Summary: Audrey learns more about Angela and Amelia's lives before starting her first at her new school.

The birthday party continued. The guests conversed and ate until it started getting later into the evening, prompting Jake to pull the cake out of the fridge for everyone. Addison wasn't a big fan of people singing at her, but Cooper insisted, getting everyone to sing Happy Birthday to the birthday girl with him after Jake grabbed some candles and a lighter. With Audrey, Angela, Henry, and Jake by her side, Addison blushed before blowing out the candles.

As the night went on, people started leaving the party until there weren't very many people left. Some of the younger kids started watching a movie a little earlier in the evening, so the parents had no problem staying until they finished. Or until they got restless enough to warrant going home. After dinner, Audrey helped Jake clean up the plates, cups, and utensils left scattered around the house and outside the patio, while Addison brought Henry up for a bath. By the time Jake and Audrey went upstairs, Addison was drying the toddler off with a towel.

Audrey stayed for story time after Addison got Henry dressed in his pajamas, and Jake read The Tale of Peter Rabbit, one of Addison's favorites. They all sat around Henry's toddler bed, watching as the toddler's eyes grew heavy, eventually closing just before the end of the book. After quietly creeping out of his room, they all took one look back at the sleeping boy before leaving him be for the night.

Audrey only wondered how different her childhood would've been if she'd grown up with Derek and Addison. She remembered how Eleanor used to read books like The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile and how Audrey had asked her to get Madeline when she saw it at the bookstore. Eleanor had read it to her for a week straight because she'd asked her to, and it was the first book Audrey had learned to read by herself. Even if everyone else, namely the adults, had just assumed she'd memorized the words by then.

"Thank you for the painting," Addison said softly, pulling Audrey in from the side before kissing the side of her head.

"You're welcome. And thank you for calling it a painting," Audrey joked, blushing.

"I think this is a good spot for it," Jake commented as he hung up the frame in the hallway. Unbeknownst to Audrey, he had brought the painting when they'd walked upstairs and left it by the stairs, knowing exactly where they should display it.

"It's perfect," Addison commented, with a wide smile on her face.

"Really?" Audrey asked. It would be the first thing people would see when they walked upstairs if they left it there.

"Really," Addison said before giving her daughter one last kiss on her head before letting her go.

After saying goodnight, they all retired to their bedrooms for the night, with Audrey falling asleep while reading a book once again. In the morning, Audrey woke up to the sound of a doorbell. By the time Audrey went out into the hallway, she found Henry walking out of his room, confused. Audrey's ears perked up when she realized she heard her dad's voice alongside Addison's and Angela's. She picked up her little brother before joining everyone downstairs to confirm what her ears were hearing. Derek was back, with Angela and Amelia by his side, and Addison was holding a bouquet, which she later learned were birthday flowers from Derek. The girls were also holding a few takeout bags with a breakfast spread to rival yesterday's homemade breakfast in bed.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Derek joked before going over to hug his daughter, with Henry still in her arms.

"Here, I've got him," Angela offered before walking over to get Henry out of Audrey's arms.

"Sorry, did we wake you, little guy?" Angela asked softly. Henry immediately snuggled under Angela's chin as she rocked him back and forth.

After a few minutes of chatting and getting breakfast ready, they all sat down to eat. Since Derek was here, he and Addison got to talking about Audrey's new school that she'd be starting in two weeks. Addison and Audrey had already shopped for all her school supplies, and Jake and Addison determined their schedules throughout the week to drop off and pick up Audrey from school, knowing that it would likely adjust over time. Especially since she wanted to join some after-school sports.

It was also then when Addison told Derek that she gave Audrey her first allowance, which then started a whole other conversation about how much it should be and how often she should receive one. Jake interjected whenever it felt appropriate, but he let Addison take the lead in the conversation. They also continued talking about how often Derek would visit Audrey here in L.A. and when Addison would take her to Seattle instead.

