Chapter Text
They were on the highway, headed home from a weekend in New York, when Addison opened her mouth and said, “Remember when-”
Amelia cut her off. “No, I am not playing this game with you again. You’re going to bring up all the embarrassing things I did as a child and teenager. Like the time I first got drunk at a party or the time I forgot my fake ID and tried to sneak into the bar but ran into you instead.”
Reminded of the memory, Addison chuckled but shook her head. “I wasn’t thinking of those times, but now that you brought them up…” she glanced over from the front passenger seat and noticed the glare in Amelia’s face and quickly changed the subject. “I was going to say, remember when you told me you were pregnant with Scout?”
“Yeah, how can I forget? And remember your reaction when I told you I was keeping the baby?”
“I mean, I wasn’t surprised you decided to, I was just surprised you had found a good enough guy to stick by your side for it.”
“Well Christopher’s situation wasn’t exactly ideal.”
“No, of course not. I was just thinking of the Amelia Shepherd I grew up with. The girl who “didn’t do long term”. Hell, you ran away from whatever that James guy was offering you.” Addison smiled to herself. “And then you went and found yourself a hunk of an Ortho surgeon who is very smitten with you. So much so that he convinced you to marry him five years after your son, but to have a daughter before that!”
Amelia blushed. That sort of had been the case with Link. Okay fine, it was., but Amelia wasn’t about to let Addison get away with that comment. “What about Jake? He wouldn’t be too pleased to hear you making comments about my husband.”
“Oh trust me, he makes the same ones.” Winking, Addison pointed to a sign up ahead. “There’s the pit stop. Pull over so we can switch; you drive like you’re sixty years old!”
“Shut up.” Amelia turned on her blinker and began to change lanes. “Don’t you forget who’s older here.”
“A measly seven or eight years is nothing,” Addison replied as she waved off Amelia’s retort.
Amelia didn’t say anything back until the car was safely in park. Public washrooms were in buildings in front of the parking lot. “I’ll be right back. Gonna pee and make sure Link’s surviving with the two kids still.”
“Good idea. I’ll text Jake and ask about Henry. Speaking of, my son wants to know when yours might be able to come to LA for a playdate. Sorry, I mean hangout. Playdate was so “last year”,” Addison corrected herself. She wasn’t so old she couldn’t keep up with the new teen lingo, luckily. But Henry did have to remind her what was “in” and “out”.
Amelia hopped out of the driver’s seat, grabbed her purse and headed for the bathrooms. She quickly did her business and washed her hands, before reaching for her cell phone. Link picked up on the first ring, which Amelia was happy about. “Hey beautiful,” Link said, instantly making Amelia melt.
“How do you know I’m beautiful right at this very moment? You can't even see me.” Amelia decided to tease. She picked a nearby picnic table to sit at.
There was some shuffling on the other end, then Link’s voice returned. “I don’t need to see you to know that my baby momma is hot as hell.”
Now the blush was starting to creep onto Amelia’s cheeks. “Okay, well I love you. And I miss you.” Even after nearly ten years of being together, Link never failed to make her smile. “Also Addie was making comments about you, again .”
“Hmm, well why don’t you use the retort I said? Goes something along the lines of, “well I’m the one in his bed every night”. That ought to shut her up.” Through the phone, Amelia swore Link was smirking.
“Very funny. Anyways, where are the kids?”
“Outside. Scout’s teaching Jemma how to pitch. I’ll go get them.”
A few short moments later, Amelia could hear heaving breathing on the other end of the phone. “Mommy!” Scout shouted into the phone, making Amelia wince just a bit. She didn’t really mind though, because she loved to hear her son’s excited tone for her.
“I’m here too!” The softer one was Jemma, because she didn’t want to be left out. “You’re on speaker,” she told her mom.
“Hi kiddos. I love you very much and I can’t wait to come home tonight! I’ll be there before you go to sleep.” She smiled to herself, imagining their reaction when she waltzed in the door. She would be getting home an hour past their regular bedtime, but Link had already said there was “no bedtime” when it came to Mommy coming home.
“We can’t wait for you to come home too. We made you pic-” Jemma’s voice was cut off. Amelia assumed Scout had covered her mouth with his hand.
