A/N: So, this story has just been finished. It's only a short one but the idea is different and we thought it would be interesting to write it. We hope that you enjoy so please, let us know what you think :)
Summary: Pete and Addison have been divorced for three years so when she calls him in the middle of the night out of the blue, he knows that something has to be wrong.
Pete groaned as the sound of his cell phone pierced the peaceful silence of the night. He rolled over and groggily reached for his phone. He didn't check the caller ID before he hit the answer button. He knew that it would probably be the hospital or one of his patients, calling in for an emergency.
"Pete?" A familiar voice from the past floated down the line.
"Yes..." He sat up tiredly in bed. "Who is this?"
"It's Addison." Her voice began to crack and tears began to roll down her cheeks.
"Oh." Pete frowned slightly. He hadn't heard from her in three years. Why was she suddenly calling him in the middle of the night?
"I…I…" A loud sob escaped her mouth and tears streamed down her cheeks.
"What's wrong, Addison?" His frown deepened. "What happened? Where are you?"
"It's Nell," she chocked out between her sobs. "She…she…she's…"
"Shh, calm down, Addison," Pete tried to soothe her. "What about Nell?"
"She died, Pete," Addison whispered.
He could feel his heart sink at her words and it took him a few moments to respond. "Oh god," he whispered.
"She…and then...it was…will you come?" she asked in a tiny voice. "Please?"
"I...of course." Pete nodded even though she couldn't see him. "Of course I'll come."
"Thank you, Pete. Thank you," Addison whispered and closed her eyes. "I'll meet you at the airport. Call me when you get a flight." They both hung up the phone and Pete shifted to the edge of the bed before groggily getting up to pack his stuff.
Their Nell…no, Addison's Nell had died. She was gone. She would never again tell him a story about her past or give them advice, or tell them that they were acting stupid and should go back to the other. She was gone was gone and he never even had a chance to say goodbye to her. He would never be able to talk to her again. He'd never be able to see her smile. She had been like a second mother to him ever since he met her. She had helped him and Addison out many times. She had done so much for both of them and he could never thank her for that. He couldn't even imagine what Addison must be going through right now. He knew that he needed to get the next flight to Connecticut.
Pete ran a hand over his tired, yet awake, face before he began to throw clothes into a bag and booked himself onto a flight to Connecticut.
Five hours later Pete left the terminal at the airport in Connecticut to walk into the huge arrival hall, carrying his bag in his hand.
"Pete!" Addison waved at him from the crowd before she rushed towards him and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as she fought back the tears.
He dropped his bag to the floor and slid his arms around her waist instantly. "Addi, hey," he spoke softly.
"Thank you," she whispered and buried her face into his shoulder. "I just…I had to…I needed…"
"Shh, it's alright," Pete soothed. "I'm here now, you're not alone." Addison let her tears fall once more as she stood safely in his arms. "Shh..." He held her and lightly ran his hands up and down her back, comforting her.
"She's gone," she murmured into his shoulder. "She's actually gone."
"I'm so sorry, Addi," Pete whispered. "I can't believe I'm never going to see her again." Addison sniffled and buried her face further into his shoulder. "Shh, it's okay, I'm here," he soothingly whispered against her hair. "It's okay."
"We should…we should…" She slowly pulled back to wipe her eyes. "Bizzy is preparing food for you."
"Of course." Pete nodded and picked up his bag. "Let's go." Addison reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out her car keys which she held out for him. He took hold of them before he placed his free hand on the small of her back and they made their way out to the car park.
After a twenty minute drive, Pete turned into the large driveway of the Montgomery household and killed the engine. He got out of the car and waited for Addison before he locked it and walked around and towards the front door. Addison rang the doorbell and they waited for the door to be opened before they stepped inside. Pete slipped out of his shoes and jacket before following Addison further inside.
"Bizzy?" Addison called out tiredly. "Bizzy?"
"In the kitchen," she called back. Addison glanced at Pete before they made their way into the kitchen and Addison slid into a chair at the table.
"Bizzy," Pete gave a smile as he walked inside. "Long time no see."
"Pete." Bizzy held her arms out to him and returned the smile.
He gave her a hug before he pulled back to look at the food she had prepared. "You didn't have to go through the trouble just because of me."
"I know you, Pete. I know you're hungry, don't try and deny it."
"You know me too well." Pete gave a small smile before he sat down at the table as well.
"I do." Bizzy smiled and nodded as she placed a plate in front of him.
"Thank you, it smells delicious." He picked up a fork before he began to eat. Bizzy slid into a chair at the table and looked across the table at Addison and Pete and was suddenly transported back five years.
"Remember that one Christmas Nell fell ill?" A small smile was playing on her lips at the memory. "I was suddenly in charge of Christmas dinner but I ruined it, so Pete jumped in and saved the day?"
A soft smile appeared on Addison's lips. "I remember." She nodded. "We all got so drunk that night."
"Including Nell." Pete smiled as well.
"We had fun, though." Addison felt herself be transported back to that Christmas.
"I say we open another bottle." Pete grinned from where he was sat on the couch, lifting up his empty scotch glass. "What do you say, Archer?"
"I agree completely with you there, Peter." Archer grinned and made his way over to the bar where he picked up another bottle. "Who needs a top up?"
"You're all going to be too hung over to open your presents tomorrow morning," Bizzy warned them. Archer just waved a hand at his mother as he topped up Pete's glass.
"Where has Addison gone?" Pete asked as he glanced around the room.
"She's gone upstairs to check on Nell." Bizzy looked down at her tipsy son-in-law.
"Nell should come down here and join us!" Archer decided before he clicked his glass with Pete's and took another sip of his scotch.
"She's sick," Bizzy reminded them.