In the end, they agreed to one or the other visiting L.A. or Seattle at least once a month, at minimum, for a length of time. Derek would likely do the majority of the traveling while Audrey was in school, but Addison agreed to let Audrey stay in Seattle for the summer if she wanted to. Meanwhile, the girls kept Henry occupied, entertaining him throughout breakfast before cleaning him up and taking him outside to play in his sandbox. It wasn't exactly how they'd pictured this surprise birthday breakfast for Addison, but if Derek and Addison didn't discuss these things now, they may never get around to it.

"So, how's everything with you?" Amelia asked, directing her question toward Angela while she helped Henry fill a bucket with sand to turn into sandcastles.

"Good," Angela replied. Amelia kept her gaze on the girl, which got Audrey's attention.

"I'm fine. Really," Angela insisted.

"I kinda had a rough time last year; I dated this guy and went to Rome with him, only to rush back a month early because I found out he was cheating on me," Angela started.

"Oh," Audrey muttered.

"Yeah, and after he kept accusing you of cheating," Amelia interjected.

"Yeah…Dad told me not to go, but I went anyway, and it blew up in my face. Just like he said it would," Angela explained, trying to fill Audrey in.

"Rome was great at first: the food, the wine, the language, the people. I made friends with our neighbors at the cute little place we were living in. I got to learn more Italian from them, and I taught them a few words in Spanish, which was easier than I thought because they're both Latin-based; it was great. But then Eli started accusing me of cheating on him. I wasn't. Turns out, he was, though. With one of his students," Angela said, clenching her jaw while recapping her summer with Eli. Audrey watched as her older sister blushed, embarrassed, as she recounted the story.

"Oh, yeah, did I mention he was also my professor?" Angela asked rhetorically, chuckling at the irony.

"Not to mention he went and stalked you on campus when he got back," Amelia muttered. Audrey's eyes widened as she looked back over at Angela.

"Yeah…I moved in here for a while when I got back from Rome, and Addie helped me get a restraining order. The university eventually fired him, but, yeah…it was…a rough year," Angela said.

"Wow," Audrey commented, not knowing what to say, grabbing another bucket to help Henry fill up with sand.

"So, in other words, don't date your professors," Amelia said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh, I don't plan to," Audrey replied awkwardly. She had never really seen the draw people had toward teachers or professors, but she also always figured she was too young to really understand it. Or maybe she'd just always had unattractive teachers.

"I'm glad you care about me, Amelia, but I'm fine. Really. There even might be a new guy on the horizon," Angela teased. Amelia raised an eyebrow.

"His name's Graham, he works in the library. Nothing's happened. Yet," Angela said, smiling.

"Well, I'm glad you're good. And that you have a new…crush," Amelia chuckled.

"But enough about me. What about you, Amelia?" Angela asked.

"What about me?" Amelia asked.

"You and James? You guys have been together for what? Two years now?" Angela asked.

"Yeah. Just over," Amelia replied.

"Is that all I get? Didn't you say something about how he's thinking of proposing?" Angela asked. Audrey's eyes lit up as she looked over at her aunt.

"Yeah, yeah," Amelia brushed it off. Audrey and Angela looked at each other, confused, prompting Henry to look up with the same confused look on his face. Angela broke out into a smile before encouraging him to sit in front of her to finish his sandcastle.

"Is…that wrong?" Audrey asked.

"No. Yes. I don't know. It should be good news, right?" Amelia asked.

"Generally? Yes. Getting proposed is supposed to be good news," Angela replied.

"You're not excited about it?" Audrey asked, curious.

"No. I should be, though, right?" Amelia asked.

"Yes!" Angela replied.

"So, if you're not excited, what…how do you feel about it, then?" Audrey asked.

"James is great. And…different. We're so different. I love him, but I don't…I don't even know if I ever want to get married. Or if I do, I'm nowhere near ready for it," Amelia replied.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with not wanting to get married, but…does James know that?" Angela asked.

"Probably not," Amelia muttered.

"Amelia!" Angela scolded. Amelia laughed; Angela was starting to sound more and more like Addison. The problem was that Amelia was supposed to be like the big sister in this dynamic.

"You have to tell him," Angela urged.

"I know. I just don't think he'll be happy to hear that," Amelia said.

"But…isn't it worth it to be with someone who wants the same things?" Angela asked timidly.

