It's a Wonderful Life IV

Rating: PG-13 (innuendo, mild language)
Pairing: Alex/Addison
Prompt: Alex/Addison – decorating
A/N: Um. I lied. I wrote the last chapter in a hurry, and then several of you mentioned that I didn't address the others' reactions to Addison and Alex… so here you go! This really is the end. I swear.

It's been awhile since the interns have congregated in the hallway, but Meredith isn't surprised when she wanders back there with a stack of charts and finds Alex. She hops up on the bed beside him and twirls her own pen in her fingers before interrogating him.

"So… Addison," Meredith says, glancing over at Alex. "When did that happen?"

"She came over to help me decorate," Alex replies, not even looking up from his pile of charts. He doesn't even bother with trying to pretend that it was anything less than what it looked like. After all, he thinks he could get used to this relationship pretty fast. He almost grins, thinking of the hot chocolate and dinner they had shared after everyone left.

Meredith laughs to herself, catching the slight upturn of Alex's mouth and then recoils in horror.

"Oh God. You didn't do it on the couch that we sat on, did you?" Alex smirks in response.

"I never kiss and tell, Grey," Alex says. Meredith rolls her eyes but resists the urge to hit him.

"So what… are you guys just sleeping together or is it serious? Because she's… kind of… don't hurt her, Alex."

"Since when do you care about the She-Shepherd?"

"I don't. I mean… I don't. It's just that… she's nice to me. And she doesn't have to be. She has no reason to be. And she still is. Derek and I… we talked about it. He wants her to be happy. I'm okay with that. She deserves to be happy just as much as Derek does. I don't hate her. I don't." Alex nods, and then he reaches over and squeezes the back of Meredith's neck.

"I won't hurt her. Is… Izzie… she doesn't mind, does she?" Alex's eyes show genuine concern, even though he manages to look indifferent.

"No, I think she's fine. We just want you to be happy, Alex. Cristina thinks you're going soft, going gynie and all, but… that's…"

"That's Cristina," Alex finishes. Meredith nods and smiles. "And I bet Bambi can't wait to get some digs in."

"I'll admit… I think we were all a little surprised. With reason, you know," Meredith replies. "I mean… you were going to be the next Mark Sloan. What happened to that?"

"Same thing that happened to you, Grey."

"Your boyfriend had a wife, picked her, took your dog, got mad at you when you dated the veterinarian and then slept with you while your significant others were in the same building?" Alex starts to reply, but he's interrupted by the beep of his pager. He jumps up, grabs his chart, and begins to run off, but he pauses to look back at Meredith.

"You fell in love."
--
A/N: I promise. That is the end. I hope that cleared some of it up? I don't know, but basically… everyone's cool with it. I know it would have been more interesting if I had spun it out, thrown in some drama, but I almost feel like they deserve for something to go right. Meredith and Derek don't need more drama. Addison just needs to be respected and needs to be able to be in a relationship without everyone examining it critically – what I mean is that Alex isn't the man that she cheated on her husband with. He isn't her husband whom she stole away from his true love, etc. You get it. They get it. It's all good. Review!