And I'm back. Sorry it took so long. These crazy times are affecting everything. The good news is that this story is almost finished. This is the next to the last chapter. All we have left is an epilogue and that will be that. I do hope you will enjoy and leave me a comment letting me know what you think. I would appreciate it.

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Chapter 34

Addison was in the nursery, where she seemed to spend most of her time now. Not that she was complaining. As much of a workaholic she was in her own way, maternity leave was turning out to be something she was enjoying more than she had ever thought possible.

Well, all right. If she were being totally honest, the task she was doing right now, changing her daughter's dirty diapers were not up there on the real enjoyable tasks of motherhood. But she had seen and done a lot worse things in the course of her medical career so, she was prepared to do it and not mind too much.

Her daughter was making happy, joyful noises and Addison cooed at her. "Who's Mommy's sweet girl? You are. So, pretty. I think you are by far the prettiest thing I eve r made."

"You can say that again."

Shocked Addison turned around and there was Derek in the doorway. "You started me."

"I'm sorry. I was going to say something but I got caught up in the beautiful sight of both of my beautiful girls."

Addison blushed. "Thank you, Derek."

He entered the room and picked Faith up. "Ho's Daddy's little girl? She laughed.'

"Considering that I just changed her, she's now comfortable, so I'd say she's very good."

They were enjoying themselves when Addison's phone rang. She opened it.

"It's Mark, isn't it?" Derek could tell by the expression on her face.

"Yes."

"Pick it up. Let's find out what he wants."

So, she did. "Hello, Mark."

"Hello, Addison."

"What do you want?"

"I want to come by and see my daughter."

Addison froze. It wasn't an unexpected request but somehow she was till shocked by it. Maybe because she had managed to forget that Faith was Mark's biologically. Or at the very least, push it from the forefront of her mind.

"Just a minute." She lowered the phone. "It's Mark. He wants to come by and see Faith."

Derek grimaced. "I guess we'll have to let him. Find out when he wants to come."

"When do you want to come?"

"How about now?"

"He says now."

"Fine."

She hung up. "So, now reality crashes in on us."

"Yes. Well, we knew this was what we'd have to deal with. Best to get it over with."

But it's never going to be over, Derek. Mark is always going to want to be a a part of Faith's life."

"Yeah, those were the wrong words to use. I meant to get the first visit done. That will be the hardest. It should, hopefully, get easier as we go."

"Do you really think so?"

"I hope so."

" Yes, me too."

Mark got there fairly quickly. "Where is she?"

"In her playpen. We set it up on the living room. Let's go in there" Addison led the way.

Mark stopped in the doorway and just took in the sight of his beautiful daughter. "She's wearing the Yankees onesie I got for her? Whose idea was that?"

"Mine. I thought it would be a nice thing for you so I changed her into it. You were fast getting here but I did have enough time to do that," Addison replied.

"Thank you. I mean..." Can, can I go and pick her up?"

Addison nodded and Mark walked over to the playpen. "Hey, baby." He reached in and picked her up, in a surprisingly correct way. All those years around Derek's sisters kids were finally paying off. "Hey, Faith, you beautiful, sweet thing."

She cooed. "She likes me, she really likes me."

"Well, you're not a bad person, Mark, so why wouldn't she like you?"

Mark raised his eyebrows at Addison's words. "You're really saying that?"

Surprisingly it was Derek who answered. "Well, it's true. You're not and neither is Addison. Doing a bad thing doesn't make anyone necessarily a bad person"

"Who are you and what have you done with Derek Shepherd?," Mark quipped.

"Hahaha. Very funny."

"In all seriousness I honestly never expected to hear you say anything like that."

Derek shrugged. "I don't know, Mark, it isn't like it wasn't a major thing but we do have Faith out of the deal and I can't honestly say that that's a bad thing."

Mark nodded and looked down at his daughter. "She could never be a mistake."

"Aborting her like I almost did would have been one, though. Derek helped me to see that."

Mark looked Derek straight in the eye. "Then I owe you a debt of gratitude that I can never repay."

Derek squirmed uncomfortably under Mark's scrutiny. "You don't owe me anything."

"Yeah, man, I do. Because we both know one of the biggest reasons Addie considered abortion was because she has doubts about the kind of father I'd make." Addison tried to interrupt him at this point but Mark held up his hand to stop her.

