Note: I'm quite excited about this fic because well, it's new. Basically, it's about Addison post-Didn't We Almost Have It All. It's about five or so years into the future and there's even these nifty little flashbacks that will lead from a few months after Didn't we almost have it all to about FIVE YEARS after...and it has a lot of pairings. Addison/Pete, Addison/Derek (truth time...this is going to end up Addek. I find that I'm incapable of not writing Addek), Addison/Mark, Addison/Alex and then there's some pairings that have nothing to do with Addison and will just be back ground noise.

December, 2012

Addison entered her house quietly, worried she would wake her daughter. However, when she entered the living room and found Mark sitting on the couch with a bag of cheetohs at his side, Faith sitting at his feet playing with his stethoscope, that worry fled in favor of anger.

Faith looked up when she heard Addison's keys drop to the coffee table. "Mommy!" She awkwardly ambled to her feet, running into her mother's arms.

"Hey, sweetie," Addison said, dropping a kiss on top of her tangled red hair. She got a good look at Faith's face and almost groaned. "What's all over your hands and face?"

Faith smiled cheerfully. "Cheesy carrots," she said innocently.

Addison frowned. She knew cheetoh remnants when she saw them, but her nearly five-year-old daughter didn't have the capacity to lie. "Come on. Let's get ready for bed. It's way past your bedtime."

Faith's cheerful grin immediately faded and she gave her mom a pleading look. "I d'want to go to bed!"

"Too bad," Addison said, stifling her smile.

Faith ran over and easily climbed onto the couch beside Mark. "Pwease," she said, wrapping her arms around his head.

"Sorry, squirt. If mommy says you have to go to bed, you have to go to bed." Mark sent Addison a pleading look, unable to resist Faith's pleading.

"Come on, Faith. Bathtime and then bed."

Faith sighed woefully.

"Kiss?" Mark requested.

She sadly gave him a kiss and climbed down from the couch, heading upstairs to her bathroom.

"I can't believe you made me do that," Mark muttered.

Addison grabbed the bag of cheetohs from his side. "Stop telling my daughter these are cheesy carrots," she snapped when she was sure Faith was out of ear shot.

Mark raised his eyebrows and snatched the bag back. "Stop shoving vegetables down her throat and give her a cookie."

"She eats plenty of cookies, Mark," Addison hissed. "She can have chips with her lunch and maybe for a snack, but it's past dinnertime and her bedtime!"

Mark shrugged. "Oops?"

Addison resisted the urge to just hit him. "I have to go give my daughter a bath," she said with a sigh. She was almost to the stairs when she turned back around. "Did you at least feed her supper?"

"We ate grilled cheese and noodle soup from a can," he said, flipping through the channels.

When Addison entered the mermaid themed bathroom, she found Faith already in the tub, her bath toys around her. "This isn't going to be a long bathtime," Addison told her regretfully. She had come home prepared to relax and go to sleep.

Faith yawned through her protest. It was nearly nine, way past the time she was usually permitted to stay up.

Addison mechanically ran the bathwater and washed Faith's hair. She sighed, thinking that if she didn't brush it then it was going to be tangled in the morning.

"I wanna do it," Faith protested when Addison started washing her arms.

Addison gave her the washcloth and supervised while Faith finished washing herself.

Addison wrapped her in a large, fluffy towel and carried her into the animal kingdom bedroom. There were toys scattered everywhere, and she was apalled to discover a section of the disney wallpaper had been colored on. "Faith Diane," she said, "did you color on the wall?"

Faith buried her face in the crook of Addison's neck. "I colored it for you," she said, her voice muffled.

Addison set Faith on the floor in front of the dresser and dried her off. She let Faith pick out which pajamas she wanted to wear and dressed her.

Faith yawned and Addison pushed her damp hair out of her face. "I think you need to get into bed, missy."

Faith threw her arms around Addison's neck. "Can I sleep with you?" she begged.

Addison glanced at the canopy "princess" bed and saw that it was covered in coloring books and crayons and markers. "Just for tonight," she conceded.

Faith cheered and let go of her mom, running for the door. She ran into the master bedroom and launched herself onto the bed. She was burrowed under the covers, singing quietly to herself when Addison stuck her head in the room. Seeing she was okay, Addison went downstairs to finish talking to Mark. Finding the living room empty and the lights turned off, she made her way to the kitchen where a note was placed amongst the many pictures.

Sorry I didn't tell you I was leaving but it was a 911. I'll probably see you tomorrow if you don't get called in.

-M

When Addison walked back into her bedroom, having turned everything off and gotten Faith's toothbrush from her bathroom, she found Faith bouncing on the bed. "Down," she ordered.

Faith fell back with a giggle. "Where's daddy?" she asked. "Isn't he going to read me a story?"

"No, sweetie. He's working. Come on, we still need to brush your teeth."

Faith stood and let her mom pick her up and carry her into the master bathroom. "What's he working for?" she asked once Addison settled her beside the sink.

"Well, someone got hurt and daddy's going to fix it."

"Like when I fell down and daddy kissed it better?"

Addison laughed and gave Faith her cartoon toothbrush. "Something like that."

Faith scrubbed the small brush against her teeth and spit when her mom told her to. Addison brushed her teeth along with her daughter, and Faith copied her with a small giggle.

Addison filled two small dixie cups with water and rinsed her mouth out. Faith watched her mom carefully and copied her exactly.

"Let me see," Addison said. Faith smiled really big and Addison put her hands on her hips, tilting her head to the side. "You have a beautiful smile."

Faith carefully stood up so she was even with her mom. "Let me see," she said, mimicking Addison's pose.

Addison grinned for her daughter and laughed when Faith launched herself into her arms. "I'm guessing that's a good sign," Addison said, walking into the bedroom and turning off the lights to the bathroom. She tossed Faith onto the bed, much to the delight of the small girl. "You can have daddy's side since he's not coming home tonight."

Faith pulled the blankets back and got under them. "'Kay," she said, snuggling into the fluffy pillow. She detected her father's scent and felt the warmth wrap around her like his strong arms.

Addison changed into comfortable pajamas and got into bed. "Ready for lights out?" she asked. She was met with silence. She leaned over and smiled slightly when she discovered Faith had already fallen asleep. She kissed Faith on the forehead and realized the small girl's hair was going to be so tangled in the morning. She pulled herself back to her own side of the bed and turned off the lamp on her bedside table, plunging the room into total darkness.

She slid to the middle of the bed and smiled when Faith snuggled into her side. It didn't matter that her daughter's wet hair was making a large wet spot on her tank top. She sent a silent thanks to the heavens for giving her the little miracle. It had been a long road and she was so glad it had finally happened for her.