Summary: A/U This is my take on what should have happened after Addison's conversation with Meredith, and how these events will affect the lives of Addison and Derek, and those around them.
ThanX go out to my excellent Beta, Agent Extremis
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Also, please forgive me for the lack of updates. I haven't really been inspired, but Mellie and Fitz's relationship on 'Scandal' triggered something in me. Plus, finding and reading every ADDEK fanfic I can get a hold of has helped. Hope you enjoy it!
"I Won't Give Up"
By: Jason Mraz
When I look into your eyes
It's like watching the night sky
Or a beautiful sunrise
Well, there's so much they hold
And just like them old stars
I see that you've come so far
To be right where you are
How old is your soul?
Well, I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up
And when you're needing your space
To do some navigating
I'll be here patiently waiting
To see what you find
'Cause even the stars they burn
Some even fall to the earth
We've got a lot to learn
God knows we're worth it
No, I won't give up
Previously on Maybe:
Addison closed her eyes, letting the warmth of his breath hit her face. She felt his hand leave her chin, but the one on her stomach remained. They stood in silence, neither of them moving. She could feel his gaze on her, probably watching the array of emotions that were crossing her face as she contemplated his request. Could she do this? Did she want to do it? She was 9 weeks now, if she stayed for 6 months in Seattle with him, that would put her at about 33 weeks. Would she even be able to go back and give birth in LA? Obviously, if she couldn't travel, Naomi would have to fly out to deliver the babies, because there was no way she would trust anyone else do so. So many questions were running through her mind. Breathe Addison, just breathe. She took a deep breath, then opened her eyes. She was met with Derek's pleading and questioning eyes. She smiled and then reached down to his hand, the one on her stomach and laid her hand over his.
"I told you, you were hard to resist."
Maybe by Agent Addek
Chapter 13: I Won't Give Up
Waking up entangled with her body was one of the greatest pleasures for him. It was something that he loved from the first moment he experienced it with her. Back in med school, after their first night together, the thrill he felt as she was lying on his chest was indescribable. The way her red hair fanned out on top of him, was such a beautiful visual...and the moment his senses were assaulted by her scent, his heart literally skipped several beats. It continued to be one of his favorite things, things that he later forgot to appreciate and then lost. Now, holding her while she peacefully slept in his arms, he couldn't help but be exhilarated by the fact that he somehow managed to get her back.
He refused to move and break this moment. He watched her as she slept...swept his eyes from her face down to her bare breast, then to her stomach. He smiled. There were no words to describe the feelings that would overcome him every single time that he thought about the fact, that inside of her, were two little beings growing each day. These two beautiful amazing gifts that had brought them back together. They were unknowingly giving them their second chance. Well, if you got technical, it was really their third chance, but don't they always say that the third time is the charm?
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Addison had been a little quiet since she had woken up. Derek had noticed, but didn't want to push her to talk, he'd wait until she was ready. She headed towards the closet and picked out a dress.
"I was thinking that we should get a realtor." Addison stated, as she started to slip it on.
Derek was caught off guard, "I'm sorry, what?"
"I said, we should get a realtor so we can look for a house. I'm thinking a townhouse, since we're only planning on being here six months. Although, if I have to give birth here, we'd probably stay a little longer and I wouldn't want to be moving right after having them...so maybe we should just get a house." She stopped talking when Derek reached her and held her on either side of her shoulders and turned her to face him.
"Addie, are you sure about this? I mean, I know last night having everyone ask you about this was overwhelming, and I selfishly took advantage of that moment to push you when we came back upstairs, but I want you to be sure about this. You were so unhappy here, I don't want that to affect you in any way. Would I like you to stay? Of course. Nothing would make me happier, but you need to do what's best for you." He finished and leaned in to kiss her forehead.
