Hi! I hope you like my story. It's going to have more chapter, I was thinking 3 or 4 to begin with but I might make it longer. We'll see : ) Meredith is not a central character in this story, she is only mentioned from time to time. And Derek haven't made a decision on whether or not he should continue his marriage to Addison but it will be Addek in the end. And it's going to focus on their role as parents as well. Because I love the though of them as parents and it's such a shame we never got to see it on screen.
Reviews would be lovely
«Here you go, duckies» Four year old Josephine, or Josie as she went by by most people threw a handful of diced bread into the air for it to land in front of the alerted ducks that were strolling around in the lake park not far from her fathers trailer on the Seattle land. The young Manhattan native had been in the emerald city for almost a month by now after had parents had come back to get her and she was at least destined to stay for another one as her mothers temp position would last that long.
She had been hesitant and down and she still was, but she was slowly getting a little more comfortable and Derek and Addison could clearly see her eyes lit up when being taken outdoors to the lake and the forest and getting to hang around animals.
She sat down on her knees once the ducks surrounded her. She had her own way with all kinds of animals, they just seemed to take an instant like to her.
«You brought bread for the ducks?» Addison raised a critical eyebrow, taking a sip of her coffee to go.
Derek sent her an incredulous gaze. «You're seriously questioning my choice of waterfowl nutriment?»
«In fact» She pointed a lecturing finger at him, making Derek almost roll his eyes. «it's not at all that nutritious. You should have brought sweet corn, or peas even. Bread's not good for the ducks»
«Are you a veterinarian now?»
«I'm not gonna argue over breadcrumbs»
«Or ducks» He rubbed his forehead, giving in to her know-it-all view, «fine. We'll bring the sweet corn next time»
«Next time? There's gonna be a next time?»
«Mommy! Daddy!» Josie claimed their attention. Her face was beaming and her big bright blue eyes was filled with enthusiasm. «look!»
The bird food in front of her was gone and Josie was reaching into her jacket pocket for more as a bold duck was pecking at her sleeve. She was about to feed it from her hand but Addison quickly intervened.
«Do not hand feed»
«They like me»
«I see that» Derek bent down next to her and had his hand linger on her back as he gave her a warm smile. She was the spitting image of him. Her eyes was just as intensely blue as his own with that perky sparkle to go with it. Her hair was naturally spectacular with thick waves of chocolate brown locks framing her face. Today, Addison had tied it into a chunky french braid but some strands of hair was loosening already, being the active and easy-going five year old she in fact was.
«Can I pet them?» She asked her father. He nodded.
«Carefully»
She put a careful hand on the back of the duck. The small animal stayed by her side and quacked in return. The two parents smiled at the cute moment.
«Can we stay here all day?»
Derek's pager didn't agree with her because in the very next second it went off. Addison groaned at the tiresome beeping sound.
«You're on call?!»
«Only for 911's»
«And you didn't say» She crossed her arms over her chest, «way to go, Derek.» Addison looked at Josie's puzzled eyes, then back at Derek, silently telling him that he was going to tell her, and to deal with the response.
«Sweetie…» He wrapped his hands around one of hers. «I have to go to the hospital for a little while…»
«No…»
«I'll be back tonight…»
«But it's Saturday»
«And tomorrow I won't go to work. I promise» Addison scowled at him for saying those words. You don't promise anything as a surgeon. Particularly not to the little daughter you happened to abandon for weeks.
He looked away from Addison. «We can go back tomorrow…»
«No, don't go» She wailed a little. «don't leave me»
Addison figured she had to help him out a little, seeing his discouraged look. And he just couldn't ignore the page. He was needed urgently, he was a brilliant, gifted surgeon. He wasn't a bad father. He was just bound to do his job.
«Josie» Addison picked her up, «daddy's gonna be back. Someone is hurt and they need him to help. Why don't we finish up feeding the ducks and go for lunch? And we can find a playground»
Derek pressed a final heavy kiss on her forehead, dismissing her attempts to hold onto him. It would only prolong the bye-bye moment.
«Thank you» He sighed, meeting Addison's gaze, «I'll call you once I'm off»
And with that, he turned on his heel and made his way towards the car. Josephine's cries rocketed and he swallowed what felt like a massive lump in his throat. Her sobs were filled with despair, disenchantment and panic. He felt like he was leaving her, again and again and again.
