Picking up the Pieces

A Grey's Anatomy fic by Gigi

Chapter 1: Was that Red?

A/N: I would expect this whole updating while working thing to wear off pretty soon for two reasons: my boss is getting on my other bosses' backs about not giving me anything to do, and I'm only working for two more weeks because the week after that school starts back. So enjoy it while it still exists!!

"Dr. Montgomery."

"Dr. Karev."


Addison stood staring at her former intern awkwardly for a minute before holding out her arms. "Hey," she gretted.

"We're hugging," Alex said, puzzled, as he wrapped one arm around her waist and patted her back with the other.

"Yup, I hug now. It's what I do, so..." Addison pulled back, smiling and trying to calm her nerves. "So you're my guy." Oh, how she had so often wished that were true.

"What, you think I would let anybody else in on a case like this?" he responded before he focused on something past the now-brunette's shoulder.

Addison turned around and, upon seeing Ava standing there, felt the buried humiliation from a year ago bubble right back up to the surface. Her face fell a little bit when she turned back around and Alex said he'd catch up with her later, but there was nothing she could do. It wasn't like she had any sort of claim on him. They just kissed once and had sex once, both of which she had initiated, both of which he stomped on her heart shortly after and both of which were over a year ago. Suck it up, Addison, she chided herself, faked a smile and walked away.

"What are you doing here?" Alex demanded.

Rebecca clutched her jacket closer to her belly as she tiptoed to watch the five-foot-nine supermodel click-clack her way down the hall. "Was that Red?" she asked, grinning. "Is she back?"

Alex turned around to watch her go, too. "Yeah, that was her, although Red kind of doesn't apply anymore. Her hair is darker," he answered, disgruntled. He'd always liked her natural red hair. "She's not back. She's here for a case, and I'm her intern again."

"But you're a resident now," Rebecca pointed out.

"Yeah, well, it's still my territory," slipped out of his mouth, but Alex had no idea where it came from.

Rebecca laughed to herself. "Gynie is or she is?"

Shaking his head, Alex looked back at his ex-patient-sort-of-girlfriend. "Why are you here?"

The grin slid off her face. "I'm pregnant," she declared, but when she saw the blood drain out of his face, she quickly amended, "It's not yours."

"Couldn't you have said that with the first part?" he asked, panic still coloring his voice.

"Sorry," she apologized. "It's Jeff's, and we're happy again. I told him about me coming back up here and that you and I slept together, but he said he didn't care. I actually believe him this time. So we

are giving it another go."

"Why are you telling me?" Alex was more pissed at the fact that she interrupted him an Addison than the fact that she was going back to her husband. "I haven't seen you for a month and a half. I kind of

figured you didn't want me anymore. I'm over it." Strangely enough, those words were actually true. He wasn't heartbroken over losing her, but he remembered trudging around the hospital, angry and confused, for a month after Addison left.

"I needed some closure," she admitted. She looked at Alex and smiled, amusement glittering in her eyes. "Besides, I'm glad I came."


"If I didn't, you would be the idiot who lets Red get away again." Rebecca's eyes softened. "Don't be an idiot."


Power-walking to catch up with Addison, Alex grabbed her elbow and pulled her into the nearby supply closet. In the back of his mind, he registered that this was the same supply closet where he told her he wasn't interested, but he didn't care.

"Karev, what are you doing?" Addison demanded, the situation being far too familiar for her taste. She was even wearing her glasses, just as she had the first time.

"I didn't want Ava," he blurted.

Confusion swam in Addison's crystal blue eyes. "What?"

"At the wedding. You said I wanted Ava, and I thought I did. We were together for a little bit after you left. But I was in a crappy mood for about a month after I found out you had moved to LA. Ava and I

broke up about a month and a half ago, and I really didn't mind. I didn't want Ava," Alex confessed all in a rush.

While she was inwardly glowing at the fact that he missed her, Addison couldn't set herself up again to be disappointed. So she put on her sympathetic face and said, "I'm sorry things didn't work out between

you and Ava." Alex cringed at the cold professionalism in her voice, making Addison want to take back what she said just then and tell him that she really wasn't sorry about Ava because she took him away from her. But she forced herself to continue. "Now, we have a patient to see so I suggest we get to her."

Alex couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth. She started to turn to leave and he suddenly got very angry. Grabbing hold of her arm, he whipped her around and pushed his lips onto hers.

Just when she thought she was about to get away, he went and did that! Addison struggled against the kiss at first, but Alex hadn't given her much wiggle room — she wasn't pushed up against the door, but she was pretty damn close. She hated to admit it to herself, but as hard as she resisted, she was actually enjoying the kiss, and before she realized what was happening, she was kissing him back with just as much enthusiasm.

Alex wanted to dance when he felt Addison's body relax and her arms snake around his neck, and he would have if that didn't mean breaking the world's most mind-blowingly amazing kiss. He took a small step forward, pressing her against the door as his tongue slipped past her lips. His hands wandered down to her hips and then back up to the belt on her jacket.

Unfortunately, feeling the slight tug on her jacket broke the spell for Addison and reminded her of where they were. Through a sheer force of will that made her incredibly proud of herself, she turned her face and stopped the kiss. Still breathing hard, she looked Alex Karev in the eye and tried to ignore that he was still flush against her. "What...the hell was that?"

His face was only an inch or two away from hers. He didn't have to answer. He could go on kissing her and never say a word, and he seriously considered that option before whispering in a husky voice. "You kissed me back."

"So?" Horror struck Addison and almost made her squeal when she realized the warm thing between her legs that was forcing her skirt to ride up was one of Alex's legs. It took everything she had to keep a

straight face.

"So you were wrong about both things at the wedding. If I wanted Ava, I wouldn't have wanted to kiss you, and if you hated me, you wouldn't have kissed me back," he answered smugly. Addison hated that smirk; that sexy smile always distracted her.

Refusing to dignify his assumption with a response, Addison dropped her hands from the nape of Alex's neck and motioned for him to remove himself from against her body so she could straighten herself. "We have a patient," she insisted, surreptitiously trying to yank her skirt back down.

A/N: I seem to really love Addison and Alex in supply closets because this is at least the second fic in which I've written them in supply closets. Those and elevators. I love elevators. Maybe it's just any enclosed space. Anyway, if you can think of any other really fun spaces like elevators and supply closets, or if you just want to tell me whether or not you liked this chapter, REVIEW!!