She stayed silent for a bit, mulling over what he had just said. She smiled at him, then let her arms encircle his waist. "To be honest, I was taken aback last night and I was overwhelmed. Then when you asked again, I couldn't say no, but I also feared saying yes. I meant what I said when you picked me up yesterday...things felt different, not even the rain bothered me. Although when I said that, I was only expecting to be here for two weeks, not 6 months or more. I can't say I'm extremely excited at the thought of being back to stay at the place that holds a lot of painful memories for me, but it would be the same in New York and even LA. The truth is, that no matter where we go, we'll form good memories and bad memories, it's just life. I realized that I couldn't let all that I experienced here outweigh what you and I can build together. Besides, not everything was bad. I made friends, my mentor is here, Mark is here, you're here and we conceived them here." She emphasized the last part as she slipped one hand from his waist down to her stomach. "I can do this, I want to do this. I know we can do this. I just ask that we don't stop communicating with each other, even if it means we argue and fight. As long as we're fighting, it at least means we care. And no lies! We have to be honest, even when we feel it might hurt the other person, we have to." She paused for a moment, then continued.
"Also, I'm going back to work." Derek was about to interrupt her, but she gave him a look that stopped him before he spoke. "I know what the risks are. After all, this is my specialty and believe me, I will not do anything to endanger them. I just know that I can't not work. It's not in my DNA, so I'm going to speak to Richard about consulting on cases. Okay?" Derek was hesitant, but nodded his agreement. "Besides, it's not like I'm gonna be back full time, only when they need me. I really hope you understand that I need to do this. That being said, we have to make time for us and for this growing family. If we have to cut back on hours, we do. Every appointment we're both there, you have to make the effort because that's one of the reasons I'm staying, so that you can be a part of this. Our last marriage ended because we stopped doing all those things and it became this twisted thing that we had no control over and it exploded in our faces. I hurt you, then you hurt me, and then it was over."
"I know Addie. It took you leaving for any of that to dawn on me. That's why when I saw you that night, I knew I needed to talk to you, I needed to be near you. I'm not perfect, I never have been, but I promise I will do whatever I can to make this work...and if you're asking for communication, honesty and making time for our family, then that's what's gonna take priority. I don't want to lose our way again. I'm still not convinced about you working, and I can't stop you, but please, if anything seems off, just stop. Will you promise me that?" She nodded in understanding. "There's one more thing, you said you wanted honesty, no more lies...so now is a good time as ever to start employing that." He took a deep breath and hoped for the best. "Addie...when I came back from LA, I went to see Meredith." He paused and looked at her to gage her reaction. Her face was calm, no inkling of what she may be thinking, so he continued. "I went there to break it off, like I had told you that I would. When she opened the door and I saw the expectant look on her face, my stomach went into knots. She was nervous, so there was a lot of small talk in the beginning, and then she asked about you." That got a reaction from Addison, she nodded for him to continue. "She was upset with me. When you called to tell me you were pregnant, I had just left her at the trailer so that I could go break things off with Rose. She had come to tell me that she was ready, that she wanted it all, me, the house and kids. I knew how hard it had been for her to acknowledge that she wanted those things in her life, but I left her to do the right thing and told her I'd be back. I never went back. After you called, I called her told her to go home and that I would call her later. Then I flew to LA the next day." Addison stared at him incredulously, but he continued. " So when I came back, she had a very good reason to be upset. She had poured her heart and soul out to me, and I left for several days without telling her. She repeated what she said to me that night. That she was ready for us, and even though I was determined to end things with her, looking at her being so open and vulnerable, made me falter for a moment...and in that moment, we kissed."
At this, Addison's other hand that had still been resting on his waist, slipped, and she took a step back. "Did you sleep with her?" She asked, looking him straight in the eye.
"No..." Addison closed her eyes and took a breath. "...but I almost did. I was about to, and then I looked at her and I just saw flashes of you. Being with you, touching you, the things that I wanted with you and that I would lose if I slept with her. I felt ashamed and disgusted with myself. I had just left you and made all these promises that would have been empty promises if I had given in. After I left, I wanted to call you and tell you, but I was afraid...afraid that this would destroy any progress we had made. Honestly, I don't know that I would have ever told you, but I don't want any lies between us, and I don't want Meredith to have any ammunition to use against you." He reached for her hand and she obliged. He squeezed it lightly to get her to look at him. "Addie...?" he said her name hesitantly.
Addison looked up and met his imploring gaze. She lifted her free hand and reached for his face. "Thank you. Thank you for telling me."
"Addie?" He repeated, unsure of what it meant.
