IN OR OUT 4x5

"We're Addison and Sam," Addison began freaking out in the elevator. "Addisam. We're a couple. He talks to me about feelings. He's amazing in bed. He cooks for me—food. Yeah, he's perfect. I'm perfect for him. Addisam."

"She's freaking out," Amelia told Violet. "Ignore her."

"Addisam," Addison repeated.

"I can't just ignore—"

"Say something shrinky then," Amelia suggested.

"Uh, being a— a happy couple is a healthy thing," Violet nodded, trying her best to be supportive.

"What's wrong with him?" Addison wondered out loud. "He has no flaws."

"Well, he knows you. You know him. There's love. You have a good foundation."

"Is that a metaphor, like, uh, floorboards and a basement?" Addison questioned.

"No, like he knows how to commit, like Pete knows how to commit. It's a good thing," Violet assured.

"Really? Because in my—"

"Of course it's a good—"

"Shut up, bitches. I need to get laid. I need to get laid really bad. So bad, I am gonna run naked through the streets and grind a cop if something doesn't happen soon," Amelia rants, making Addison laugh. "Would one of you just lie on top of me and rub around for like ten minutes?"

Violet makes a grossed out face, "Didn't you just sleep with Athena?"

"Oh, god," Addison grimaced.

"That was way before her accident," Amelia readjusted her purse over her shoulder.

"I thought you and Mark Sloan—"

"That was weeks ago, which in sex years is like a decade ago. Where are all the eligible men and women in this city?" Amelia complained.

"Sheldon's single," Violet shrugged.

Addison laughs.

"Do you hate me or something?" Amelia asked Violet.

"Sheldon is smart, thoughtful, charming.. and great in bed," Violet smiled at Amelia, receiving a smirk.

Violet holds her hands out, and moves them farther apart.

"Really?" Amelia and Addison ask together, surprised.

The elevator opens, revealing Sheldon, "Oh, morning, ladies."

All three women smile.

Sheldon smiles back awkwardly, "What?"

"Nothing, nothing. I was just coming to find you," Violet nodded.

"Ready to go? Security at the prison can— can.. be
a— a bit of a pain," Sheldon said, as the other two women continued smiling at him.

Violet steps out of the elevator, looking back at the girls with an open mouth.

The two remaining women laugh as the door shuts.

"All right, look, I know it's not sex, but come watch me deliver a baby," Addison put her arm around Amelia. "Mm. Miracle of life, always reaffirming, always puts me in a good mood."

"Sheldon?" Amelia asked as she leaned into the red head. "Really?" Addison laughed.

"It's always the quiet ones," Addison let go of Amelia.

🪷

"It's remarkable.. and so intricate," Amelia studies the scan. "It's just ten weeks, it has partially collapsed the lung, and attached to the major vessels."

"Don't sound so gleeful," Addison scolded.

"It's just.. it's a beautiful tumor."

Athena stood behind the two with crossed arms, watching the two like they were about to fight.

"Athena?" Addison turned her head.

"It's a pleuropulmonary blastoma. It's putting pressure on the heart," Athena uncrossed her arms.

"What are you guys gonna do?" Amelia looked away from the scans.

"It's a twelve-hour surgery, and I need some help separating it from the cardiac vessels," Addison explained to Amelia. "You in?" She asked Athena.

"Yeah, sure, we should probably get Charlotte on the horn, start gathering the best team, an oncologist.."

"Daniel and Tracy were so excited," Addison looked at the ground, pressing the phone to her ear to fall Charlotte. "They're the perfect couple. I just.. hate to shatter their world."

"Well, that's the thing about perfect," Athena kept her eyes away from Amelia.

Although they decided to stay friends, Athena couldn't help the nagging feeling in her heart that they could be more.

"It doesn't exist," Athena looked back to the ground as Amelia looked back at her.

🪷

"Is she awake yet?" Athena drew her eyebrows together as she walks down the hall with Addison.

"Not yet," Addison closed the case file. "but Daniel still wants to go ahead with Kyla's surgery, so we're gonna do it."

Daniel comes around the corner, "Oh, Daniel, I was just coming to talk to you. Uh, this is Dr. Athena Knotts. She's gonna be assisting me with the surgery."

"Well, actually, that won't be necessary anymore. See, I— I spoke with that oncologist again, and I'm going with the chemo," Daniel said, receiving a subtle eye roll from Addison.

"Daniel, you have every right to change your mind, but I— I really think that this is a decision that you and Tracy need to make together," Addison blinked.

"My wife is unconscious, and my baby has a tumor, so I'm not into taking any risks right now," Daniel reminded Addison. "So, no. I've made the decision for us both."

"I think that Tracy—"

Daniel cuts the obstetrician off, "Dr. Montgomery, I really won't be needing your opinion anymore. Dr. King knows about this. She's given me her full support. So you can just stay out of it for now," He walks between the sisters, making them look at each other with disbelief.

🪷

"Where the hell is the coffee?" Addison asked Athena loudly, slamming the cabinet doors.

