A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews on this story so far – I really do appreciate them! Here's the next chapter. I hope you like it, and please review! :)

Sweet Child of Mine

Chapter 3: 9 Crimes

Addison cut her visit to Seattle short. After her fight with Alex, there wasn't really a reason for her to stay. She felt bad about the way things had gone down between the two of them, and a part of her really wanted to set things right, but every time she picked up the phone to call him, she lost her nerve.

About a week after she returned to LA, Addison found a package waiting on her doorstep when she returned home from work. She raised her eyebrow when she saw the saw the return address – she didn't remember ordering anything from Seattle. Addison made her way into the living room, sat down on the couch and began to open the package. At the very top was a note written in Alex's handwriting.

Addison,

I feel awful about the way things ended between us in Seattle. I had no right to tell you how to live your life. If Sam makes you happy, then I'm sure he's a great guy. If you want us to stay out of each other's lives, I understand, but I think you're right – a child should know something about his or her father, so I picked up a couple of things for the baby. I also tossed in an Iowa State wrestling t-shirt, a couple of pictures of me, and a letter for the baby. I thought the Iowa State shirt might make a cute nightshirt one day, and I figure you can give the baby the pictures and the letter when he or she is older.

I really am sorry about what happened in Seattle. I just want you to be happy – you deserve it.

Love,

Alex

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Addison began rummaging through the contents of the package. She pulled out a couple of onesies, a stuffed teddy bear, and the Iowa State shirt that Alex had mentioned in his letter. She also pulled out a copy of the book Goodnight Moon. On the front cover was a post-it note, which read: This was my favorite bedtime story when I was little. Addison smiled as she opened an envelope and pulled out some pictures of Alex. Most of them were recent shots, but there was also a picture of him in his college wrestling uniform and another picture, where he looked like he was five or six years old. He had to have been the cutest little kid that Addison had ever seen.

"Stupid hormones," Addison muttered, as she wiped more tears from her eyes. She turned her attention back to the package, and picked up a sealed yellow envelope – obviously Alex's letter for the baby. She turned the envelope over in her hands a couple of times, debating whether or not to open it. Oh what the hell, she thought to herself, as she carefully opened the envelope. I'll just stick the letter in another sealed envelope later. No one has to know, she reasoned as she began to read the letter.

Hi Baby,

My life definitely hasn't been bright and shiny. I didn't have a good family life when I was a kid and, as an adult, I've had to deal with a lot of tough things, but none of these things even compare to how hard it's been for me to not be able to watch you grow up.

Just know that even though I wasn't there to hear your first words or see your first steps or tuck you into bed at night, I'm proud of you. I might not be there to watch you graduate from high school or go to prom, or deal with your first heartbreak, but I'm your biggest fan. I'll always be your biggest fan. You have a great future ahead you and, even though the bad stuff is easier to believe, never forget how special, talented, and loved you are. You mean the world to me and your mom.

Be good, and listen to your mom. And make sure you cut her a little slack every now and again. Sure, she can be crazy sometimes, but she's the best mom in the whole world and you don't need me to tell you how much she loves you.

So take care, you, and be safe and always remember that I love you and that there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of you.

Love,

Dad

Addison sat there reading Alex's letter over and over again, paying no attention to the tears streaming down her face or to how much time was passing by. When Sam entered Addison's house two hours later, he found his girlfriend sitting on the couch, her tear-filled eyes focused on the piece of paper in her hands.

"Addison," Sam exclaimed, trying to catch his girlfriend's attention.

Addison reluctantly forced herself to tear her attention away from Alex's letter to meet Sam's eyes.

Sam took in the pained expression on Addison's face. Her makeup, which was always perfect, was smeared messily all over her face; her blue-green eyes were red and puffy. "What's going on, Addie?" he asked in concern.

"What are you doing here?" Addison asked, completely ignoring Sam's question, as she returned her attention to the letter in her hands.

"You're my girlfriend," Sam said gently. "We were supposed to have dinner together an hour ago, and when you didn't show up I got worried. I thought you were standing me up."

"You got worried? Worried that something was wrong with me, or worried that you were being stood up?" Addison asked, a hint of annoyance creeping into her voice.

"Addie, what's this all about?" Sam asked.

"It's nothing," Addison mumbled.

"It doesn't seem like nothing," Sam said.

"It's just, Alex and I got into this big fight the last time I was in Seattle, and then I got this package from him today and it's perfect, and-"

"You look tired," Sam observed. "I think you'll probably feel a lot better after a good night's sleep."

"You're probably right," Addison conceded. But she wasn't tired. She was overwhelmed and scared and confused, but she definitely wasn't tired.

"Why don't you go upstairs and get ready for bed. I'm gonna grab something to eat, and then I'll meet you in the bedroom."

