Summary: Audrey adjusts to living in Seattle with Derek's side of the family while Addison visits on weekends.
~ 13 years earlier ~
Derek slammed the door. He hadn't been home in longer than he could remember, and his memory felt fuzzy. It'd been…a month? Maybe more? He couldn't remember anymore. Everything in this house reminded him of the daughter he lost. It didn't help that Addison insisted they keep everything the same. This house used to be his haven, and now it felt like a nightmare.
It used to be full of love and warmth. Now it was a ghost town and felt cold. Derek used to come home and go straight upstairs to see his daughter sleeping soundly in her crib, or his wife cuddling their little girl while she laughed. He stood in the foyer and all he heard was dead silence. It was only fitting. Audrey was the light of their lives, as stereotypical as that sounded. It felt like there was nothing left here. The living room was one thing, but upstairs was where it got worse.
He took a deep breath before making his way upstairs to his bedroom. The door to Audrey's nursery was wide open, like it always was. Addison said something about how she wanted to keep it that way so their daughter would know she'd always have somewhere to come home to. Like the doors were open arms or some cheesy metaphor like that. Derek avoided going in there and went straight to his bedroom. He got to the doorway and stood there, frozen in place for a minute, before the anger bubbled up and burst inside him.
"Ow!" Mark groaned after feeling a pillow hit the side of his head.
"Derek? What are you doing?" Addison asked, still groggy as she sat up.
"Get out of my bed," Derek said sternly.
"Derek. We were sleeping. Nothing happened," Addison insisted after realizing what was going on. Granted, the fact that Addison was wearing Mark's sweater that he pulled over her last night didn't make it look any better, if anything it looked worse, but she was comforted by the fact that she was telling the truth.
"Get. Out," Derek said again, raising his voice.
"Derek," Addison started again.
"It's fine, Addie. I'll go," Mark said, trying to keep the peace as he got up out of bed and walked past Derek.
"Nothing happened. You know that," Addison said as Derek walked into the master bathroom to cool off and change out of his work clothes. Ones he'd been wearing for days straight. He needed a shower. Maybe it'd help ease his anger, too.
"Derek," Addison said, gently grabbing his shoulder. Derek turned, surprised that she was there.
He hadn't heard her get out of bed or follow him into the bathroom. Maybe the steam of his anger got to his ears, he thought for a second. Derek looked away from his wife, still angry but ashamed. He knew nothing happened, but it didn't change how he felt. This was his house in his bed with his wife. It was his life that Mark had appeared to seamlessly slip into. A life Mark always steered clear of, which was obvious by his continuous trail of one-night stands.
Addison held her grip on his shoulder, despite Derek's unwillingness to look at her. It didn't deter her from pulling him in and holding him tight. Instinctually, Derek wrapped an arm around her as she held onto him as they both stood in their master bathroom. He felt her shivering in his arms, causing him to pull her closer, holding her tighter. She wasn't cold; she was crying.
"You're home," Addison finally choked out.
"We can't do this anymore, Addie. Whatever…this is, it's not working," Derek said softly.
"I know," Addison replied after letting it sink in for a minute.
"We need to move," Derek said after another minute as they continued holding each other.
~ present day ~
"Addison!" Derek shouted again. He needed to know if his baby was okay; he couldn't lose another baby.
He waited another 30 seconds before preparing himself to storm into the NICU, but then he saw Addison turn around with William in her arms. It took Derek another few seconds to realize there weren't any tubes or wires attached to the baby. Addison, Amelia, and even Alex smiled back at Derek as the nurses dispersed out of the room.
"Is he…?" Meredith started, her head stretching upward to get a better look since Mark insisted she stay seated.
"He's breathing on his own!" Lexie confirmed excitedly, relieved.
Alex came out of the NICU and motioned for everyone to go to an empty patient room. Addison would be there soon. Derek looked over at Meredith and smiled, then did the same with Audrey and again with Zola. Not long afterward, they saw Addison walk in with baby William in her arms and Amelia and Alex trailing behind, all smiling at the happy family. Addison bent down and let Meredith hold her baby first as everyone else leaned in to get a better look.
After a few minutes, Meredith gave Derek his turn to hold the baby and soon after that, he handed him over to Audrey. Addison watched from the doorframe alongside Alex and Amelia, and all she could do was picture what it could've been like if Audrey had been there when Henry was born.
