so, a new chapter... i know it's a slightly confusing, and i apologize, but this is what the characters wanted. and i do have a vague, sort of solid, outline-y plot thing. it's not exactly set in stone, but a plan is good, right?

-insert disclaimer of your choice here-

They stop at a motel in the middle of nowhere at around one. Addison wrinkles her nose, but considering that the whole trip was her idea, doesn't say anything. Besides, all she wants at this moment is a bed. They check in and the room's not bad. At least there are two beds. Addison doesn't even bother to change, she just throws her self face down on the nearest bed.

"Aren't you going to change?" Alex asks.

"No," is the muffled reply.

"You're going to regret that," he tells her.

She musters the energy to raise her head. "You wanted to come with me. You're my guest, and you are not going to say anything. I want to sleep and I'm going to sleep now."

He holds up his hands in defense. "I'm not saying anything. Go to sleep, but don't bitch to me when you wake up and you're uncomfortable."

Addison glares at him, but gets up. "Fine," she says, and grabs her pajamas from her suitcase. She changes in the bathroom and when she returns Alex is in the middle of getting undressed. She stops for a moment, staring at his bare chest.

"What?" he asks when he notices her staring.

She tears her eyes away from him. "Nothing," she replies. "Absolutely nothing. Can you turn the light off?" He complies. "Thank you," she says as she climbs into bed. He does the same.

They sit in silence for awhile. "Hey, Addison?" he asks, just as she thinks it's getting awkward.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. Why?"

"You just seem weird lately."

"I'm fine. Really. Thanks for asking."

"It's okay to not be okay. You know that right?"

"Yeah. I do. Thank you for your concern, but I'm really fine."

"You know that people who say that they're fine usually aren't, right?"

"I'm not one of them, Karev, I can assure you of that. Thanks though."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"Okay."

"Okay. Now, I'm going to try to get some sleep, so don't wake me up, okay?"

"Okay," he agrees. And he sticks to his promise. But around four in the morning he wakes up. Just as he's about to go back to sleep, he hears muffled sobs coming from Addison's bed. Without thinking, he gets up and into her bed, embracing her. She stiffens for a moment, then allows herself to let go. "You don't sound fine," he whispers after she stops crying.

"So I'm one of those people," she replies. "Is that such a bad thing?"

"No. Now I know you're lying when you say you're fine though, so you might as well tell me the truth from now on."

"Fine. I'm not fine," she tells him.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't want to talk about it," she retorts. He can tell from her voice that she's telling the truth.

"Okay."

She turns to look at him. "Seriously?"

"Seriously," he shrugs.

"Thank you," she says, and turns over to go back to sleep.

0ooo0

When she wakes up and recalls the night before, she's not sure whether to be happy or embarrassed. She turns over to smile at the sleeping figure next to her, and wriggles out of his grasp to take a shower. When she opens the door she finds Alex awake. "Hey."

"Morning," he says.

The look in his eyes tells her that he's dying to ask her how she is. "I'm good," she answers the unasked question. "I'm all good."

He looks at her, trying to decipher if she's lying. "Okay. I'm going to shower."

"All right. Do you care if I run out to get a coffee?"

"Just don't leave keep going and leave me out here."

She pretends to consider doing what he tells her not to. "As tempting as that is, I won't."

"Promise me."

She laughs and holds up her hand in the Girl Scout promise. "I promise."

"Okay. Go ahead. But I'll hunt you down if you leave me."

"I don't doubt that. I won't. Do you want something?"

"Just a coffee with some cream."

"Okay. That's easy."

"I'm an easy guy," he shrugs.

She smiles. "I'll be back."

When she returns to the motel, she finds Alex showered and dressed. She hands him his coffee and phone. He looks questioningly at the phone. "You have to call your friends," she explains. "You told me that you'd do it, so you are. Bailey's going to be freaking out when you don't show up without calling in, so you're calling someone. Izzie or Meredith or whoever. Just call."

