Title: Leave a Trail (3/x)
Rating: T
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Addison Montgomery, Alex Karev, Izzie Stevens, Kevin Nelson; est. Kevin/Addison
Summary: Set a few years post season four, Addison Montgomery finds herself back at Seattle Grace, albeit to find that things are quite different. Along with her life set and in order, she sees that many of the doctors have also come to terms with love life. As time progresses, however, these doctors will witness the phrase 'the more things change, the more they stay the same' manifest. (AU post mid-S4)
Note: This is more a transitional chapter than anything, but for those loyal readers of mine who for some reason are bringing up some guy named Alex Karev (does that have something do with my other Grey's fics...?), well let's just say the cast comes out to play in this chapter. And hopefully the cast doesn't disappoint. Much love, thanks for the feedback & enjoy.
"Do you like giving people heart attacks?" Kevin asked Addison as they waited for either Miranda or Callie to arrive.
"No."
"Then why'd you almost give that girl one?"
Addison smirked.
"Because it's ironic."
"What?"
"When I first came to this hospital, the first people I encountered were Derek and Meredith. I greeted her by saying, 'You must be the woman who's screwing my husband.'"
"Wow," Kevin looked out her astounded. "So you must really hate that Meredith, right?"
"No. I don't hate her. I have grown."
"Dr. Addison Forbes Montgomery has grown? Wow, we must alert the newspapers!" Callie screamed sarcastically, looking at her old friend in awe and delight.
"Callie!" Addison exclaimed, enveloping her in a hug.
"Hey, how have you been?!"
"Good, good," Addison smiled and turned to Kevin," this is Kevin."
"Kevin?" she smiled at him, and took his hand. She leaned over to her friend's ear and whispered, "so this is the Kevin, as in the boyfriend Kevin?"
Addison chuckled softly, and whispered back," yes, as in my boyfriend Kevin."
"Well, in any case, you are right," she looked him over and as she bit her lower lip, said, "He is scrumptious."
Kevin looked away as Callie gave him that predatory look and just managed to say," Nice to finally meet you Callie."
She took the hand he offered and held it tightly," And it's nice to meet you."
--
Callie quickly led Addison and Kevin to her office, although it was pretty obvious that half of the hospital already knew of Addison's return. This was cemented after twenty good minutes of chatting, when Dr. Webber rushed in and took a good, hard look at Addison.
"So the rumors are true," he cocked an eyebrow at her.
"The rumors are true," she tried keeping a straight face, but could not hold it, and stood from her seat across Callie's desk and gave Richard a hug.
"It's nice to have you here, Addison," he said after they exchanged a greeting or two, and after Kevin's introduction.
"Here for a visit," she clarified.
"We'll see about that," he answered her.
"And you, Officer Kevin Nelson, how exactly did you meet Addison?" he inspected the man over.
"Um, well I--" he began, but the chief cut him off.
"And what kind of police work do you do specifically--ever put Addison here in any line of danger?"
"Richard," Addison warned him.
"No, I haven't, I just…" but thankfully for him, before the interrogation went any further, the chief's beeper went off. He looked at it quickly, made a face of exasperation, but quickly looked at Addison.
"Dr. Montgomery, how would you like to perform an emergency surgery on a woman going into pre-mature labor?"
--
"Wow, I can't believe she's back. Who told you?"
"Lexie. She came rushing into Mrs. Wilkinson's room, out of breath, of how Dr. Montgomery had just arrived."
"Wow," Izzie repeated.
"Seriously, the Ruler of all that is Evil returning amazes you?"
"No, it's just strange. I mean, she left without saying a word, and suddenly she's back. I guess if it was closer to your wedding, it'd make more sense, but…"
"I know. Makes you wonder if she's back for good. But word is, she's back with a man," Meredith wriggled her eyebrows suggestively.
"Seriously?" but before Izzie could repeat her mantra, Christina threw the door open to announce, "who wants to see the ex She-Shepherd back in action?"
"Are we still calling her that?" Meredith pouted, but Izzie rushed her out, and the three girls all but ran to the OR in which Dr. Montgomery would perform a surgery in Seattle Grace Hospital for the first time in four years.
--
She rushed into the OR that the chief had indicated, quickly after having washed her hands and putting on the garments.
In an instant she was inside the OR, the nurses and interns were moving out of her way, until she was by the woman who had only just been pushed in. She took a deep intake of breath, and asked the nearest nurse to hand her the scalpel when another figure came to stand beside her.