Addison nodded. As she made her way up to her bedroom, she couldn't help feeling a little annoyed with Sam. On the surface, his suggestion that she go to bed had been a sweet one, but it also got him out of talking to her about Alex and the baby – subjects that he desperately avoided. The thing was, though, Addison was almost relieved that she didn't have to open up to Sam. Even though he was her boyfriend and one of her oldest friends, sometimes he was really hard to talk to. Addison knew that Sam still wasn't completely on board with the whole baby situation, but she had kind of hoped that he'd show just the slightest interest in her fight with Alex or in the package that had brought on her emotional breakdown. Sure, both were baby-related, but she could have used her boyfriend's support. She wasn't really angry with Sam about this, but his reaction – or lack there of – made her uncomfortable. Since they began dating, moments like these had been happening a little too frequently with him – if a situation didn't directly or immediately concern or affect him, he didn't care.

"Goodnight, Addison," Sam said as he climbed into bed next to her twenty minutes later.

"Night," Addison said.

Sam leaned in to give Addison a kiss and, although she responded, she realized that a part of her wished that she were kissing Alex instead. But she couldn't let herself think about that. She and Sam were happy. They had to be happy. So, she forced herself to push Alex Karev out of her head and waited for sleep to come.

xxxxx

Alex's heart skipped a beat when he saw Addison's number flashing on his phone. They hadn't spoken since their fight and as much as he wanted to call her and set things right with her, he could never quite muster up the courage to call her.

"Hey Addison,"

"Alex. Hi."

"How are you?"

"Good. I just wanted to call and thank you for the package you sent. I got it yesterday and it was perfect."

Alex smiled, "I'm glad you liked it."

"I really like it. Look, Alex, you clearly want to be a part of your child's life, and I have no right to deny you that, so I don't know, maybe we can come up with a new arrangement or something."

"I'd like that."

"Good," Addison smiled. "By the way, I sent you a little something this morning. You should be getting it soon."

"Really? What is it?"

"Can't tell."

"Seriously?" Alex whined.

"Seriously."

"Fine, be that way," Alex sighed. "So what was your favorite part of the package that I sent?"

"Honestly?"

"Yeah."

"The letter to the baby."

"You read it?"

"I didn't mean to; it just sort of happened."

"Addison! I know parents are supposed to invade their kids' privacy but, seriously, you're starting early."

"At least I was honest about it," Addison defended.

"Well I hope she never keeps a diary," Alex chuckled. "That would be a disaster."

"Alex, I wouldn't. Wait, she? You think we're having a girl?"

"Just a feeling," Alex shrugged. "I mean, it doesn't matter one way or the other to me."

"I think it's a girl too," Addison said softly.

"Yeah? What does Sam think?"

"Uh, I don't know," Addison answered. "We don't really talk about that kind of stuff."

"What kind of stuff?" Alex asked with feigned innocence. He already knew what was coming.

"Baby related stuff," Addison said sadly. As much as she wanted to talk about the baby with Sam or just share her excitement with him, every time she did, conversation became awkward and stiff. "Hey, I thought you said you never saw Pretty Woman before," Addison said suddenly, desperate to change the topic.

"What?"

"Well, in your letter to the baby, you had two Pretty Woman references – the take care, you, and the part about how the bad things are easier to believe."

Alex laughed, "I may have watched the movie recently."

"You know, the bad stuff is easier to believe scene is one of my favorites," Addison confessed.

"I can see that," Alex smiled. "Look, Addison, I've got somewhere I need to be, but, uh, thank you so much for calling and you know for letting me be involved in my kid's life. And thank Sam too for me. I know that this probably isn't the ideal situation for him."

"Uh, yeah, right, I'll be sure to thank him for you," Addison stammered.

"Wait, you ran this by him, right?" Alex asked, picking up on the discomfort in Addison's voice.

"Alex, he'll be fine with it."

"Um, okay, sure, I mean you're the one who's dating him, so you know him better. I'm just saying that if it were me, I'd want to know if someone else was suddenly going to become a big part of my life."

"Alex-"

"Look, Addison, I know we need to discuss this more, but I'm already running late, and there's somewhere I need to be, so can we talk later?"

"Oh, I get it," Addison said trying to conceal the jealously in her voice, "you've got a date."

"First of all, you don't know that and, secondly, why would that even matter to you?"

Why did it matter to her Addison wondered. "It doesn't matter to me," Addison lied. "Go ahead and date whoever you want."

"I will," Alex shot back. "After all, you do."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Addison asked angrily.

"Read into it whatever you want," Alex replied coolly. "Or maybe you and Sam can talk about it tonight because, hey, it's not baby related so that's a safe topic for you two to discuss."

"Oh just shut up already, Alex."

"I've been trying to get off the phone with you for the last five minutes," Alex started but Addison interrupted him.

"Then I'll make this very simple for you, Alex," and, with that, the phone line went dead.

"Real mature," Alex muttered to himself. He contemplated calling Addison back, but a glance at his watch reminded him that he really was running late.