A/N: This is the hardest time that I've ever had writing Addison. My only thought is that it's because she's in Los Angeles and we know so very little about that. On a different note, I'm hoping to update at least weekly, and this week, it was good to have an excuse to take a break from studying and packing. So anyway, I feel like this is different than other things I've written, and I'm not sure why. So I'm anxious to hear your thoughts.

With all of Naomi's talk of an empty office and the impeccable weather that she had experienced on her visit to Los Angeles, Addison had forgotten that it rained everywhere. But didn't moving from Seattle merit her at least a few days of nice weather before plunging her back into the weather that she had come to despise?

Sometimes Addison missed Seattle. She would get into a nostalgic funk that lasted until Naomi, Sam, or Pete took her out drinking. They wouldn't remind her why she left, but they would remind her why she came, choosing to leave the more upsetting memories in the past. Violet would offer some free advice in a way that only psychiatrists could and Cooper compared his sad state of affairs to hers in order to cheer her up. "All in all, you don't have it so bad," he'd say after going into a detailed account of his latest romantic failure.

In this way, Addison survived the first few weeks in Los Angeles, settling into a groove, learning the curves. She liked the pace of the practice, getting to know each patient more personally than the ones that came in and out of Seattle Grace. She liked being more involved and being half friend, half doctor. It's what was expected of her in these situations. Instead of simply being the aloof doctor that swooped in at the last second to save the day, she got to be the person who counseled them through tough decisions, knowing they trusted her not just because of her credentials but because, in part, she had earned it.

Living in Los Angeles had rebuilt some of the self-esteem that she had lost in her short stay in Seattle. The presence of people who had known her for a long time and still wanted to be her friend was a much needed change from Seattle where the only people she had known were ex-boyfriends. She enjoyed not having the predetermined persona of the adulterous bitch or McHot. She was simply Addison Forbes Montgomery, respected OB/GYN and Neonatal specialist. Not that that was all that simple.

Addison kept her past life separate from her present one. She occasionally fielded questions about life in Washington, but for the most part she kept mum. She reasoned that you wouldn't share your horrible, scarring memories with people you didn't know all that well, so why should she tell her coworkers? Naomi and Sam knew a little bit, but they were some of her oldest friends and they had demanded an explanation from her. What had made her make the sudden jump from laughing off any offers to join the practice to calling one morning, practically begging to come down to Los Angeles?

She had offered a weak answer that mentioned something about just needed a change of scenery, but the Bennetts had been quick to see through that, and so she had detailed her meeting with the Chief and some of her sordid romantic exploits.

Naomi had scoffed and told Addison flat out that she should stay in Seattle, that none of those things were worth leaving for, that she "wasn't the Addison I remember." Addison had been a little shamed, but more indignant. She had responded to Naomi's jabs by reminding her that she was the one who had first brought up the idea of the empty office.

Sam had been quieter, just nodding when she had finished and telling her, "Of course you can join the practice." She appreciated his calm sympathy and willingness to give her this new opportunity.

So she had packed up her belongings, said good-byes to the few people that deserved them and had made a necessary change. It was like the Chief had said: "You either need a new job or you need a new life." And that's what she had done.

A few weeks into her new life, Addison's cell phone rang and while she didn't recognize the number, she recognized the Seattle area code. She tentatively answered it, unsure if she wanted to let herself back into the world of Seattle Grace. She was almost certain that this call was coming from someone involved in that soap opera world. There was really no one else in Seattle that she knew. "Hello?"

The voice on the other end sounded relieved. "Addison. Hello. You know, for someone I consider a friend, you don't call nearly enough."

She recognized the voice and smiled. "Preston! It's good to hear from you." She made no apology for not calling. In all honesty, she wasn't. Seattle Grace was something she wasn't sure she wanted to have ties with anymore. While she had lived in that world of drama and intrigue, it was so far removed from her life now.

"How is Los Angeles treating you?" His voice was pleasant, happy even, for a man who had left his fiancé at the altar less than a month before.

"It's raining. And don't tell me that it's sunny in Seattle or I will hang up this phone." Addison felt at ease talking to Preston Burke. He had always respected her talents and had never made her feel inferior, which would have been easy for him, considering the circumstances in which she entered his life.

"Well, I can tell you that it's not sunny in Seattle…" he trailed off with a chuckle and Addison suppressed one of her own.

"So what's up, Preston? Is this just a friendly chat or did you have something in mind when you called?" She hated being harsh but if it was something to do with Mark or Derek, she just wasn't sure she wanted to have anything to do with it.