"Just talk to Charlotte. Maybe she can explain what happened," Athena rubbed her forehead, a migraine forming.

"What's with all the noise?" Charlotte entered the kitchen space.

"So from complete faith in me to totally shutting me out?" Addison snapped at the blonde. "What did you do? Did you lock the dad in the room with that jackass oncologist so he could convince him to do the chemo while Tracy's unconscious?"

Athena shared her peanuts with Cooper as he sat down at the kitchen island beside her.

"Are you done, Montgomery? 'Cause once you stop talking, I can," Charlotte put her hand on her hip.

"Who's winning, Venus or Serena?" Cooper asked the brunette beside him.

"Shut up, Cooper," Addison and Charlotte told him.

"First," Charlotte turned back to the redhead. "I don't have to explain anything to you. It's my hospital. I do what I want. Second, my responsibility is to the parents."

Athena and Cooper shove peanuts into their mouths like this is the best reality show on television at the moment.

"And the baby, the actual patient here—"

"I'm not don't talking," Charlotte interrupted. "Third, the man's been holding vigil by his wife's bedside while his baby lays in an incubator. He didn't need much convincing, so although you want to believe big, bad, bitch Charlotte shut everything down, I didn't. One parent made a decision, and I am obligated to enforce it, which means the father has spoken, the surgery is off, and I am done with this." Charlotte left it there, walking out of the kitchen, Addison following closely behind.

"Oh, you know what, Charlotte? I am not done."

Athena stood in front of her sister, stopping her, "Let her go. Breathe."

🪷

"Sheldon turned me down for sex," Amelia complained to Athena the next morning. "I figured he would feel like he won the lotto. And instead, he looks at me straight in the face and says—"

"'I'll think about it'," Athena repeated the words he tells every woman in the practice—including her—when they approach him on the subject.

"How did you know?" Amelia turned to Athena with curious eyes—a bit of jealousy playing in them.

"Wild guess," Athena moved her head to face Amelia.

"Oh, it's probably not as good as I think it's gonna be anyway, so.." Amelia shrugged, turning away.

Athena sighed, "I don't want to talk about this with you."

"Wh—"

"I don't want to talk about sex, or dating, or anything on that topic with you. I understand we didn't date, and only had sex once, but I'm not ready to cross that topic just yet," Athena swallowed, leaving the elevator when it opened, leaving Amelia without giving her a chance to say anything.

"Damn it," Amelia cursed herself out.

Athena stopped, "For the record, the whole, 'Let me think about it,' that's pure Sheldon. That's his game. And from looking at you, it's working like a charm."

Athena walked away this time, all the way down to her office, not missing Amelia's confused expression.

🪷

"This will be Kyla one day, right?" Daniel asked with red eyes.

The two stood outside the NICU, watching the babies.

"Happy, healthy? Yeah, we hope," Athena crossed her arms.

"My babies lying in an incubator with a big tumor in her body and we're out here fighting," Daniel said after a pause. "If Kyla doesn't make it.. Tracy's not gonna be able to live with that. And I cannot lose them both."

"And you don't have to," Athena stepped closer.

"That's easy for you to say," Daniel scoffed.

"Actually, it's not," Athena licked her lips. "I know why you want to make the safe choice. No parent wants to see their child go behind those operating room doors and not come out alive. The waiting feels like it's gonna kill you," Athena exhales shakily, flashbacks from her mother getting to her. "But there comes a time when you need to put your trust in each other and make a decision together, as parents.. right or wrong. You want that?" Athena looked at a mother holding her child. "Do the surgery."

Daniel looks back at Athena, and she nods reassuringly.

🪷

After Addison and Athena's very long, successful surgery, Athena drove back to the practice, her bag still sitting on her office chair.

She passed Amelia as she came out of Sheldon's office—all signs pointing to sex.

Closed door, blinds shut, Amelia looking satisfied, you get the gist.

Athena smiled awkwardly and kept walking towards her office, trying not to cry.

"Athena," Amelia tilted her head. "I'm sorry for bringing up sex with Sheldon."

"Was it as good as everyone said it would be?" Athena sniffed slightly, trying not to draw attention to her.

Amelia walked backwards and shut the door.

"Are you okay?" Amelia asked, walking towards the Knotts girl.

"I'm fine," Athena jerked away as Amelia tried to take her hand. "I'm healed. No pain."

"Not just physically, but mentally?"

"I am fine," Athena said sternly.

The two stare at each other intensely.

Athena made the first move, stepping forward and grabbing the back of Amelia's neck and smashing her lips onto hers.

"I missed you," Amelia sighed.

"I missed you too," Athena bit Amelia's lip.

"We should lock the door," Amelia suggested as Athena started kissing down Amelia's neck.

"Mm-mm— stop distracting me," Athena slid her hands into Amelia's hair.

"Athena— stop being stubborn," Amelia mocked.

Athena laughs, turning them so she could, in fact, lock the door.

Amelia pulled Athena towards the couch.

i'm really getting back
into it fr

anyways like one or two
chapters until the episode
that breaks us all..