her what to do. Even if she was avoiding having to talk about things.
After checking on Erica the following morning, Charlotte took Amelia to search for an OB to figure out what exactly was going on.
The OB was kind and caring and confirmed exactly what Addison said, which sent Amelia into a whole new spiral. Charlotte kept calm and asked for a referral to one of the best cardiothoracic surgeons in the hospital.
Eventually, Dr. Teddy Altman appeared before them. Amelia saw her around in passing, but they hadn't interacted. Amelia heard she was friends with Callie and Arizona, as well as Mark by extension.
After a quick consult, Teddy confirmed what both obstetricians noticed. Baby girl Shepherd had VSD.
"VSD, also known as a ventricular septal defect. By the look of it, the hole's what we'd considered medium-sized, but I think your OB was right to recommend surgery," Teddy explained.
"Why's that?" Charlotte asked.
"Well, it's technically medium-sized, but it's just on the border of being deemed large. Even if it wasn't, surgery is strongly recommended for any that are medium or large. Especially if the baby starts exhibiting symptoms," Teddy explained.
"What kind of symptoms?" Amelia asked.
"Mostly problems with breathing. But it could also stagger the baby's ability to thrive with things like poor weight gain," Teddy explained.
"So, when you say surgery, you mean open heart surgery?" Amelia asked.
"Yes," Teddy confirmed.
"That's a lot of risk for a newborn, isn't it?" Charlotte asked.
"It is. I know it's scary, but I assure you I am very good at my job," Teddy insisted.
"What happens if I refuse surgery?" Amelia asked.
"Well, then we'd recommend medication. But with a VSD of this size, it'll only treat the symptoms. It might give the baby more time to survive, but it's not a cure. If it were a smaller hole, it'd close on its own," Teddy replied.
"If you want, you can always treat it with medication until you think the baby's strong enough," Teddy offered, seeing the frightened, flighty look on the younger woman's face.
"But I still want to be clear; I am still recommending surgery. Yes, it's open heart surgery, yes it's scary, and yes, it's risky. But so is all surgery. As a neurosurgeon, I know you know that. And I hope you know that I wouldn't be recommending surgery for your baby if I didn't think it was absolutely necessary," Teddy added.
"Amelia?" Charlotte asked after giving the girl a minute.
"I can't. Not when she's that little," Amelia finally said.
"I need more time. She needs more time," Amelia added softly.
"It's okay, Amelia. You're gonna be okay," Charlotte tried to soothe the young woman.
"Okay. I understand. Since you live in Los Angeles and I live here, I expect you'll want to transfer my notes to another specialist?" Teddy asked. The woman was already six months along. Teddy didn't expect her to come back to get checked out by her all the way in Seattle. Amelia looked a little flustered, like she didn't know how to answer her question.
"Yes. I'll get you the information, but you can send it to St. Ambrose for now. We're still finding the right cardiothoracic surgeon for her in L.A.," Charlotte said, answering for Amelia.
"Great. Sounds good," Teddy said.
The following afternoon, Addison picked Olivia up from Meredith's house, ready to head back to the airport to get back to California. Whether she liked it or not, Olivia would be going back to school tomorrow after taking a week off. Addison really would've preferred she not miss an entire week, but she also couldn't deny her a chance to spend some time with her dad.
"You ready to go home?" Addison asked, looking down at the little girl as they stood outside the airport. Olivia nodded.
"Do I have to go back to school?" Olivia asked. She even batted her eyes, hoping it'd be enough for her mom to say no.
"Yes," Addison rolled her eyes. Olivia pouted.
"But nice try," Addison commented as she took Olivia's bag from Derek who was fighting a laugh himself.
"Hey Addie. Do you have a minute?" Derek asked softly as she sent their daughter off to the car before a meltdown could ensue.
"Yeah, sure," Addison said, taking a step back.
"How's Michelle? And Amy? She won't tell me much. I know I've never been a fan of Michelle, but it doesn't mean I don't care," Derek said, looking down.
Addison sighed.
"Not great. Michelle's getting worse, and according to Amelia, she doesn't wanna fight anymore," Addison said honestly.
"Does Liv know?" Derek asked sadly, looking toward their daughter.
"She knows Michelle is sick, but not to this extent. We're going to have to talk to her. But if I'm being honest, I'm not ready. She doesn't even know that we lose patients," Addison said.
"Maybe I should take time off and spend some time with you guys. I could help with Liv," Derek thought out loud. He wasn't ready to explain death to his newly minted seven-year-old, but he knew it was coming. Faster than he or anyone would like.
"I don't think so," Addison smiled, touched by his offer.
"You'd just stress your sister out. She's taken a partial leave from work, by the way, to spend as much time as possible with Michelle. And I think it may be too confusing for Liv. We've never been in the same place with her for longer than a week ever since she could remember," Addison hoped she was letting him down easy.
He sighed.
"Okay, I get it. Just….keep an eye on her, okay?" Derek asked softly, referring to his baby sister.
Addison kissed his cheek softly.
"Always," Addison said, giving him a weak smile before walking off.