"I can't say that I'm not a little hurt or jealous, or even that a part of me isn't saying, 'I was right?' but I did ask for you to make sure. Even though I was hoping that you wouldn't have to, a part of me knew that your story with Meredith wasn't over. In a way I'm glad that it happened, and that you stopped it. You made a choice in that moment Derek, you chose me. It's not a romantic gesture that I would ever want you to repeat, but I get it and I can move on from it, if you can?"
To say that Derek was stunned would be an overstatement. He hadn't expected her to be so calm and so understanding to what had happened. "I feel like you need to pinch me, because this was definitely not the way I was expecting this conversation to go." He joked, which got a smile from Addison. "What can I say Derek, I've been in LA for too long, I'm very zen you know." She winked at him, then giggled. He couldn't help himself, he leaned in and captured her lips. She opened up to him more, and invited his exploration of her mouth. They continued to kiss for several moments...just enjoying the closeness of each other, until Addison had to come up for air.
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They had arrived at the hospital, and as expected, several eyes were on them. Addison managed to hear a few murmurs, but she didn't allow it to get to her. People were always gonna talk and there was nothing that she could do about it. Derek cut through her thoughts as he spoke, "So, I'll probably be here for the rest of the day. I'm sorry I won't get to see you 'til this evening, but I'm gonna work on my schedule this week so that it's a bit more flexible starting next week."
"Don't worry, I'm a big girl. I can busy myself. Besides, I want to go meet with Mark's realtor."
"You sure you don't want to wait for me to come with you?" He asked as he guided her into the elevator.
"Of course I do, but you have work and I don't want to put this off too long...because even though I love that hotel, I don't want to stay there too long."
"Neither do I. Promise to send me pictures?"
"Yes, silly! I'm not gonna pick something without you. We both have to love it!"
"Well just so you know, I trust your judgment and your taste, so if you find something that needs to be snatched up right away, don't hesitate."
"Thanks! I appreciate the vote of confidence, but even though I'm a great shopper, I doubt even I can find us a home in one day."
"I think you're underestimating your powers." He winked and then leaned in to kiss her while she chuckled lightly. Then the elevator dinged, so they started to pull apart. Addison was the first to notice that Meredith was standing at the entry, she looked like a deer caught in headlights. She hesitated for a moment, then walked in. Addison cleared her throat and then smiled at Derek. Derek froze, he didn't know what to do, but Addison being Addison, broke the awkward tension first. "Good morning Dr. Grey." She said politely. "Good morning Dr. Montgomery, Dr. Shepard." Meredith replied without looking at either one of them. As the elevator dinged again, Derek moved to guide Addison with his hand on the small of her back. As they were exiting, Addison turned back, "I hope you have a great day, Dr. Grey." Meredith was caught of guard, then turned to look up at her, Addison offered her a genuine smile, "Thank you Dr. Montgomery, I hope you do as well." Then the doors closed.
"What was that about?" Derek questioned, taken aback himself.
"We're going to be seeing a lot of each other, and since this is a teaching hospital, we might both end up working with her at some point. We have to find a way to move past the past. The first step in that is being polite to the girl and acknowledging her."
"You're incredible, you know that?"
"I'm not doing anything out of the ordinary Derek, I just know what it feels like being on the other end. Kind words and the acknowledgement that I existed, would have made things a lot easier on me while I was here."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It happened and we can't change what I went through, but I'm gonna do my best to not make her feel like I felt. Even though I know that my presence here only worsens the pain she must be in right now, being civil to her might help soften the blow. I'm not saying we're gonna be friends, but I don't need to add insult to injury. I'm a doctor after all, I heal people, not make them feel worse." She delivered matter of factly.
"You're always surprising me, don't ever stop." He smiled at her sincerely.
"I won't. Scout's honor." They stared at each other briefly, then Derek's beeper went off. "Damn. I have to go, but will you join me for lunch later?"
"Definitely. I'm gonna go speak with Richard, then I'm meeting the realtor to see if he can set up some appointments for us to go look at some properties."
"Sounds like a plan. I love you babe."
"Love you too." With that, Derek turned quickly down the hall and disappeared from sight. She smiled and then made her way to Richard's office.
"Good morning Patricia, is Richard in?" Addison asked as she stepped into the little waiting area.
