Summary: Everyone goes on a ferryboat ride together, meeting at Derek's house afterward for dinner before Audrey spends a day with Addison's side of the family.
"We're just gonna change first, so we'll meet you at the elevator," Derek said before walking away with Meredith.
"I should, too," Addison added, joining them as they all walked away.
The rest of them shuffled around, with Jake taking Henry to the bathroom while Amelia stayed with the girls. Angela raved about the surgery as Audrey listened. She knew nothing about medicine, but it was clear that the interest ran throughout this family. Even for the ones who weren't blood-related. She'd never been all that interested in medicine, but she wondered if her newfound family would change her mind one day. Or if they'd be okay with her having no interest in the subject.
A few minutes later, Jake and Henry came back, holding hands before they all walked over to the elevators together. A minute later, Derek, Meredith, and Addison came back dressed in their street clothes as opposed to their scrubs from earlier. And Derek was holding Zola while Meredith held her small backpack.
"Alright, let's go," Derek said.
"I wanna press!" Henry exclaimed, referring to the elevator button. Everyone chuckled at his enthusiasm and excitement.
"Alright, here you go, little man," Jake laughed, lifting the boy as he was too short to press it himself.
After putting him back down on the floor, Henry went back to holding Jake's hand but grabbed Audrey's with his other free hand. Audrey looked down to see him smile back at her. And Addison, who watched the entire exchange go down, loved seeing how attached Henry was already getting to his new big sister.
They piled into the elevator once the doors opened and went downstairs, agreeing to meet at the terminal. Audrey went with Derek, Meredith, and Zola, since Jake's rental car was already full, and they all made their way toward the ferryboats. Since Audrey had never been on a ferryboat, she didn't realize that they weren't parking and getting out but pulling the car onto the boat itself.
"You really haven't been on a ferryboat before, have you?" Meredith asked, noticing how intrigued she was, looking around at the other cars parked around them on the boat.
"No," Audrey said, a little embarrassed.
"Addie should be around here somewhere," Derek said, unbuckling his seatbelt.
Audrey soon followed suit as everyone got out of the car, and she helped unstrap Zola from her car seat. After closing the car door, she heard heels clicking on the concrete floor and turned around.
"Hi, Audi!" Henry exclaimed, smiling as he walked hand-in-hand with Addison and Angela.
"Hey, Henry," Audrey smiled. It was hard to feel bad with him around.
They all walked away from the parked cars and made their way inside the ferryboat. There weren't very many people since it was the middle of the day on a workday. There were tables and chairs inside, as well as an outdoor area for people to look out on the water. They all opted to go outside, or rather, the younger kids wanted to go outside to get a better look, so everyone followed.
The view was beautiful, and Audrey could see why her father had a thing for ferries. Or ferryboats, as he and Meredith clarified. She breathed in the crisp air, letting the wind blow her hair back. Something about nature always centered her, and after a few minutes of looking out at the water, she felt two small hands clasp onto hers from both sides. Audrey looked over to her left and found Henry smiling up at her and on her right, Zola did the same. She smiled back at both of them.
"I think they like her," Angela commented to the other adults. Everyone else smiled back as they continued watching the three until Jake walked from behind the kids.
"Hey, buddy. You wanna come up and see?" Jake asked, kneeling to Henry. He nodded back enthusiastically before letting go of Audrey's hand and reaching so his dad could pick him up.
Jake held Henry so he could get a better look at the view. The shine of the water and the trees in the background amused him.
"I want up, too!" Zola exclaimed, looking up at Audrey.
"Oh…um, okay," Audrey said awkwardly as Zola reached her arms up to her. She stared back, wondering what to grab first.
"Go under the arms first and then gently take her closer to your chest," Jake said, looking over at her. Audrey followed his instructions and picked Zola up as she rested her head under her chin.
"That obvious?" Audrey asked, embarrassed.
"Only because I work with new parents and babies all day," Jake chuckled, brushing it off.
Everyone else watched from farther back as Jake, Henry, Audrey, and Zola looked out into the water, all in awe that this was their new life now. Despite Derek and Addison's divorce, they kept in touch, mostly through Amelia, but now they had something else that would keep their lives entangled forever: Audrey.
