Author's Notes: First I want to give everyone following this story a heads up about my new story, "Unanticipated", like this one it's gonna be quite a journey. Secondly, I want to assure everyone that I am not abandoning this story, just because I've added another story project to my 'docket'. But expect update ratio to be slightly slower, not because of the other story, but because I have a major exam coming up that I need to prepare for. So, enjoy the chapter and please review. As always many thanks to my beta, Mediatorsk!

AN2: I just want to preface this chapter that the opinions presented in it doesn't necessarily reflect my own. At times I have to stop and think about what stand each individual character would make to a specific situation.

Pete's question still ringing in her ear as she's in the kitchen, getting some tea, Violet doesn't realize she has company until another hand suddenly reaches into the cupboard above her head, pulling out a mug. She jumps, almost spilling the content of the mug she's been clutching between her hands for who knows how many minutes, "God, you scared me."

"Everything alright?" Addison gives her a worried glance.

"Yeah," Violet nervously laughs, "Must have zoned out there at some point."

Addison smiles, "For a minute there I thought you weren't speaking to me, either…"

It is said like a joke, but Violet can tell there's more to it than that, "Is everything alright? Is it Sam?"

"Sam and I…" Addison sighs, "…are over, and I thought that with Sam no longer between us, that I could maybe get my best friend back, but Naomi… she's still not speaking to me…" The redhead's smile begins to crack and she sinks into a nearby chair.

Having once been somewhat in Naomi's shoes, Violet can hardly fault the woman. She remembers well the pain and shock of coming home, healed and ready to get her life back, only to find the other woman in her place. Not just with the man she loves, but with her son as well. She feels as though she's stuck between a rock and a hard place, trying to find words to comfort her colleague, when her sympathy primarily lies with the woman not speaking to her.

"But you must have realized it wouldn't be this easy," Violet says, taking a seat next to her quasi-friend. "Just because you and Sam aren't together anymore, it doesn't make the hurt go away. I'm not saying you were wrong to take a chance at happiness, but right or wrong Naomi has the right to her feelings. You may not have meant to, but she still got hurt in all this. Hurt like that, it takes a while to get over…"

"Is that how it was for you?"

Violet is surprised at the question. Up until this moment it seemed like they had this unspoken agreement not to talk about what happened. She ponders on whether to remain diplomatic or to give her colleague the full truth.

"I think my biggest issue was trust," she decides to be honest, "I know we've never really been that close, but you saved my life, you saved Lucas' life and I trusted you… and getting that trust back was… challenging…"

"You know that I didn't do any of it to hurt you, right?"

Violet sighs and gives the redhead a look, "Addison, you know that's not true… Even if we forget the whole mess with Pete, you… you fought me for my child. I know that by suing Pete I forced you to pick a side, but I didn't force you to fight, that was your choice…"

Sighing, she cuts herself off and shakes her head. This is not the conversation she wants to have. She doesn't want to further rip up old wounds, there's nothing to gain from that, "Look, I'm not saying the situations are interchangeable, or that by choosing a relationship with Sam you set out to hurt Naomi, but you weren't unaware of her feelings. You knew what you were potentially giving up. I'm sorry. I know it's not what you wanted to hear…"

Addison bites her lip and forcibly wipes excess moisture from her eyes. She's not crying, yet, but she seems to be right on the brink of it, "I hate this, I hate that I gave everything to… I really thought this was it, my gateway to happiness and… once again I'm left with nothing. And even worse, now I don't even have my best friend to see me through it…" She buries her face in her hands. The hands block most of Violet's view, but she notices a tear trailing down her colleague's inner wrist.

Not really feeling like the right woman for the job, Violet is left to awkwardly stroke the redhead's back, "Would you like to talk about it? You know, whatever it is that happened with you and Sam?" she offers.

"Sam doesn't want more kids," Addison explains, "He's happy with what he has and isn't interested in doing it all again. And as much as I love him, I can't give up that part of me, I can't lead a life where I know I'll never get to be someone's mother… Sam knows this and he's not budging… so I guess that's it…"

"Did he really say never?" Violet asks.

"He says he needs time, but he can't tell me how much, and I just don't have it in me to wait anymore… It's already too late for my body, if I don't do something soon, before I know it it'll be too late altogether…"

"But needing time doesn't automatically translate into 'never', I mean…" Violet hesitates, not very keen on bringing up her own dilemma, knowing how desperately Addison wants what she already has, but now the woman is staring at her expectantly, waiting for her to finish… "Pete wants another child…"

"And you don't?"

"I don't know," Violet says, honestly, "I'm reeling. On one hand there's this part of me that wants to experience everything that I missed out on… first smiles, first laughs, first teeth, first solid meal… And then there's the part of me that remembers the bad, the crazy, and I can't help but think; what if it happens again? I mean, obviously Katie is gone from my life for good, but what if this time around I get post-partum depression or snap in some other unexpected way?"

Addison cocks her brows, "You know how silly you sound right now?"

"I know it's irrational, but that doesn't make it any less scary…"

The redhead shakes her head, "If you don't want to have another kid, that's one thing, but it sounds to me like you do want it, you're just afraid," she points out, "Have you told Pete?"

"Told me what?" As if on cue, Pete enters the kitchen, grabbing a mug of his own, "Hey," he leans in for a brief kiss.

"That's my cue to leave," Addison announces as she grabs her mug and motions to leave.

"Addison," Violet calls out, stopping the woman in the doorway, "You okay?"

Addison shrugs and offers a semi-smile, "I will be."

Pete watches Addison leaves and then turns back to his wife, "What was that all about?"

Violet shrugs, "You know… stuff…"

"Uh-huh," Pete cocks his brows, "And what is it you were going to tell me?" When Violet doesn't respond right away, he nods understandingly, "Ah, it's about what I asked you…"

"Pete… I…" Violet struggles to find the words. For some reason it was easier to think out loud in front of her colleague than it is to explain it to her husband.

"Oh," Pete's face drops, "You don't want it… I understand…"

Violet shakes her head vigorously, "No, Pete, you don't! I… I do want it… I-I want another child…"

Pete stares at her, a grin slowly spreading across his face, "Really..?"

"But you have to see it from my perspective," Violet continues, "…last time I had the rug pulled from underneath me… My world fell apart just as it started to make sense… And I know that the chance for something like that happening again is…" she sighs and shakes her head, "I'm scared… truly, honestly afraid that something will happen… and we'll be right back where we were then…"

Pete cups her face with both hands, "We won't," he promises, "Even if all our fears come true, we are not the same people we were back then. We as a couple are not the same. There's no way I'm letting you shut me out again, and no matter how hard things might get, I'm not leaving. I'm in this, for better and for worse, and not just because you're my wife and I made a vow, but because I love you, Violet, and I cannot imagine my life without you…"

Overwhelmed by the sheer force of his words, Violet circles her hand around the nape of Pete's neck, pulling him down for a loving, tender kiss. Pulling apart, she gives him a wide smile, "Okay…"

"Okay..?" Pete smiles back.

"We'll try," Violet nods, "See what happens…"

Tucking her hair behind her ear, Pete leans in for another, slightly longer kiss. "So, we're trying," he murmurs.

Violet grins, "We're trying…"