Summary: Audrey joins her parents as they help the police catch her kidnappers.
Once they got to the station, the three of them met the detective assigned to their case: Detective David Saunders. After Derek went over the basic details again, he wanted to question Audrey to get as much information as they could before sending out a BOLO. Since Audrey was under 18, Derek and Addison could watch her police interview. She could even have one of them in the room if she wanted. When Detective Saunders asked if she wanted a parent present in the room during her interview, she nodded her head, so Derek volunteered while Addison watched from outside the glass.
He started by asking some basic questions that were easy for Audrey to answer, but she was visibly nervous. Derek offered her a hand to hold as she talked to the detective about everything she knew. Addison watched for about an hour until her phone started buzzing in her purse, taking her out of her intense focus on the police interview. She pulled it out and looked at the caller ID: Jake Reilly.
"Hey," Addison said after answering the call, glancing back at Derek and Audrey behind the glass.
"Hey, bad time?" Jake asked. He could hear the tension in her voice.
"Um…no, I…," Addison stumbled over her words, overwhelmed.
"Addison, what's wrong?" Jake asked, concerned.
"It's Audrey. We found her," Addison choked out, on the verge of tears.
She still remembered the day she told her now-husband about her daughter. It was before they had officially gotten together. She was still technically with Sam, but they both knew it wasn't going to last. Addison had just delivered a baby girl and the birth mother was thinking about letting Addison adopt her. But it didn't work out. She wasn't Audrey, but it was a baby. And it was a baby girl. Jake held her while she cried, and when she finally stopped crying, she pulled away.
~ 2 years earlier ~
"Do you wanna talk about it?" Jake asked as Addison wiped the rest of her tears.
"Was I not crying enough?" Addison joked, trying to laugh a little through her sniffles.
"Addison, are you okay?" Jake asked.
"I had a baby. A long time ago, but I had a baby," Addison said sadly. Jake waited patiently for an explanation.
"Someone took her from her crib at daycare. She was one and had just started walking. The police never found her or whoever took her," Addison explained.
"I'm so sorry, Addison," Jake said, his tone sincere and genuine. He rubbed her back while she sat and wiped away more tears.
"She'd be 13 now if she were here," Addison said, unable to keep her emotions at bay. Jake pulled her in and held her as she went back to crying softly on his shoulder.
~ present day ~
"She's alive?" Jake asked, surprised. He hoped it didn't come out harsh, but it had been over ten years.
"Yes," Addison replied, starting to cry happy tears.
"And you're sure it's her?" Jake asked. Addison heard shuffling on the other end and she could tell he'd gone to sit down somewhere. Maybe in his office, Addison thought.
"DNA doesn't lie," Addison replied, parroting Mark's words from earlier.
"That's incredible," Jake commented.
"Are you okay?" Jake asked after letting the moment hang in the air for a minute.
"Yeah, it's just…a lot," Addison said, feeling overwhelmed.
"I can imagine," Jake replied.
He let her be silent on the other end for another minute, knowing that it was exactly what she needed right now. Addison didn't need him to say anything. She just needed him to stay on the line for a little longer. He could hear how her breath steadied, and all he wanted to do was be there to hold her.
"Are you gonna be okay?" Jake asked.
"Yeah," Addison said, just grateful her husband had called when he did.
"I'll let you get back to work. I love you," Addison added.
"I love you, too, sweetheart," Jake said.
After they both hung up the phone, Addison went back to watching Audrey's police interview. Derek rubbed her hand gently as she told the detective everything she knew about Robert and Eleanor Monroe. Since they'd lived in Toledo, they'd have to work with their police force to check in at their house.
Audrey rambled as she told them everything she could think of, from what they looked like to what their favorite movies were. After another hour of questioning passed, Detective Saunders put them in touch with a sketch artist to help with their search for the Monroes before going to issue a BOLO.
Derek and Audrey sat down with the sketch artist, and they invited Addison to join them as well. After finishing the sketch, the detectives said they'd call with any updates and that they'd issued a BOLO for Robert and Eleanor Monroe. Another detective would question Isaac Monroe, Eleanor's brother, at the hospital. But for now, they'd done all they could. Now, it was up to the police to find them.
