Disclaimer. Dawn is mine. That's it.
--
"Wake up," Addison beat Pete over the head roughly with a feather pillow.
"What do you want?" he asked, his voice muffled by the blanket that covered up his miffed hair. "Coffee? Anything, just let me sleep."
"It's nine," Addison said simply
Pete bolted out of bed, picking up his shirt at the doorway.
"I have a patient at nine thirty!" he yelled from the shower.
"Why else do you think I got you up, idiot?"
He poked his head out of the steamy bathroom. "That's not a very nice way to treat your boyfriend."
Addison almost choked on her coffee. "You are not my boyfriend," she yelled through the door.
She heard the lock click and smiled triumphantly, thinking he had locked her out. But he pulled the door open and pulled her in.
He had a fluffy green towel wrapped around his lower half, but his torso was bare. And muscular.
But Addison paid for her moment of weakness. Pete swung her into the shower's path and she screamed, the hot water splashing in her face. Her pajamas were soaked, and she thanked God they weren't see through.
Pete let her go and she jumped out of the shower. She stripped off her pajama pants and her shirt, and was left standing in her bra and underwear.
Pete stared, awestruck, thinking she was going to strip bare. Instead, the doorbell rang and she grabbed his shirt that was on the floor.
She tugged it on and Pete grinned, amused that the shirt only barely covered her purple lacy undies.
He dressed (as much as he could without his shirt) and went to see who was at the door.
"What do you mean, he called you?" Addison was saying. She was frantic, he could tell, she was repeatedly running her fingers through her wet hair and normally tanned skin was milky white.
"He called to say goodbye," Naomi explained.
"He doesn't even have your number," Addison exclaimed.
"I gave it to him," Naomi said guiltily.
"Well, where is he?" Addison looked like she was ready to pass out.
"Oh his was home, I suppose," Naomi said. "He had the opprotunity to learn from your mentor here. Something made him give up the opprotunity of a lifetime."
"Hey Nai," Pete said, nervously standing next to Addison, who looked ready to drop. He tried to put a steadying hand on her waist, but she shrugged it away.
Naomi's phone lit up and she opened it. Then she passed it to Addison.
"Tell Addison I love her: Dr. Karev."
This time, Addison really did faint.
Pete barely caught her before she hit the floor.
"Guess the honeymoon's over," Naomi said, kneeling next to her unconcious best friend.
--
"How many airports are there in LA?" Addison asked her GPS system.
"I'm sorry, we can not calculate your request," the monotone voice replied.
"ARGH!" Addison punched the off button.
"4." Pete answered grimly, rolling down the window to the already convertible car.
"What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing, I'm just worried about your..docor person?" It wasn't supposed to come out like a question, but thats what it sounded like. He was questioning why he had even offered to come along.
THen he looked at her perfect tearstained face and remembered when she didn't find her Dr. Karev, he would be there to catch her and. And kiss her. And --.
"Hey Richard," Addison said into her phone, trying to sound cheerful. "Would you mind telling me which airport you came from?" Silence. Addison fidgeted nervously in her seat. "No, I havent heard from Karev. Ok, I'll keep an eye out. Ok, bye." She closed her phone and shuddered. "He's pissed!"
"Well, his employee ran off, I would be pissed too," Pete stared out the open window.
"You seem pretty pissed off already," Addison answered critically. "Why are you so angry at me?"
Pete slammed his hand on the dashboard, the first time Addison had ever seen him lose his temper. She flinched noticeably, and he immediately felt bad. "Nothing."
Addison smiled. She hadn't smiled in so long, she felt like her muscles forgot how to. "Liar," she said softly.
Pete looked down at his new jeans. He could faintly smell Addison on his shirt. And that was the way he wanted to keep it. "I'm just cranky," he said, smiling his playful smirk. "You woke me up early remember?"
He reached over and gripped her hand tightly. Addison smiled, but inside she couldn't help but wonder what he wasn't saying.
--
The beginning of the day at the office had been uneventful. Completely uneventful and boring. Dell buried his head in his hands, hoping that when he looked up, something time worthy would materialize.
"Um, excuse me?" Dell straightened up and opened his eyes. An unbelieveably pretty girl in a faded pink bikini top and jean shorts stood before him. Her hair was piled up in a bun, and her eyes glittered blue and bright against her tan skin.
Hello time worthy.
"Um, I'm looking for Addison Montgomery-Shepherd," she said, her voice strong. She seemed genuinely amused in his preence. Odd girl.
"She isn't here, but you're welcome to wait," he said, gesturing to the sprawling waiting room in front of him.
She immediately plopped down on the chair, humming a tune, something he vaguely recognized. After sneakily watching her for the better part of an hour, she spoke, "You can come talk to me, if you'd like."
Dell flushed, and took a seat next to her. "I dont need your invitation, you know," he said.
"Then why are you still red from my comment?" she asked shrewdly, raising her eyebrow.
"Sunburn?"
She laughed, a wonderful melodious laugh that made his feet tingle.
"I'm Dell," he said, sticking his hand out.
She shook it firmly. "I'm Dawn."
Dell leaned back, relishing the refreshing feeling of something, or someone, time worthy.
--
You aren't leaving," Addison said, stomping her foot. "I'm not going to let you."
"Why does it matter to you, anyway?" Alex asked, slightly embarrased that she had followed him when he hadn't followed her.