"Good morning Dr. Montgomery, let me see if he's available, he was just on a conference call." She supplied with a smile.
"No worries. I don't mind waiting." Addison smiled back. As she was about to take a seat, Richard walked out to greet her. "Addie! 3 times in just two days, I'm flattered!" he said with a chuckle. "Come on in. Please take a seat. To what do I owe the honor?"
"I was hoping there was an opening for me. Well, let me rephrase, I want to do some consulting while I'm here for the remainder of Derek's contract."
"Well...I'm honestly shocked. I didn't think that you'd want to come back. I hope you didn't feel pressured last night, I wasn't very happy that Dr. Bailey and Dr. Torres pushed you like that."
"No, not at all. I mean yes, I was a bit overwhelmed, but it just made me think...and after speaking with Derek last night, it feels like it's our best option for now. So if you'll have me, I'd like to come back on a part time basis." At Richards silence, she continued to babble, "I mean, I know I can't just show up and think that you'd give me a job, I know that my position has been filled and that I may be asking too much of you, I just thought that..." Richard cut her off.
"Addie, do you really think I could say no to you?"
"Well, I don't..."
"That wasn't a rhetorical question. I'd love to have you back in any capacity I can get you. I'll talk to Dr. Grant, she took over the department after you left. I know she's a fan of your work and would jump at the opportunity to work with you."
"Thank you Richard. I can't tell you how relieved I am. I was afraid that I'd have to become a lady who lunches and find things to keep myself occupied while Derek worked. I was going to become my mother if you had said no." She chuckled.
"I'd never allow that." He said back in jest.
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As Derek rushed to the first of his rounds, he stopped outside briefly when he noticed Meredith was the resident assigned to him. He had hoped that she would have been taken off his service considering what had happened, but as Addison mentioned earlier, this was a teaching hospital and they were bound to work with her. Civil, be civil and teach. He adjusted his coat and stethescope and walked in.
"Good Morning Missy, ready for your endoscopic procedure today? How are you feeling?" He smiled at her and she instantly blushed.
"Good morning Dr. Shepard. I'm a little nervous to have something inserted through my nostril, but other than that, I'm super! You?"
"Can't complain, I'm having a really good day so far." He then turned his attention to Meredith and nodded, she quickly looked through the file she had in hand, while the interns behind her paid attention.
"Our patient is Missy Garcia, 17 years old, she was admitted with complains of double vision, extreme fatigue and had some unexplained weight loss in the past few months. After her test came back, we found that she had elevated thyroxine and thyroid stimulating hormones levels which is common with secreting tumors. We then performed an MRI and CT to make an accurate assessment and found that she had a macroadenomas which is a large tumor on her pituitary gland. Dr. Shepard and Dr. Hall the ENT, will both be performing the procedure today."
"Thank you Dr. Grey. Now if you don't have any questions, I'll see you really soon."
"Thank you Dr. Shepard." Missy replied with a nervous smile. Derek winked at her, then walked out of the room. Meredith followed close behind him.
"Derek...I mean Dr. Shepard?"
"Yes, Dr. Grey?"
"I can ask someone to switch with me if this is too awkward."
"Dr. Grey, you are here to learn, whatever our personal relationship may have been, has ended, and should not affect our working relationship. I hope that you can set aside your personal feelings so that I am able to teach you what I know. Now, if you have no other questions, please go prep my OR"
"Yes, Dr. Shepard." Meredith replied dejectedly.
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Addison had arrived a few minutes late to her appointment. After her conversation with Derek that morning, she had called Callie to see if she knew of any good realtors and she promptly gave the phone to Mark, "I knew you were gonna stay."
"Shut up, Mark."
"Admit it, you missed me?"
"No. So do you have a realtor or not?"
"I do. He's great at what he does and is able to make it happen right away, which I'm assuming is what you want."
"Yes I do. The less time I can spend on looking for somewhere to live, the better. Do you think he can see me right away?"
"Of course, Red. I'll get right on it. I'm happy you're staying Addie, it'll be good for the both of you. Plus, the three amigos are back together, what's better than that?!"
"What could possibly go wrong?" She chuckled. "Thanks Mark, you're a doll."
