Disclaimer: I do not own Flashpoint or anything you recognize from it.

You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give. — Eleanor Roosevelt

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Chapter Two

The Roundabout Way of Growing Upside-down

Ignoring the sounds of the inevitably chaotic airport, Addison bent down and grabbed her suitcases; thankful for once that she had listened to her former teammates and had sent her other things ahead. She had lived a nomadic, gypsy life; so moving hadn't been that big of a feat. She shoved her suitcases on the cart and tried to catch her bearings: she couldn't remember the last time she had been in Toronto: in the past, she had usually skipped over the city and now…she had a job and an apartment to move into in the same place she swore she'd never settle down in.

She carted her things through the airport, trying not to criticize the city, though she biased. She was so used to being in a city that had sky and greenery whereas Toronto was in sharp contrast to that. She shrugged and hunted down the rental car Clay had been kind enough to see to; she couldn't wait for Christmas, she'd take some time off and go back to Vancouver to visit the guys.

The last week had been maudlin for her, packing at night and working with the guys during the day. Near the end of the week, they'd all been pretty miserable but they couldn't change the decision, even if she secretly hoped they could. It was just something she had to mantle and she would, this was the career she had chosen and she'd do her damnedest in the new team. She had one week left to move into her new apartment, see if she could muster up the energy and get a new car, hit up the gym and get a new membership; though on Monday she had to go to the station and check in for orientation and testing. She sighed, her eyes finally finding her rental, she unlocked the trunk and threw her suitcases in: she was starting over in a place where she had buried more metaphoric skeletons and secrets than a morgue had.

She followed the directions she had printed off from the Internet to her apartment, ignoring the memories that came back to life as she passed by places she recognized, her former sergeant hadn't given her any information about the new job, all he had deigned it important to mention was that she'd be a part of "Team One" and that had been it.

Addison parked the car in her designated parking spot and got out, staring up at the giant brick building, welcome home, she darkly thought to herself. She felt a vibration in her pocket and pulled out her phone, "Hey."

"So…how is it?" She heard Suits' slightly anxious voice.

She smiled, pulling her suitcases out of the trunk, "I just got to my apartment." She explained, hoping he'd get the idea and give her time to settle in.

But that wasn't to be, "Awesome, I'll get to hear your every thought on your new apartment."

She snorted, "Great." She acidly commented, lugging her bags into the building and hitting the elevator button.

"You do realize that me leaving means you guys are going to need someone else from a different team fill in the gap." She commented.

She heard a shrug in his voice, "Not really, boss is thinking about hiring fresh meat."

Addison rolled her eyes and stepped off of the elevator onto the sixth floor, "how does it look so far?" Suits asked her.

"Well, it looks clean, good security, nice lighting—" She said, listing all of the things she normally looked for when doing a walk-about with the team on a case.

She heard Suits laugh, "Addie, this is your new home, stop looking at it like a tactical member and let your mind rest."

She snorted, "I don't have time to rest, I have to check in on Monday for orientation and testing." Addison knew she didn't need to mention the fact that all new recruits had to go through a rigorous testing process to see if they were up to par with the team.

"Fine, but when you come visit for the holidays, I damn well am going to make you rest, and no ride-alongs!" He ordered.

Addison unlocked her apartment door and shoved the door open, "Great." She muttered under her breath.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing…just looks exactly like it did in the photo." She had hoped maybe it would look better in person but no such luck. "Look, I have to go, things to do and I definitely want to pick up a few things to make this place look more...homey." They said goodbye and she dumped her things by the door, slamming it shut behind her.

0000000000000000

Addison had spent better part of the day hunting down a reasonably priced used car, seeing no point in buying a new one when she didn't know how long she'd be staying, made sure the boxes she shipped with her valuables inside were still intact, returned the rental and now she had a small issue of getting a gym membership and maybe stopping at the store from some groceries. She stepped into the gym, her eyes flickering over the room as was the habit of all law enforcement agents and she knew from a glance that she had seen a few officers and one very small, petite brunette. She ignored the raucous from the gym's occupants and turned her attention towards the woman behind the desk, asking and paying for the membership.