“Don’t tell her silly,” Scout stage whispered on the other end of the phone. “It’s a surprise.”
“Oh, sorry.”
Still smiling, Amelia said, “I didn’t hear anything. I’ll be home soon so you can tell me all about it in person. Can you please pass me back to Daddy?”
“Okay Mommy. Bye! I love you!” The kids chorused as Link took the phone back and switched off of speaker.
Being a guy and all, the first thing Link said when he put the phone up to his ear, was, “Is that what you’re going to call me in bed tonight?”
Amelia rolled her eyes. “Are you assuming you’re going to get some tonight? What if I’m too tired from all the driving I’ve been doing?”
“Baby, the only driving you’ve been doing is in my mind, cause you’ve got me crazy thinking about you. Also the only stick you should be shifting is mine.”
“Okay, that’s quite enough.” Amelia pretended to reprimand her husband but secretly she loved every word. They still had their fun, despite being older now and having two kids. “I’m sure I can be convinced. Not for another four hours though, in which I have to sit in the front passenger seat next to Addie and not think about all the things we’re going to do when I get home. So goodbye, and I love you.”
Amelia heard Link sigh, although she knew he was smiling. “Talk soon. Love you endlessly.” Click . The line ended and Amelia stood up, ready to go back to the car and Addie.
“Good chat with your hubby and kids?” Addie asked, as Amelia slid back into the car, this time on the passenger side.
“Of course. How about you?”
“Jake told me to get home faster and Henry asked me to take longer so that he and his father could eat more junk food. You’d think I never let that kid have a slice of pizza!” Addie made a face and Amelia laughed. She loved her “big sister from another mother”. Sure, Addie teased her about the mistakes Amelia made growing up, but she was the only one who had been there when she needed her most. Derek and Addison may not have been meant to be, yet Addison was meant to be Amelia’s sister. Blood didn’t matter—Amelia’s Seattle sisters trio of Maggie, Meredith and her was the evidence to that—and Addie was much as a sister to Amelia than Nancy, Liz and Kathleen ever were. Amelia was very thankful to have Addison Montgomery in her life.
“Sounds like the men in your life,” Amelia replied, buckling up her seatbelt. Addison left the pit stop and began the last leg of the journey home. The car they had taken for the road trip was Amelia’s, as Addison caught a plane ride to Seattle from LA. She had a red-eye going back tonight, and the plan was for Amelia to drop Addison off on her way home.
The next few hours passed quickly. Amelia and Addison wanted to get their last thoughts out to each other, before they parted ways. Although they had plans to see each other in the next month—if only so their boys could hangout—a month was still a long time. Amelia shared how she was still fighting for sobriety at certain points in her day. Addison, who always had the best advice, replied. “Tell Link and he’ll watch the kids when you go for a meeting. Or tell him and he’ll distract you. He felt useless way back when and he loves you Amelia. He’s a keeper, and trust me I don’t say that very often.”
Amelia shared a small smile. She knew she was very lucky to have Link in her life and thanked whoever gave him to her every day. “I know. You don’t mind if I call you about it sometimes, right?”
“Never.” Addison shook her head fiercely. “You always have me.”
“Thanks.” Amelia turned her head to look out the window, losing herself in her thoughts. She was lucky to have such good friends that loved her even after all her destructive tendencies. Owen and her were still close friends, her Emotional Sisters would be there for her always, and Addison. Link she never doubted anymore, and of course her two babies that had suddenly grown up way too fast for Amelia’s liking. Amelia’s support system was everything to her, and she knew they would all be there for her no matter what. Amelia just hoped that she could one day rely on herself a bit more. Be more independent and be okay with knowing her friends and family loved her.
Unfortunately, there was no chance of that happening now. Not when a truck and trailer came across the center barrier in the middle of the road and plowed right into the side of Amelia’s car. Fat chance of Amelia doing anything alone when surgery could do nothing to fix the paralysis that occurred from her armpits down. And absolutely nothing could be okay after Amelia’s role model, one of the only people who had ever known Christopher, had been ripped away along with the whole left side of the vehicle. It was really too bad chunks of metal can be replaced; yet Addison Montgomery could not.