"Its that...Well...um...It just matters, ok?" She was about to have another breakdown, he knew. Her eyes were tired and red, and she was desperatly trying to hide the fact that she had already cried over him. She was dressed in bright colors. Clothes made her feel better. Her lips, her gorgeous lips, were turned down, her signiature facial expression before she would burst into tears.
He had seen that look on her face from Derek and Mark, and he had vowed he would never do that to her. Well, that just showed how much of an asshole he was.
Addison thought briefly that she was glad Pete was waiting in the car, or he would have liked to hit Alex though he never said, she knew he was jealous. She would like to tell him he had nothing to worry about. But she would be lying.
She loved Alex, and that's all she thought about when he kissed her.
His hands were cupped around her tearstained face, and the kiss was familiar and comforting. She had missed the way he tasted. Nothing could ever replace this.
When he pulled away, Addison did that cute nose thing she did when she wanted to smile. Her nose would twitch a little, just like the corners of her mouth, but she would resist the goofy grin threatening to break across her beautiful face. Then she frowned.
"What?" he asked leaning into her. Their foreheads were touching; he could count her eyelashes if he wanted to.
"Pete," she said.
He stiffened and pulled away. "What about him?" He had a feeling...
"He's in the car."
He stepped away completely. "Great. I can still catch my plane."
Addison reached out and caught his arm. "Don't be like that."
"Are you kidding me?" he looked like he wanted to yell. Or cry. I'm not like Meredith. I'm pretty sure you're not either. I'm not going to sit around and watch you be with a guy you don't love."
"But I do love him!"
"Now you're acting like Derek. You can't have everyone," he moved to walk away.
Addison yelled after him. "Do you know how hard it was, leaving you behind? You broke me, Alex, and Pete was here to pick up the pieces. He showed me I could be loved, something you never quite learned how to do." Her hair had fallen around her face and the tears were making stray hairs stick to her face and neck. "Besides, I'm sure you can be happy with Rebecca."
"I don't want Rebecca." He yelled back. "I love you. But if you can't pick, then I'm leaving."
Addison hesitated.
"Ok then," he said and boarded the plane.
"Alex!" She yelled, tears stinging her eyes and blurring her vision. Someone wrapped their arms around her waist and she looked to see Pete and sobbed, wishing so much that it was Alex.
--
"You gonna be ok?" Pete asked, his hand on Addison's shoulder.
No answer
"Addie?" Pete looked over, concerned. Addison was fast asleep, her head leaning against the window.
Addison didn't have to know that he had heard everything that had transpired in the airport terminal. But he realized that, while she had said she loved him, she was a millisecond away from picking Alex oer him. He needed ot fix that.
He was going to be the best not-boyfriend she'd ever had.
He started by taking her home and carrying her to bed instead of taking her to work and waking her up.
--
By that evening, Dell and Dawn had learned almost everything they needed to know about each other.
Dawn had lived in New York for her whole childhood until she came to California for a summer and fell in love with surfing. Now, at 26, she was a professional singer and was moving out to LA. Her favorite color was blue, like the ocean, and she loved to read.
Dell had lived in LA his whole life, and grew up loving the surf. At 28, he was sad to say he was still in school studying to be a midwife, but it was what he loved and was willing to endure all ridicule. His favorite color used to be green, but he changed it on a whim to blue, the color of Dawn's eyes.
"I guess Addison's not coming in today, huh?" she remarked playfully.
"Oh," Dell had forgotten Dawn had come here to see Addison. "Guess not. Well," he ventured, hoping he wasn't going too far," you can stay with me, if you want."
Dawn blushed, the first time she had ever blushed in his presence. "Sure."
She brightened. "Let's go eat. Know any good vegitarian places?"
"Veggie girl too?" Dell smirked. "Do you save whales on the weekends?"
"When I'm not too busy."
Dawn laughed. She took him by the hand and took off down the hall, yelling, "Eat carrots, free the whales!" Over and over again.
Cooper stuck his head out of his office. "Sorry," Dawn said, her lips twitching as she struggled to keep a straight face, "I've escaped from the crazy wing, because," she lowered her voice significantly, "I'm not crazy. OH! You know what a great word is? Flaccid. Wonderful word, flaccid." She continued down the hall, yelling, "Bye, farewell, avoid roasted cabbage, don't eat earwax, and look on the bright side of life."
Dell shrugged at Cooper, grinning stupidly.
"She's hot," Cooper said. "Crazy, but hot."
Dawn came tearing down the hall, taking Dell with her.
"Dinner awaits!" she shrieked.
--
Dell never knew vegitarian food could taste so good. Or maybe it was because he wasn't even paying attention. He was too busy watching Dawn, who had been halfway mobbed by fans and was now signing some little girls autograph book.
"Here," she whispered, handing her a twenty dollar bill, "Go buy an Einstien bear for me, genius." She ruffled the girl's hair as she skipped away.
"You don't even know what you're eating do you?" Dawn giggled.
Dell looked down in alarm. "Should I be afraid?" he asked.
"Do you even know what tofu is?" she asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically.
"No."
"Then I'm not telling you."
"I know there's egg in it," he commented, poking at a piece of hard boiled egg.
Dawn laughed. "Tofu is the meat, not the whole meal."
"Oh," Dell thought for a second. "I thought it wasn't meat."
Dell flicked a little piece of egg at Dawn, who squealed. She flicked a piece of faux-meat at Dell, and he gaped in an exaggerated manner.
Dell stood and threw Dawn over one shoulder, who thought it was immensly hilarious. He walked to the front.
"Check, please."