Chapter 1-Another second Chance

No matter what happens, Mark and Addison somehow had the habit of ending up together. And even after everything that had happened in New York and then Seattle, which eventually ended with her quitting Seattle Grace, the sex in her office had been easy, comfortable, and even familiar.

But, Mark had a daughter, a 18 year old daughter, on whom Addison had to operate successfully. The baby was going to be fine and so was the girl, she had promised Mark Sloan. Addison didn't want to break his heart again, not after the abortion. She didn't want him to lose another baby. But, Addison couldn't help but notice that Sloan was not ready to have a child, that, she was herself a child, and so as her doctor, Addison had told Sloan her options. She had seemed interested in adoption, and hopefully she would do the right thing. But telling this to mark was going to be difficult. He had even thought about moving to LA, to raise the baby with Addison. She didn't know if he was joking or if he was serious, but there was that flicker of hope that he was not. The string of successful relationships in LA, and then struggling to do the right thing, first with Noah and then with Sam had taken its toll on Addison. And she was just lonely enough to accept Mark's offer if he was serious.


They had sex again, now in her house, celebrating the successful surgery. Sloan was fine and so was the baby. Addison had been able to resolve the complication. But, now she had to talk. She had to tell Mark that Sloan wasn't ready. But, more importantly, she had to ask him if he was serious about moving to LA and joining the practice, about her...

"Mark-"

"I don't care what Sam says. This is ideal."

"What did Sam say?"

"Nothing. Forget about it. This is ideal. Three parents- No one gets overwhelmed, everyone still gets to have a life."

Mark-

"This is our second chance."

"Don't you see it? What if there wasn't a baby?"

"Why? What happened?"

"Nothing. Nothing happened. The baby's fine. It's just, what... What if Sloan changed her mind or there wasn't a baby. Would you still want to move down here, join the practice, be with me? Because you keep asking, and you paint a pretty picture... And I'm just lonely enough and I'm just scared enough And I'm just freaked out enough that if you ask me again I might say yes. So I'm asking you not to ask me again If it's not about me. If you're just heartbroken, or in love with someone else, or you just want me to help you with a baby that you may or may not be able to raise, don't ask me. Because I don't know anything. I don't know anything anymore, except, I can't fall in love with a man who's in love with someone else. That much I know. I can't do that again. So please, if you're still in love with the grey girl, then go back to Seattle. But if you're not, I mean, if you're serious and you want me then ask again..."

That had been difficult to say, but in one breath, she had said what she wanted to say all along. The burden was gone, it was replaced by expectation and fear, fear that he might actually say that he was in love with her, and also the fear that he might not. Both the prospects were equally scary.

"Red- Addison, I wouldn't lie to you. I was in love with Lexie, I still might be, but I don't see a future with her anymore. I don't see her wanting children any time soon and that's what I want. I am ready. I have been for a long time. But she is young, still struggling to become a surgeon, She has yet to build a career and a life for herself. And I have already done that and now I want more..."

"Mark, I told you, I can't be with someone who is in love with someone else..."

"Addison, you are not getting it, I love Lexie. But I can't be with her. For her sake, for my own. That relationship was never meant to be. And I don't expect you to accept me right away, but give me a chance, a second chance, and I will try to be the man that you want. Let me join the practice at least. Sloan and I will find a place in LA, she can live here with me and you can monitor the baby."

"The baby won't need any more help until its born, the surgery was successful and there should be no more complications. So that won't be an issue. And about joining the practice, I will have to ask everyone else before you can join. We run a co-operative venture after all."

"I was already planning to give the chief my resignation letter. So I was hoping that you will let me join the practice...Otherwise I will be jobless, with a teenage daughter and a grandchild to raise. Please give me the job, see I and even making the pouty face."

Mark will always be Mark, using his antics for turning a serious discussion into a light conversation.

"Ok, I will consider it. I already said so. Don't beg. And this doesn't mean that you get to have your way every time. If you are to work at the practice, no more sleeping around and no man-whorish behavior. We'll give it three months, and after three months we will reassess things."

"Fine. but if I can't be a man-whore, then you can't sleep around either. Deal?"

"Deal!"


A/N: Hey guys, please review the story and tell me if you like it of not. Please! Please! I beg of you! (Ok , that was very dramatic, but that is how much I crave for reviews. :P) So if you like this story, review, like and follow for more drama and romance.

Also, I have used some dialogues from private practice s03e11 directly and then later changed some to fit this story. Also, needless to say, Addison and Mark are invented by Shonda Rhimes and are her intellectual property.