Hi :) I hope you like chapter 7 of this story. I really enjoy writing Addek again. I find it a little hard to decide between Seattle and NY though. I feel like they belong in Seattle for some reason even if Addison didn't stay there for that long during Grey's, I don't know, it just feels like home. But when you write a child in preschool age or older, into Addek's story during season 2 it becomes a bit harder because that child is settled and rooted in NY already. I actually thought about making Bizzy fall ill so Addison felt she had to move to Connecticut to care for her and take a job there and they could still be relatively close to NY but I didn't really like that idea. If you have any suggestions, please leave them :) I'm leaning towards Seattle still, just so you know. Thank you in advance for reading and hopefully reviewing/subscribing/faving!

Derek woke up in his Manhattan bed only to find Addison's side empty. He threw a look at his watch, it was 10 AM already. The two of them had surely been up for quite some time last night as he hardly ever woke up this late. Once finished brushing his teeth, he moved downwards for the kitchen and the coffee maker, craving his first daily dose of caffeine. Taking the first sip, he noticed a scribbly post-it note left on the counter.

Morning,

Gone out to pick up J and get some groceries

-A

He leaned against the counter while letting out a deep exhale. It had been raining heavily last night but sometime during the wee hours of the morning it had ceased and now only few drops were tapping gently on their window, easing his mind a little. He finished up another cup of coffee and grabbed a leftover pancake before he headed for the shower.

Half an hour later, he was dressed and had his hair put in place. He heard the key turn in the door lock and a second later the two familiar voices coming from downstairs. Josie's unmistakable cheerful giggles instantly warmed his heart and he was headed for the stairs in a swift second.

'It's funny' He heard Addison agree with the four year old as she put a bag of groceries down.

'Hey!' He greeted them, halfway down the stairs, expecting Josie's already happy mood to rise further at the sight of him. But instead, she froze on her spot and her facial expression looked more surprised, shocked even, than anything. Her lip started to tremble slightly and Derek looked to Addison, puzzled.

'You didn't say anything?'

'I thought it'd be a surprise…I didn't expect you to come so suddenly…'

Turning their attention back towards Josie, they could see her eyes getting wet and she quickly hid her face behind her hands.

'Jo, sweetheart!' Derek was quickly at her side, Addison already kneeling next to her, 'what's the matter…'

'I missed you' She confessed behind her hidden face, almost ashamed of herself. Derek gently pried her hands away from her face and wept away a sole tear.

'I missed you more…' He held her chin, 'why the sad face?'

'I'm not sad' She excused herself, knowing that her facial expression presented her that way. In fact, she was relatively content at the moment but an overwhelming sensation made her voice tremble and her eyes watery.

'I'm not-' An impulsive sob escaped her throat and she fought a little against her stressed voice. 'Sad…I promise-'

'Sweetie' He moved her head closer, 'you're allowed to.'

'I'm not-' She insisted as Addison started to fondle her hair.

'Guess you're a little overwhelmed, huh. A bit stunned, a bit relieved and a bit happy all at once?'

'I'm happy' She fell into Derek's embrace, 'I want you to stay with me, daddy'

'I will' That, he could promise, he knew with all his heart. 'No matter what' He sent Addison a serious look, 'I promise.'

The two parents took another moment to hold their daughter in their embrace. Addison could feel a pair of fingers tracing the side of her hand. Derek's. Quietly, she cleared her throat as she got up.

'You wanna tell daddy about the sleepover?'

'We had a princess tea party' She chatted on enthusiastically, 'and we painted glittery mermaids. And we played catch and we ate rainbow cake and I, and I slept all night! Without Poppy!'

'Princess tea party! Really! Sounds like so much fun' He joined her enthusiasm, 'No Poppy, all night? Really?' He acted surprised even though he was well aware of the bunny's current whereabouts.

'Yes!' She was beaming, 'and the paci broke!'

'Er, what?'

Addison pulled the worn out binky from her purse, giving him a playful grimace. It surely was worn-out and chewed to pieces.

'Oh, well, yes' Derek smiled awkwardly, 'four year old teeth doesn't go very well along with that'

'We're giving it do the baby clinic so they can fix it and give it to a baby who needs it more' Josie stated proudly and Derek nodded eagerly, doing his best to follow her excitement. Addison had surely used some grand promises in order to inspire her to give it up for good this time. He was also certain that the presence of Alice, as well as her two cousins being a year older than her, had been a good influence as neither of them were dependent on such thing anymore.

