A/N: Reviews would be lush! (Watching Gavin & Stacey as I write this, lush is the best word ever, it's lush).
Chapter 3 – And So It Begins
~x~
"So, you're telling me, you're telling, us, that, Alex Karev, an intern at my hospital, is, the father of you're child?" the Chief stuttered as Addison sat nervously in front of himself and Bailey, Katie sat at his desk playing on his computer.
"Pretty much, yeah" Addison nodded.
"What did he do?" he asked firmly "What the hell did he do?"
"Uncle Richard, Mommy says hell is a bad word" Katie called out from the desk.
"Yes it is, sorry Katie" he replied "But Addison, this is me here, and I know you, you wouldn't have kept them apart unless, unless he did something"
"You're not allowed to be mad at him, it was a long time ago, a really long time ago, he was 22 Richard, he wouldn't have been ready anyway, he was 19 when we met, not that he told me that, we were together for a couple of years and, we loved each other, we really did, and, he made a mistake, he really made a mistake, he, he cheated on me, twice, the first time we'd only been together for a month so I just, brushed it off, but the second time, I couldn't, I gave up my whole family for him, my trust fund, my life, and I just couldn't stay with him, and then it's two months later and I'm throwing up every morning and I pee on a stick and, I'm pregnant, I was so stressed out over it all that I didn't even think about the fact that I'd missed my period or, any of that, I was 10 weeks, and I couldn't tell him, I was still so angry and, I still loved him, and I just, I was wrong, I was wrong, even though he hurt me I shouldn't have kept her from him, or him from her, so I'm going to stay for the next 6 weeks, and after that, I don't know, that's still to be decided"
"Mommy, why did you pee on a stick?" Katie asked seriously.
"It's an expression sweetie" Addison smiled.
"An expression for what?"
"For um…." Addison started "I'll tell you when you're older sweetie"
"That's what you always say" Katie sighed rolling her eyes.
"She's certainly a character Addie" the Chief laughed.
"You could say that" Addison smirked "So, my point is, I know Alex is an intern and he needs to be here but, for the next 6 weeks at least, any time off he can have, give it to him, as a favor to me, please" she said with a smile "You know I'm your favourite"
"Be that as it may, he isn't right now" he smirked "But I'll see what I can do"
"Thank you" Addison said hugging him "Come on Katie sweetie, we have to go to the hotel and unpack, our cases should be there by now"
"The Captain send them on the jet huh?" asked the Chief.
"Unfortunately" Addison muttered "He doesn't actually know uh, about Alex, well, that we're staying here because of Alex, and make sure, when he calls because he'll try and check up on me, that you don't mention it, please Richard"
"Scouts honor"
"Thank you" Addison said kissing his cheek "Katie come on sweetie, time to get going"
"I drawed Daddy a picture, can we go and give it to him"
"You drew him a picture and not right now honey he's working" Addison said ushering her along.
"He's on lunch" Bailey whispered to Addison.
"But I'm sure he has a minute" Addison said with a smile "Come on, say goodbye to Uncle Richard"
"Bye Uncle Richard"
"Bye sweetie" he smiled.
"And to Dr Bailey"
"Bye Dr Bailey" Katie waved.
"Bye Katie" Bailey smiled.
"Bye" Addison said as they left the room.
"$50 says she never leaves" Bailey smirked.
"I might as well give you the money now" the Chief laughed.
~x~
"Oh look, there he is" Addison smiled as she walked into the cafeteria with Katie, pointing to where Alex sat with his other interns.
"Daddy!" Katie shouted pulling away from Addison and running to Alex, who instantly pulled her onto his lap as she reached him.
"Hey there beautiful" he smiled kissing her forehead.
"I drew you a picture" she said holding her hand out to Addison who dug it from her bag and handed it to Katie, Katie placed it flat on the table in front of them "See, that's Mommy, and me, and you, in the park, and I did lots of daisy chains around your neck cuz you looked really pretty in them yesterday Daddy"
"It's perfect Katie" Alex smiled, glaring a little at Cristina, Meredith and George as they let out a choked laugh "Can Daddy put this in his locker? So I can see it every day"
"Yep" Katie smiled.
"Katie we need to go now honey" Addison said softly "We'll see Daddy soon, I'm enrolling her at daycare in the morning, I've spoken to Richard and Bailey, they were, shocked obviously, but said they're going to look at your schedule for the next 6 weeks and see what they can do"
"Right, thanks" Alex smiled "What are you up to now?"
"The Captain had the jet pick up our cases in New York and fly them out so, I have to go and organize everything"
"The Captain sent them in the jet" Alex smirked "I thought you were going to get your friend to send them out"
"Well that was the plan" Addison sighed "But then my Dad got the email about me staying here and he insisted, don't worry, he doesn't know you're here" she said with a small smirk.
"I can handle the Captain Addison" Alex said with a laugh "Your brother, that's a different story" he said nervously.
"He'll have to go through me first" Addison smirked "Anyway, we'll leave you to your lunch, say goodbye Katie"
"Bye Daddy" Katie said kissing his cheek "Can I come and stay with you soon? The hotel is really boring"
"Well thank you very much" Addison said mockingly.
