AN: Here we go...R&R, please.


Addison had reluctantly let Mark into her room. Mark knew that he had taken a chance in coming out here, but if he hadn't he would have been letting himself down, and the Chief, but more than anything, he wanted to make sure that Addison wasn't about to do anything that she might regret. More than anything, Mark wanted her to be happy.

She had looked less than pleased to see him, which he had expected, being that he wasn't even supposed to know where she had gone. He was supposed to be completely in the dark, and that was supposed to be fine. Somehow she was still oblivious to the fact that she was and always would be his entire world.

Once in the hotel room, Mark sat down on the bed nervously, not quite entirely sure what to do at the moment. Addison's eyes were shooting daggers, and he knew that he had to come up with something fast-- she looked impatient and overall unhappy.

"Addison, I just came to make sure that you are okay-- that's what I do, that's what I have always done. I would follow you anywhere just to make sure that you are okay. I know that you don't think that I am mature enough or that I would make a good father or even boyfriend for you, and that's fine. I just need to know that you're okay, and that you know what you're doing. I really just want you to be happy, and if you are still convinced you would be happier without me here, then I will leave, but I need to tell you a couple things first."

He had been speaking very quickly, as if he were afraid that Addison would kick him out at any moment. Part way through his speech, Addison had turned to face away from him, which made him very nervous, and when she didn't speak for a long moment, Mark wanted nothing more than to be swallowed up by the ground.

"Addie?" He asked tentatively. When she turned around, there were tears streaming down her face and Mark was taken aback. He didn't know what to say. She tried to wipe the tears away, and cleared her throat in that adorable way that she always did. Mark's heart melted just a little but more. His heart was in his throat as he awaited a response from Addison.

"Mark...I...I don't know what to say. I'm glad you came." A sob escapes her throat as she concludes the sentence. Mark is confused by the outburst, but takes Addison into his arms, trying to calm her down. After several minutes, she calms down and the tears subside, but Mark is still concerned.

"Addie, what was that all about?" He asks softly, searching her eyes for an answer. She sighed.

"I just don't know what I am doing anymore!" she cried, throwing her hands up in frustration. I thought that I had everything all figured out, but...I guess I didn't...and now everything is just so...so...argh!"

"What do you mean everything? Do you mean Karev?" Addison looked taken aback, as though she were surprised that he had been perceptive enough to pick up on what she had wanted out of Karev, although in her defense, she didn't know that Mark had seen them walking out of the on-call room together looking flushed and frazzled.

"Um...well, yeah I guess. I thought, you know, that he would be in it for the long haul, you know? I don't know why...it was just something that Callie said. I mean, at first I just thought that he was another man-whore...no offense...but something about him changed my mind. I don't know what it was. I guess spending enough time in the NICU will make anyone go a little soft, I mean, how could you not love a baby, right? I just...I need to settle down. I'm getting old, Mark. I want it all. I want kids and mini-vans and barbecues, but I don't think it's going to happen for me."

Addison's fists were tightly clenched and she was clearly worked up-- her entire body was tense and her face was slightly flushed. Tears were pouring down her face steadily, and Mark was completely at a loss for words. He didn't know what to do or say, so he took her into his arms gently and gently rubbed her back. When her crying had calmed down to sniffles, he pulled back.

"Addison...I have to talk to you about something."

"Mark…" she said, anticipating what he was going to say, but he put a hand up.

"No, I have to be honest with you," he sighed, "okay. You know how I told you that I slept with someone?" She groaned.

"Please do not tell me that you slept with Meredith Grey…" He laughed at the apparent disgust in her eyes. He also found it ironic that she should say that since technically he had propositioned Meredith, however he hadn't mean it. He didn't want to sleep with Meredith-- she was too waif-like for his taste, not to mention that she was like, twelve years old. And Derek would never forgive him for sleeping with yet another one of his women. It just wouldn't be right, especially now that Derek was starting to treat him civilly. No, the reason why he had propositioned her was because he wanted to talk to her. He wanted advice, but Mark Sloan had never been one to ask for help-- so he got attention the only way that he knew how to.

"No, Addison, I did not sleep with Meredith Grey…" he said, his signature smirk creeping across his face.

"Thank God!" she exclaimed in relief, bringing her hand up to her chest. He shook his head, rolling his eyes.

"Addison, I didn't have sex with anyone. I lied to you." She narrowed her eyes.

"Seriously?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. He nodded. "Why did you do that?"

"I knew about you and Alex, Addison. I saw you leaving the on-call room together. I didn't want you to have to suffer. I could tell when you said that you wanted to talk that it was over. I knew that it was killing you that you didn't follow through on the deal, and I didn't want you to be hurting because you looked happy, and it seemed like you knew what you wanted. I didn't want to mess that up. But later on, I heard Karev talking to Jane Doe...er...Ava, whatever her name is, talking about how he had rejected you, I just needed to know that you were okay...so I went to the hotel. I sat outside your door all night, but I couldn't knock. I didn't want to bother you, but I had to be there. I had to make sure that you weren't going to do anything drastic. I would have never been able to forgive myself."

"Oh, Mark…" her eyes were filled with tears. "But...why are you telling me this now?"

"I thought that I could walk away, Addison, I really did. That was what I was trying to do. I was trying to make a clean break. I wanted to leave you be, because you didn't want me, but I heard what Alex and Ava were talking about. I didn't know that you wanted a family, and I didn't know that you thought he could do that for you. Addison, I can be what you need me to be, and I know that you may not believe it, but I want those things, too. I want to play catch, Addison and barbecue and dress up like Santa or whatever the hell good fathers do, and more than anything...I want to be with you."

"Am I hearing you right? You want a family?" she inquired, clearly amused. He nodded.

"I told you Addison, my days as a man-whore are over. I will do right by you, I promise. I would never hurt you, you know that, right?"

"Uh huh. How did you know I was here? Was it Richard? Oh my God it was Richard-- what did he tell you?" She looked panicked.

"He told me everything, I think. About how you were so desperate to have a child. He's worried about you, Addison, and quite frankly, I am too. I need to know that you are okay and that you aren't about to do something crazy." She groaned and walked over to the corner of the room, putting her head into it and hitting it there a couple times.

"What is wrong with you everybody? I am a grown woman, for Christ's sake, not a china doll! I am not fragile and I am certainly capable of making my own decisions."

"Addie…" he walked over to her, but she whipped around.

"No, no, Mark! Just because Karev doesn't want me does not mean that I'm letting you in! Just because he hurt me does not mean that you get to be my knight in shining armor. It doesn't wok that way."

"Addison."

"Please go."

"No, Addison. You are being ridiculous. I want to be with you, but that's not why I am here. I love you, and you are my best friend. I can't just leave you. I just need to be here for you, and I will not let you push me away. You are not alone, and I refuse to let you feel that you are. When are you going to learn that that is unhealthy? Running away is not going to solve anything, and I know that you are just going to beat yourself up about Alex. This is not the solution, and I don't know what is, but I want to help you out." She leaned back against the wall.

"But I don't deserve this. Why can't you just hate me for what I did like the old Mark would have?"

"How many times do I have to tell you this? I am not that man anymore."