A rock fell on his chest, or at least that's what it felt like thinking he was actually considering for real moving them to Seattle and away from Josie's close-knit group of friends and family. He swallowed and gave her the best smile he could possibly fake while kissing the top of her head.

'I'm so proud of you, darling'

'I'm gonna find Poppy' In a hurry, she ran up the stairs to her bedroom, leaving her parents to their own in the hallway. Addison was staring lovingly into the air.

'She's really amazing, isn't she' It was a mere statement, not a question.

'Yeah' Derek couldn't control his proud smile, 'she's…everything.'

'Is that a shark?' Semi-drowsy and laying on her father's chest on the living room couch, Josie opened one eye to the flickering screen in front of her. It was evening and the three Shepherds had just finished a Chinese take-out meal in front of the TV. It was a strangely comforting ordinary night that reminded the two surgeons too much about the absentminded and lazy time spent prior to the adultery, yet they both craved this kind of uneventful and homey moment together.

'You awake?' Derek looked down at the snuggly girl resting on him with a plush blanket on top of her. A sea life documentary was playing on their TV screen and a rather hostile looking predator fish was the center of attention.
'Yes' She answered matter-of-factly, receiving a nasal chuckle from Addison who was placed on the opposite side of the couch with her legs stretched out, her toes swiftly touching Derek's.

'Let's switch channel-' Derek was about to grab the remote, expecting the great white to appear too scary for the four year olds eyes.

'No, I wanna look. It's a big shark' Josie answered casually, not bothered by its aggressive nature.

'It is. It's not THE biggest but it's the scariest' Addison joined in. Derek sent her a quizzing look.

'Are you a marine biologist by now?'

'I know a thing or two about ocean life, yes.' She answered, self-complacent. That woman never ceased to astound him.

'Does it eat people?'

'It's happened, but very rarely. They prefer other fish. And seals.'

'Oh. I love seals.'

Derek and Addison exchanged smiley glances, almost speaking in unison. 'you love every animal'

'Yes. Does sharks live in New York?'

'Not exactly where we live. But just outside New York, they pass by from time to time. But we don't have to worry. They prefer warmer waters.'

The two parents kept eyeing their daughter as she kept looking with grand interest at the scenes playing out on their television screen. Thankfully, it wasn't particularly savage ones that could bother her young mind before bedtime.

Derek shifted a little, earning a protest from the young girl.

'No, daddy. I'm comfy'

'Apologies, princess. Daddy's gotta go to the bathroom.'

'Noo' She complained cutely, 'comfy'

'Come here' Addison patted her legs, 'come lay with me. Daddy's gotta pee.'

'No, actually I-' Derek started, instantly making Addison groan in dissatisfaction.

'No, Derek, seriously? I don't need you to exact those toilet details!'

'Seriously? You're a doctor, Addison'

'Still, I don't need to know your fecal schedules!'

'Really?' He couldn't hide his mocking grin, 'you're still squeamish about poop?'

'I'm an OB/GYN, not a proctologist'

'I wasn't going to anyways. I was in fact going to brush my teeth.'

'Yeah right' She muttered ironically, hiding a tiny smile, 'you so were gonna poop.'

'Mommy gotta poop' Josie giggled, listening to her parents' silly bickering.'Poopy Mommy'

'I agree, Mommy is the one who looks rather ready to evacuate her bowels' Derek teased in a formal and medical manner, poorly hiding a mocking smirk. Addison's face grew deadly offended and she reached for the biggest pillow she could find only to throw it right at Derek's annoyingly humored face. His huge grin only grew bigger as he tossed it right back at her.

'Poopy Mommy' The four year old giggled in an almost heartwarming way as she and Derek threw another pillow her way, teasing the redhead some more.

'Poopy Mommy? Poopy Josie!' She reached for her girl and brought her on top of her so she could tickle her waist. The young girl started to wriggle underneath her as Addison kept going, 'poopy Josie! you gonna help me out here, poopy daddy?'

'Alright then' Derek moved closer and started to touch Josie's neck with gentle, tickling fingers, knowing her exact most ticklish parts, making the girl squeal with joy and slight panic.

