AN: So I have to say that this is my first time writing about Private Practice although it has been on my mind for a while now. Let's just say that I can't get enough of Charlotte and Cooper and this story just seemed to write itself. The idea for this story came from the song "A Woman like You" By Lee Brice. And if you haven't heard the song, I recommend that you listen to it so you know where the story is coming from. The first time I heard this song I immediately thought of Char/Coop and this scene came to mind right away. So this is my take on the Fried Chicken Scene in season four.

Disclaimer- I don't own is all out of harmless fun to distract me from life no copyright infringement intended

Fried Chicken

Cooper's Point of View

It was a quiet night as the two of us were lying together in bed in the loft. The place that had so many memories both good and bad. Tonight we tried again but it wasn't right, not yet, almost but not quite. So I had left the room and came back in trying to lighten the mood with the left over fried chicken. So it was kind of cheesy but it brought a smile to her face. A smile. Not a smirk or one of the fake smiles that she dishes out so often these days. So this smile, this genuine smile was enough in and of itself to make up for everything that didn't happen tonight.

So with the empty chicken box resting on my bedside table and her cuddled up into my side, I notice that she is looking up at me like she has something on her mind. Like she is contemplating something, something she doesn't really have the heart to ask but yet a part of her is battling the "I can do whatever the Hell I want to and I'm not scared of anything" part of her except with the recent events she has been scared. She may not admit it and but she has been. There are still nights that I feel her awaken in the middle of the night with nightmares and flashbacks. But she has come so far and I am proud of her even if we haven't quite gotten to that stage yet.

"You know," I say "I know you can't stop looking at this face… cause you know it's awesome but the look you are giving me is kind of unnerving."

A slap on the chest and a chuckle is my punishment for that one. But she looks away and is quiet for a while as I run my hand up and down her arm.

"Coop," she says and I can tell by the tone of her voice that whatever was on her mind is still there.

"Yeah Char," I reply while still running my hand along her arm, trying to placate her and whatever thoughts are haunting her at the moment.

"What would you have done if it wasn't me?"

"What do you mean if it wasn't you?"

"At the bar. That night if it wasn't me and we didn't get together later and we didn't board this crazy rollercoaster ride that has become our lives?"

Stunned. Baffled. Jaw dropped and widened eyes. You name the emotion and I am feeling it. She's not a talker. Never has been, never will be. This must have been plaguing her for a while because now she is sitting up, looking at me, waiting for a reply and I can tell she is masking what I can only imagine to be fear, nervousness, and curiosity.

So being the smart ass that I am, I reply "Well, I probably would have gotten laid that night." And I can't help but chuckle as she once again slaps my chest.

"I'm being serious here, Coop. If it weren't me and you didn't ask me for a drink, where would you be? And you better watch what you say here because you are already sinking faster than…"

My fingers cover her mouth before she can finish her sentence. I can tell that this isn't really a joking situation anymore. So I do what I think I do best and attempt to flatter my woman.

"You're serious?" I ask and she only nods.

"Honestly… I probably wouldn't be anywhere near here." She looks slightly frightened and nervous at the same time but quickly regains her composure realizing that if she asked then she should have to face what was coming. "I never would have been able to buy Naomi's shares and I would have been out of a job. Not that that is the only reason that I well...ugh that did not come out the way that I wanted it to. Can I start again?" I bat my eyes at her and she knows that she has me in the palm of her hand. She nods and I let out a sigh. "I probably wouldn't have settled down, not yet at least. I would have spent more time out with the guys getting hammered; making a fool out of myself and then spending the following day hung over and feeling like I had been hit by a truck. There wouldn't be any food in the fridge besides old leftover takeout."

"So what you're saying is, I live to keep you out of the bars, reduce the number of your hangovers and keep the fridge stocked with food that won't cause you to have a heart attack?"

"Yes… I mean no. I mean that not all you do."

"Oh really?"

I smirk. I just have to. I can't seem to help it. "This place would be such a mess without your OCD and I never really did like the old bathroom." Another smirk from her but I know she still isn't completely satisfied.

"Without you, if I hadn't met you, I wouldn't know what it is like to have to push through the struggles, to work hard and fight with my whole heart for something I love. I wouldn't have gotten to know the soft side of you that nobody else gets to see. I never would have read 'To Kill a Mockingbird' twice a year. I wouldn't have a reason to come back here every night. I wouldn't be engaged and I wouldn't be in love and…"

I tilt her chin up so she is looking at me straight in the eyes. I can see the tears forming in her eyes but her strength and her tenacity and her pride are keeping them from spilling over and showing any sign of weakness. So I smile while looking her in the eyes and I say what I know she probably would never have expected.

"And I never would have found a love for fried chicken."

The End.