"Mommy" Katie giggled "Stop being silly"
"Sorry Princess Katherine" Addison said tickling her a little.
"You can come and stay with me soon Katie" Alex smiled "Bye sweetie" he said kissing her forehead "Bye Adds" he said standing up and kissing her cheek "What?" he frowned when Addison tensed up.
"Can you just, not call me that" she whispered "Please"
"Why?" he asked quietly.
"Because I can't go back" she sighed "Come on Katie" she said taking her hand and walking out of the cafeteria, Alex let out a heavy sigh and sat back down.
"What was that about?" Izzie asked.
"Nothing, nothing" he said shaking his head a little "It's nothing, so uh, she's pretty cool huh? Katie?"
"She's very cute" Izzie smiled.
"Daisy chains? Seriously?" Cristina smirked.
"Shut up" Alex said throwing a fry at her.
~x~
2 weeks later.
"So, um, how's, how's it going with Katie?" Derek stuttered as he scrubbed out with Alex.
"Look you don't, you don't have to get nervous talking to me about Katie" Alex replied "I get it, you've been like a Dad to her for 5 years of her life, I understand, I'm not going to go all overprotective over her, I'm not going to let you stop seeing her, you just have to understand that I'm her Dad, I'm the one who's going to be there from now on, not you"
"I know" Derek said with a small smile "I always knew this day would come, when it'd all come out, Katie she, asks a lot of questions, and Addison always put it off with 'when you're older' and one day she was going to be old enough and, in a way, I'm glad it happened this way, this early, she'll forget a lot of the memories she has with me, but she'll never forget you Karev, Addison, she never forgot you"
"Well her kid is my kid so I should hope not" Alex said with a small smirk.
"That's not what I meant" Derek said leaning up against the sink "I probably shouldn't be telling you this but, she never got over you, I don't doubt that she loved me, she wouldn't have married me if she didn't love me, but I know she loved you, I'd watch her sometimes, mostly when she'd watch Katie, and I just, I could always tell when she was thinking about you, mostly when Katie would do something new, like when she started kindergarten and, what I'm saying is, I made a lot of mistakes back in New York, I pushed her away, I was absent and, I was only ever really home to see Katie, and that was, awful of me, I pushed her so far away she slept with my best friend to feel wanted, and I hate that I did that, we won't get another chance, and we don't really want it, we could've tried for Katie's sake but, it would've only caused more hurt, we won't get another chance, but you have one, prove you've changed, prove you're not the naive 22 year old you were then, and you might have a shot at getting the woman you love back"
"You're making it really hard for me to hate you" Alex said with a slight laugh.
"Yeah, you too" Derek smirked "You've only got 4 weeks to make a difference Karev, grab the chance and run with it" he said patting him on the shoulder before leaving Alex alone in the scrub room, he pulled out the picture of Addison and Katie he'd taken and had developed to put in his pocket for good luck, taking in the smiling faces, looking at his family, the family he should never have let go.
~x~
"Hi Daddy" Katie grinned as Alex opened his apartment door the next morning.
"Morning Princess" he smiled, reaching down and kissing her forehead "There's juice on the counter" Katie slipped past him and moved over to the kitchen area, pulling herself up onto one of the stools and pouring herself some juice.
"Hey" Addison smiled, kissing his cheek gently as she stepped into the apartment "So um, this is her stuff" she said holding out the pink bag in her hand.
"Thanks" Alex said taking it off her "We'll be fine Addison"
"I know, this is just..." she said trailing off.
"I know" Alex said with a small smile "Thank you, for letting her stay with me"
"I'm only doing it cuz she won't shut up about how much she wants to stay with her Daddy" Addison teased.
"Well I guess I better pull out all the stops for her huh?"
"Don't let her stay up too late" Addison warned "I know you Karev"
"I won't, promise" Alex smirked "So um, I was thinking, maybe me and you could, go for dinner soon? Just us? I know Shepherd wouldn't mind looking after Katie and, we have things we need to talk about"
"Sure" Addison smiled "Friday maybe? I can ask him if he's free when I get to the hospital"
"Perfect" Alex nodded "Ok well um..."
"I better go" Addison finished for him "Katie, Mommy's going to work now"
Katie slipped off her stool and rushed over, hugging Addison tightly "Love you Mommy"
"I love you too sweetie" Addison smiled "You be a good girl for Daddy ok? If you need me just call"
"I'll be fine Mommy, I'm 6 y'know!" Katie said, rolling her eyes dramatically.
"I know" Addison said with a laugh, tickling her a little "Bye Katie"
"Bye" Katie giggled, Addison kissed her forehead and then kissed Alex's cheek softly.
"I'll make sure she calls to say goodnight" he whispered.
"Thank you" she whispered back "Have fun" she said a little louder.
"We will" Katie beamed, Addison waved a little and stepped out of the apartment.
"Ok Katie, what shall we do first?" Alex asked.
"Erm..." Katie said biting her lip in concentration "I've got movies with me, The Little Mermaid is mine and Mommy's favourite!"
"The Little Mermaid it is" Alex smiled.
Chapter 4 – 'Dinner & Wine' to follow….