"Don't try and deny it, Addie, we all know that's true and it's not like I could blame you."

He held Faith closer and turned to Derek again. "But you convinced her not to. I know that that couldn't have been easy for you because I know it wouldn't be easy for me if I were in your place. That's why I know what I owe you and why I'm sincerely thanking you for it."

Derek nodded. "All right, fair enough. But if we're all being completely honest here , Addison never truly wanted to abort and I could tell. What kind of husband would I be if I let her go through with something she really didn't want to do. The kind of husband that drover her to you in the first place"

Mark shook his head. "Wow man, you're full of surprises. You're saying a lot of stuff I never expected to hear you ever say."

Derek nodded. " I didn't necessarily ever expect to ever hear myself say them bu things have changed. Having a child in your life changes your life forever."

"That it does, in normal circumstances. These are hardly normal, so it applies even more."

Addison interjected here. "If I may say something but I ma proud of the way you both have handled everything."

"You're not doing too bad yourself, Addie, in the handling department." This was Mark.

She nodded. "We all know it isn't just about us anymore. Once I decided to keep Faith it was only ever going to be about her because she is the only innocent in all this and making sure she never surfers for any of our mistakes is going to be the number one priority for all of us. I think we all can agree on that"

The two men nodded. "Good, because I wan to say something right here and now. I don't regret having her. I always wanted to be a mother and despite my background I had always hoped I could do better than my own mother and I am determined to do so."

"You will." That came from Derek and Mark simultaneously and they both looked at each other in shock that, even after everything that had gone on between them that they could still be so much in sync.

Addison had to laugh. "O.K. It looks like you two are more on the same page than any of us would have ever thought."

'I wouldn't say that, " Derek hastened to say.

"I wouldn't either."

Addison decided not to bring up the fact that they both agreed that they disagreed was evidence for her hypothesis. It wasn't worth rocking and risking the fragile peace that they seemed to have established.

"I could go make us some coffee', she offered. That's something I can do."

Mark shook his head. "I don't think I'm there for a sit down with you guys yet. But thank you fr letting me see her."

"We promised we'd let you see her whenever you wanted. We aren't going to go back on that." Addison was firm.

"And I will try not to disrupt your lives too much but I do want to see her and ti be a part of her life and it does mean a lot to me to. Anyway, I'll get gong now and let you get back to things." He handed the baby to Addison. "Thank you again." He bet a hast retreat.

"A humble Mark Sloan. I never thought I'd ever see the day." Derek was astonished.

"I know what you mean. He's not really the same Mark we've always known anymore, is he? I guess father hod is having the same profound changes in him as mother hood is having on me."

"It is changing you, Addie, I can see it. You're softer now. But you're still, you. That hasn't changed. You're still my Addie."

"And you're still my Derek and father hood has changed you too. You really have stepped up."

He looked down at Faith cooing I her mother's arms. " I didn't expect the love I would feel for her once I saw her. I was totally unprepared for it. I knew I would never hold her parentage against her but until I actually saw her I guess I didn't believe I would lover her that much or even love her at all just for her."

"I think that that is a common thing I know most of my patients have said that while they knew they wold love their babies, until they were actually here they didn't know just how much. I guess it must be the difference between the actual and the abstract."

Derek nodded. "That makes logical sense."

"Still doesn't mean that everything has to be logical. It often isn't."

"That I know.'

"Still, I guess life wouldn't be as interesting without everything."

"Yes. There certainly wouldn't be a need for us and our fields."

"Or we would have just done something else."

"Yes, but this may not be the nicest thing but I like my field. I'm glad I'm in it."

Addison nodded. "Nothing wrong with that. I feel the same way."

Addison then was going to say something else but hesitated. Derek noticed. "Is there something else you want to say Addie?"

"Yes—no-I don't know." Then she nodded hesitatingly.

"Then just say it. You know we decided to be more open. I promise I won't get mad."

"It's just that I think this really could work out all right with Mark. It's not ideal and it sure as hell isn't conventional but after today and seeing how he was I just think it might work after all. I hope that doesn't bother you or make you angry."

Derek shook his head. "No, it doesn't make me angry. I understand why you would worry about that but the fact is we are both on the same page. I actually agree with you."

"Really?" Addison was shocked.

"Yes, really."

"Well, that's all right then." And they smiled at each other.