"Yeah, it is," Amelia nodded. She knew she had to break up with James, she just hadn't been ready yet thus far.

The girls went back to focusing on Henry as he got up to "play Godzilla", or walk all over the sandcastles he'd just built. A "game" Amelia undoubtedly taught him about how not everything was meant to last. Including sandcastles. At least that's what Amelia told Addison when she asked how her son knew who Godzilla was and why he wanted to play it.

After an hour of talking and playing outside, Jake, Addison, and Derek came outside and found them still building and destroying sandcastles with Henry.

"Hey, sorry about that," Derek apologized as he found a seat on one of the lounge chairs outside.

"It's okay. It probably hasn't been easy figuring all this out," Audrey said.

"You're right; it hasn't, but your parents are doing what they think is best for you and everyone else," Jake said, chiming in.

"So, your dad's gonna come back with Meredith and the kids for Thanksgiving, but we were thinking…" Addison started, looking over at Derek to continue.

"How would you feel about going to New York to see the old house for winter break?" Derek asked, finishing her sentence.

"Really?" Audrey's eyes lit up. She didn't remember anything about the house. At least she didn't think she did. Maybe going there would wake up some kind of memory deep inside her. Then again, maybe it wouldn't. But she knew she wanted to at least try.

"Yeah. We can see all the sights. I haven't been back since…well, you know, but Christmas was my favorite time to be over there. There's just something different about being in Manhattan in December," Addison replied wistfully.

"So, does that mean it's a yes?" Derek asked teasingly. Audrey nodded back enthusiastically.

"Good," Derek smiled.

They all spent a relaxing day at home, with Audrey telling Derek all about the school sports she wanted to try out for, the books she'd been reading, and the movie she and Amelia had watched last week. Meanwhile, Jake surprised Audrey with a volleyball set before promptly setting it up in the backyard. Before dinner, Derek said his goodbyes and called later that night to let Audrey know he'd made it back home safely.

The next two weeks continued smoothly, with Audrey continuing to come to the office or even the hospital with Jake or Addison. Since Angela hadn't started school yet either, she dropped by to take Audrey out a few times. Once to show her around the UCLA campus and another to take her to see the Griffith Observatory. Before they all knew it, it was the night before Audrey's first day of school.

"You nervous?" Addison asked while everyone sat for dinner.

"Hmm?" Audrey asked.

"For school. Your first day's tomorrow," Addison clarified before eating a forkful of dinner.

"Oh. Yeah. Maybe a little," Audrey admitted.

"It's gonna be great," Angela reassured her.

After dinner, Angela stayed to read Henry his bedtime story, as he requested, and Audrey went through her clothes to pick out what she wanted to wear for her first day. By the time Angela finished, Audrey was all ready to go for tomorrow, with her clothes laid out, her alarm clock set, and her backpack stuffed with notebooks, pencils, and various books. Angela said her goodbyes before going back to her apartment, wishing Audrey good luck on her first day.

Addison checked back in with Audrey before she and Jake were ready to turn in for the night, but by that time, Audrey was already asleep. Addison smiled at the fact that her thumb was stuck in her old copy of The Great Gatsby with the lamp on her nightstand still on. Quietly, she crept into her room, grabbed the bookmark that was on the table, and placed it where her thumb had saved her spot, gently pulling the book out of her hand and kissing her forehead before turning out the light.

She could only imagine that was how she must've looked at her age. The only difference was she wanted to be the kind of mother Bizzy had never been; when Addison woke up as a teenager, her fingers would still be saving her spot in her book and the lamp would still be on from the night before. Addison watched her daughter's chest rise and fall for another minute before going back to her bedroom for the night.

In the morning, Audrey awoke to the alarm clock on her nightstand ringing before reaching over to turn it off. She saw the book on the nightstand with a bookmark sticking out and smiled, knowing it must've been her mother who put it there for her. After stretching out, yawning, and blinking the sleep out of her eyes, Audrey got out of bed and got ready for her first day of school. While she brushed her teeth in the bathroom, she could hear Henry giggling while Jake got him dressed for the day, which only made her smile.

