I wrote this while obsessively listening to "Ma Belle Evangeline" from The Princess and the Frog (the best movie I've seen in a really long time). I would recommend listening to it while reading if only because it sets the mood.

Oh, and apparently I've recently become obsessed with the idea of Addison and Alex being in a secret relationship at a dance. Don't know why, but I am, so you can just deal with it. It's giving you stories, isn't it?

I don't own Grey's Anatomy or The Princess and the Frog. I don't own Kate Walsh, Addison Forbes Montgomery, Justin Chambers, Alex Karev, or Randy Newman. I don't own a lot of things, now that I think about it.

The way the light shines catches the red of her hair and sets it on fire. It makes her skin luminescent. Her eyes are glowing, and maybe it's just because of the way the light hits them, or maybe it's something else entirely. Maybe they're sparkling in that way because Callie has just told a joke. Maybe they're sparkling in that way because, for the first time in ages, she feels like she can take on the world. Or maybe they're sparkling in that way because she knows this is the last time she'll be able to dress in such a skintight dress without people being able to see the life growing inside of her. Well, in any case, she looks radiant.

Alex watches her attentively, though stealthily. She doesn't want anyone to know yet. Not about the baby, and not about them. And while most of the time he's content to let sleeping dogs lie, watching her right now makes him want to grab the microphone and announce her pregnancy to the entire hospital. It wouldn't be hard to jump up on the stage and yell out the news. He's actually really tempted to do it, just itching to share the news with everyone.

But just then, Addison looks over her shoulder and smiles at him softly. It's a smile meant for him and only him. And just like that, he's happy to sit and watch her.

"Jesus, Alex, if you're that into her, why don't you just ask her dance?" Izzie finally snaps.

"Huh?" he asks as he snaps out of his trance.

"You've been watching Addison all night. Just go ask her to dance. Something good might come of it."

"No," he says. "It's not… it's not a good idea, Iz."

"Why not?"

"It's just not. I can't explain it."

"You can't explain a lot of things nowadays," Izzie points out.

"What do you mean?"

"You can't explain why you've stopped going out with us. You can't explain why you're not interested in Plastics anymore. You can't even explain where you go after work. You've got a secret, Alex Karev, and I'm going to figure it out."

He shakes his head. "I don't have any secrets, Iz," he lies, sneaking a look at Addison again.

"There's something different about her tonight," Izzie comments, looking over at the redheaded doctor too.

"What do you mean?"

"Something good is happening to her. You can tell. Look." She nods towards Addison. "I mean, really, really look. No, don't just look, see."

He grins. Izzie is right, and she's talking about what he's noticed already. Addison Forbes Montgomery looks really, truly happy. "You're right, Iz."

"She's all lit up, or something."

"Yeah."

"You should go ask her to dance."

"And ruin her night? I don't think so."

Izzie scoffs. "Please. She'd be lucky to dance with you! Plus, she keeps looking over here like she wants to come over."

"Maybe she wants you to go over," he jokes. He knows that there's probably nothing Addison wants less than a visit from her secret boyfriend while she's talking to her best friend. He's learned that one the hard way.

"I'm pretty sure she doesn't swing that way," Izzie replies. "She wants you to go over."

He imagines what would happen if he headed over there.

She would turn, surprised that he had come over. "Karev," she would greet him with a smile.

"Dr. Montgomery," he would reply, keeping up the charade they have going. "Do you want to dance?" he'd ask, trying to keep the confidence that she will accept out of his voice.

She'd blank for just a minute, shocked by his question. She doesn't know he dances, and she certainly wouldn't be expecting him to come over and just ask her. Slowly, she'd take his hand and lead him out onto the dance floor.

They'd talk quietly as they swayed slowly. He'd try to convince her that now would be a perfect time to reveal their… status. She'd fight him and get annoyed that he was bringing it up again. He'd remind her that in a couple of weeks, there would be no hiding her pregnancy. She'd reply that until then, she had no intention of letting the whole of the hospital know. He would point out that telling people now would be mean only having to tell people once. She would say that it would also mean ruining a perfectly lovely evening with several ear-shattering screams and millions of questions. And then he'd ask for a compromise. She would ask what the hell that meant. He'd say they could keep the baby to themselves, but he's sick of hiding that they're together. And then, if he were feeling particularly bold, and if he was willing to risk her wrath, he would lean in and kiss her. And she would pull back and look at him in shock.

From there, there would be two possible outcomes. Either she would start screaming at him and everyone would think that he had just done something else to piss her off, or she would finally understand that he's serious about her, about them, and she would study him for a moment before leaning in to kiss him again. Most likely, option one would be the door she would pick, but you never really could predict what Addison Forbes Montgomery was going to do. Either way, everyone would know that something was happening between them. They would know that he's determined to make her happy. They would know when Addison announced her pregnancy that he was the father and that he wasn't going anywhere. But Addison would be hurt. She would be furious and once she was done being angry, she'd just be hurt and disappointed that he couldn't respect something so important to her.