For a long time, Amelia was a sort of stand-in for Audrey. They'd always been close, and Amelia's significantly younger age and complicated relationship with her family made it easy to become an odd blend of maternal and sisterly figure. Not long after getting Henry, however, Amelia found out about her unicorn baby, and sharing that bliss with Amelia came to an abrupt end. The fact that Derek got that moment with Audrey when Addison couldn't even get it with Amelia gave her a complicated mix of jealousy and happiness all at the same time.
"You miss Henry, don't you?" Amelia asked quietly, as everyone else crowded around for a turn with the baby.
"That obvious?" Addison asked, chuckling.
"He's your kid. Of course it's obvious," Amelia joked.
As Audrey let Lexie have a turn with her nephew, Amelia pulled out her phone.
"What are you…?" Addison started before seeing what was on her phone.
"How's two o'clock?" Amelia asked, showing Addison the flights coming out of Seattle to Los Angeles.
"That works," Addison said, impressed, as Amelia handed her phone over for Addison to purchase the ticket.
"You gonna come or are you gonna be okay here?" Addison asked.
"You go. I'll hold down the fort here," Amelia replied.
"I'll call before bedtime," Amelia added as Addison pulled her in for a half-hug from the side and finished paying for her plane ticket.
"Thank you," Addison said, giving Amelia her phone back and wrapping an arm around her sister-in-law.
After about ten more minutes of everyone getting their turn with William, Addison sent the happy family home for some much-needed rest and told Derek and Meredith she'd be back next weekend. They hadn't figured out their plan yet, but Addison knew she couldn't be away from Henry for long. Plus, she still had her practice to get back to. Jake had taken over for her while she'd been away, but Addison loved her job, and she loved her life in Los Angeles. It was time for her to go home.
For the next week, Audrey stayed with Amelia in a hotel room and spent days with Derek, Meredith, Zola, and William. She didn't mind staying inside the house to keep Zola company while Derek juggled their new baby. She learned a lot about babies and how to care for them, but she was also grateful to Amelia for taking her back to the hotel room to sleep for the night.
However, Derek was also working on getting a room together for Audrey to stay at the house. It wasn't because he wanted her to suffer nights with the baby, but because he wanted her to feel like his home was hers as well. Plus, he and Addison hadn't discussed what Audrey's more permanent living situation should be, so he figured he'd get a head start. Moving her to California after everything felt like it might be too much change for the girl, but Derek and Addison agreed to discuss it more another time. Preferably after they got more time to get to know their daughter. But, in the meantime, the happy parents could deal with the newborn while Audrey could get some uninterrupted sleep in the hotel room with Amelia.
Addison came back on the weekends over the next two weeks and made an effort to stay away from the hospital. That way, she wouldn't get roped into any more surgeries with Richard or even Bailey. While Amelia had spent some more time with the teenager over the past week, she figured out Audrey had an infinity for nature, much like her father. Addison wasn't a big nature girl, but Amelia knew she was quite the hiker, so the girls, plus Derek, all went hiking together while Meredith stayed home with Zola and William.
"Maybe we can play 20 questions," Amelia offered as they started their hike at Rattlesnake Ledge. It was still summer, and Derek knew the view from the top would be nice this time of year as opposed to the fog that seemed to exist throughout the rest of the year. Plus, it was just over a five-mile hike, so it wouldn't be too physically taxing.
"Really?" Derek asked sarcastically.
"Derek. She's trying to help," Addison scolded. It was like old times. Every time the three of them got together, Addison was the buffer between the two siblings.
Amelia and Audrey giggled as they kept hiking.
"Why don't we start easy? Favorite color?" Amelia suggested, starting off the game.
"I don't think you know how to play 20 questions," Derek commented.
"What do you mean?" Addison asked.
"It…you don't just ask random questions. That's not how the game works," Derek replied.
"20 questions is when one person thinks of an object or something and everyone else gets to ask 20 yes-or-no questions to figure out what it is," Derek explained.
"Whatever. That's not what I meant," Amelia brushed it off.
"Well, that's what you said," Derek teased.
"Okay, that's enough," Addison said, breaking up what would become a bigger argument if she didn't step in. Audrey giggled. The dynamic between the three of them was amusing to her, and she only imagined how often she would've seen it if she'd grown up with her parents the way she was supposed to.
"They're always like this, in case you haven't noticed," Addison chuckled.
"We're not that bad," Derek commented.
"Anymore," Addison quipped.
"Anyway, like I was saying, favorite color? I'll start. Mine's purple," Amelia said, changing the subject.