"Oh she can still have a glass of scotch with us." Pete smiled.
"It can't make me feel any worse than already I do, can it?" Nell asked as she shuffled into the living room with Addison behind her.
"That's what I'm talking about." Archer grinned at her. "Sit down, have a glass with us." Nell accepted the glass that Archer held out to her before she took a long sip.
"And here's my beautiful wife," Pete spoke quietly and smiled up at Addison as she walked closer. "Scotch?"
Addison screwed her nose up and pushed his glass away as she sat down next to him. "I'll have a Martini."
"Why am I not surprised?" He leaned forward and took hold of the bottle and a glass to mix Addison her drink.
"Because it's her choice of poison." Nell smiled at the couple. "I'll have a glass as well seeing as you're making, Pete."
"Sure." He smiled as well and mixed them each a drink before handing it to them. "Bizzy?" He looked at his mother-in-law.
"Join us, Bizzy." Nell looked at the other woman. "It's Christmas. At Christmas we're not employee and employer. We're friends. Sit. Drink. Relax."
"I got this." The Captain winked at them before he walked to the bottles of alcohol to mix his wife her favourite drink. Addison smiled and snuggled up to Pete's side as everyone found somewhere to sit. Pete wrapped an arm around her shoulders and dropped a kiss on the top of her head before he continued to sip on his drink.
"I hope you've left me some Christmas dinner," Nell commented before she took another large sip of her drink. "I need to make sure that my Christmas dinner hasn't been outdone."
"I put Pete in charge of it after I burnt the first roast," Bizzy informed her. "It was delicious."
"A man who cooks." Nell looked at Pete and raised her glass to him. "At least we know that Addison will never starve to death."
Addison rolled her eyes at that comment. "My cooking isn't that bad."
"It actually is." Pete smiled. "But I don't mind. You've got other qualities." Addison pouted and sipped on her drink.
"I could warm you up a plate if you're hungry," Bizzy offered.
"Not right now." Nell held up a hand. "Tomorrow."
"Don't be too hard on me though." Pete smiled.
"I'll try." Nell grinned at him before she finished off her drink.
"Another round?" Archer held up his empty glass. Everyone agreed and held out their glasses to be topped up. Half an hour later and everyone was drunk.
Once Pete had finished his meal and they'd all had a cup of coffee, Addison and Pete climbed the stairs and made their way along the hallway.
"Which guest room shall I take?" he asked as they walked along.
"Can you…can you come lie with me for a while?" Addison asked and looked up at him with vulnerable eyes. She looked ten years younger in that moment. "I don't want to be alone right now."
"Erm, yeah, of course." Pete nodded slightly and gave a small smile.
"Thank you," she whispered and turned into her childhood bedroom. Everything was still the same since the last time Pete had been in there. He looked around him as he walked further inside and closed the door behind him. It almost felt like he never left. Addison pulled her sleeves down her arms until she could grasp hold of the ends tightly in her hands.
"Thank you for coming today." She turned and looked at him as she hugged herself slightly, not letting go of her sleeves once.
"You know you don't have to thank me." Pete watched her. "I want to be here. I want to be able to say goodbye to her."
"It means a lot to me that you're here. I know it's selfish to think of me right now but…" Addison gave a small shrug and looked down at her feet.
"It's not." He shook his head. "You're not selfish. I'm here for you."
"I know I must have made our last year of marriage hell for you and I am so sorry for that. I realise now that life is too short to be angry over nothing. I was a bitch. I'm sorry, Pete."
"It wasn't just your fault." Pete shook his head slightly. "Neither of us acted like ourselves. But we don't have to talk about this right now."
She nodded slowly and looked up at him. "I'm sorry I haven't called much."
"Yeah, I am too."
Addison opened her mouth to tell him that she missed him but decided against it and turned to her chest of drawers to get a pair of pyjamas out. Pete watched her before he slowly walked over to the bed and sat down on his side.
"I still have a pair of your pyjamas here." She turned her head to look at him.
"You do?" He looked surprised.
"Yes." Addison nodded and pulled them out the drawer. "We always left a couple of pairs here for when we stayed, remember? I never cleared the clothes out from here," she admitted.
"Oh." Pete nodded and got up again to take them. "Thank you."
"I'm just going to change." Addison motioned to the bathroom before she turned and left. He gave a small nod and watched as she left before he began to strip down as well.
Five minutes later, Addison pulled back the duvet and crawled into bed. Pete moved to his side of the bed and sat down before he moved his legs underneath the covers. She lay on her side so she could face him and rested a hand under her cheek.
"If it wasn't for Nell missing, I'd feel like nothing's changed around here," he commented.
A small smile graced her lips at his words. "Everything's the same, isn't it? It's like you never left."
"It almost feels like it." Pete nodded. "Doesn't seem like it's been three years."
"Are you happy, Pete?" Addison asked quietly and studied his face.
Pete looked down at her for what felt like an eternity before he softly shrugged. "I don't know," he answered honestly.
"Are you with someone?"
"No." He shook his head. "Are you?"
"Nothing serious," she replied quietly. "He just…scratches an itch." She shrugged a one shoulder shrug. Pete gave a small nod and turned away before looking down at his lap. "It's not the same," she offered softly. "It'll never be the same."
"I know." He nodded again. Addison reached a hand out and gently placed it on his arm. Pete looked at her and gave a small smile.
"I'm sorry," she whispered before she shifted herself closer to him.
"What for?" He watched her.
"Everything." She placed her head on his shoulder and slid her hand down his arm until it reached his hand and she linked their fingers together.
"Me too." Pete gave her hand a soft squeeze and rested his head against hers, breathing in her scent. They lay together in a comfortable silence until sleep finally overtook both of them and they drifted off.
