Chapter 5-

It had been a few days since the incident at Joe's and Addison had been going out of her way to avoid Alex. She took the stairs instead of the elevator, used the hallways she knew Alex wouldn't be in.

Unfortunately Derek was still around, having been assigned to her for a whole week. He had tried talking to her about their most recent quarrel but she'd refused to allow it, telling him to just do his job and keep their interactions strictly professional.

These past few weeks had been really confusing for Alex. How could two people sleep together and have everything be cool but then mess it all up over one kiss? It didn't seem logical to him.

Finally, Alex decided he couldn't take it anymore. Addison had been avoiding him since their aborted date at Joe's and Alex found that not being able to see and talk to her was suddenly making Seattle Grace an unbearably dreary place. He asked around the hospital and by the middle of the afternoon found Addison at the nurse's station picking up some charts.

Not wanting her to spot him and run, Alex quietly moved to her side, "Dr. Montgomery, can I talk to you?"

"I'm busy. I have a consult in ten minutes. Can it wait?" she started to walk away.

"I won't take five minutes," he quickly got a hold of her and dragged her into the nearest closet.

"Alex, what do you want?"

"I want to know why you've been avoiding me."

"I haven't been avoiding you," Addison hedged.

"Then why don't I see you in the halls anymore, why do you make up excuses so that you won't have to talk to me?"

"I'm not making up excuses; I really have a consult in…" Addison glanced at her watch, "7 minutes." Alex gave her a skeptical look. "Okay fine. I have been avoiding you but I'm not lying about the consult."

"Now we're getting somewhere. Why have you been avoiding me?"

"I don't know!" Addison exasperated.

"Was it the kiss?"

"Yes…No." Addison wanted to blame it on the kiss but it didn't seem fair when the real reason was her feelings towards him. "I just don't want to start anything. I can't do it now. I need time." Though she and Derek had spent most of the last 6 months apart, Addison still ached over her broken marriage. Ever since the divorce, life seemed to be passing her by. Sometimes if felt like time continued to rush forward while she was stuck in slow motion.

"We don't have to start anything, Addison" Alex assured her. "Let's just be friends."

Addison showed no reaction.

"We can be friends right?" Alex repeated earnestly.

"Friends. Yeah we can be friends," she nodded finally. There were a few moments of silence, "Uh. My consult."

"Oh right." Alex opened the door and they stepped out.

This friends thing can work. Addison thought. It has to.

- - -

As the weeks rolled by Alex and Addison really got comfortable with each other. Over time, they even started to talk like actual friends and not just two people who work together. There were still those moments of attraction, pockets of time where they ended up really close to each other, too close to be considered just friends, but they did their best to ignore those. After all, neither wanted to damage the fragile relationship they had just started to create.

As their friendship deepened, Addison and Alex made an effort to spend time together every few days, but the past two week had been unusually hectic. Sloan came up with more stupid demands every day and Addison had quite a few consults as well as an unnatural amount of surgeries. It got to the point where Addison and Alex barely even passed each other in the hallways, much less talked. Finally, when their busy schedules died down Alex proposed they meet up at Joe's and catch up.

At first, Addison was tempted to refuse, after all look what happened last time, but to be honest, she missed Alex and if going to Joe's meant she would see him then go she would. This bravado lasted right up until Addison reached the entrance. Going into Joe's reminded her of how sweet Alex had been the night of their date and it made her want to rethink the whole just friends deal. Plus, she had a feeling that something was going to happen.

Alex was sitting at the counter sipping a beer when Addison entered. He nearly choked on his drink when she came in wearing a snug fitting red tank top and tight jeans. It was a simple outfit but she looked amazing.

"Hey," Addison sat down next to him.

"Hey," Alex returned trying not to notice how incredible she looked and failing miserably.

Addison was getting uncomfortable under his fixed stare, "Do I have something on my face?"

"What? No, no you do don't," Alex replied a bit startled.

"I'm going to go to the lady's room and powder my nose… or something. I'll be right back." Addison didn't know what she was doing here; it was obviously a bad idea. She should never have agreed to this. The whole evening would end up being a repeat of last time and the last thing Addison wanted was a return to the unhappy awkwardness of several weeks ago.

No it's not going to be hard because we're just friends, just friend hanging out. … But why does it feel like more?

She quickly fixed her hair, applied some lip gloss and went to join Alex. When she exited the restroom Addison noticed a blonde chick had taken her seat next to him. She was dressed in an extremely short miniskirt and a low-cut shirt that was more than a little revealing. They were talking but Alex didn't seem so pleased. The girl placed her hand on Alex's leg but he quickly brushed it off.

Addison absorbed the scene in front of her trying valiantly to tamp down the anger and jealousy rising up to battle her earlier determination to be "just friends". Watching the blond fall all over Alex, Addison wanted nothing better than to slap the girl silly even as her common sense pointed out that she had absolutely no right to be jealous. Suddenly Addison threw common sense out the window. She went up to Alex and kissed him for all she was worth. The girl immediately backed off and went to look for another guy.

After several long moments, Addison remembered that she should pull away. Breaking the kiss, she took a deep breath and tried to look anywhere but at Alex. "Sorry," she whispered.

It took a moment for Alex to comprehend what just happened. The kiss had felt so right that Addison ending it made him feel bereft.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. The friends thing was going really well and I screwed it up, just pretend this never happened-"

"Addison. Take a chance."

"What?"

"We have something," Alex insisted. "I don't know what it is but we have something. You feel it too. I know you do!"

"Alex, I-"

"I'm not the commitment type of guy but I really think this could work. I know that what we have is special. Please Addison. Give us a chance."

Addison sighed. Of course she felt their connection and though she wished she could say otherwise there was no denying the fact that Addison had never felt this way before. With Derek it had been completely different. They'd always been Derek and Addison, the perfect couple, a seamless unit. What she felt for Alex was something entirely new and more than anything, Addison wanted to see where it could lead. The rational part of her mind warned that letting Alex get close would lead to another broken heart, but as much as Addison didn't want to end up broken again, she was even more sick of being scared. She and Alex didn't have to end the way her marriage to Derek had and if there was even the slightest chance of a happily ever after, Addison wanted to explore that possibility to the fullest.

"I want to find out too."

- - -

That same evening Alex had somehow wound up in front of Addison's hotel room. That's not a good thing when two people are trying to pursue a healthy relationship.

"Do you want to come in?" Addison asked hoping he would decline; knowing what could happen if he accepted.

"As much as I would like to, I don't think I should." Addison was relieved.

"Yeah. I think you're right. So I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Good night," Alex said placing a soft kiss on Addison's lips.

- - -