"Where am I gonna go now?" Audrey asked as the three of them walked out of the station and to Derek's car. Addison looked over at Derek; she figured he might have to get back to work, but she wasn't sure.
"How about dinner?" Derek suggested. Addison looked surprised, but pleasantly so. He must've taken the rest of the day off, she thought. Audrey gave him a small smile and nodded.
"What are you in the mood for?" Derek asked. He and Addison watched her think for a minute as they got to Derek's car.
"Is there any good pad thai here?" Audrey asked, deciding to go for it. Her kidnappers didn't really like much as they were relatively picky eaters, but they'd let her get Thai or Indian food whenever she asked while they'd order sandwiches or ribs.
"Yeah, actually," Derek laughed, looking at Addison to see her smile back. They used to love getting a mix of pad thai and kung pao chicken when cramming for a big test in their Columbia days, and when he told Audrey that, she smiled, feeling a little more connected to her biological parents.
They all piled into the car, and Derek drove straight to his favorite Thai place. In the car, Addison's phone buzzed once in her bag and she pulled it out to see who had texted. Her phone read: Amelia Shepherd.
"Your sister," Addison said when Derek looked over.
"Which one?" Derek joked. Addison rolled her eyes; he knew she meant Amelia.
"What'd she say?" Derek asked.
Addison then proceeded to read Amelia's text out loud:
You found Audrey? Why didn't you call?
"How does she know already?" Derek asked.
"Jake probably told her," Addison said nonchalantly.
"Jake?" Derek asked. He expected her to say Mark.
"My husband," Addison said, shaking her head as she texted Amelia back.
"Right," Derek commented.
He knew she'd gotten married a year ago, but didn't know much about her husband. Amelia told him he was good to her, and that she was happy, and that's all that mattered, really. Audrey, however, thought it was odd that Derek didn't know Addison's husband's name. Then again, she didn't even know they were divorced until Derek said so in the police interview. All she wondered now was if they'd split up because of her.
When they got to the restaurant, they all got out, and the hostess seated them almost right away. Audrey could feel her toes moving as she sat beside Addison and across from Derek, nervous.
This would be their first family dinner. Or at least the first she'd actually remember. And after hours of police questioning, they were all drained and everything had felt so big and dramatic. But here they were, sitting quietly at a table, none of them knowing what to say.
"So, long day," Derek joked, trying to break the tension as he put the menu down to look at the girls. Addison and Audrey chuckled.
"You could say that again," Addison commented, joining in.
"Are you okay?" Addison asked, hoping it came off sounding more casual rather than concerned. It really had been a long day, and it hadn't been easy either, telling police detectives all about the people she thought had been her parents up until a week ago.
"Yeah. Confused, but okay," Audrey answered honestly.
"Well, if you have anything you want to talk about, we're here for you," Addison said, smiling when her daughter looked at her. She nodded and thought about where to start.
Meanwhile, their server came by and took their orders. After handing back their menus, Audrey knew what she wanted to ask. Or, more accurately, what she wanted to ask first.
"So, how did you guys meet?" Audrey asked. Derek and Addison looked over at her, surprised. They hadn't expected that would be her first question.
"You said I could ask anything, right?" Audrey asked, now feeling hesitant.
"Yes, of course. I…we just didn't expect you to ask that first," Addison replied. Derek chuckled in agreement.
"So?" Audrey asked.
"Well, we met in med school; Columbia. We were taking a gross anatomy class, and it was our first lab day. And for doctors…lab days meant that we'd cut into a cadaver," Derek started.
Audrey made a disgusted face; she knew doctors probably had to practice on human beings rather than just animals, but imagining her parents cutting into a dead body in a classroom still grossed her out. Derek and Addison laughed; they were well aware that their professions were not for the faint of heart.
"Yeah, they didn't smell good either," Addison joked, looking over at Audrey's disgusted face. Derek smiled as his laugh got louder, making the rest of them laugh along.