Back at the office she quickly entered and gave her name to the office assistant. "He'll be with you shortly, Ms." Addison nodded and smiled. She looked to her left and saw a few random magazines on home design. She reached for one and flipped through it absentmindedly. Her stomach was in knots, she was nervous. Buying something here was going to make it real...and even though her decision was made, she couldn't help but be apprehensive.
"Ms. Montgomery, it's a pleasure to meet you." The tall, handsome, dark haired man with a white toothy grin said as walked over to greet her. "I'm Ethan Young."
"Nice to meet you as well." She smiled and blushed lightly. There was no denying that he had lucked out in the gene pool department.
"This way please." He gestured towards his office. " Have a seat. Mark has told me a little bit about you, but failed to mentioned a few things." He said as he appreciatively eyed her. "He informed me that you just moved back to the area and you wanted to buy something right away."
"Yes, that's correct."
"Do you have an idea of what your looking for? Price range? Area?" He asked as he started scanning through his laptop.
"Honestly, area wise...I wouldn't really know. I'm a city girl at heart, so downtown seems like it would be the closest I'd get to my New York roots." She smiled. "So somewhere downtown for sure. When I spoke to my husband...ex husband..." She stammered.
"Oh Mark hadn't mention a Mr. Montgomery." He said with evident disappointment in his voice.
Addison blushed. "I don't even know what we are, but yes, Derek and I briefly discussed it, but came to no conclusion. I was thinking about a condo at first, but then I thought a house might be better for us. I'm honestly not sure."
"Well, there are amazing condos in the downtown area that are close to markets, parks, restaurants, shopping centers. Some of them come with many amenities that you wouldn't get with a single family home. How many bedrooms are you interested in?
"I'd love something with 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths, but we could manage with 2 bedrooms as well."
"I can definitely to that. What are you thinking price wise?"
"I think we'd be comfortable in the $650,000 -$950,000 range."
"I can guarantee you that we'll have no problem finding something in that range." He smiled at her, realizing that she was obviously a serious buyer.
"I'd also like it to be done as quickly and as easy as possible, so we'll be paying cash." At Ethan's stunned look, Addison felt a little embarrassed. She hated the look people gave her when they realized she obviously came from money.
"Well...ah...that will definitely not be a problem." He said as he tried to compose himself. He was going to make a killing off of this sale. He'd have to remember to send Mark a thank you gift. "Generally, when we have cash buyers, we can close as soon as two weeks."
"That sounds perfect!" Addison replied, genuinely excited.
"Okay well, I think we have a some good places to start at," He turned his laptop to her, "I want to focus in the downtown area, places like the Escala, which is one of our premier buildings, as well as some condo's on Olive Way and Terry Ave. I can make an appointment to see some of them tomorrow and then we can go from there. How does that sound?"
"Would it be possible to see anything today? I mean, I know it's short notice, but if I can at least see one or two of them, I may feel a little less nervous about this." She looked down, feeling a bit silly.
"Absolutely! I hadn't offered because I thought you wanted to wait to have your...husband with you."
"I appreciate that, but his working schedule this week is a little jam packed, so I'll be doing most of the looking."
"Well then, let me make a few phone calls and we can be on our way." He gave her that toothy grin. If he wasn't so good looking, it would have come of a bit creepy. She politely grinned back.
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Derek was exhausted after performing several surgeries back to back, and after having to cancel lunch plans with Addison, he couldn't wait to get to the room, take a shower and wrap his arms around her. He slipped the card key in and stepped inside, the curtains to their room had been drawn and their table was set up for dinner. He could here light music playing in the back ground and heard Addison walking around in the bedroom. "Addie?"
"Derek, you're back a little earlier than expected." She said as she walked to him and embraced him, then reached up to give him a kiss.
"It's 9 o'clock Addie, I wouldn't call this early." He chuckled as he leaned his head down to kiss her again.
"Hey, it's earlier than other times, so I call it a win." She smirked at him. "You hungry?"
"Starving!" He replied as he continued to assault her with kisses. She giggled and then slightly pushed at his chest. "Stop it, you're gonna spoil your dinner if you have dessert first." She winked and then walked away towards the table. "I'll call down and have them bring our dinner up, I ordered an hour ago, so it's been ready for a few minutes. I can't believe I actually timed it right."
