When The Truth Unfolds

Baby

Addison. He was only doing this for Addison.

Last night, Addison's brother Archer Montgomery who resented him ever since they got married over 15 years ago was rushed to the ER. And he sure knew he resented him more when they got divorced over four years ago. And now, he was about to operate on him. When he got to Seattle Grace, they showed him his initial CT scan from LA which showed lesions on his brain. He was confident he can easily remove it. But when they did another CT, the single cyst had multiplied and now he has eight, clogging on his left ventricle.

Derek decided that surgery was not an option, not when it was eight of them that needed removal. He consulted two fellow surgeons and agreed that it was inoperable. But Addison, Addie begged him. If it was not for her, their history together, and the familiarity, he wouldn't do it.

And he did it. He did it successfully as he just removed the eighth cyst.

He looked up to the OR gallery and saw Addison and their friends, along with his sister Amy, Amelia – looked so relieved and happy about the successful operation, "Thank you everybody. You made some friends of mine very happy," he said, smiling as he was still looking up.

Just he was about to close, his phone rang and one of the nurses answered it, "Who's calling?" he asked.

The nurse approached him with his phone, "A woman named Eli?" she said, more of a question than a statement.

He smiled, ridiculously smiled. Though the nurse got the name wrong, he knew the caller was his daughter or it was probably Meredith, but either who, he knew he was about to talk to his daughter.

Derek gestured the nurse to put the phone against his ears, "Hey!" he said enthusiastically.

"Hey," Meredith replied on the other line, "Are you in the OR? I'm sorry, it's just that Ellis has been pestering me to call you about movie night and I told her you were probably busy. I'll give her the phone."

"Derek!" his daughter shrieked.

"Hey, baby," he beamed.

"Can you come over? Can you watch Tangled with me tonight?" she asked, pleading with him in her cute voice.

Derek's heart melted at her tone.

"Shepherd, finish up. Let's go and celebrate. You're ours tonight, not whoever you're calling 'baby'," he heard Sam's teasing voice from the intercom.

He ignored it, "I can't tonight Ellis. Probably tomorrow night, would that be okay?" he asked gently, hoping he didn't break his daughter's heart.

"Okay, good night, Derek," she said in disappointment.

"I'm sorry, Ellis. I'll make it up to you. Sleep well, baby," he replied dejectedly.

Aware that all eyes were all looking at him, he didn't care. He looked up at the gallery again and all his friends were staring at him, amused. They probably think he was talking to a girlfriend. But little did they know, it was his child he talked to. It was not that they were hiding Ellis from everyone. Surprisingly, no one almost knew about Meredith having a daughter. He knew she wouldn't deny her if someone would ask her but no one asked, probably no one had seen her with Ellis yet or him with Ellis. They were just concerned about telling anyone about him being Ellis' father because they haven't told her yet. But maybe, now that Ellis was warming up to him, maybe he could talk to Meredith about telling their daughter the truth.

"So what was the 'baby' thing all about at the OR earlier. You got a girlfriend now?," Naomi stated as soon as he arrived in the Bar celebrating his successful surgery.

Derek rolled his eyes at his friend, but noticed Addison, Sam and Amelia were staring at him too, curious as to what was all about, "How about 'Derek, that's a great surgery'?" he responded sarcastically.

"She's pretty. You know those green-eyed type of girls, blonde hair, but more on like dirty blonde, with soft looking white skin," Amelia interfered, sipping from her beer.

"Amelia..." he reprimanded his sister, knowing that she got the wrong idea of what she witnessed with Meredith yesterday. Although at the back of his mind, he was sure that was the reason why he couldn't sleep last night as that moment when they almost kissed kept on replaying on his mind.

"Huh," Addison reacted, "green-eyed?" she asked curiously at Derek.

"Yeah, and a Doctor too. They work together. She was wearing her scrubs and lab coat yesterday, looking cozy with Derek while doing their grocery shopping. Too bad I didn't get a chance to look at her name on her coat because Derek dragged me out right away."

"Amy," he called her out again, firmer this time.

Amelia laughed remembering yesterday, "She looked jealous. She doesn't have any idea who I was. I looked back and noticed her kept on throwing glances at me."

Derek shook his head and sighed, "I am not talking about her with you guys," he said, getting up from his chair and went over to the Bar, ordering his usual drink to Joe.

"So green-eyed, dirty blonde, soft-looking white skin kind of woman... If that girl is not Meredith, then poor her that you have found Meredith in her," Addison joked, claiming a tool next to him.

Of course, Addison guessed who his sister was talking about. Part of him felt guilty. They both knew their marriage couldn't longer be redeemed the moment Meredith disappeared. The way Derek acted, how he handled Meredith being gone, and when he admitted to his then-wife that he fell in love with Meredith, there was no marriage that could be saved any longer.

Addison gave up. She took things into her own hands and ended their marriage.

"Addie, I..."

Addison chuckled, "Derek, I'm fine," she said truthfully, probably noticing his discomfort. "I've got no bad blood with her or you. You loved her, and you love her still, clearly. I witnessed how devastated you were she was gone," she added, reaching for his hand from on top of the counter, "I want you to be happy. Truly happy. We talked about it and I understood. Well not so much at first but eventually, I did. And I know she makes you happy. She was the love of your life," she said, smiling.

What she said comforted him, "Thanks, Addie," he replied, curving the corners of his lips, "Yeah, Meredith's back," he confirmed, "But we're not together," he sighed. A little voice in his mind was wishing they were.

Addison pulled her hand back, put it on her chest, a little surprised, "Oh, I'm sorry," she started, "So the 'baby' thing in the OR and what Amelia saw..." she trailed off.

"Are two different people, but it was Meredith Amy saw yesterday," he finished her sentence, rubbing his face, feeling a huge knot in his stomach upon hearing from Addison that he still loved Meredith.

"Oh, I just thought..." she trailed, "Then why do you look so torn apart?"

"Ellis," he uttered, "The one I was talking to the phone earlier was Ellis," he started, a smile crept to his face thinking about his daughter, "Ellis Zola Grey. She is Meredith and I's daughter," he continued.

Addison was speechless.

"Apparently, Meredith was pregnant when she escaped to San Diego and she wasn't even aware she was pregnant. It was those days we were still together before you showed up," he started explaining.

Derek then told Addison what and how did it happen and also their current situation.

"Ho... W-Wha... Wow!" Addison reacted, "That must have been a lot to take when she told you."

"At first," he admitted. Then a grin formed on his face, "But God, Addie! The moment I saw her. I mean, the moment I clearly saw her, all my worries just faded. They were just gone. I love her. I really love Ellis. It was overwhelming and scary but God! I would do anything for her."

"I'm glad you're happy now," Addison commented, "She must have been a great kid."

"She is," Derek replied, laughing lightly, "She can be very moody, which she got from Meredith, and can be a little manipulative too just to get what she wants but she's perfect. My daughter is perfect."

Addison once again reached for his hand now on his lap and squeezed it tightly, indicating how happy she was for him.