you see I don't mind falling in love again
They've been sitting across from each other for what feels like hours, but Mark is pretty sure that it's only been a few minutes. They are sitting in her office with the blinds closed and the door locked and every time he glances at her couch all he can think about is the last time he was in LA and how he took her right there.
After the third time Addison finally clears her throat when she catches him looking. "Mark, what are you even doing here?" is what comes out of her mouth, but her mind is in a different place entirely. She is trying not to look at the couch because she is trying not to think about how good things were with Mark. She isn't quite ready to compare heaven to hell just yet.
He shifts across from her, leaning forward in his chair to just stare at her for a moment. He thought it was pretty damn obvious why he flew out here to LA, but perhaps it's not because Addison isn't able to feel the same dull ache in his hand that he does.
"You called," he states as though that is reason enough. Any other time and it would be, but they have too much baggage for things to be simple anymore. She has left him and he has left her and the mutual hurt has faded but they are still wary of each word that comes out of the other's mouth. She suddenly looks angry and he knows better than to react. He just has to wait it out.
"I called to talk to you, not to have you fly out here and hit my boyfriend-"
"He doesn't deserve to be your boyfriend, Addison! He doesn't deserve to be anything."
Mark's plan to stay calm quickly flies out of the window because he is starting to realize that the Addison he is staring at is no longer the Addison that she used to be. He can remember her being fierce, but now she seems fragile. The woman he knew would never let a man lay a hand on her without giving back as good as she got, but right now she is defending that selfish prick and he can't take it.
"Mark-"
He decides to cut her off while he has the chance. "What the hell happened to the Addison I used to know? What the hell happened to you?"
The air in the room changes and suddenly the woman across from him has nothing to say. She used to sit behind that desk like she owned the place, but now she looks deflated and all he wants is to put air back into her lungs. Minutes tick by before she finally looks away from him and he offers the only lifeline that he has in his arsenal.
"Come back, Addison. The Chief needs someone like you on staff again and Callie would be excited to have you around and you could help take care of Sofia-"
Addison shoots him a surprised look, but it slowly transforms because he knows what she wants more than anything. Mark knows that she wants a baby of her own and even though he just had a daughter he would do anything for Addison. He would do anything for them.
"Come back with me, Red. Come back and be a part of our screwed up family."
For the longest time Mark is pretty sure that she is going to decline his offer and stay here with that asshole she calls a boyfriend, but something in her expression changes and he holds his breath.
Addison offers him up the first real smile she had managed in a long time as she says the single word he has been waiting years for her to say.
"Yes."