"Scalpel," he commanded before she got the chance, and the voice behind the mask was unmistakable.
"No," Addison quickly stopped the nurse, and took it before he could get it.
"This is my patient Dr. Montgomery," he didn't meet her eyes, but rather moved for the scalpel.
"You are still a resident," she brought her eyes up to meet his, and like time hadn't passed, they could read each other in the atmosphere of a crowded OR.
She turned back to the patient, inhaled deeply again, and began her work.
"Where's the attending?" she asked after a several minutes.
"He went out to run an errand earlier. I told him of the situation, and he said he was on his way, but I could begin the surgery in the meantime."
"An attending off hospital grounds during his shift? Richard really knows how to pick them."
"Yeah, well, he didn't have much to choose from after the best left."
She could hear the snide tone in his remark, but she was a professional, and just continued with the surgery. She knew better than to be affected by any individual's judgment by now, and this woman and her baby were far more important right now.
Just as she safely removed the baby from the mother's womb, a man came running in, a look of confusion on his face.
"What's going on here?" he boomed loudly.
"You must be Dr. Brandon," she calmly said, handing the crying baby over to the resident carefully.
"Yes, and this is my OR, and my patient, so--"
"She's yours," Addison lay aside the scalpel," you can finish her up."
She brushed past him and walked over to the baby, checking its stats and Bps.
"How's she doing," she stood beside the resident.
"Good. She's on the small side, but for a premie she's looking fine." He took a cloth to the baby, and brushed off a bit of the blood covering her. Addison inspected him, watching as he looked to the baby to the heart monitor. He finally turned to her, and even though half of his face was covered by a mask, she could tell he was grinning.
She only cocked an eyebrow at him in response and returned her gaze to the little figure.
Alex looked back down as well, and continued cleaning her up. He was doing well with her, and there was not much else for her to do so she turned on her heel to glance at the OR table, where the cardio surgeon was ensuring the woman's heart was beating steadily, and Dr. Brandon stitched the woman up.
Addison took to taking off the bloodstained outfit then, and headed towards the washing station to clean her hands. Dr. Brandon said a weak thank you and took off. She washed her hands slowly, waiting for the resident to come in and clean up.
"Like old times, huh?" she heard Alex whisper, as he scrubbed his hands beside her.
"Yeah," she whispered back. She gave him a tight smile, but quickly moved on. She dried her hands and let her hair back loose. She noticed Alex looking at her intently, and her heart constricted at the wholesome sight at him. Had it really been four years?
She waited for him to finish, although they did not say a word in the meantime. When he finished, they simultaneously walked outside, where the group that had been watching in the gallery, came down to congratulate them. Everyone including the Grey-clan, Kevin, the chief, and Derek.
The Chief greeted them with a smile full of glory, and he gave them a soft smile. Callie gave them a whoop and a whistle, at which Addison wanted to bury her head in embarrassment. Predictably, Derek gave her a look of disbelief, with a hint of a smile.
"Always one to make a scene, right Addison?" Derek commented.
"It's great to see you too Derek," she rolled her eyes at him.
The Chief, noting how half of his staff was just standing around, quickly dismissed the majority of them.
"Okay, people, back to work!" he then leaned in to Addison, and winked after saying,"That was some beautiful work, Addison."
He turned sideways to face Alex, and also commented," and working with the very surgeon who showed you the ropes in your specialty has proven your strengths, Karev. Good work."
They shook hands, and the Chief rushed off to do something or another.
The only ones who remained now were Derek, Bailey, Meredith, Kevin, and Alex.
Derek came up to her, and gave her a proper greeting along with a hug.
"I hear you brought someone along with you," Derek asked her in a whisper.
In the corner of her eye, before she introduced Derek to Kevin, Addison noticed Alex moving away quietly.
"Yes," she drew out, and she called Kevin over, to introduce the two.
As the two shook hands, and as Kevin met Meredith, Alex observed the round of introductions and greetings, and especially took notice of the arm that man put around Addison's shoulders.
It made sense for Addison to have found someone after four years, but for some reason it did not sit well to see that particular man with that particular woman. But he had other preoccupations in life, ones he that were much more important for his focus to be on. So he quickly turned his gaze away from Addison, and the those surrounding her to return to his work.
And by the time Addison looked to where Alex had been standing, she would already find him gone from her line of sight.