After getting dressed, Audrey looked at herself in the mirror. It was a different look than what she was used to. She'd always been pretty simplistic in the way she dressed: an old sweater, a simple pair of blue jeans, and usually her old pair of Converse that were probably past the point of just being labeled as worn.

When she went shopping with her parents, especially her mother after moving here, she decided she wanted to go with a new look. Partly because she was attending a private school for the first time and partly because Los Angeles and Toledo had drastically different climates. Mostly it was because she wanted to leave her old life behind. Plus, everything she'd brought with her from Toledo was old and worn and ratty. Now, Audrey had traded her old look for one that was more modern and more feminine, which leaned more toward the kind of person she wanted to be moving forward.

"You look nice," Addison commented, leaning against the door frame and smiling at her daughter. Audrey smiled back and flattened out the nonexistent creases in her skirt.

"Thanks," Audrey smiled nervously.

"I feel like I'm missing something," Audrey said, unable to stop fidgeting.

"You remind me of me when I was moving into my first dorm room," Addison chuckled.

"Really?" Audrey asked, her eyes widening.

"Yeah. I was so nervous. And excited. I'd never had a roommate before, and I'd definitely never lived anywhere except for the estate, but there was one thing that made me feel better," Addison replied as she walked over to stand behind her daughter, still looking at herself in the mirror.

Addison reached over to put her arms around her daughter, holding a necklace before putting it around her neck. When Audrey looked, she saw it was a pendant necklace with the letter A.

"Archer gave me this before I moved out. He said it'd be like a little good luck charm. Maybe now it can be like your little good luck charm," Addison said, stepping back to let Audrey move her hair over the necklace before Audrey turned around.

"Perfect," Addison commented, smiling, before moving some of Audrey's hair behind her ear.

"Now, come on," Addison said, gesturing with her head toward the door.

Audrey nodded and took one more deep breath while looking in the mirror before grabbing her backpack off the ground. It was heavier than she expected since she'd stuffed every possible school supply in there. Addison chuckled before grabbing the bag and unzipping it.

"You're probably not gonna need these today," Addison pointed out, pulling her brand new textbooks out of her bag to lighten the load.

"But what if I do?" Audrey asked.

"Trust me; you won't," Addison reassured her, wrapping an arm around her before leading her out into the hallway.

When they exited Audrey's room, Henry came out of his room with Jake following closely behind, holding his much smaller and much less filled backpack.

"Audi go school today!" Henry exclaimed upon seeing his big sister. Jake and Addison had been telling him about how his big sister was going to school for weeks now. And they did the same the night before, which is how he remembered that today was the day.

"That's right," Addison said excitedly before taking her son's hand as they all walked downstairs together.

Once they reached the bottom, Jake went to the fridge to grab eggs out of the fridge to make breakfast and the jug of milk as Addison started making coffee. Henry grabbed Audrey's hand and led her toward the living room to play with him. After breakfast, everyone went out the door and into the car. Not long after that, Audrey's phone started to ring: it was Derek calling to video chat.

"Hey, Dad," Audrey said after putting on her seatbelt.

"Hey, kid. You ready for your first day of school?" Derek asked.

"Yup," Audrey nodded.

"Got everything?" Derek asked.

"Well, not everything…," Audrey started. Derek looked back, confused.

"Derek, tell your daughter she doesn't need to bring her textbooks on the first day," Addison said from the passenger seat.

"Your mother's right; she knows from experience," Derek chuckled. This time, it was Audrey who looked confused.

"Your mom used to do the same," Derek commented.

"Archer used to take them out before we went out the door. And then Derek did the same for me in med school after we officially got together," Addison informed her as Jake looked over and smiled at his wife from the driver's seat.

"Well, isn't that adorable?" Jake teased.

"Shut up," Addison said, making the two laugh.

"Patient's ready and prepped," Lexie said off-screen.

"I've gotta scrub in for a surgery. I'll call you later after school," Derek started, as Lexie moved to stand beside him.

"Hi, Audrey!" Lexie waved once she went into the frame. Derek and Audrey chuckled before she showed Henry in his car seat, waving back.