"So, what happened next?" Audrey asked after their laughs had subsided.
"Well, we got into our assigned groups and saw each other from over the cadaver. And the rest was history," Addison replied.
"That's it? You guys saw each other and instantly fell in love? Just like that?" Audrey asked.
"Pretty much," Derek said after looking at Addison and exchanging looks.
"I thought that only happened in movies," Audrey commented.
"Yeah, so did we. Or at least I did. Your dad's always been a little bit of a hopeless romantic," Addison replied. Derek nodded, admitting she was right.
"Did you guys always want kids?" Audrey asked after thinking about what she wanted to ask next.
"Yeah, we did. Derek wanted five, but I said I might say yes to three, but not five," Addison replied, chuckling.
"Did you…stop because of me?" Audrey asked hesitantly.
Derek and Addison were quiet for a minute. They couldn't say no. Not unless they wanted to lie to her. And they both thought she'd had enough lies for one lifetime. She deserved to hear the truth, even if it wouldn't be what she wanted to hear.
"Yes," Addison finally replied.
~ 14 years ago ~
"She's dead, Addie," Derek said sadly. Addison looked up, and the anger was clear on her face.
"How can you say that? She's our little girl," Addison asked.
"It's been two years and I want a family. I want Audrey back, I do. But it's been long enough," Derek replied.
"No. She could still be out there," Addison argued.
"She isn't. Addison, she's gone," Derek said.
"No," Addison said, her voice trembling as she broke out into tears.
Derek held her close and stroked her hair as they stood in Audrey's nursery. They never had the heart to change it. If she was still out there, she'd be three years old now. Her birthday was two weeks ago. They lit a candle, but it wasn't enough. Nothing ever would be. Not until they knew what happened to their little girl and if she was still somewhere out there.
~ present day ~
"Derek wanted more. Even after…but I couldn't," Addison added, not being able to finish the thought.
"It's not your fault," Derek reassured her, grabbing her hand from across the table.
"It never has been," Derek added before their server reappeared with their food.
As they ate, Addison heard her phone go off and pulled it out of her purse. It was Amelia again, with a text addressed to her and Jake that read:
Had a rough day, so I took Henry from daycare.
Then, she saw a picture underneath of Henry sitting on Amelia's lap as she rested her head on top of his, both with big smiles on their faces. Addison could feel her cheeks flush, smiling big as it hit her how much she missed her family back home in Los Angeles.
After Audrey disappeared, Derek and Addison dealt with the onslaught of police interviews, false leads, and just the utter pain that came with losing their daughter. It wasn't until months later that Addison realized they weren't the only ones hurting. Addison could barely keep her eyes open after a surgery one day, and all she did was stare at the ceiling when she tried to sleep in an on-call room. So, she went home for the day after the chief of surgery strongly encouraged her to.
When she got home, she heard someone in the kitchen. Except she had just seen Derek going into a surgery before she left the hospital. In a panic, she called Detective Sheridan. He stayed on the phone while Addison crept around the corner. When she got a closer look, she saw Amelia sitting on their kitchen floor, drinking scotch right out of the bottle.
She told Brett she'd be fine, and that it was a false alarm before hanging up and grabbing the bottle out of Amelia's hand. Addison physically picked Amelia up after letting her cry into her shoulder for an hour and dragged her straight to rehab. That was her first relapse after getting clean. Amelia took a year off from school, focusing on her recovery, and went on to become an incredible neurosurgeon. And Addison couldn't be more proud of her. But Addison knew as well as she did that some days were harder than others. Today was one of those days.
"What is it?" Derek asked.
"Amelia and Henry," Addison said, showing Audrey the picture first before showing Derek.
"Who?" Audrey asked.
"Henry, my son; I adopted him," Addison replied, smiling.
"And Amelia's one of Derek's sisters," Addison added.
"So, I guess he's also your brother," Derek concluded.
"Wow, I have a brother," Audrey commented, still looking at the picture. It was adorable.
"And a sister. Zola. You can meet her later if she's still awake," Derek said, checking his watch. It was still early enough that they could make it home before Zola got ready for bed tonight.