'Poopy daddy! Poopy mommy!'

'Are you sure you wanna go down that road again' Addison warned her playfully before her fingers gently prodded against her belly and upwards towards her neck.

'Daddy, help' She laughed and screamed at once, almost out of breath.

'There's no daddy helping you out right now' He mocked as he and Addison took turns showering their daughter with relentless showers of tickles. At last, she was able to wrap her hands around her fathers neck and give him a round of reciprocation. Addison quickly joined in, he wasn't all that ticklish but they knew he had a vulnerable spot on his neck, too.

'You know it's gonna be you next, right?' Derek warned her once they gave him a pause to catch his breath.

Addison shrugged, knowing she was so lying. 'I'm not that ticklish'

'You know I've known you for what, sixteen years already?'

'Tickle poopy Mommy!''
'Let's go' In a heartbeat, he'd pinned her down on the couch and got himself seated on top of her, more than ready to give her a payback. Addison eyed him with a bold look on her face, looking annoyingly calm, but the second he tackled her waist with his persistent touch she squealed out loud, making Josie giggle with amusement as she gave Derek a solid nudge on his leg back.

At the coffee table next to them, her Blackberry started to buzz on the surface, signalizing an incoming call.

'Saved by the bell' Derek breathed with a small smile on his face as she got up to catch her phone.

'Judy, hey ' Addison answered as she grimaced at him. Derek wrapped his arms around Josie and fell back on the pillows with her on his lap. It was one of Addison's peers at their practice, the other woman being a certified OB/GYN herself.

'Addison, hi!' She greeted contentedly, 'how are you? Making good progress? I heard you're back in New York'
'I'm doing well, thinking I'll be here throughout the week initially.'

'Good, good. Care for a lunch tomorrow? For the sake of chit-chat, but of course, regarding the obvious as well. Don't worry, I won't make you rush any decision, but I thought we could discuss it some.'

'Sounds wise. I'll be there' Arranging their meeting, Addison spent another minute with her on the phone. She was almost positive the woman was going to propose a prolonged temporary leave of absence on her part, as well as ask her to review the applications for the new midwife position the clinic had recently publicized.

'Judy' She explained to Derek, as if he didn't hear her already. He nodded. 'She wants to meet tomorrow for lunch.'

Instead of saying a word, he kept moving his head up.

'It's not a final thing…yet. I'll just hear her out.'

'Okay' He said slowly, appearing normal.

'I hear you, Derek, I really do. I just…need more time.'

'I understand that' He sounded sincere and not at all defeated or doubtful about it. He gave her a short smile as he got up from the couch.

'I'm gonna brush my teeth'

Josie jumped up to follow his tracks. 'I wanna come with'

'Clingy Josie' Addison tried to make another joke but neither seemed amused by it and she quickly regretted her silly remark.

'Come here' She modified herself, 'come join me. Daddy's not going, he'll be upstairs'

'Daddy' Josie insisted, sticking to his side. He brushed her hair and pushed her gently in front of him, making their way upstairs.

'You can come'

Entering the bathroom, Derek lifted her up and placed her on top of the bathroom counter before squirting toothpaste on their toothbrushes, handing Josie hers. They brushed their teeth in silence, Derek occasionally peeking at her with a wary smile on his face.

'Daddy' She said after a little while, 'I want to live with you.'

'Of course you are.'

'For real. Every day. And mommy too. That's what I want.'

'I know' He disposed of the leftover toothpaste and kissed the top of her head, 'Mommy and I are still talking things through. But I can promise you this, no matter what, you are going to live with mommy and me.'

'In our house?'

'That's the tricky part' He felt uneasy, 'I don't work here anymore. I have my job in Seattle, where the trailer is, and where the ferryboats are. Mommy…is still working here. Mommy hasn't decided yet.'

'This is our house.'

'For now. If we buy a new house, this won't be our house anymore.'

'But we don't need a new house.'

'Let me show you something' Derek took the phone from his pocket, presenting to her a series of estate pictures, revealing a beautifully classic farm house style maison, located within easy reach to the hospital and the heart of the city, but still comfortably secluded with lakes, forests and hiking trails a stone's throw away.

'What do you think?' He almost whispered, hopeful.

Josie scanned the photos. It was a relatively large house with an even grander garden surrounding it. It was perfect for all sorts of outdoor activities. The house was lovely by anyone's standards.