As Addison called down for their food, he made his way to the bedroom to change. He heard her walking up behind him, "How was your day?" She asked as she watched him undress. It was one of the things she missed about being with him. Watching such a simple routine made her so happy because of the intimacy of it all.
"It was good. I had several surgeries back to back, all of them went well. I was a little thrown in the morning though, because Meredith was the resident assigned to me." She walked up behind him and snaked her arms around his chest, then inhaled his scent. It was a mix of sweat and musk. "How did it go?" She asked nonchalantly. Even though he felt the bit of tension in her body as she asked.
"It was fine once we talked."
"Talked?" He could feel her raising eyebrow even though he wasn't facing her.
"Yup. She approached me after she presented our first case of the day, she asked if she should be transferred to make it less awkward."
"And?"
"I remembered what you said, that we would be seeing her, and that since it's a teaching hospital, ultimately, we would have to teach her. I told her that any relationship we may have had ended and that I hoped that we wouldn't let it affect her education at the hospital." He turned in her arms to look at her and was happy to see that she was smiling. "Did I do good?"
"You did great!" They stared at each other for a few moments, then the door bell rang. "I think that's our food, I'll go get the door, you finish changing."
When he stepped back out to the living room, Addison was just signing off on their bill. He went to sit and waited for her to join him. "This looks really good. Thank you!"
"I hope you like it, it comes highly recommended by the one of the girls at reception."
He took a couple of bites, happy with the explosion of flavors in his mouth, then took a sip of the mineral water. "So how was the rest of your day?"
"It was good. I saw a few properties, Ethan was extremely helpful and patient."
"Ethan?"
"Yes, Mr. Young our realtor, Mark's realtor."
"Oh, so you were able to see properties today?" He took another bite.
"Yes! I told him we were looking to find something right away and that we were willing to pay cash to expedite the process and make it easier. Since we're paying cash, he said we could close as soon as two weeks." She said excitedly as she dug into her chicken.
"Cash? How much are we talking about?" He asked, trying not to sound agitated. Money had always been something that was a huge issue between them. Addison, could spend money without batting an eye lash, while he was more frugal and less financially endowed. She noticed the bit of tension radiating off of him, then reached for his hand, "I don't want to fight about this Derek. What's mine is yours, it always has been." He softened a bit at her statement. "I know Addie, I just want to be able to pay for this without having to use your trust fund."
"And I love that about you, but if we want to get something right away, which I really do, then we have to. Look, I have my own money, I mean the trust fund is my money too...you know what I mean, but not that kind of money because some of it is tied up in investments. I'm assuming it's the same for you?" He nodded, so she continued. "So we'll just use that for now and we can always put it back. Just consider it a loan that we'll both pay back without interest." She finished with a sweet smile and squeezed his hand for reassurance. He watched her for a bit, then conceded. "Okay, but we're putting back every penny."
"I wouldn't accept any less from you."
"So, did you find anything that you liked?"
"I did actually, but I want you to come and see it with me tomorrow if you have time?"
"Of course, I can take a long lunch and check it out."
"That would be great! I honestly didn't think I'd see anything I liked on my first day looking, but it's got so much potential."
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"I think this is where you make a left, is that Olive Way? Yup it is, turn here." Addison said as she looked at her GPS.
"Hey, this isn't that far from the hospital, I'd say that automatically gives it major points." Derek said with a smile. "Is Mr. Young meeting us here?"
"Yes, I called Ethan before we left and he said he'd be here with the keys." At Derek's snort, Addison looked up from her phone, "What?"
"Nothing."
"Spit it out Derek."
"It's just that every time you mention Ethan, you blush." She averted her eyes.
"I do not! What are you talking about?"
"See there it is! You like him." He said teasingly with a hint of underlying jealousy.
"It's not that. I mean, yes, he's nice and has been very helpful, but he also happens to be extremely attractive and I noticed. Kill me!"
"That's it, I'm turning around." He mock-turned the wheel.
"Oh come on Derek, he's a kid. He's handsome and he flirted a bit and I was flattered."
"He flirted?"