"Really?" Audrey asked, her excitement apparent.
"Yeah," Derek chuckled, touched that she wanted to meet her little sister.
"You'll be getting another one soon, too. Maybe. Do you guys know the sex?" Addison asked, referring to Meredith's pregnancy. Audrey looked over, intrigued.
"Yeah, it's a boy," Derek chuckled.
"His wife, Meredith, is pregnant. How far along is she?" Addison asked.
"27 weeks," Derek replied.
"So, that's…almost seven months?" Audrey asked after doing the math in her head.
"Impressive. Our kid's smart," Derek commented, prideful. Addison smiled as Audrey blushed.
"So, what are they like? My siblings, I mean," Audrey asked as they ate. Derek and Addison looked at each other, figuring out which one of them should go first.
"Zola likes tea parties and playing doctor; she's trying to memorize the steps of a whipple," Derek said, laughing as he thought about Zola repeating the first step of the procedure over and over.
"A what?" Audrey asked.
"A whipple. It's a pancreatic surgery. My wife's a general surgeon," Derek said, keeping it simple.
"Wow, so, you're both smarty pants," Audrey commented, referring to Derek and Meredith.
"Oh, we're nothing compared to Addie," Derek added. Audrey looked over, confused.
"You wanna read off your resume, or should I?" Derek joked. Addison laughed.
"I'm double-board certified as an OB-GYN and neonatal surgeon, and I have fellowships in maternal-fetal medicine and medical genetics," Addison said, obligingly.
"Not to mention she's one of the best neonatal surgeons in the country. Show off," Derek joked.
Addison laughed again, and Audrey looked between them as they laughed. Her parents sounded like extremely smart people and now she suddenly felt slightly overwhelmed. What if she didn't turn out as well as them? She didn't think of herself as being particularly smart. She'd always done well in school, but she felt inferior compared to her parents. Granted, she was 15, but she wasn't sure if she'd ever see herself become a doctor like her parents. What if she never measured up?
"Don't worry, though. You still have plenty of time to do whatever you want when you grow up," Addison reassured her.
She was well aware of how much pressure this could be on a kid; her parents did the same to her. Except they made sure she and Archer knew it. She had always promised herself she would never do that to her kids. Audrey smiled in relief.
Eventually, they finished dinner and headed out of the car after paying. Then Derek drove them back to his house and walked in first as Addison and Audrey followed cautiously.
"Zola?" Derek called out.
"Daddy!" Zola yelled as she ran from her bedroom, with Meredith walking not far behind.
"Zola, slow down. I can't go that fast anymore," Meredith laughed.
"Hey, princess. Daddy has a surprise for you," Derek said after picking his little girl up.
"A surprise?" Zola asked, her eyes widening with excitement.
Addison and Audrey crept into the house behind Derek, and Meredith looked confused. She'd heard that Derek left work early for something, but Owen didn't say why. All he said was that Derek would tell her later. And he walked away before she even had time to ask any more questions. Knowing her husband, Meredith knew it must've been for something important. She would've called, but she was stuck in surgery all day.
"Dr. Montgomery," Meredith said, surprised.
"Dr. Grey, it's good to see you, too," Addison said as Derek motioned for Addison to hang up her coat on the rack near the door.
"And who's this?" Meredith asked, seeing the teenage girl beside her.
"Zola, Meredith, this is Audrey. My daughter," Derek said, unable to keep the smile off his face.
"Your…? Wow. Really?" Meredith asked, stunned.
"Really," Addison confirmed, as Audrey smiled back shyly.
"Zola, say hi," Derek encouraged the little girl.
"Hi," Zola said shyly as leaned into her daddy's chest.
"Hi, Zola," Audrey said shyly.
"Zola, this is your big sister," Derek said. Zola giggled, making Audrey smile wider.
"I like your pajamas," Audrey said, trying to make nice. Zola's pajama set was blue with koala bears on her shirt and little pink and white hearts on her pants.
"Auntie Lexie gave it to me," Zola said proudly.
