Author's note: Please R&R!
It was five o'clock in the morning when Addison Montgomery's hotel room was called. She was already packed and ready to leave town. Her flight was set to leave in four hours, and she was just about finished getting ready to leave when the phone rang, all she needed to do was finish her hair and makeup, and she would be on her way.
When the man on the other end told her that a Dr. Alex Karev was there to see her, she didn't know what to think. She could not think of a single thing that Alex could want from her. He had made it perfectly clear that he didn't want to be with her, and she didn't think that he would have come to the hotel just to kick her when she was down. She sighed and told the man with whom she was speaking to allow Alex up to her room.
Addison managed to finish her hair before there was a knock at the door. She put the hairdryer down and cautiously walked over to the door, unlatching it and opening it slowly. She found Alex pacing nervously in the hallway, looking like he hadn't slept at all, and that confused her to no end. She cleared her throat and his head snapped around quickly. He was clearly embarrassed at having been caught out of his element, and she almost feels bad for him. She ushers him in silently, closing the door behind herself.
He quickly scans the room with his eyes, and when his eyes finally meet hers she is overwhelmed by the fear and hurt that she finds there. She opens and closes her mouth, uncertain as to what to say. She feels an urge to apologize, though she doesn't know for what. He is eyeing her suitcases again, nervously, clearly uncomfortable.
"I…uh…are you going somewhere?" he asks, trying to appear to be nonchalant, but failing miserably. His voice comes out anxious and fearful. She looks at him incredulously and nods.
"I'm going to L.A." He looks briefly puzzled for a moment and nods slowly. She smirks. "What's so weird about me going there?" He shrugs.
"I don't know. It's kind of…bright and sunny…not…black and…"
"Dreary?" She supplies. "I'm glad you think I am such a happy person." She says, a bit more viciously than intended.
"I just meant…it's no New York." She cringes at his mention of the city that she used to love. He senses her discomfort and attempts to change the topic. "So…uh…you going for a conference or something?" She shifts awkwardly.
"I'm going to visit friends…or it might be something more." She refuses to meet his gaze. He can sense that she's not exactly telling the truth. He moves to catch her gaze, forcing her to look at him. The pain that he sees in her eyes and intense, and it hurts him to know that he contributed to it. He also found something else in her eyes.
"You're moving there?" He practically screams. She shrugs.
"It's possible. Probable, actually. It's not like I have a reason to stay here." She's avoiding his eyes again. He reaches out to touch her arm, but she moves away. He can tell that she is struggling to keep herself together, and he knows that he is making it difficult for her. He also knows that the only way to get her to crack is to be persistent. He takes another step towards her, placing his hands on her shoulders firmly, but not enough to hurt her, as clearly that would be counterproductive. It hurts him when she grimaces at his touch. He can see the tears in her eyes as she tries to push him away.
"I'm sorry," he states simply. She is still reluctant to let her guard down without a fight. He forces her to look him in the eye again so that she can see his sincerity. "I am so sorry Addison. I shouldn't have hurt you." He can see anger in her eyes.
"What makes you think I'm even interested?" she growls. His eyes soften.
"Addison…please…I know I was stupid. I was mean, and I didn't mean to be." She suppresses a sob.
"It's okay. You don't want me, and that's all there is to it. Really, I'm glad that you didn't try to sugar-coat it for me. It's fine." The single tear that has managed to escape contradicts her words, and his heart breaks just a little bit more.
"Listen to me. I'm sorry that I hurt you, but I'm also sorry that I pushed you away. That was the last thing that I wanted to do." She is about to make a snappy remark when she sees the sincerity in his eyes. Instead, the tears that she has been fighting to hold back stream down her face.
"Why did you do it?"
"I was scared…and stupid. I'm not good at commitment, and you definitely deserve better than I can offer. I don't want to break you. And I know that you want to settle down, but I wasn't sure that I could give that to you." The tears come faster now, and her body trembles slightly.
Alex takes a chance, wrapping her in his arms, and to his delight, she melts into the embrace, allowing herself to cry on his shoulder. He traced soft circles on her back, soothing her and continuing to apologize. After several minutes, Addison tenses and looks at the clock.
"Alex, I really need to get to the airport. Now." He looks panicked.
"Are you coming back?" She sighs.
"Do I have a reason to?" He smirks.
"Dude, Montgomery, of course you do. I'll be here." A wide smile spreads across her face. His expression mirrors hers, and he wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. Her eyes are glazed with desire, and inwardly he chuckles. She is delighted that he is taking initiative, convincing her that he really wants this, unlike the disaster that their first kiss was or when she jumped him. He leans in and kisses her firmly on the lips, his tongue pleads for entrance into her mouth, which she grants eagerly, aroused by how forward he is. They break apart, gasping for breath, and he moves away from her, keeping his hands on her hips. "Addison, you better get going if you're gonna make that flight." She sighs.
"Yeah, I guess." She is confused when he grabs one of her bags and carries it for her. "Karev, what are you doing?" He rolls his eyes.
"I'm taking you to the airport."
"Oh really?" she asks, raising and eyebrow somewhat flirtatiously. He grins crookedly planting a quick kiss on her lips.
"Yeah. Now let's go." She smiles.
"Yeah, let's." She reiterates, enjoying the feeling of being part of an "us" again, her smile growing wider, if that were possible.