"Blue," Derek replied.
"Red," Addison added.
"Green," Audrey said.
"Interesting…," Amelia commented.
"Okay. Now, someone else ask a question," Amelia directed.
"What's your favorite food?" Derek asked.
"Pizza," Amelia replied.
"Of course it is," Derek commented.
"Shut up. What's yours then?" Amelia asked.
"Mom's pot roast," Derek said, after thinking about it for a minute. Amelia and Addison snickered.
"What?" Derek asked.
"Mama's boy," Amelia commented, making the girls laugh.
"Sushi," Addison answered.
"WASP," Amelia commented, making Derek and herself laugh. Addison shook her head but laughed along.
"Did she just call you a wasp?" Audrey asked, confused.
"White Anglo-Saxon Protestant. Or WASP," Addison filled her in.
"Your mom's loaded," Amelia added, looking over at Audrey.
"Amelia!" Addison scolded.
"What? It's not like it's not true," Amelia said, defending herself.
"Addie came from a family with money. And they never let me forget it," Derek added.
"Is it wrong to ask how much?" Audrey asked hesitantly.
"Your mom has a $30 million trust fund. Let's just start with that," Amelia replied. Audrey's eyes widened.
"I had a $30 million trust fund. I don't anymore," Addison added.
"Since when do you spend your trust fund?" Derek asked.
They hadn't even dipped into it for their brownstone. Then again, they hadn't bought it until years into their marriage after their careers had become more established. They wouldn't have afforded it on their own otherwise.
"I used it to start the practice," Addison replied.
"I thought Sam and Naomi started the practice," Derek said.
"They did. Until Violet got us in trouble with the medical board," Amelia chimed in.
"You got in trouble with the medical board?" Derek asked.
"No, Violet did, but they were gonna go after the rest of us if we didn't dissolve the old practice," Addison replied.
"So, you used your trust fund to start a new practice that was basically the old practice with a new name and ownership," Derek gathered.
"Yup," Addison confirmed.
"Well, congrats. At least you used your trust fund," Derek commented as Addison rolled her eyes.
"You'd never used it before?" Audrey asked.
"No, no, she didn't," Derek replied for his ex-wife.
"Why not? Audrey asked.
"Your father didn't want me to. All I wanted to save it for an emergency or something special, like…your college tuition, your first car, your first apartment…I was going to use some of it for our first place together, but your father wanted us to start fresh and detached from Bizzy's influence, at least I think that's what you said," Addison said, mocking the words her ex-husband had said back then.
"Hey, we still managed. The brownstone, the one that you lived in, was our third place together, but we bought it all with our own money. Something about using Addie's family money felt…I don't know, wrong. Or, not wrong, but complicated, let's say. But buying a place with the money we got after hours and hours of working and saving gives you a sense of accomplishment," Derek said, trying to explain.
He'd felt years feeling inadequate and not good enough for Addison because of her family; he didn't want their home to feel like a constant reminder of that, so even though it took years to save up for, they lived in a smaller one-room apartment for years, even after they got married. It wasn't until years later that they eventually had enough to buy their coveted brownstone.
Money had always been a complicated subject between the couple, but Derek was insistent on them doing this their way, which was really his way since Addison had no problem spending her inheritance on something as big as their first house together, but to keep the peace, she agreed.
"What about you, kid? Favorite food?" Amelia asked, changing the subject after realizing they'd all answered the question from earlier.
"Mm…maybe tacos," Audrey replied.
"Just wait 'til you come to L.A. We have great tacos there," Amelia said.
"She's right; we do," Addison confirmed.
"What about…favorite book? I think mine's The Beautiful and Damned," Addison asked as they continued hiking.
"Catcher in the Rye," Derek said, pausing in his tracks for a minute before continuing in their hike.
"Hmm…maybe Through the Looking Glass," Amelia mused.
"I just read Perks of Being a Wallflower and I liked that one," Audrey said after trying to figure out her answer. They all had impressive answers, and she wanted to give them a more profound answer, which was hard when she hadn't read as much as they had yet.
"Or Harry Potter," Audrey added jokingly, making everyone laugh. After the laughs subsided, Addison and Amelia looked back at Audrey, signaling it was her turn to ask the question.
"Oh, um…what's your favorite…movie?" Audrey asked.
"Good question," Amelia commented.
"Casablanca. I like re-watching it on a rainy day inside," Addison replied.
"Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory. The old one, though, not the weird Johnny Depp one," Amelia said.
"As long as she skips the Oompa Loompas," Derek teased.
"The Oompa Loompas freak her out," Addison added, filling Audrey in as they giggled.
"Those guys are creepy, okay? Their faces are orange, their hair is green, and their eyebrows are white. And they're short! I have every right to be scared of them," Amelia defended herself.
"She's got a point there," Audrey commented.
"Thank you!" Amelia exclaimed gratefully, making Audrey giggle.
"What about you?" Addison asked Audrey, changing the subject.
"The Avengers. I'm kind of a nerd for superhero stuff," Audrey admitted sheepishly.
"Superheroes aren't nerdy. Other than Superman's alter ego, but even Clark Kent's hot," Amelia said. Audrey smiled wide as Addison giggled and Derek shook his head as they moved aside for some people passing going back down the trail.
"Top Gun," Derek said when they all stopped to look at Derek for his answer.
"That is the most stereotypical guy answer ever," Addison laughed as the other girls agreed.
"Yeah? What's Jake's favorite movie?" Derek challenged.
"...Maybe The Legend of Zorro?" Addison said, after thinking about it for a minute. She remembered how Jake had said a few of the lines before the actors did, which made her laugh at the time. Angela did the same as well while they watched. Clearly, this was a frequently watched movie for them.
"And that's not a stereotypical guy answer?" Derek asked sarcastically.
"At least it's not the go-to stock answer," Amelia smirked, making Addison and Audrey chuckle.
They all continued up the trail until they got to the top, where the view, like Derek predicted, was beautiful. Rattlesnake Lake was a deep, almost teal blue, and there were only a few clouds in the sky. Lucious pine trees surrounded it on all sides and further out were the mountains, full of greenery.
"They don't call it the evergreen state for nothing," Derek commented, taking a sip from his water bottle.
"No kidding," Audrey replied, in awe of the scenery.
"Pictures?" Amelia asked. Everyone else nodded before Derek got Audrey to take a selfie with him, and Amelia did the same with Addison before they all eventually switched around.
"How about one with all of us?" Amelia suggested, as she got everyone together to take a group selfie.
"And a family photo," Amelia added, moving over to the other side to take a picture of just Derek, Addison, and Audrey.
"You're family, too, Amelia," Addison reminded her.
"Yeah, yeah. You know what I mean," Amelia brushed it off, before snapping a picture of the three of them with the breathtaking view behind them.
"Hungry? I brought sandwiches for lunch," Derek asked as he took off his backpack.
"Yeah, actually," Audrey replied, realizing it was close to noon.
"Let me guess, Addison told you to bring lunch," Amelia snickered, as they found an empty spot to sit. Derek shrugged, agreeing as he handed out sandwiches wrapped in cling wrap.
They chatted as they ate lunch on the mountain. Being out in the fresh air and talking about something that wasn't medicine was a nice change.
As they ate, Amelia noticed something different about her sandwich compared to the others. She pulled it back to look at it some.
"What? You think I'd poison you or something?" Derek asked, noticing Amelia staring at her sandwich and looking over at Addison and Audrey as they started eating.
"No, it's not that," Amelia said, staring at it.
"You remembered," Amelia said, smiling like a little girl.
"Remember what?" Derek asked.
"You got me cheddar," Amelia said.
"Yeah, well, you don't like Swiss cheese," Derek replied. Audrey looked over curiously. Swiss cheese was so mild that she didn't realize people just didn't like it.
"I don't like the holes," Amelia said. Addison and Audrey chuckled.
"Trypophobia. It's a thing," Amelia added.
"She hates anything with a bunch of holes," Derek explained when Audrey looked confused.
"Mom used to hate that I would take the cheese off my turkey sandwich, so Dad used to buy me cheddar even though it'd mean Mom would have to make grilled cheese or something just so we wouldn't waste the rest of them," Amelia recounted.
"I like Mom's grilled cheeses," Derek commented.
"You like everything Mom makes," Amelia rolled her eyes.
"You ate those Kraft singles with everything for months after Dad died. It's kind of hard to forget you like cheddar instead of Swiss cheese," Derek said, taking a bite from his sandwich.
"Thanks, Derek," Amelia said appreciatively, before hugging him from the side. Derek put an arm around her and kissed the top of her head before she sat back up and ate her sandwich.
"See?" Addison said to Audrey. She looked confused, waiting to hear what else she had to say.
