Author's Note: I'm so sorry for how long it's been since I last updated this story, particularly as I left it at rather a crucial point. I had a seriously awful week (nothing terrible, but an extraordinary run of bad luck that went from mildly amusing to downright funny to completely beyond a joke) then I paid a little long overdue attention to one of my ER stories and have spent the weekend having my flat invaded by my sister, hence no time to write. There, that was my catalogue of excuses, now I'll carry on with the story.

Disclaimer: As before. The Thames House Hotel is completely fictitious by the way, if such an establishment does in fact exist, it is a coincidence, nothing more.

For once, they both made the effort to be ready to leave the hospital something like on time but it was never quite as simple as that. There was always one more case, one more consult. He'd been intending to take her somewhere nice for dinner before going back to the hotel for drinks with Steve, but by the time they could just about see the light at the end of the tunnel, it was too late for that. An urgent rethink was called for.

Alex made sure he was ready first and while Addison debriefed the registrar who was heading up the night shift on a couple of the more complicated cases, he retreated to their office and called ahead to the hotel. The bar had a direct line number which was really only for hotel employees but Steve had given it to him. The hotel was neither large nor expensive enough to have twenty four hour room service and sometimes when he was held up at work he called Steve to ask him to organise the chef to plate him up some dinner before the kitchen closed.

'Thames House Hotel.'

'Steve, it's Alex.'

'Mate, just in time. Chef's mother isn't very well, he was going to close early tonight. I'll get him to sort something out for you before he goes.'

Alex felt a flicker of hesitation catch in the back of his throat as he tried to speak again. He was about to acknowledge, out loud, for the first time that he and Addison… might not be quite as in the past as he had previously maintained, and it seemed like a big moment. He also hoped fervently that Izzie never, ever found out he'd told someone other than her first.

'Could you ask him to sort out dinner for two?' In the background, Alex could hear the hum of voices and the old blues music that Steve was adored and always played in the bar when the hotel manager wasn't there to tell him to put on something more mainstream.

'For two?' Steve asked, momentarily confused.

'Addison and I may have done some talking today.'

'Finally,' Steve replied with feeling.

'Yes, well. I got a little ambushed actually; she always was able to outsmart me. Anyway, you're getting your wish tonight, it's too late for dinner somewhere else so I'm bringing her back to the hotel to eat, so you're going to get to meet her. We're almost done here at the hospital, we'll probably be back in about half an hour. Can I leave it all to you?'

Steve exhaled in a theatrically exaggerated sigh, but Alex knew he didn't mind in the slightest. He'd been harping on about meeting Addison pretty much from the first moment he learned of her presence in London, and the air of excitement on the other end of the telephone line was almost palpable. 'What do you want?'

Alex considered for a moment what level of romance would be suitable. Even the word romance made him break out in a cold sweat, but for Addison... 'Champagne, candles,' he decided. 'No roses or violins. Or garlic,' he added as an afterthought.

'Dude, you owe me the biggest favour.'

'Quiet. You love it.'

'You're right, I do. Wait 'til I tell Tina, she was beginning to think you'd never get your act together.' Tina was Steve's wife, she came to pick him up after work occasionally, and Alex had liked her instantly. She was warm, vivacious, and he completely understood why Steve had sailed across the Atlantic Ocean after her. He knew Steve kept her fully informed of the status of his and Addison's saga as she never failed to greet him with an enquiry as to how things were going and a disapproving tut when he rolled his eyes and refused to answer.

'So was I,' Alex answered dryly. 'Tell Tina that if I make it through these next couple of weeks without screwing things up we'll all go out for dinner. On me, as a thank you.'

'You don't have to do that.'

'Don't get excited. Let's get through tonight first.'

'Get through? Christ, you're such a romantic.'

Alex heard the click of Addison's heels coming down the corridor towards their office. 'I've got to go. See you later.'

The door creaked open and a red head of hair appeared around it. She smiled widely at him. 'All sorted. I've briefed Hamilton and Johnson on every possible eventuality with every single patient. Hopefully,' she paused, and held up firmly crossed fingers, 'there'll be no need to page us for anything. Now, tell me, who is this mystery person you're so keen on me meeting.'

He came out from behind his desk, and grabbed his coat off the peg. 'Ah, if I told you, that would ruin the surprise now, wouldn't it?'

Once they were out of the office, he offered her his arm, and she linked hers through his, falling into step beside him. The corridor was empty, but Addison was fairly sure she would have done it anyway. So people might gossip, but at the end of the day, who was there to get hurt by it here? There was no Derek to berate her, Mark to hassle her. No ghosts.

'I'm not a fan of surprises.' A quick frown of anxiety passed across her face. 'It's not anyone I know, is it?'

He decided to come clean. 'No, nothing like that. It's a guy I've become friends with at the hotel, he's a bartender –'

'You're friends with the bartender?' she cut across him with a laugh. 'It comforts me to know that some things don't change.'

He shot her a sideways, petulant look before continuing. 'Anyway, Steve's a good guy, he's wanted to meet you for a while. I was going to book us a table somewhere but it's a bit late now so I thought you might like to have dinner with me at the hotel, then a few drinks in the bar or whatever.'

'That sounds nice,' she said, then thought for a moment. 'Hang on, how does Steve know who I am?' Alex stayed silent. 'Ah, so you do talk about me to someone then?'

'Never tell Izzie,' he replied quickly, and Addison was pretty sure he wasn't joking.

She chuckled. 'I won't.'

She wanted to ask him about what happened with Seattle. Did they tell people? If so, when? In a way, she wanted them all to know that she had pulled her life together, she was happy, she loved and was loved. But on the other hand, things with Alex were so new, fragile and Seattle Grace had a habit of destroying personal relationships, and she didn't doubt for a minute its influence would be weakened by time or distance. And did they really want everything analysed, picked over by other people, even if they were far enough away not to hear it? Not really.

There was a pang of guilt there though. Callie and Miranda were her friends, even if she didn't call them as often as she should, and Derek and Mark would always be her family no matter how much they all pretended otherwise. And Alex had Izzie, Meredith, friends who deserved to know as well. It wasn't easy, but then as Alex had said, it probably shouldn't be.

Alex glanced at Addison. She had gone rather quiet, and he wondered if it was because he mentioned Izzie. He'd given her a very, very brief summary of his relationship with Izzie but knew she deserved more than that. Not that he felt he needed to explain himself – he was sure she hadn't been celibate herself these last years – but he wanted her to understand that Izzie was his best friend, had been there through some dark times after the Ava/Rebecca debacle, and would always have a place in his life.

But just tonight, he wasn't going to ruin the moment by talking about the past. Tonight was about fun, a first proper date.