Derek almost expected her to ask for a dog, or a pool, or her very own playhouse to go perfectly along with the place, but instead she bit her lip, hard. She looked at him with wide eyes while staying quiet for a minute.

'I'm sorry' Then she spoke, 'I'm sorry I was bad. I didn't mean to. Daddy I promise-'

'Sweetheart, what-'

'I'm so sorry I cried and I yelled!' She was worried by now, 'I'm sorry I scratched a boy! I promise I will be better!'

'No, no, Josie, stop' The pulse was slightly throbbing in her neck, visible to him. He cupped her face in his hands, meeting her eyes. 'this has nothing to do with it.'

He felt his attempt of consolation being pathetic. He was an idiot, expecting pictures of a nice house to enthuse her. To her, it felt nothing like an encouragement, or good news. To her, it was mere punishment.

'I can be a good girl, I promise' Her eyes were moist by now.

'I know you can' He lowered his voice and cooed against her ear, soothingly. 'and you are. Every day.'

'What's going on?' The tension and distraught in her daughter's voice had reached Addison's ears and she appeared in the doorway. Josie reached out her arms, begging for Addison to hold her, having Derek involuntarily release her.

'Mommy I'm sorry!' She pleaded against her mother's neck, 'I don't want to lose my grandma, and my Alice!'

'What are you talking about?' She took her in her arms, 'Derek, what did you say?'

'It has to come up eventually. And she was asking about our living situation'

'And you told her about your grand, lavish plans in Seattle?' She guessed right, 'don't tell me you showed her the house ad'
She shook her head seeing how his quiet response gave it all away. Josie hugged her mother tighter, pressing her face against her shoulder.

'Mommy…' She wailed.

'Let's get you to bed, honey' She sent Derek a last look before she left to tuck her daughter in for the night. 'We really need to talk'

'We do'

'To a therapist' She emphasized through a mutter.

Four years prior

Addison was standing in the nursery at their Brownstone, folding brand new baby clothes and stacking them into the cabinet. It was the third of August and still no baby present. It was four days past her due date and she figured she just would have to wait it out until her upcoming follow-up the next week. She was standing with her back facing Derek when he entered the room he'd painted in a delightful shade of buttermilk yellow.

'Hey' He tilted his head to the side while admiring his wife.

'Hey' She turned around and returned his warm smile. He moved closer and wrapped an arm around her. He held her shoulder for a minute before his hand moved further down, directed towards her belly.

'Hey' He spoke again, addressing both her and the baby. His hand felt her prominent bump with loving, circular motions.

'What are you doing?'

'Putting her clothes in place' It dawned on her suddenly, 'Derek, this is the last thing. Everything's ready' She made a gesticulation across the room. Everything was indeed ready. The crib, the bed sheets, the stuffed bunny by the pillow, the clothes, the diapers and the changing table, the car seat, the stroller, their hospital bags…

'We didn't miss anything. Everything's ready' She breathed nervously.

'Everything's ready' He said through his usual steady, relaxing voice, trying to hold back a shaky laugh.

'We can do this, right?'

'It's a little late for seconds thoughts now' His smile grew, and he tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear. She leaned into him.

'We've lived in this house for seven years. And now we're having a baby here. For real.'

'Yeah' He looked at her in awe, 'we can do this Addison.'

'It's been us for seven years in this house. And I love having your nieces and nephews sleep over, but this is different. This house is so…grown-up. Married-friendly. You think it's gonna be baby-friendly as well?'

'You want to move?'

'No, no I don't. It's just…it's been the two of us. In this house.'

'The house is gonna love the smelly diapers and the pitter-patter baby feet. And the teething and the tantrums…' He brought her closer, embracing her, 'and all the food stains on your taffeta shirts and the beige couch…' He teased, making her chuckle into his ear.

'Aaand…' He kept on,' there's gonna be all the birthday parties and the first day of kindergarten, and school, and maybe a dog, or a cat, or another baby…And you being department head at Mount Sinai, or running your own clinic…'

'You think all that's gonna fit into this house?'

'Yes. All that. Our entire lives.' He grinned, 'but first of all, let's meet Josephine.'

'You think she'll be happy?'

'Addison' He promised her teal blue eyes, 'she will be happy.'