He shakes his head. "Nah," he says to Izzie. "Not worth it." He's content to watch his girl and wonder how the hell he managed to get so lucky, how someone so beautiful could end up with someone like, well, him.

"How could it not be worth it?" Izzie exclaims, frustrated that her friend is so stubborn.

"It's just not."

"I will never understand you," Izzie sighs as she shakes her head.

And just as Alex thinks that maybe, just maybe, he's gotten rid of his best friend's interrogation for the time being, Callie screeches as the song fades, "Addison Forbes Montgomery, are you pregnant?!"

Everyone's heads turn quickly, but none turns quicker than Alex. He watches as her face attempts the color of her hair. He watches as she feels everyone's eyes on her and frantically searches for a way out. He watches as her panic-stricken eyes search the crowd for something. He watches in disbelief when he realizes that she's looking for him.

"Oh my God!" Izzie breathes. "That's what's different! She's pregnant!"

Slowly, he gives an encouraging smile, trying to let Addison know that he's behind her, whatever decision she makes. She inclines her head slightly, letting him know she understands and takes a deep breath. "Yes." Her answer rings out clear in the suddenly silent room. Everyone is too shocked to follow her when she rushes out of the room.

He waits for a minute, letting the room fill with chaos and unanswered questions, before he gets up and sneaks out. He finds her sitting outside the hospital without her coat. He rolls his eyes when he sees this and shrugs out of his own, draping it around her shoulders. "So that was…" he grins, trailing off,

"Not how I wanted everybody to find out," Addison replies.

"Yeah, but it's what happened," he shrugs.

"I had it all planned out too. I was going to tell Callie, the Chief, and Miranda. The rest could have just known when I started to show."

It looks like she's going to continue, but he cuts her off. "This is how it happened," he reiterates. "This is what you have to deal with." And then he thinks about her plan. "Were you going to tell them everything?"

She frowns in confusion. "Everything? What?"

"Me," he clarifies. "Were you going to tell them about me?"

"Duh." The sound is out of her mouth before she can think about it. So she tries to fix it. "Of course I was," she says. "I am."

"Good," he replies. "I'm glad."

She bites her lip. "Me too." He knows she's not talking about telling people. She's talking about how everything has panned out. This entire thing hasn't exactly been one big plan. A few secret on call room rendezvous had led to a few secret dates. A few secret dates had led to a secret apartment. A secret apartment had led to a secret pregnancy. And now he's seriously considering the idea of a secret pregnancy leading to a completely open engagement. But as he looks at her face, he knows that's a question for another day.

"You ready to go back in?" he asks, substituting one question for another.

"Do I have to?" she shoots back.

"Callie will probably have your head if you don't," he points out.

She heaves a sigh. "Okay. Yeah. Okay." She starts to shrug out of his jacket then stops. "You know, they may as well know everything." She tugs his jacket closer to her body and grabs his hand. "Let's go."

The uproar is deafening when they reenter. Without having to say anything, the entire hospital now knows the entire heredity of Addison Montgomery's child. Before they can blink, Callie and Izzie are yelling simultaneously about keeping such a huge secret and bombarding them with questions. How long has this been going on? When did she find out she was pregnant? How did Alex take that news?

Addison smiles mysteriously. "Let's sit down," she suggests to Callie. "I'll tell you everything."

Izzie sticks with Alex. "How could you not tell me?" she asks. He can hear the hurt in her voice, although he can't see it, because his eyes are focused on the woman he is now certain is the love of his life. Izzie sees it, and all of sudden, everything is forgiven. "She's beautiful, isn't she?" she asks him. "She lights up the room."

He tears his eyes away from Addison. "I know. I thought…"

"What?"

"I thought I was the only one to notice."

Izzie frowns. "Why would you think that?"

Alex hesitates, unsure if he should say anything. "Just sometimes it feels like I'm the only one to see her."

Izzie grins. "You know what? I think sometimes you are. And I think you're the reason she lights up the room. People are seeing her now because of you."

He stays quiet, not sure how to respond.

"You're going to be a dad, Alex! Holy crap!" Izzie exclaims.

"I know," he replies. "I know."

"You're going to be great," she assures him, sensing his hesitation.

"I'm going to try," he responds, watching Addison laugh joyously as Callie reaches out to touch her stomach.

"You really love her, don't you?"

He once again tears his eyes away from her. It's the hardest thing he's ever had to do, and he really doesn't intend on looking away from her ever again. "You know, Iz? I think I do. I really do."

Sappy, I know, but you should understand if you listened to the song! Seriously, search it on Youtube. JDI.

-Juli-