Eventually, they all reached Bainbridge Island, went back to their cars, and agreed to meet up at Derek's house. He and Meredith told everyone to make themselves at home and he'd come back with stuff for burgers. They took a tour of the house, with Zola and Henry giving up midway when they got to her room and wanted to play with her large stuffed hippo. Audrey and Angela offered to stay with them, which left Jake, Addison, Amelia, and Meredith sitting on the other side of Zola's room, talking about the latest thing they'd read in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Audrey played with her newfound siblings, picking up the large hippo plush and flying it around. They laughed and ran around the room as Audrey chased them playfully. Zola showed Henry, Audrey, and Angela every toy in her toy box proudly, and the four of them played with some of her building blocks. Jake, Addison, and Meredith watched, knowing that the transition wouldn't be easy for any of them, but the one thing they knew for sure was that Audrey would be a great big sister.
Derek returned about 20 minutes later with full bags of groceries: burger patties, buns, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, and condiments. Jake offered to help Meredith prep some of the food, while Addison offered to watch the kids since she wasn't the best cook, as Derek reiterated. Once they finished prepping everything, Derek went out to grill the burgers, and Jake joined as they made dinner for everyone. Right as they sat down to eat, Mark and Lexie walked out from inside the house.
"Hey, you guys partying without me?" Mark asked playfully.
Derek, Addison, and Amelia chuckled as they each got up to greet him, while Lexie came to greet Zola and Meredith and meet everyone else.
"What are you doing here?" Addison asked as she pulled away from hugging him.
"You think I'd miss the first official family dinner?" Mark asked.
"I'm still her godfather, right?" Mark asked, looking at Derek and Addison. Audrey's eyes lit up curiously.
"Of course you are, Mark," Addison chuckled as they all walked back.
Everyone sat at the table, eating burgers as they chatted about the weather, medicine, and anything else surface-level they could come up with. The truth was, they all had a million questions about Audrey, but none of them wanted to push her away. Meredith and Lexie let their husbands take the lead, and Jake, Angela, and Amelia did the same with Addison. This was all so new, and even the people who did know her before had memories and feelings that were all too complicated to explain.
As they finished eating dinner, everyone except the younger kids helped clean up. Audrey had always had to help clean up at home, or the place she used to call home, so she automatically assumed she had to do the same here, too. Addison told her she didn't have to, but Audrey insisted as she helped bring the younger kids' plates inside to the kitchen.
"So, what happens now?" Audrey asked. She hadn't said much all evening, but she didn't like not knowing what was going to happen next—a trait she definitely inherited from her mother.
"With…with me, I mean," Audrey added, trying to clarify.
"Well, um…Derek and I have to figure out how to split your time with us, but I think I'm gonna stay in town for a while to help the…transition," Addison said, stuttering out a vague answer as well as she could while glancing back at Derek to confirm they agreed.
"Maybe you can stay with us tonight," Angela suggested as she handed Derek a dirty plate to put in the dishwasher.
"I mean, I know we're staying in a hotel room, but, I don't know, we can watch a movie or something," Angela added.
"Yeah, we brought Kung Fu Panda," Jake said, chuckling.
"We needed to switch up the movie from The Tigger Movie, and Henry likes talking animals," Addison added, making everyone else laugh.
"So, what do you think?" Angela asked.
"Sure," Audrey smiled. She liked Henry and Angela and wanted to spend more time with them, but she also wanted to learn more about her mom. Derek had her the night before, and they got to spend more time together. It was only fair that tonight it'd be her mom's turn.
They hung around Derek's house for a while, conversing while the kids played. Zola and Henry liked having more kids around, and the two especially got along, since they were pretty close in age. Derek and Meredith were thrilled Zola loved having other siblings, since she had a little brother coming in two months. She was already excited about the concept, but actually having other kids around to call her siblings, even step-siblings, made it a reality. And she was adjusting better than they expected.
As it started getting dark outside, they all said their goodbyes and made plans to see each other the next day for lunch. Zola hugged her newfound siblings before they left, and Jake drove them all back to the hotel. Meanwhile, Amelia stayed with Derek, Meredith, and Zola, promising her niece she'd read her a bedtime story.
Audrey looked out the window the entire drive, taking in the scenery. Even at night, there were trees everywhere, and the moon illuminated the sky just enough to see the deep green pine leaves. After parking in the garage, Angela helped Henry out of his car seat as Jake opened the door for Audrey and grabbed her bag of clothes.
"Oh, you don't have to…," Audrey started.