"Even when they don't get along, they love each other. It's all part of having a sibling," Addison said.
"You'll learn," Amelia commented, smirking. Audrey had gone from being an only child with Robert and Evelyn to the second oldest kid between Derek and Addison's kids. Angela was now her older sister while Henry, Zola, and William were now her little siblings.
"It's been a long time since I've had a Kraft single, though. All the places in L.A. only have the real stuff," Amelia added.
"Do you not have grocery stores in L.A.?" Derek teased.
"Shut up," Amelia replied playfully.
"And we're back," Addison joked as she and Audrey giggled.
"You know what I really miss? Dad's chili," Amelia said, smiling. Derek laughed.
"You remember that?" Derek asked.
"Why wouldn't I?" Amelia shrugged.
"Because you were only five when he died. I can't believe you remember that far back," Addison commented.
"I…remember the smell, and I remember the cheese," Amelia said.
"Don't tell me you added the cheese slices to the chili," Addison said.
"Yup," Amelia smiled, unbothered by Addison's judgment before taking a bite out of her sandwich.
"Dad was the only other one who used to do that," Derek commented.
"It melts better than the other cheese," Amelia said. She could still picture it in her head.
"That doesn't mean it tastes good," Derek quipped.
"Whatever," Amelia brushed it off.
"I think it's a nostalgic thing. I didn't grow up with those," Addison started, wrinkling her nose.
"Yeah, yeah. We get it, WASP," Amelia joked, making Addison laugh.
"What I was going to say is, I think Amelia still loves her Kraft singles because it reminds her of her dad. She was five when he died and…to say it was a hard time for her would be an understatement," Addison said, filling Audrey in. She didn't want to overstep, especially with the memory of Amelia shouting that it wasn't her story to tell, still fresh in her mind.
"There was a robbery. Dad wouldn't give them his watch. It was an anniversary present and he just…wouldn't give it over, so they shot him and ran off," Derek explained.
"Oh," Audrey muttered.
They were quiet for a minute as everyone else around talked and took pictures of the view.
"You're a kid. What do you think?" Amelia asked, directing her question toward Audrey.
"About Kraft singles, I mean," Amelia clarified.
"I…think I've eaten too many Kraft singles. My…Evelyn, used to cook for me and she wasn't exactly a good cook," Audrey said, feeling weird that she didn't want to insult the woman she used to think was her mother.
"Well, Addie's not a good cook either," Amelia laughed.
"It's not like you can cook either," Derek commented.
"That is irrelevant. I don't have kids to cook for," Amelia pointed out.
"You sure you trust her to watch your kid?" Derek asked playfully, looking over at Addison.
"We keep leftovers at home. Plus, she knows how to order pizza," Addison chuckled.
"Also known as her favorite food," Audrey chimed in, remembering Amelia's answer from earlier.
"Good memory," Addison commented.
"Do you ever eat a home-cooked meal out there?" Derek asked, looking back at his sister.
"All the time. James has this family recipe for cornbread that he makes with chicken and dumplings. Plus, Addie knows to invite me whenever Jake makes tacos," Amelia replied.
"Tacos? Really? Isn't L.A. full of taco trucks?" Derek asked.
"Yes. And they are just as good as everyone says they are, but Jake makes these spicy, grilled fish tacos that I…I can't even talk about it right now. I want them," Amelia explained as Addison smiled.
"They are good. As long as you can handle your spice," Addison said.
"Yeah? How's that going for you?" Derek asked, directing his question toward his ex-wife. He remembered she could barely tolerate jalapenos when they were together.
"I'm working on it. I'm nowhere near Jake's or even Amelia's level, but I've gotten better!" Addison insisted.
"She's definitely gotten a lot better," Amelia concurred.
"I guess it's a good thing I add tabasco to everything," Audrey joked, making the rest of them laugh.
After spending another ten minutes at the top of the mountain, admiring the view, eating their lunch, and taking a few more pictures, they headed back down the mountain. When they got back to Derek's car, they agreed they'd clean up and get some rest before meeting again for dinner, where Meredith, Zola, and baby William would join them.
The next day, Addison took Audrey shopping again for some more clothes since she hadn't gotten much the week prior and dropped her off at Derek's house before dinner so she could catch her plane back to Los Angeles. Derek had been working hard on getting a room ready for his daughter, and it was finally ready for her.