"Make sure your mom takes a picture of you before she lets you go," Derek said.

"Dad," Audrey said, embarrassed.

"Hey, we missed all of your other first days; let me have this one," Derek half-joked.

He wanted to be there with her, to see her get out of the car and wave before walking toward all the other students at the school, but he'd settle for a picture. The logistics of coming with Addison's family in the car only to drop Audrey off at school or driving separately and following them in a rental car, or worse, an Uber, just to see the moment felt like a lot to hop on a plane for. Especially since Derek had just been there recently for Addison's birthday. The picture would have to suffice for now.

"I guess you have a point there," Audrey gave in, giving her dad a small smile.

"Don't worry, I'll remember to take a picture," Addison chuckled from the passenger seat.

"I'll call you later," Derek said.

"Have fun at school!" Lexie added before they hung up.

When they got to Audrey's new school, they all looked out the window. It was bigger than any school Audrey had ever been to and she couldn't help but be in awe of everything she could see of the campus from the front. Addison peered back from her seat as Jake got into the drop-off line at the front of the school.

"You ready?" Jake asked.

"Yeah. I think so," Audrey smiled nervously, grabbing her backpack.

"You're gonna do great. Jake's gonna pick you up later today, but I'll be home for dinner after I get out of surgery," Addison said. Audrey nodded before looking out the window as Jake drove up to the curb.

"Here we are," Jake said, putting the car in park. Audrey bit her lip and gripped the door handle for a few seconds longer before opening the door.

"Smile!" Addison said, lifting her phone to take a picture. Audrey looked around, making sure no one was paying attention, and smiled for her mother. She caught Henry in the backseat, smiling back at her as if he was encouraging her to do the same.

"Call if you need anything," Addison said as Jake waved from the driver's seat.

"Bye, Audi!" Henry exclaimed, waving enthusiastically to copy his father. Audrey couldn't help but laugh and wave back at her brother before turning around and walking toward the other students.

"Just one more minute," Addison said, touching Jake's hand on the gearshift as she watched Audrey walk deeper onto campus, looking around to see which door she should enter and trying to figure out where the lockers were.

"She's gonna be just fine," Jake reassured her, touching Addison's shoulder as she watched Audrey enter one of the buildings.

Addison always imagined what it would've been like to see her daughter off for her first day of school. Of course, she pictured Audrey as a little girl going to preschool and her now ex-husband standing beside her as they hugged her goodbye. Eleanor might be in jail now, but all Addison could think about was if there were old photos of Audrey throughout the years somewhere. The important thing was that her daughter was alive, but she wondered if she'd been happy growing up, what kind of friends she'd left in Toledo, and if she missed her old life. All that really mattered now was that Audrey was safe, and that she was here, but it didn't mean Addison didn't wonder.

The closest she and Derek had ever gotten to dropping her off at school was when they dropped Audrey off at daycare for the first time.

~ nearly 15 years earlier ~

"Addie, the daycare just called; you didn't drop her off?" Derek asked after scrubbing out of surgery.

"I couldn't. I…I tried," Addison said, standing outside of Audrey's nursery.

"Did she start crying or something?" Derek asked, confused.

"No, I…she was…perfect. Like she always is, but I…I couldn't let her go. God, I feel like such a cliche, like one of those parents who…cries when their kid goes to preschool except Audrey's not old enough to go to preschool yet, and she doesn't…she doesn't even need to go to daycare. Maybe I can just be a stay-at-home mom," Addison rambled.

"Addie, I love you, but you and I both know you can't be a stay-at-home mom," Derek chuckled.

"Why not? Millions of women stay home to take care of their kids. It used to be all women really did. You know, before they started having rights and going to work and everything," Addison rambled.

"Addison, you're a doctor. You're not just a doctor, you're a surgeon; you love surgery," Derek said.

"But I love Audrey more," Addison said playfully.

"I know you do, and I do, too, but you and I both know you'd get bored after a month," Derek joked.

"It's been almost three months!" Addison pointed out.

"That's different; you were on maternity leave," Derek countered.

"Well, what if I just...never went back to work? What if…what if I'm done working?" Addison asked, unsure of herself.