Olivia sighed as they settled into their seats after boarding the plane.
"I miss Lia," Olivia commented.
"You just saw her yesterday," Addison reminded her.
"But she isn't coming home with us," Olivia sighed dramatically.
"She'll be home soon, Liv. Come on, open your book so we can read. I know Daddy didn't do it all week," Addison said pointedly.
"How would you know?" Olivia asked, hoping to get out of her reading for the week.
"Because I know your father," Addison joked, gesturing for Olivia to grab her bookbag.
"Fine," Olivia grumbled, pulling it out.
Addison chuckled, going over the book with her throughout the flight.
Sure enough, the flight passed quickly. When they got out, the two walked out, surprised to see Jake standing there waiting for them.
"Dr. Jake!" Olivia ran toward him, slamming her body into him. Addison looked horrified, unable to stop her.
"Olivia, slow down!" Addison called sternly, catching up to them.
"Addie, it's fine. Really," Jake brushed it off.
"What are you doing here?" Addison asked, her tone shifting.
"I wanted to surprise two of my favorite girls," Jake smiled charmingly.
"Dr. Jake, Dr. Jake! Guess what?" Olivia interrupted them.
"What?" Jake asked as he led them toward the car park.
"Yesterday was my birthday! I'm seven now!" Olivia announced.
"No!" Jake feigned shock.
"I thought you were six!" Jake exclaimed dramatically. Addison held back a laugh as she admired the two.
"No, silly!" Olivia giggled, launching into a detailed recap about her party as they started their ride back home, including, but not limited to, thanking him over and over for the Milo plush toy he'd gotten her.
The two adults listened to her the entire drive. Olivia was a chatterbox, and being seven certainly didn't change anything. It made Jake happy to hear it all. He missed having a young child around.
Olivia's chattiness waned as the girl drifted off for a much-needed nap. Addison looked back fondly at the sleeping girl, knowing soon her naps would be gone.
Addison sighed softly.
"I'm gonna miss the day she outgrows naps, and I have a feeling it's coming sooner rather than later," Addison commented, lamenting.
"Even if she does, wouldn't that mean an earlier bedtime?" Jake asked curiously.
"Maybe. Probably not. Selfishly, I want that extra hour." Addison said, looking through the mirror at her sleeping daughter.
Once they got home, Addison carefully unbuckled Olivia from her car seat and carried her into the house and upstairs to her bedroom. Miraculously, she hadn't woken up, but she did stir gently as her mom picked her up and out of Jake's car. Jake followed closely and quietly, equally trying as hard not to wake her as he brought in Addison's larger suitcase as well as Olivia's My Little Pony kid-sized suitcase. After tucking her into her bed, Addison grabbed the baby monitor and crept out of the room, with Jake shutting the door almost all the way before following Addison downstairs.
"So, how was Seattle?" Jake asked once they reached Addison's living room.
"Good. Erica's surgery went well," Addison remarked.
"Amelia must be thrilled," Jake commented as he sat beside her on the couch.
"Yeah. It was risky, but I'm glad it worked," Addison said, smiling as she finally turned to face him.
"How were things here?" Addison asked. Her eyes practically twinkled as she looked into Jake's eyes.
"Fine. Delivered a few babies, no complications," Jake flashed a smile and chuckled, causing Addison to blush slightly. She hadn't been this nervous in front of a boy since high school, and she felt embarrassed.
"It would've been better if you were here," Jake flirted. Addison's mouth curved upward as she giggled before leaning in to kiss him. They hadn't kissed since before she left for Seattle with all the excitement from Olivia.
"You're such a dork," Addison commented.
"If being a dork means I still get kissed, I'll take it," Jake chuckled before pulling Addison in for another kiss.
The two stayed on the couch for the next hour or so, going between kissing and talking while Olivia napped. They partially felt like teenagers sneaking around their parents, except they very much weren't teenagers anymore and were instead parents themselves. Eventually, they heard small footsteps upstairs, signaling to them that Olivia was up from her nap. By the time she reached the bottom of the stairs, Addison had walked over to snuggle with the girl, which she easily accepted.
"Have a good nap?" Addison asked. Olivia nodded her head sleepily before resting her head on Addison's shoulder.
Addison bounced the girl in her arms for a few minutes before Olivia eventually became more alert. As she opened her eyes, she looked behind Addison and saw Jake standing there near the couch. He smiled and waved when he saw her look at him.
"Dr. Jake!" Olivia exclaimed. Addison chuckled and let her down, knowing she was fully awake now.
"Hey, Liv," Jake chuckled, kneeling to hug her.
"You're still here!" Olivia added.
"Well, where else would I be?" Jake asked playfully. Olivia giggled.
"Are you gonna stay for dinner?" Olivia asked, her eyes widening.
"I don't see why not," Jake smiled.
"What are you in the mood for?" Jake asked.
While Olivia thought about what her answer would be to Jake's question, Addison's phone rang. She looked over at Jake before going to retrieve her phone from her bag and he smiled back at her as if silently letting her know he could handle Olivia. When she saw the caller ID, she knew it couldn't be good. And she was right.