"Don't fight it," Addison giggled.
"He's not gonna take no for an answer. Trust me, I've tried," Addison added.
"Hey, it's not a sexist thing. I was just taught to open doors and to hold a woman's bag," Jake said, chuckling.
"Yes, we know. You're a gentleman," Addison laughed as they all walked towards the elevator, letting Henry push the button.
"Or, you know…a servant," Angela joked. The girls laughed, albeit trying hard not to. Jake just shook his head and chuckled as they piled into the elevator.
"You're spending way too much time with Amelia," Addison laughed. The joke, as well as the way she delivered it, screamed Amelia.
"She has 20 years to make up for," Angela shrugged jokingly before giggling as they rode the rest of the way up in the elevator.
Amelia hadn't met her until a while after Addison had, and Angela was already 20 years old, so Amelia figured she had all that time to make up as her aunt. Even though Derek and Addison weren't married anymore, Addison and Amelia would always be family. When Addison married Jake, he and his daughter became an extension of Addison and, therefore, they became Amelia's family, too.
After getting upstairs, they all fell into a comfortable rhythm of getting Henry ready for bed while setting up the movie. They decided quickly that Audrey would stay with Angela in the adjoining room while Henry stayed with Jake and Addison. For the movie, they'd watch in Jake and Addison's room to make it easier for Henry, who would inevitably fall asleep during the movie.
About an hour into watching the movie, Henry's eyelids grew heavier as he snuggled into Addison's chest. She smiled, watching him fall asleep peacefully before kissing the top of his head and laying him down on the bed. Audrey gave Jake and Addison a look, thinking they had to leave to let Henry sleep, but Jake assured her it'd be fine for them to stay for the rest of the movie. When the move ended, they quietly said their goodnights before Angela and Audrey went back to their room.
"So, how are you feeling so far?" Angela asked.
"A little weird," Audrey admitted.
"I guess it'd be weird if you didn't feel at least a little weird," Angela smiled reassuringly. Audrey chuckled and smiled awkwardly, grateful for her new older sister.
"Well, if it helps, you can ask me anything you want. I'm an open book," Angela added, laying back in her bed to relax. Audrey thought about what she should ask first.
"So, you're Addison's step-daughter?" Audrey asked.
"Yeah. I'm technically Jake's stepdaughter, too, but my bio dad's always been a deadbeat. He married my mom when I was five," Angela replied.
"Oh," Audrey commented, letting Angla explain further if she wanted to.
"My mom died when I was eight, so he's kind of always been my dad. I've never really known anything else," Angela added.
"So, what was it like when he wanted to marry my mom?" Audrey asked.
"Dad took a long time to get over my mom, so by the time Addie got in the picture, I was happy for him. It'd been over ten years, and I know he loved my mom. More than anything, really, but I wanted him to find love again, and I love that Addie's the woman he found it with," Angela said honestly.
"Do you remember anything? From…from before?" Angela asked cautiously.
"I don't know…I wish I had a better answer than that, not just for that question, but for everything. I just feel…lost," Audrey admitted.
"Well, maybe Addie has some old pictures you can look through at home that'll spark something," Angela tried.
"Maybe…," Audrey said.
She was afraid she might never remember anything from before Robert and Evelyn took her. Derek and Addison both seemed like incredible people, and she had no doubt they were also incredible parents. It wasn't fair that Robert took her from the life she deserved to live, and she was sure they felt that way, too. The only sliver of hope she could think of that could make this situation better was if she could remember whatever happy memories she had with them before she was taken.
"Look, whether you remember anything or not, you still have the rest of your life to make new memories. I know it's not the same, and I know you and your parents wish you could go back and change things, but we can't. All we can do is make the best out of what we get," Angela said, right as Addison came into the room.
"That's very wise of you," Addison commented, sitting beside Audrey on the bed.
"I spent a lot of time praying for my mom to come back. And I know that's not possible, but I don't know…some people believe in reincarnation or spirits, and I think I did for a while. Longer than I care to admit, honestly, but eventually, I had to just admit she wasn't coming back and that I had to move on," Angela said.
"Yeah, I get that. I still haven't worn Bizzy's Bulgari because a small part of me feels like it's haunted. It's not, and I know it's not, but, I don't know, I think it's just grief's way of…getting to me, I guess," Addison admitted.