Before leaving Vancouver she had made sure the apartment had been close to the station and the gym inadvertently had been close as well. It explained all of the black shirts of law enforcements brimming in the gym, "Thank you."

She tapped her hand on the desk and smiled at the woman in thanks. She turned around and bulldozed someone, knocking the person on the floor, "Shit, I'm sorry." She apologised, bending down to help the woman and realized it was no wonder the woman had fallen, she didn't even reach Addison's shoulders.

"Don't worry about it." The other woman excused, dusting herself off.

Addison shrugged, standing besides the very small woman not only made her feel like a barbarian but also like a giant. "I'm still sorry—I didn't see you."

The woman smiled genuinely, finding Addison's slight fluster amusing, "Seriously, honey, don't worry about it. I kind of knocked into you."

Addison squinted at the woman in mirth; there was something highly amusing about someone shorter than her using elderly endearments. "Okay, well, it was nice meeting you." She awkwardly stood there, hands shoved in her pockets; there was something about this small woman that made her want to hug her and protect her as though she were Addison's own cub.

The woman laughed and extended her hand, "I'm Julianna but please, call me Jules."

Addison took her hand and smiled, "Nice to meet you Jules. Addison or Addie. Call me whichever."

Jules smiled up at Addison, "I've never seen you around here."

She nodded, "Just moved here today."

"Seriously?" Jules' eyes bulged, "well, what are you doing at the gym? Shouldn't you be at home passing out by jet lag?"

She laughed, "I don't really get laugh, I mean, its only Vancouver, not that long of a flight." Jules nodded, "Plus, I have to get back into shape." She said, deciding it was easier saying a half-truth than the actual truth: she didn't feel like she had the energy to explain she had to get ready for testing on Monday.

Jules stared in awe at the woman, "Dude, you're in better shape than I am in."

She snorted in derision, "How about we agree to disagree?"

"Deal." Jules smirked.

Addison smiled, "Well, it was nice meeting you—are you on your way out?" She asked, taking note of Jules with a huge black duffel over her shoulders.

Jules nodded, "Pick up a pizza, buy some beer and go home and relax."

She smiled, "Sounds awesome."

"What about you?" Jules asked, walking alongside Addison.

Addison held the door for Jules before walking through, "Grocery, and maybe order some takeout and go to bed early." They both laughed silently when they realized that on a Saturday night, they'd rather stay at home and vegetate than go to town in heels. Addison waved goodbye and walked towards her car, leaving the gym's parking lot to find a grocery store.

She had filled an entire cart with things, her entire car brimming with white bags full of food and she made a quick mental note to never go grocery shopping again when she was hungry. She pulled into her parking stall at her apartment building forty-five minutes later and got out, grabbing as many white bags in one hand as she could manage, "Are you stalking me?" She heard a woman's voice call out to her from across the parking lot and glanced up.

She found Jules leaning against her car with a pack of beer in one hand and a pizza box in the other, a quizzical look on her face, Addison rolled her eyes, "I swear I'm not, honestly." She shouted back. She hefted bags in both hands and slammed her door shut with her foot. She walked towards the door, her key-card in between her fingers and flashed Jules with it.

Jules stared at the other woman and used Addison's card to swipe into the designated slot, the front door opening with a beep, "What floor are you on?" She asked.

Addison rolled her eyes in good humour, if it were the other way around; she'd have Jules arrested and then ask questions later, "The sixth."

"Okay, so you're not stalking me." Jules commented.

Addison laughed, "Can I have my card back?" She didn't bother asking Jules what floor she was on, in part, because she didn't really care and the other part because she honestly didn't want Jules suspicious of her anymore than she already was.

Jules handed her the card back and Addison went to the elevator, "See you around." She stepped into the elevator and said goodbye to Jules. She unlocked her apartment door and went to the kitchen, dumping all of her groceries on the floor, and went to the door to lock it.

Turning around she stared at her empty apartment with hands on her hips, feeling the lonely hope that came from new beginnings and the death of the ends. She wasn't even remotely tired and she still had so many things to do: she went to the kitchen and decided it was time to clean everything and put away her groceries. She felt elated and her stomach did a summersault in excitement; though she hated the reminders of the past, she was enlivened about the future.