"Yes, she did. Didn't she?" Derek said, bouncing Zola in his arms as Meredith walked up to stand beside them.
"And this is my wife, Meredith," Derek said before kissing Meredith's cheek.
"It's nice to meet you," Meredith said. Audrey smiled back politely.
"You ready to go to bed?" Derek asked as Zola's head stayed rested on Derek's chest. She nodded her head.
"Story time?" Zola asked, lifting her head. Everyone chuckled.
"Alright. I guess it's story time," Derek said.
"Do you want to stay?" Derek asked, looking over at Audrey.
"Sure. I just…I don't have any clothes," Audrey said awkwardly. All her clothes were back at the dinky motel room she stayed in before with her kidnappers.
"You can borrow some of mine," Meredith suggested.
"Are you okay with that?" Derek asked, looking over at Audrey.
"Yeah. Anything but these jeans would be good," Audrey smiled awkwardly.
"You gonna be okay?" Addison asked. Audrey nodded her head and gave her a small smile.
"Well then, you have fun with Zola and I will be back in the morning," Addison said.
"I just need my luggage and I will call a cab," Addison said, looking over at Derek. He nodded back and handed a protesting Zola over to Meredith before gesturing for Addison to follow him back outside.
When they left the hospital earlier, Addison still had her suitcase; Mark told her to come to the hospital right away for an emergency but wouldn't say what it was. And he was insistent on coming right away, so Addison came straight from the airport. Before they left to go to the police station, Addison went back to Derek's office to get her suitcase, and it was still in the trunk of his car.
The two came back a few minutes later, with Addison rolling her suitcase behind her while Derek called a cab company, giving them his address. It was strange to Audrey how comfortable her parents seemed together, despite the fact that they were divorced. After he got off the phone, Derek started talking to Addison about plans for tomorrow, and Audrey quickly gathered they were going to switch off time with her for a few hours since Derek had a surgery scheduled that he couldn't put off. But other than that, they agreed to spend the day together with Audrey to catch up and just be a family together.
"Come on, Audrwey!" Zola exclaimed after Meredith put her down. She grabbed Audrey's hand and led her toward her bedroom.
"I'll see you tomorrow!" Addison called out as Audrey looked back, letting Zola pull her away.
"See you tomorrow, Addie," Derek said, before following the girls. Addison smiled, watching the three of them disappear as they turned into the hallway.
Meredith noticed the cab lights flood into the living room and gestured before following Addison to the door.
"Take care, Meredith," Addison said.
"Goodnight, Addison," Meredith smiled as Addison walked out on the deck with her suitcase in hand. Meredith watched her enter the cab and waved goodbye before closing the door.
Addison arrived at the Archfield Hotel and paid the cab fee before walking into the lobby. She hadn't reserved a room because of how urgent Mark sounded on the phone. And he insisted she take the next flight out to Seattle. It turned out he was right, too. This time. She would've liked to know beforehand that she'd be in town for a while and that she'd be meeting her long-lost daughter whom everyone, including her eventually, thought was dead, but it wouldn't be Mark if he'd made it that simple.
As she walked up to the front desk, she felt her phone vibrate in her hand. She looked down and saw it was Angela, her stepdaughter:
Hey, I heard what happened! Are you okay?
Yes! How were your finals? You had them this morning, right?
Good. I think. Hard to tell, but I think I did well.
That's great! Sorry, I couldn't be at the house when you came home.
Don't worry about it! It's been a long day. Good thing I'm here to save the day ;)
What do you mean by that?
Turn around.
Addison scrunched her nose while reading Angela's last text and did as she said. She turned around and saw Angela smiling back at her with a suitcase beside her.
A/N: Chapter title inspired by the song, Two Ghosts by Harry Styles. Not that I really need to explain my song title choices, but my thought was that the two ghosts in this case are Derek and Addison (if that wasn't already clear). It's been years, they've stayed friends, but losing Audrey really did a number on them and this is just the start of them figuring out where to go from here. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I am still editing these chapters as I go and adding stuff as well, and I really appreciate all of your kind words about the story so far. It shouldn't be too long until I update again, so until next time!
