A/N: It seems my muse wants "Clavicle" and "Suddenly" to simmer untouched for a while. Every time I attempt to write more, what appears on the page is complete crap. Please bear with me.

Disclaimer: Oh, if they were mine… (wink wink).

She had been back for three days on an important consult that required her to pack and fly immediately to Seattle. On the first day, his shocked expression and averted eyes made them both practice the great art of avoidance, though she didn't have the time for embarrassment even if she wanted to. On the second, the two actually had a civilized conversation and Alex of course said something remarkably sweet in a bit of a crude way, which was so Alex-like. That night they went to Joe's for a drink because he insisted, saying that he would pay and wanted the chance to explain his past actions. Although hesitant about the circumstances, Addison agreed. Some may say it was out of curiosity of what the fool would say (Miranda) and some would say that she still had a deep longing that he would want to be her baby's daddy and do the nasty (Callie). Either way, she went and he was there and they talked. To sum up an hour, he was interested, had always been interested, would always be interested and that scared the hell out of him. On the third day, she woke up feeling incredibly relaxed.

"I want a dog." Alex took a deep breath and caught the soft scent of her shampoo, while attentively tracing small circles on her arm.

"What?" The comment came from nowhere and she couldn't help but laugh a bit because her mood was lighter than it had been in years. Her fingers stopped the light tapping they were making on his chest.

"I want a dog… a big one." Pausing to run his fingers through her hair, he realized just how much he had missed the simple smell of her. "Like a malamute."

Addison turned her head to eye him curiously. With one eyebrow quirked, "You want a dog?"

Smirking at her baffled look, he turned to fully face her and slipped further into the sheets with her. "So the fence will have to be tall."

"The fence?" She nuzzled her head further into the pillow, her face inches from his.

Alex brought his hand to her waist and pulled her lower half flush against him. "When you get mad at it, which let's face it is inevitable, just remember that the kids will love him and dogs are good for building a healthy immune system."

"Alex?" Her voice shook a little and she raised herself, bringing her elbow in for support. Looking down at him, her mouth opened and closed with no other sound passing her lips. A little moisture began to build in her eyes, making her face contort a bit to prevent the threatening flow. "What are you doing to me?"

Mirroring her actions, he leaned over and kissed her neck. "You want the kids, the house with the white picket fence, the husband who barbeques and plays catch. I want you and I'm ready to be that guy."

"You don't have to—" She shook her head, tension and nervous excitement rolling off her body in waves.

"Let me talk for a minute." He brushed her hair away from her face and she unconsciously leaned into the touch. "I don't care if you stay here or you want to go back to L.A. I would rather you stay here but I'll go with you, if you want me to. I'll go with you and be happy. I'll be happy because I'll be with you and our future son and daughter who will have your good looks and my charm." Addison didn't know whether to laugh or cry and felt crazy about being this mixed up. Her gaze fell to the bed and a tear ran down her face. "Hey," his thumb ran along her chin, "hey, look at me." First shutting her eyes tight, she again looked him in the eyes. "I'm trying to tell you that I love you but I suck at it. I'm not good with the emotional stuff."

Touching his cheek, she kissed his lips so delicately that he thought his heart might shatter if she had not already been thawing it over time. "I love you too. But, Alex, it's too late. Now I can't be that woman for you…" Another tear slid to meet the pool of despair. "I can't give you children."

Confusion laced his features, "What?"

Overcome with every emotion nameable, she fell back flat on the bed. "I have two viable eggs. Two… two tiny chances and then I'm done." A heavy sigh escaped her. "I had the chance to be a mother but neither the timing nor the guy was right. And now…" Alex moved closer to her, leaving no room between their bare bodies, and placed his hand on her opposite hip for encouragement. "Now there's this amazing guy whom I'm crazy about and my body fails me. How ironic is that?" She let out a sad laugh at the injustice and sniffed back a breakdown. Although this was an entirely different circumstance, Addison felt herself craving alcohol and Izzie's homemade muffins.

"Okay."

The single word surprised her a bit, seeing as his tone was neutral and she didn't know what was going on inside his head. Twisted, she let her hands fall from her face to cover his arm and took in every aspect of his face. "Okay?" she questioned.

"So you only have two eggs, big deal. Don't doubt my little guys… they're tough and determined. I'm getting you pregnant Addison Forbes Montgomery and you're going to like it."

His audacity and serious expression made her giggle and gave her hope. "Am I?" Her playfulness always came out in bed and it came much strong with Alex, as did most things. His smirk took over but turned into a grin as he began tickling and kissing her squirming figure. Having settled the matter, Alex did not reach into his side table drawer as he had earlier when blood flow turned south. After the naughty deed was done, he knew he was really going to enjoy his self-proclaimed sex mission as he spooned Addison's beautiful sleeping form.