«Addison?» Miranda Bailey was about to hand one of her ER patient's his discharge papers when she saw the female Shepherd search through the medicine cart.
«I thought you had the day off»
«I do. We took Josie to the park and everything went smoothly until Derek's pager went off because he failed to let me know he was actually on call, so I was left with a miserable child who wouldn't stop crying» She stressed as she grabbed saline water solutions from the drawer, «and then, at last I finally talked her into the playground and she fell from the swing» Addison paused to catch a breath, «I need Vicryl and Lidocaine»
«What?» Bailey handed it over, «is she okay? did she hit her head? what about fractures?»
«No, ortho's coming down for an x-ray just to make sure but arm's not swollen, immobilized or painful. But she needs sutures»
«Let me help you»
«I know how to suture, Miranda»
«No one's expecting you to treat your own girl. And besides, you look exhausted.»
«Really?» She snorted sarcastically, «because I feel like Elizabeth Taylor. I'm going out of my way to smooth things. And every time since New York, when he's leaving she's crying. I was there the entire time and I can't comfort my own child, Miranda. A stranger with a dog approached us today. And she stopped. Because of the dog. A stranger. Addison Montgomery should be able to comfort her own child.»
«Montgomery-Shepherd» Bailey quickly corrected.
«What? Oh» She eyed her wedding band hopelessly, «look how that project's going»
«You go get a coffee» Miranda gathered the suture kit and the anesthetics, «and sit down next to her. You be with her and you let me be her doctor»
The redhead nodded and went for the elevator. Miranda made her way towards Josephine's bedside. The nurse was offering her a cup of water and she took a small sip. Miranda released her politely, leaving the two of them alone.
«Hey sweetie» She petted her head, «I see you had a little playground accident, huh?»
«Yes» She looked at her with wet eyes, «I tried to jump from the swing and I hit a branch»
The resident doctor caressed her cheek, «oh, sweetie. I promise it won't hurt. You will feel a prick from the needle, that's all. It'll be gone in a second. Mommy will be back in a minute and daddy's finishing up in surgery by now. We can page him»
«I want Mommy» She answered meekly.
«I'm here» Addison appeared. She positioned herself next to Josie who threw her arm around her mothers neck. Addison made sure her other arm was faced Miranda's way as she began prepping the lidocaine injection.
«Okay, supergirl, little pinch coming, you ready?»
Josie nodded, faced Addison's way. She pressed her lips to her head.
«All done» Miranda disposed of the syringe, «in a few minutes your arm will feel numb and then I'll fix your arm. And for the record» She made eye contact with Addison, «the Addison Montgomery-Shepherd I know is fully capable of comforting her own child»
It was just past Josie's usual bed time when Derek pulled up in front of the trailer. He could see some lights from the kitchenette area so he assumed he could find Addison curled up on the mini couch with her usual evening cup of tea. And he was right he could see as he entered the door although the cup of tea had been swapped with a glass of wine this time.
«Hey» His eyes sought for Josie instantly. She was fast asleep in their bed, tucked in behind the blankets. She was wearing a short sleeved pajama shirt and her naked arm exposed the recent injury and bandaged area.
«I heard» He sat down next to Addison, «how is she? nothing cranial? no fractures?»
«She didn't hit her head, Derek. I was there. And besides, Mason checked her out, x-ray came back clear and Bailey stitched her up.»
He nodded in approval. «I'm sorry.»
«It wasn't your fault»
«I mean- for everything»
«She gets so sad. I don't..She's used to us working day and night. I know you leaving was so hard but her reactions? A bit alarming? And I hate that the affair is what started all of it» Addison got teary eyed, obviously putting the blame on herself.
«No. No» He shook his head, «You did a crappy thing but I was gone for weeks. I could have chosen to come back, every day, any time. I hated you at that time but I loved her. More than anything. So how could I possibly do that to her?» Derek picked up her glass of wine and served himself, «and besides…back in New York..we had our own practice. We had elective surgical patients. We barely took on half the amount of the trauma we do up here. We did have, at last a bit more, reasonable work schedules, even after you became double board certified.»
Addison stole her wine back. «Fair point. So, how do we go from here?»
«I don't know» He ran a hand through his enviable mop of hair.
«You don't know?
«I'm working on it» He sighed and sent her a heartfelt gaze. «I'll talk to her, I will definitely have to talk to her.»