"You can't, Addie," Derek replied.

"Why not?" Addison asked.

"Addison Forbes Montgomery. You are more than just my wife and the mother of my child. You are also one of the best surgeons in the country. As much as I love you, and as much as I know you love Audrey, you would not be happy being a full-time, stay-at-home mother," Derek said.

"I can't do it, Derek. She's too little. And I'm not ready," Addison pouted.

"You were ready two weeks ago," Derek chuckled, remembering how Addison had called him then, complaining about how Dr. Jane McKenna, her temporary replacement at Mount Sinai, told her about how she'd met and treated a woman with two uteruses, which was extremely rare, and how she wished she'd been there to see it.

"That was before I went to the daycare center," Addison muttered.

"Alright, tell you what: I'll come with you guys tomorrow," Derek suggested.

"Really?" Addison asked.

"I have a feeling you're not gonna let this go unless I physically take her out of your arms," Derek joked.

It turned out Derek was right. When they went into the daycare the next day, Addison wanted to take Audrey home, but Derek insisted if she didn't do it now, Addison would probably never muster up the strength to drop their baby off on her own. The woman at the daycare center was nice, and Derek wrapped his arms around his wife playfully, kissing her cheek as the woman took their baby toward the back of the room to an empty crib. Addison had resisted, wiggling in Derek's arms as he held onto her gently. Back when they were still young and their marriage was still sweet and innocent and loving.

~ present day ~

Addison looked back at the school as they drove away. Jake grabbed her hand after slowing down to a stop at the red light, picking it up to kiss it.

"She'll be fine," Jake reassured her again.

Meanwhile, Audrey found the lockers and grabbed the sticky note out of her backpack with the combination. She dropped off most of her things and settled with just her cell phone, which she put on vibrate, a notebook, her pencil bag, and her schedule her mother had printed out for her before looking for her first class. When she got there, she saw some students already there in small groups, presumably conversing with their friends about what they did that summer. If only her peers knew what her summer had been like, Audrey could only imagine how they'd react. After finding an empty desk in a somewhat isolated spot, Audrey sat down, awkwardly looking around at her classmates, all of whom were complete strangers.

"Are these seats taken?" a girl asked.

"No," Audrey said, telling herself to smile back at her and the two students holding hands behind her.

"Thanks," the girl smiled back before gesturing toward the two other seats around them.

"I don't think I've seen you before. Are you new?" the girl asked.

"That obvious?" Audrey asked nervously.

"Not that obvious," the other girl reassured her, smiling gently at her.

"I'm Sabina. And this is Jace and Jenna," Sabina said, introducing her friends, who waved back when they were introduced.

"Hi. I'm Audrey," Audrey said, introducing herself.

"Nice to meet you," Jenna smiled.

A few minutes passed as they got their notebooks and pencils out to get ready for class, while more students filed in before class started. Mrs. Cho, Audrey's homeroom teacher, wrote her name on the board, introduced herself, and started calling attendance before passing out the class syllabus that went over the curriculum they'd all learn in this global studies class. Mrs. Cho called out everyone's first and last names, and Audrey smiled when she heard her new name in its entirety: Audrey Montgomery-Shepherd.

As the day went on, Audrey found she had multiple classes in common with her new acquaintances, with Sabina sharing the same French and photography classes, Jenna sharing the same geometry class, and Jace sharing the same chemistry class as Audrey.

They all chatted in between classes, mostly about small things like what electives they were taking and what textbooks they needed to get. When it came to lunchtime, Jenna motioned over for Audrey to sit with them at a table.

"So, how do you like Windward so far?" Jenna asked as she spun her fork in her lunch.

"It's nice. Nicer than my old school," Audrey replied.

"What school did you go to before?" Jace asked.

"Rogers High School," Audrey answered.

"Where's that?" Sabina asked.

"Toledo. I lived there until a few months ago," Audrey replied.

"What made your parents want to move to L.A.?" Jenna asked.

"Well…I'm actually from New York," Audrey started.

"Oh, that's cool. I've never been," Jenna mused.

"Who moves from New York to Toledo, of all places?" Sabina asked. Jenna glared at her friend.