He rolls his eyes, but dials. "Hey Iz… Yeah, sorry about that… I just had to get out of there, you know?… No, I don't think I'm coming back… What? Dr. Montgomery's gone too?" he asks, glancing at Addison, who has to stifle a laugh. He motions for her to stand outside the door. Confused, she does. "No, she's not here… People are talking? Who cares, Iz? I'm not coming back, it doesn't matter… I'm sorry, but I didn't have time to say goodbye… It was kind of a spur of the moment thing… I'll call you soon, okay?… Oh, can you tell Bailey and the Chief?… Thanks, Iz. Bye." As he hangs up, Addison walks back into the room.

"May I ask why I had to go stand outside?"

"Didn't want to lie, and I knew she was going to ask if you were here. I figure if you aren't actually in the room, then you're not actually here."

"That is the weirdest logic that I've ever heard, but whatever gets you through the night, I suppose."

"Thank you. Ready to check out?"

"Sure."

0ooo0

They continue heading south. "Do you have any idea where we're going?" Alex asks about a half an hour into the trip.

"I was thinking maybe L.A. for a few days?"

"A few days?"

"Well, I don't know if that's where I want to live, but I have a couple friends down there that I really should go visit."

"Okay. L.A. it is."

"For now. I never asked, anywhere in particular that you want to go?"

"It's your trip. But if you decide you want to drive to New York, any chance we could stop in Iowa?"

"Iowa? What's in Iowa?"

"My family. I kind of want you to meet them. Plus, I haven't seen them since Christmas 1999, and they kind of hate me for it."

"Iowa it is."

They sit in awkward silence for a while, until Alex breaks it. "Don't answer if you don't want to, but what's your family like?"

Addison bites her lip, trying to figure out how to answer his question. "Um, my dad was in the Army for as long as I can remember, until a couple years ago when he was diagnosed with lung cancer. But before you go feeling sorry for me, the cancer's in remission, so he's fine now. My mom is one of those socialites, you know? She spends her days planning benefits and galas and things like that. My sister Linden is a lawyer in Connecticut. She and her husband have a little boy, Ryan. My brother James works on Wall Street. He and his wife are expecting my niece, Grace is what I think they agreed on, any day. I don't have any cousins and all my aunts and uncles are dead. Which is really sad, come to think of it. What about you?" she asks, glancing over at him.

He hesitates before answering. "My mom and I don't talk much. She's still mad at me for chasing off my dad when I was in high school. But there's just this point you reach, you know, when you're done taking shit. I got to high school and I had enough of him hitting her, so one day I hit back. He left, and she's never really forgiven me. I don't regret it, though. My sister Lauren and I are still really close. We talk all the time, and she's the one who's pissed at me for not going back for Christmas."

Addison is silent. What does one say in response to that? "Well, aren't you going to apologize or something?" Alex finally asks her.

She frowns. "No. Why would I?"

"It's the general response. I figured that it'd be your response too."

"You don't seem to need an apology. I'm not going to apologize for something I can't change."

"Thank you."

"Huh? For what?"

"For not apologizing. It's… nice."

"Oh." She glances over at him. "You're welcome."

"So, what about you? Any deep, dark secrets?"

"You've already heard my deep, dark secrets," she retorts, "thanks to the hospital."

"We're out of there, no need to sound so bitter. It's not good to speak ill of the dead."

"The hospital is hardly dead."

"It's dead in our books. May as well be, for all it matters."

She looks over at him again. "You know, that's the first thing out of your mouth today that I think is a good point," she teases.

"Hey!"

She sticks her tongue out at him and turns back to the road. As she listens to him laugh, she decides that she could have done far worse in choosing a companion for this trip. Such as only herself. The more she thinks about it, the worse it sounds. There's something to be said for driving cross-country with a guy you hardly know. It makes you think. Makes you want to learn more about him. And that's what Addison decides she wants, to know a little more about Alex.

no worries, all will be revealed... well, if not in the next chapter, then in chapters to come.

reviews are always a good gift! i don't know why you'd be giving me gifts, but... hey, if you want to, who am i to stop you?

-Juli