The baby wasn't sleeping through the night, but Derek wanted his daughter home with him, and Derek insisted on letting her stay with him instead of flying her out to L.A. with Addison. After she settled into her new room, Amelia went back to work and got back to her boyfriend in L.A. the next day, letting her brother bond with his daughter. Over the next few weeks, their arrangement with Audrey was working out well, and Derek and Audrey found out they had more in common than they initially realized.
Derek took Audrey fishing, hiking, and even paddle boarding whenever he got time off and the weather was nice over the next month or so, and Addison visited on the weekends and joined them. Sometimes, she'd even bring Jake and Henry with her, too. Sure, Addison wasn't as big of a fan of the outdoors as they were, but she could suck it up if it meant spending more time with her daughter. Plus, it was nice seeing how much their daughter had with her father. She'd get more bonding time with her when Derek worked weekends, but Addison cherished having all three of them together. Or more if Jake, Henry, and/or Amelia joined them.
Everyone fell into a comfortable pattern with Audrey around, and Audrey didn't feel as awkward with her parents anymore. So much so that they planned a family camping trip for next spring in Portland. Addison wanted to spend more time with Audrey, but every time she spent an extra day with Audrey, she felt guilty for missing out on time with Henry.
It wasn't easy going back and forth, and Henry was still too young to understand why his mom wasn't around to play with him on weekends anymore, or old enough to behave well on planes. Addison tried to split her time between both, and Jake dealt with Henry's crankiness when she was away. Not to mention Angela came by more often to help, which Addison felt guilty about, too, because she was a young woman with her own life. Jake and Angela didn't mind much, so, for now, Addison had to let her family help her through this transition.
Back in Seattle, Derek, Meredith, Zola, Audrey, and William went through their own transition. The new baby made things difficult, and he took up a big chunk of their time, but things were going smoothly. Audrey helped by giving Zola the attention she craved from her parents whenever they became too busy with work and taking care of the baby, and Derek and Meredith made an effort to get to know Audrey better. Lately, with Derek starting to go back to working more hours again, Meredith took over night feedings with William. Especially since she was still on maternity leave.
Tonight, Meredith woke up to William's cries yet again and made her way to the nursery. The house was a mess, an organized mess, as Audrey put it, but a mess, nonetheless. Some boxes needed to be recycled and Zola's toys that she needed to put away were scattered around, but Meredith, by now, knew how to weave through them expertly.
After making herself comfortable with William in her rocking chair, Meredith took a deep breath, relaxing for a minute. The days felt so hectic with William and Zola sometimes she savored the nights when it was quiet. Aside from when William would signal he was hungry or just wanted someone to hold him.
Not even a full 20 minutes later, however, she heard something from the other room. William was almost fast asleep, so Meredith carefully put him back in his crib before going to inspect the noise. She didn't know if it was the hormones or just her general common sense, but Meredith was scared of discovering the cause behind the noise alone. She quickly shuffled over to her and Derek's bedroom and woke him up first.
"Derek," Meredith whispered loudly while shaking her husband awake.
"What, Mer?" Derek asked, still half-asleep.
"I hear something," Meredith replied.
"Have you considered it might be Will and his inability to sleep through the night?" Derek asked sarcastically, his voice mumbling against the pillow.
"It's not Will. I just put him back down. I think it's coming from Audrey's room," Meredith said, knowing it'd wake her husband up and take the threat more seriously, and she was right.
A/N: Chapter title inspired by the song, Where Does the Time Go by A Great Big World. I am so sorry that I am again leaving you on a cliffhanger. I will say in advance that this is the last chapter (for now?) that will end like this. Hopefully, this will keep you intrigued until next week when I post the next chapter. References include the whole storyline with Violet's lawsuit and the medical board in season five of Private Practice, Amelia yelling at Addison that her father's murder wasn't her story to tell in Private Practice 5x08 (Amelia's intervention episode), and just an overall rewrite of what happened between Derek, Addison, and Mark, when Derek caught Mark and Addison in bed together, which we initially saw in Grey's Anatomy 3x01.
As great as that original scene was, it is always weird to think about how Mark must've just got up and left at some point, but in this version of events, it works. So, yeah, in this version, Mark was just being a good friend to Addison and Derek found them in bed together, but they were just sleeping. And when it comes to Audrey, I'm still working on figuring out who she is as a character, so it'll start to come together better in future chapters. I promise next chapter will pick up immediately after where this one ends (because I didn't do that this time and instead inserted a flashback scene) and that some drama paired with some light fluffy stuff will pick up again next chapter. Thanks again for reading!