"Maybe it was for a job," Jace suggested.

"See?" Jenna said.

"It wasn't…it wasn't for a job…," Audrey admitted.

"So, why the move?" Sabina asked, curious.

"Because…the people I thought were my parents weren't really my parents, and I didn't know until a few months ago. The people I thought were my parents actually just took me from my real parents when I was a baby. I only found out because I went and got tested to try to help the woman I thought was my mom with a bone marrow transplant at a free clinic in Seattle and my DNA, surprise surprise, didn't match," Audrey rambled, trying to make light of the topic while letting her thoughts roll out of her. Her new classmates listened intently.

"And then, it turns out my dad, my real dad, works for the hospital in Seattle that runs the clinic, but since my fake dad is on the loose somewhere in Seattle, I came to live here with my mom, my real mom, my stepdad, and my baby brother," Audrey added.

"Wow," Jace commented.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to…word-vomit everything all over you guys," Audrey said, embarrassed as she finally took a breath. She hadn't realized until now that she hadn't really talked about how crazy the past few months had been until now. At least, not really. She just wished she hadn't scared away people she thought could be her new friends.

"No, it's okay. It's much more interesting than anything that happens here," Sabina joked, making them all laugh along.

"You're honest. I like that. We could use a lot more honesty around here," Sabina smiled.

Audrey smiled, relieved she hadn't scared away her new friends. The conversation moved on as they all asked her about how she liked L.A. so far and they made a bucket list of sorts of places she had to see around town. Jace and Jenna then changed the subject to the upcoming volleyball tryouts happening next week. When Audrey mentioned that she not only wanted to join the team but that Jake had set up a net in the beach backyard, they all decided her house should be the new after-school hangout spot.

When Jake came to pick Audrey up from school, he smiled when he saw the three students walking alongside her as she approached the car.

"Hey, Jake," Audrey greeted.

"Hey. Have fun at school?" Jake asked.

"Yeah. Is it okay if they come over? I kinda told them about the volleyball net you set up last week and we were wondering if we could practice before tryouts next week," Audrey asked.

"I don't see why not," Jake smiled before watching Audrey's face light up as she turned to tell her new friends.

Jake exited the car and grabbed the door before taking Henry's car seat out to make room for everyone. He made a mental note to thank Amelia for taking him out earlier that day. Audrey opened the passenger door seat for herself as Sabina opened the back door before she, Jace, and Jenna slid in.

"Thanks for letting us come over, Mr…," Jenna started. She knew Jake was Audrey's stepfather, so it was unlikely he had the same last name as Audrey, which they had all learned was Montgomery-Shepherd during attendance in homeroom.

"Reilly," Jake turned from the driver's seat, smiling as he checked to make sure everyone buckled their seatbelts.

"Yeah, thanks, Mr. Reilly," Jace said.

The 20-minute car ride was full of the kids catching Audrey up on some relationship drama about some other classmates they'd heard about over the summer in between singing along to the music on the radio. After Jake parked the car, the kids piled out and Audrey unlocked the front door with the key Addison had given her last week.

"You guys get any homework today?" Jake asked as he hung up his coat.

"Uh…a little bit," Audrey said after thinking about it for a second.

"Alright, homework first. Then you guys can go out and play volleyball," Jake said, knowing Addison would've wanted the same thing.

The kids nodded in agreement before sitting on the couch and pulling out their homework. Jake smiled before excusing himself to finish some paperwork, letting them know he'd be upstairs if they needed anything. When he got everything settled, he called Addison to let her know Audrey had brought home some new friends from school. She was, as expected, ecstatic about her daughter already making friends on her first day.

An hour later, Audrey came upstairs to tell Jake they'd all finished their homework and were going outside. He smiled and told her he'd grab the rest of the equipment, namely the volleyballs, out from the garage before following Audrey downstairs.

"You kids want to stay for dinner? That is, if it's okay with your parents," Jake asked.

"Sure," Sabina nodded, looking back at her friends, who shrugged and nodded as well before they all pulled out their phones, ready to call their parents for their permission.

"Any allergies or diets I should know about?" Jake asked.

