After All

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story. They belong to Shonda & Co. However, if Kate Walsh and Justin Chambers become available let me know. I will gladly max out my credit cards, empty my bank accounts, and offer my firstborn child in exchange for ownership. I also do not own Grey's Anatomy or Private Practice. If I did, Private Practice would not exist, and Addison and Alex would be shacking up, making beautiful babies with her hair and his mischievous smile.

Chapter 1 – I Wasn't Looking For You

Alex Karev sighed as he made his way into the bustling convention center. It was his first time in sunny Los Angeles, and he was to spend the majority of the daylight hours inside. Reluctantly he approached the marquee and after studying it for a moment headed off in a direction he hoped would take him to the correct room. As he rounded a corner he ran smack dab into a woman, causing her to drop her purse and a large stack of papers.

"Oh, excuse me!" he exclaimed, bending over to help her gather the papers. When all had been collected, they both stood up. "Here you go, sorry 'bout tha…" Alex fell silent when the woman brushed her long hair out of her face.

"Addi….I mean, Dr. Montgomery! Wha…what are you doing here?"

The tall redhead smirked. "I'm assuming you're here for the OB/GYN conference?" Alex nodded. "Apparently you didn't read the itinerary. I'm presenting at a few of the sessions today."

Alex smirked back. "Well, now that I know, I'll be sure to attend one." They looked at each other awkwardly for a moment, neither knowing what to say to the other, before Alex broke the silence. "So…how's life treating you these days?"

"Things are good," Addison said with a small smile. "I'm actually living here in L.A."

"Yeah? What hospital are you working at?"

"Ummm…I'm not, actually. Working at a hospital, that is. I'm now the lone OB/GYN at the Oceanside Wellness Center. I'm lucky if I have one delivery a day."

"Seriously?!?!"

Addison rolled her eyes. What was it with Seattleites and their obnoxious overuse of that word? "Yes, seriously," she mocked. "It's a nice change of pace, actually. So, what about you?"

Alex shrugged. "Same old, same old. Working a million hours a week, kissing attending ass in the hopes of getting in on some cool surgery. The NICU isn't quite the same these days, though…"

Addison blushed as Alex gazed at her, the longing evident in his voice. "Well, it's nice seeing you but I really must get going..."

"Oh! Yeah, um, me too. Maybe I'll, uh, catch you later."

"Yeah, OK."

With that, the redhead was gone, lost in the crowd. Alex dug through his knapsack for his itinerary. He retrieved the rumpled document and scanned it quickly, making note of when and where Addison would be presenting. If things went his way, he'd definitely be catching her later.

Meanwhile, Addison found the nearest restroom and locked herself in a stall. Karev? Here in L.A.? Seriously??? "Argh!!!" she groaned, smacking her forehead with her palm. Someone, she thought, rolling her eyes to the heavens, clearly doesn't like me. I left Seattle because of him…OK, partly because of him, anyways…and now he's HERE? Now? Now that I'm happy? Seriously? Grrrrrrrrr there's that word again! Damn him and his stupid vocabulary!!! And his horrible timing! And his gorgeous eyes…DAMN HIM! She shook her head in attempt to rid her mind of his image, the looked at her watch. "Shit!!!" She flew out of the restroom, barely making it to the conference room on time.