«I'm supposed to be back in New York in four weeks» She warned, as if she had to let him know she was world-renowned and desired at her Manhattan sough-after practice.
«We'll find a way. We can work it out. We have some time. Can we just…for now..watch the baby sleep?»
Since the day she was born, watching a sleeping Josie had been their way of fighting off stress and messy days. Watching the angelic girl lying there peacefully and listening to her even, restful breathing, provided them with great comfort.
«The baby?» Addison raised an amused eyebrow, «you mean our four year old?»
«She's my baby» Derek said soft-heartedly, She'll always be my baby»
«Let's watch the baby sleep» She gave into his request, craving some sleeping baby time herself. She placed herself on Josie's left side while Derek laid down on the other. He petted her cheek, then caressed her arm. He traced his fingers across the white bandage.
«How did it go in the ER?»
«Good. She did good. She wasn't all that bothered by the needles. She had Bailey there»
«And you»
«And me» She admitted, smiling tiredly.
«She's so brave» Derek kissed her forehead, «let's hang out the three of us tomorrow»
«Doing what?»
«Let's hike. Yeah, let's check out the Tiger mountain trail. It's not far from the trailer.»
Addison groaned. «Or…we could do what relatively normal families do on a recreational Sunday before lunchtime.»
«Why the resentment towards hiking?»
«It has nothing to do with hiking personally. It's the mud and the slopes and the unpredictable weather-«
Derek cut her off. «You're in Seattle. Seattle won't answer to predictable.»
«Which is why I was going to put forward certain indoor activities.»
«Like what?»
«Like the aquarium.»
It was Derek who groaned by now. «you've seen one, you've seen them all.»
«We're doing it for Josie. And besides, aquariums have fish.»
«Yes, the name pretty much gives it off»
«Perhaps rainbow trout even. You have a thing for rainbow trout.»
«No» Derek was quick to correct her, «I have a thing for ferry boats. And fishing, to an extent. And besides, I prefer trout stay in their natural habitat.»
«Where you kill them and eat them.»
Derek rolled his eyes. «Are we going to argue about trout?»
«No. Are you going to join us at the aquarium?»
«Fine.» He still found the bickering redhead slightly charming although he wouldn't let her have her way just like that. «but I'm telling you, you're going to walk the trail with us at some point.»
«We'll see about that» Addison nudged his shoulder. Getting even with her, Derek grimaced and nudged her in return. She eyed his impeccably styled hair, wanting to mess it up a little. She ran a quick hand through his thick waves of hair, ruffling it. Derek grew dead serious.
«Oh, you better run. You better fun fast.»
«No one allowed to enter besides the barber on Madison ave?»
«Right»
«Cute» She couldn't resist the urge to mess it up some more. Derek's mouth fell open in surprise.
«Are you serious-«
«Aww» She grinned. Derek repeatedly thrust his foot into her back, pushing her away.
«Go away»
Addison just couldn't wipe her cheeky grin off her face and she threw a pillow at him as her next move. Derek was quick to aim it back at her. Neither was able to stall their laughter even with their daughter sleeping next to them.
«Don't wake the baby» Another pillow hit his chest softly. Derek served it right back at her.
«You're telling me not to wake the baby when you're the one who caused the buzz?»
«Yes. We're being civilized now» She got up, «and my civilized self are going to take a shower.»
Derek adjusted himself on the bed as he watched the redhead enter the small bathroom. He was left wondering what her choice of lingerie looked like as she surely was about to undress in that very second. He hadn't seen her in her underwear for many, many weeks. As for completely undressed…he counted months.
He rubbed his eyes, feeling guilty for thinking about his adulterous wife, soon to be ex-wife, that way. He'd broke it off with Meredith so he shouldn't feel bad for having secret thoughts about the redhead, yet he did. Addison surely didn't think of him that way while she had steamy water trickling down her naked, goddess body.
He went to the kitchen table to finish up the rest of the wine she'd left earlier while staring out the window. It was dark by now, the trailer the only lit thing on his massive piece of land. Josephine could be happy here. He could easily picture the two of them living up here, in a house offering spectacular view of the city and the surrounding sea.
As for Addison…He didn't know yet. He had a lot to figure out. Tomorrow they would make the most out of their Sunday the three of them.
And right now..He would just let pictures of a beautifully naked Addison play out in his mind.