"I'd spent so long thinking about the past that I wasn't seeing what was right in front of me. All I wanted was my mom, who, looking back, wasn't the best parent. She tried her best, but her addiction wasn't something she could kick for very long, and when I finally realized I had to move on, Jake was there like he had been all along, and I decided I'd focus on the love I got from him instead. I miss her, and it's not like I don't think about her anymore because I do, but I try not to dwell on it anymore," Angela said.
Addison and Audrey nodded back, letting Angela have some space to breathe and grieve for her mother. They could both understand where she was coming from. For Addison, she had complicated feelings about her mother. She always had. When Bizzy died, she grieved more than she expected to and she couldn't control the amount of tears she cried. Addison spent her entire life trying not to be like her mother, but near the end, she understood her in a way she never had before.
It wasn't immediate, but Bizzy's death made her realize she wanted to be a mother again. It made her realize she had to be a mother again. If she hadn't died, Addison wouldn't have gotten Henry, and for that, she was forever grateful. After losing Audrey, she didn't want to have another kid because part of her always felt like her daughter was still alive out there somewhere, and she was right. But, despite this, she was still glad she took the chance to be a mother again.
As for Audrey, she felt conflicted about the person she'd thought was her mother her entire life. She and Robert had never really gotten along, and it was Evelyn who always stepped in to stop them from arguing. Audrey had always felt the need to at least try to get along with him since he was, seemingly, her father, but now, none of that mattered. Calling them by their first names now still felt unfamiliar, but calling them Mom and Dad didn't feel right, either.
She may have just met her real parents, but she already knew they loved her more than anything, and losing her was the worst thing that ever happened to them. From what she'd learned over the past few days, Audrey knew it was Robert who took her. There was never any evidence Evelyn was involved, but Audrey found it hard to believe that she'd never had any kind of inkling something was wrong at the very least.
She felt guilty about it, but she wondered what Evelyn thought now and if any of the love and care she'd felt from Evelyn had ever been real. Part of her felt like it was, but she also knew that she wasn't hers to begin with. Robert and Evelyn weren't really her parents. They'd stolen that right from Derek and Addison. But Angela was right; all they could do now was focus on all the good that was happening right now. It wouldn't do anyone any good to keep dwelling on the past.
"Well, I just came to check on you guys before Jake and I turn in for the night. Just don't stay up too late," Addison said, watching the girls nod their heads in agreement before she smiled back, got back up, and went back to her adjoining room.
Angela went up to get changed and brush her teeth before Audrey switched places with her. They then laid back in their respective beds as Angela flipped through the channels on the TV until stopping at an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. After another hour, their eyes started closing sleepily before Angela turned off the TV, letting sleep overcome them.
In the morning, the girls woke up to hearing the adjoining room door open before hearing Jake's voice scolding Henry gently. As they blinked the sleep out of their eyes, Henry giggled and ran over to Angela's bed despite Jake trying to discipline him. Angela held a hand up as Jake walked over, letting him know it was fine before she reached down to pick him up, to which he immediately cuddled beside her. Jake accepted defeat before letting them go back to sleep before heading back over to the other room.
Another few hours passed before they woke up again. Audrey rubbed her eyes and found Henry still fast asleep beside Angela, who, like her, was just waking up again. They heard the door handle turn from their adjoining door room again, except this time it was Addison coming in.
"Morning," Addison whispered as she smiled at the girls.
They smiled back, keeping quiet so they wouldn't wake up Henry. Audrey saw that Addison was in a simple button-up pajama shirt and shorts, her hair slightly tousled, and slippers on her feet. She was so used to seeing her mother all made-up, but it was nice seeing her less put-together, and it made Addison much more approachable now.
Addison gently rubbed Henry's back until he started to stir in his sleep, yawning as he woke up from his slumber. He blinked his eyes open and held his arms out for Addison to pick him up. She chuckled before obliging but sat down at the end of Audrey's bed, letting her little boy snuggle in her arms.
"So, I was thinking, maybe we could get breakfast and see the sights a little before meeting Derek for lunch," Addison said, her voice going back to a normal volume. Henry was still half asleep, but he was well on his way to waking up slowly.
"Sounds good," Angela agreed easily. Audrey sat up and nodded as well, with Addison smiling back.
"Great. Ange, you said you wanted to see Pike Place, right?" Addison asked.
"Yeah," Angela replied.