It was Michelle's housekeeper. Or more accurately, the caregiver Addison hired disguised as one. She knew Michelle, as well as Amelia, would never accept her help. But with how fast Michelle's Huntington's disease progressed, she wanted to make sure the woman was well taken care of. While Michelle's housekeeper slash caregiver was loading the dishwasher, Michelle tried to tell her something. She wasn't sure what, but whatever it was, she couldn't get the words out. Since trouble speaking was something Addison told her to look out for, she called Addison.
"Call an ambulance. I'll meet you two there," Addison said quietly before hanging up.
"What about mac and cheese?" Jake asked.
"You mean your famous one?" Olivia asked excitedly.
"Sure. I'll even tell you the secret recipe," Jake said, whispering the last part. Olivia giggled.
"Hey, Jake. I'm so sorry, but I've gotta go," Addison started.
"Already?" Olivia asked, pouting.
"I'm sorry, baby. But, hey, I'm sure you'll have tons of fun with Dell and Betsey," Addison said, trying to reassure her. Olivia still didn't look happy.
"Why don't you let her stay with me? Angela's at home, and I already said I'd make her mac and cheese," Jake offered.
"Are you sure?" Addison asked hesitantly. She trusted him wholeheartedly, but watching her daughter all night was a big step.
"I'm sure. It'll be a fun sleepover for the girls," Jake said, hoping it'd excite Olivia.
"A sleepover?" Olivia asked, looking up at Jake.
"Yeah. I'm sure Angela would love it," Jake said, smiling at the little girl.
"You're sure?" Addison asked again.
"Positive. Go. I've got her," Jake insisted.
"Okay. Just make sure to grab her school uniform, pajamas, school bag, toothbrush, toothpaste…what am I forgetting?" Addison asked, mostly to herself.
"My teddy!" Olivia exclaimed.
"Right, your teddy, too," Addison replied.
"I've got it. Just do what you gotta do. I'll call to check in later," Jake said reassuringly.
"Okay, um…Liv, be good for Jake and Angela, okay? Eat your dinner, brush your teeth, and no temper tantrums, okay?" Addison said, talking directly to her daughter now.
"I promise, Mommy!" Olivia said sternly. Her mom took good behavior very seriously, even when it was just Daddy.
"Give your mommy a hug and kiss goodbye and you can help me upstairs," Jake suggested to the girl, releasing her from his hold. Olivia did as she was told and Addison gave her double kisses and a tight hug.
"Be good for Jake!" Addison called out before rushing out the door. Olivia turned around to face Jake after the front door closed, waiting for whatever would happen next.
"Alright, let's grab some things and you can come back to my house, okay?" Jake suggested. Olivia nodded before grabbing his hand and leading him upstairs. He chuckled and realized he missed when Angela used to hold his hand.
She led him to her bedroom and he took it as the go-ahead to grab her things. He ran the list of things Addison told him in his head and grabbed them one by one. Then he moved to the bathroom to grab Olivia's toiletries; her toothbrush, toothpaste, and even her hairbrush, which Addison hadn't mentioned, but something he knew she'd want. Meanwhile, Olivia packed her teddy bear and two books off her bookshelf usually reserved for bedtime.
"Is that everything?" Jake asked while running the list in his head again.
"I think so," Olivia replied.
"Uniform, pajamas, backpack, toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, teddy bear, books…," Jake recited the list of things they'd packed, lazily pointing at each item as he saw them.
"Guess that's everything," Jake said. Olivia smiled back.
"Does this mean we get to go to your house now?" Olivia asked.
"Yes," Jake chuckled, grabbing Olivia's things and packing them into a bag Olivia brought out for him as he collected her stuff.
"Let's go," Jake said, holding out a hand for her to hold. Olivia happily took it as he led her downstairs and out to his car.
After locking the door with the spare key he knew Addison kept in the potted plant and strapping Olivia to her booster seat, Jake drove off toward his house. After a few minutes of Olivia silently looking out the window, Jake turned on the radio. When he realized it was a Selena Gomez song, he smiled and turned up the volume. Jake hadn't been there when Olivia was begging to go to the concert, but Addison laughed when she told him about how she sang one of her songs loudly to try to convince her to go.
"Selena Gomez!" Olivia gasped before singing along at the top of her lungs.
Jake laughed before joining her in singing Love You Like a Love Song. He'd heard it on the radio enough to at least know the words to the chorus. And with Angela being a fan, she played her music in the house all the time. Jake just wasn't all that used to hearing Olivia sing at the top of her lungs. Albeit a little off-tune, but adorable nonetheless.
A/N: Chapter title inspired by the song, Friends by Ella Henderson.
Ok soooo that's the end of the Seattle arc, but this starts a long planned arc that we wanted to toss out several times because we aren't good with sad things. It's depressing and heartbreaking. There's some good moments sprinkled in, so I hope you don't hate us too much for what's about to come.
What was your favorite part about Seattle? Do you guys wanna see more? Let us know in the comments!