"Yes, but I set him straight and told him I was looking for a place with my husband/ex-husband". At Derek's look she blurted out, "Well, I'm not sure what to call you. Are you my boyfriend? That sounds ridiculous! My lover? My partner? We haven't really talked about it."
He parked in front of the building, then reached for her hand, "Addie, I'm whatever you want me to be, as long as I'm with you. So call me whatever floats your boat. Besides, I'm expecting to make you my wife again." With a sly smile he exited the car before she could react. As Derek went around to open the door for her, he noticed a black Mercedes pull up behind them and he came face to face with the famous Ethan. He had to agree with Addison, that was definitely one good looking son of a bitch.
"Derek, I assume." Ethan said as he extended his arm to shake his hand.
"The one and only."
"Addison, it's good to see you again." He took her hand and held on to it a little too long for Derek's taste. Derek cleared his throat, then put his arm around Addison. "Shall we go inside to take a look at our possible new home?" He asked with slight annoyance at the young man's audacity. Addison looked at Derek, she hadn't missed the little dig, she shook her head and chuckled lightly.
They made there way into the building. Derek instantly noticed the inspired NW contemporary. As he walked them to the elevators, Ethan began to give them a bit more information about the building. "This building was built in 2009 and has world class hotel amenities, 24-hour concierge, fitness center, day spa, 65' saline lap pool, lounge, outdoor deck with BBQ's and a pet area. It's nestled right in the heart of the retail, which I know Addison loves, and entertainment district." Having arrived on the 9th floor, Ethan continued to guide them down the hall until they were at the last unit. "This is probably the best unit on every floor, wait until you see it. I'll leave you the keys so you can explore. I'll be downstairs in the lobby if you need anything."
"Thank you Ethan." Addison said appreciatively. Derek nodded and Ethan turned and walked back down the hall.
"I think he has a crush on you." Derek deadpanned.
"Sure he does."
"It's true! Did you not see the way he was ogling you, even when I had my arm wrapped around you?"
"You mean, when you displayed your best cave man move?"
"I just wanted him to know that you're a taken woman, that's all." She shook her head, he was incorrigable.
"Shall we go in?" She offered.
"Let's get this show on the road, babe." Derek reached for the door knob and unlocked the door. To say that he was taken aback by the condo, would be an understatement. He now understood why she loved it and why she wanted him to see it. The sweeping city and Olympic Mountain views were breathtaking. As he walked further in the kitchen, he took in how huge and open it was and how it could easily handle entertaining many of their friends. Just like the lobby area, the inspired NW contemporary finishes were amazing and there was also a unique den space with custom built-ins. Addison interrupted his admiration for a moment, "It's got surround sound and it has walk-in closets, which I love." He continued to walk from room to room, in complete awe. In total, it had three bedrooms and two and half baths, a large wrap around balcony, washer/dryer in unit, stainless steel dishwasher, range/oven, refrigerator and granite counter tops. "It's perfect! Was this the first place you saw?"
"It was the third. As soon as I walked in, I felt it. Do you?"
"I do. This is it, isn't it?"
"I think so. Do you?" She asked as she walked towards the wrap around windows and stared out into the city. He followed close behind her and slipped his arms around her waist, then laid both his hands on her belly. "I do." She turned to smile at him and then leaned it to seal their choice with a kiss.
XXXXXXXXX
I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily
I'm here to stay and make the difference that I can make
Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use
The tools and gifts we got, yeah, we got a lot at stake
And in the end, you're still my friend at least we did intend
For us to work we didn't break, we didn't burn
We had to learn how to bend without the world caving in
I had to learn what I've got, and what I'm not, and who I am
I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up, still looking up.
Well, I won't give up on us (no I'm not giving up)
God knows I'm tough enough (I am tough, I am loved)
We've got a lot to learn (we're alive, we are loved)
God knows we're worth it (and we're worth it)
I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up
Medical Sources:
Endocrineweb-
conditions/pituitary-tumors/pituitary-tumors-overview
Mayfield Clinic-
. #.U4V_DigWkXV
Skull Base Institute-
pituitary-gland-tumor-surgery/?utm_source=Y+B&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=YB&utm_content=P
Pituitary Network Association-
/knowledge-base/disorders/tsh-thyroid-stimulating-hormone-secreting-tumors