"Are you okay with that?" Addison asked, turning toward Audrey.
"Yeah," Audrey said, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
"Great. You guys take your time getting ready and we'll handle Henry," Addison chuckled before getting up from her spot on Audrey's bed before returning to her room with Henry.
Audrey yawned and slumped back down on the bed, taking Addison at her word. She wasn't used to getting up right away unless she had school to get to, but it was summer, and considering she had no plans to go back to Toledo, she savored her time sleeping in. Angela had done the same and about 20 minutes later, the girls finally got out of bed and got dressed.
While Audrey brushed her teeth in the bathroom, she poked her head out upon hearing small footsteps running. She looked at Angela and they both chuckled, knowing it was Henry coming back over. The door turned before Henry ran in, dressed and almost ready to go, minus his shoes.
"Hey, Henry!" Angela said energetically, picking up her brother when he got to her.
"Hi, sissy," Henry said, snuggling on her shoulder.
Audrey spit into the sink, rinsed her mouth, and washed her toothbrush before feeling something brush against her leg. She looked down and saw Henry looking up and smiling back at her. Audrey giggled before wiping her mouth on a face towel before kneeling.
"Hi, Audi," Henry said shyly.
"Hey, buddy," Audrey chuckled.
"You guys ready?" Jake asked as he stepped into the room with Addison closely behind him.
"Yup," Angela confirmed after looking back at Audrey standing in the doorway of the bathroom nodding back.
"Great," Addison said.
"Let's get your shoes on first though, buddy," Jake chuckled, holding his sneakers in his hand.
Audrey helped Jake put on Henry's shoes while Angela grabbed the hotel key as she talked to Addison about where to get breakfast. They were looking at where they could eat on Angela's phone, scrolling before deciding to go to Le Panier, the popular French bakery. Addison used to love going there for fresh bread and the occasional pastry, and she definitely missed the Seattle coffee.
As they all headed out, Addison talked about how different the coffee culture was in Seattle and how, as popular as Starbucks was, the local coffee shops were where it was. As coffee enthusiasts, Jake and Angela were excited to experience it for themselves. Audrey, however, hadn't ever drank much coffee in her lifetime. Mostly because she'd previously been too young to drink it, according to Evelyn. But now, Addison had no problem letting her daughter have a cup from time to time now that she was a little older.
Jake drove them all to Pike Place, deciding to park in the garage instead of trying his chances at street parking. Henry decided he wanted to hold Audrey and Addison's hands as they walked, and when they got to the bakery, the line almost got to the door, which, according to Addison, was normal. At least it wasn't a weekend where the line would sometimes round the block. After waiting a few minutes and getting closer to the front of the line, Addison directed Angela and Audrey to look at the display to see what they wanted.
Henry went along as they browsed through the various treats before deciding what they wanted. When they got to the front of the line, Jake and Addison ordered, which included some coffee, letting Audrey decide on what kind of coffee drink she wanted. She ultimately decided on a cappuccino, which also happened to be Jake's order. They found a small table to sit at as they started eating their breakfast before their drinks came out. The kids were amused seeing the leaf designs on their drinks before carefully bringing them back to their table.
"So, what do you think?" Jake asked after Audrey took a sip. Audrey let her cappuccino sit on her tongue for a few seconds before swallowing, satisfied.
"Like it?" Addison asked. Audrey nodded and smiled back as everyone chuckled, getting back to the rest of their breakfast.
After eating their pastries, Henry was left with chocolate from his breakfast all over his face, which made everyone laugh.
"Wait, picture first," Jake said, stopping Addison from cleaning Henry's face. Henry giggled as everyone got closer together before Jake switched his phone camera to front-facing and handed it off to Angela to take the picture.
"I'm better at taking selfies," Angela teased as Audrey watched before smiling for the picture, along with everyone else.
It wasn't until afterward that she realized this was her first family photo with her newfound family.
A/N: Chapter title inspired by the song, Photograph by Ed Sheeran. Audrey has a whole family that's more than ready to welcome her into their lives, and she's gonna be a great sister to her new siblings. Derek and Addison will figure out how to split their time with her in the future, but for now, they are just taking it one day at a time and spending time getting to know her. Look forward to more fluffy family stuff between all of them as well as some drama in the coming chapters! Thank you all again for reading and hope you like where I'm taking the story! 3