"Peanut allergy for me," Jace replied.

"I don't eat pork, but everything else is fair game," Sabina added.

"Nothing for me; I eat everything," Jenna smiled when Jake looked at her to double-check.

"Got it," Jake said, mentally figuring out what to make for dinner out of what he knew was in the fridge.

Audrey's new friends called their parents and were happy to report they got their parents' permission to stay before they all went outside to play. About ten minutes later, Addison got home just as Jake was prepping dinner.

"That's them?" Addison asked after hanging up her coat and giving her husband a quick kiss hello.

"Yup," Jake smiled, watching Addison admire Audrey with her new friends playing volleyball.

Audrey's focus while playing reminded Addison of when she'd watched Derek in the OR, the way he could concentrate on one focal point without letting anything bother him in the silence. As Addison continued watching, she watched as Audrey got better at the sport, observing her new friends and their techniques, not letting her misses drag her down.

Addison remembered the day Archer came home one day from school and told her he liked how tenacious she was. He was in middle school, but Addison was still in elementary school, so Addison had to ask him what it meant. At the time, she'd been trying to complete the New York Times crossword puzzle. Because that's what you did as a ten-year-old in the Montgomery household. It'd been a few months at that point, and Addison had just accomplished getting to almost half of the crossword puzzle without having to look for the answer in a book somewhere in the library.

When she told Archer that, he told her he admired her tenacity. It was the same determination Addison now saw in her daughter, and one she wasn't surprised by after seeing how strong Audrey had been over the last few months. No one would've blamed her if she'd broken under the trauma after discovering everything she thought she knew was a lie, but Audrey demonstrated real strength and tenacity in embracing her new life. Addison had never been that lucky to make friends as fast as her daughter had seemed to. If there was anyone who deserved to make friends that fast, it certainly was her daughter, Addison thought.

Addison continued watching Audrey outside with her friends while Jake proceeded with making dinner, even moving toward the back door to get a closer look. When Audrey looked inside, she saw her mom and waved back, pointing her out to her new friends as they all waved back. Right after Jake finished searing off some chicken thighs and moving the pan into the oven, they heard the front door unlock before Henry ran inside.

"Mommy!" Henry exclaimed as Addison met Henry in the living room, kissing his cheek after picking him up.

"Hi, baby," Addison cooed before giving him another kiss and letting him back down.

"You have fun with Auntie Amelia?" Addison asked. Henry nodded enthusiastically before turning around to see Jake smiling widely. The toddler walked over after he saw Jake close the oven door just as Addison saw Amelia walk in holding a duffel bag.

"Amelia? Is everything okay?" Addison asked, concerned.

"Yeah. I, uh…James and I broke up," Amelia said, chuckling awkwardly before dropping her duffel bag, cueing Addison to walk over to pull her in for a hug.

A/N: Chapter title inspired by the song, Slipping Through My Fingers by ABBA. For Angela, I knew I wanted to touch on Angela's breakup with the professor, which I think as much as the show was trying to make it seem not creepy, it still came off that way, so I wasn't going to have them be together in this story. There were a few different variations that I came up with for how the breakup went down, but this is the version I decided to use; there were darker versions of the story, but this story's dark enough with the whole kidnapping plot (lol). And Amelia: I don't know why they put her with James of all people, but she deserves better than him anyway, and I think at this point, Amelia's not quite where James is relationship-wise, and she doesn't even want the same things as him, so their breakup also had to happen.

Now that Audrey's finally moving on with her life and she's been adjusting to her new life for a while, Derek and Addison finally got the chance to talk about more specifics without feeling the need to be too fragile around their daughter. I think it was good for Audrey to finally express her feelings without feeling like there was all this unintentional pressure, which she would feel if she were talking about it with her new family. And Audrey has friends now! She's gone through so much in such a short amount of time, I thought she deserved to make friends and to make them this fast. Just to give you all a little clue-in on my writing process right now, I am starting to rewrite some of my chapters that I've already finished, so it may take a little longer to update, but it's to make them better (and hopefully not worse) because I think I rushed through writing a few of these chapters. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter. Until next time!