"This is strictly a friendly chat. I am calling to catch up with a friend that I have not heard from in several weeks."

"All right then." She felt slightly guilty, but thankful at the same time. "How have you been?"

She heard a pause on the other end and then, quietly, "Lonely."

Addison didn't know how to respond to that statement, so she stayed silent and waited for him to continue. Loneliness had summed up so much of her existence in Seattle that her heart ached slightly for him because she knew how he felt.

"I know you know how I feel. And perhaps that is why I decided to call you. In one form or another, you have been through what I have been through," he said finally.

"Except for the tremor. The tremor is something I never would have done in a million years. And I left. You stayed." She was making an attempt at humor, but sometimes that didn't translate over phone lines. Addison bit her lip, not sure if she had crossed a line or not.

"Yes. I stayed." His tone had become a little more distant, a little less friendly and Addison decided it was time for her to actually offer some help.

"Loneliness is…well, it's hard. I just…got used to it, I suppose. I accepted it. And acceptance is key. It never hurts as badly if you accept it. I knew I was going to feel lonely."

"And then you made a continental booty call." The humor was back in his voice, and it left Addison unsure of where she stood in this conversation.

"Well, yes. I did."

"You know that we all blame you for Mark, right?"

"I can't help it if I'm irresistible."

"No, I suppose you can't."

Addison was left flummoxed. She didn't know if he was complimenting her, or just going along with her sarcasm. She cleared her throat. "I, um, I should be getting to work," she said, even though she still had a good amount of time before anyone expected her to come in.

"Well then, I'll let you go. Have a good day and I hope the weather clears up for you."

"That is my hope also. Good-bye, Preston." Addison hung up the phone and sat still for several minutes trying to figure out what exactly had transpired.

Whatever had occurred, however, it didn't stop Addison from calling him the next morning. She hadn't realized that she had missed the cocky cardiothoracic surgeon until she had heard his voice through her phone. In all her missing of Seattle, she had allowed herself to only miss it generally, and hadn't let herself think of individuals that she missed.

It made sense that she would miss him. He understood the demands of her profession like no one else here. He had seen her at her absolute worst and hadn't left her. Instead she had left him, his marriage in shambles, and he still called her just to chat. Preston Burke was a good man and there was no denying that.

So she called him. And from then on they took turns calling each other. He learned about her life in Los Angeles, about Naomi, Sam, Pete, Violet, Cooper, and Dell. She was kept abreast of all the happenings at the hospital. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she did kind of miss the drama of the place and was glad to know what was happening without having to take any part in it herself.

Addison could see how Cristina had fallen in love with him. He was generous, caring, and committed. She saw his commitment through their friendship and she could only imagine what his dedication must be like in an actual relationship.

One day, she casually slipped into conversation the idea that he could drive or fly down to Los Angeles for a visit. "I know it rained the day of our first phone conversation, but I feel like the weather is good to visitors. Lulls you into a false sense of security."

He had declined, saying that things at the hospital were quite busy at the moment and Addison hadn't brought it up again.

In retrospect, she was almost glad he had declined. She didn't know if she wanted a Seattle person meeting the Los Angeles people. They knew completely different Addisons. In her usual Addison way, she made the best of the situation and moved on. She knew that it wasn't because he didn't want to see her that he wasn't coming. It was because of his demanding work schedule. Surgeons rarely got vacations.

Addison couldn't help thinking about Preston. The fact that they talked frequently kept him on her mind. She knew he was recovering from a serious relationship. She knew that his personal life was not in the best shape. But even knowing all this, she also knew that he had called her. She couldn't help thinking that perhaps he was looking for something more. And she knew that she was one to get her hopes up without cause but she couldn't help but hope that, just this once, there was reason to.

To be continued…

A/N again: First, I hate phone conversations. I avoid them as much as possible. Second, the ending of this took me so freakin' long. I would write things, and they would fit better in other parts of the chapter, or not in this chapter at all, and I just thought that maybe I would end with "And then Addison died" and have the rest of the fic be about Burke dealing with the grief. But I didn't.

Third, the only other thing I really have to say is that I occasionally read character bios at Wikipedia, and I was looking at the article on Private Practice and it lists the characters and their specialties. It was really amusing to me that all of the characters besides Addison have a one- or two-word description and Addison has a whole long list. That was your random PP related anecdote. Please continue with your lives.