well, this is it. the final chapter. that's kind of sad, but i am rather happy with the way it turned out. although, i was just rereading everything and was realized: whatever happened to addison's rings? oh well, i suppose that you're just going to have to remain just in the dark as i am.

disclaimer: i still do not own Greys Anatomy, but now that denny is going away, i shall renew my efforts.

Addison gazes at herself in the bathroom mirror, putting on make-up to get ready for a dinner party at Callie's house, as she calls out, "So Mark called today."

Alex appears in the doorway. "Oh? What did he want?" He's trying to sound nonchalant, but she knows him too well. He is definitely interested in this piece of news.

"Nothing really. He asked about you." She can see his mouth start to tighten as he struggles to appear just curious. "Take a chill pill," she tells him, "He just wanted to know when you were going to get up the nerves to propose to me."

"I already did."

"He means for real. You know, with a ring and everything? He says it's been almost a year."

"Don't you think it's weird that you tell your ex-husband almost everything? And it's been eight months."

"Hey, he may suck as a husband, but with a continent between us, he's actually a really good friend."

Alex sighs. "I know. I'm sorry. I just spent so much time trying to protect you from the guy and now he's bugging you about getting me to propose. It's weird."

"You think I don't know that? Because, believe me, the awkward silences that come up in our conversations definitely remind me."

"I'm sorry, Adds, I'm just still trying to get used to the idea."

"I know. I'm sorry for being so defensive."

"So he wanted to know when I was going to propose."

"Yes. With a ring and romantic setting, and champagne. I told him I don't need all that, and he told me to go to hell for making him spend all that money when he proposed."

"So you would just need what? A ring?"

She quickly becomes serious. She looks down before meeting his eyes. "And you," she says quietly.

"So me, and a ring. Like, maybe this one?" He pulls a velvet box out of his pocket. She gasps then laughs. He asks, "What?"

"Nothing. I just can't believe you're going to propose to me in the bathroom," she giggles. He glares at her, and grabs her wrist, and, regardless of the eye shadow she holds in her hand, pulls her out into the bedroom.

"Better?" he asks.

"Sure. But I've got eye shadow on one eye. Not exactly my idea of a pretty picture."

He rolls his eyes. "Go finish getting ready," he sighs.

She laughs. "No, sorry, I'm being difficult. Go ahead." She feigns seriousness, but can barely contain another giddy giggle.

"You're not going to make this easy, are you?"

"Sorry, I'm trying. Really." She takes a breath and tries to rid herself of the need to start laughing. He waits patiently, until finally he gets frustrated.

"You know what? Just forget it. You need to finish getting ready, or we're going to be late to Callie's." He turns and starts to walk away, but Addison grabs his sleeve. She grabs the box and opens it. She smiles at the simple ring and, trying not to gasp at its beauty, takes it out and places it on her finger.

"You don't get out of this that easily, Alex Karev," she informs him. "Because I'm going to marry you if it's the last thing I do."

He smiles and she smiles back. He kisses her softly, but when she tries to deepen it, he breaks away. "Go get ready, we're already going to be late, and you know Callie's going to blame me."

"Fine," she sulks. "I'll be ready in five. But you owe me."

"I don't have a problem with that."

0ooo0

Callie sighs in frustration. "Addie, you have to choose a date. Without a date, we can't get like anything else figured out. So pick a date."

"I don't know!" Addison exclaims.

"Okay, seriously, this isn't that hard. Do you want a summer wedding or a winter one?"

"I don't know!"

"You know what? I'm just going to pick your wedding date for you, okay? December."

"No," Addison says. "Nowhere around the holidays."

"September then." Addison shakes her head no, and Callie rolls her eyes. "March?" Addison makes a face. "May?"

Addison's eyes light up. "That's it!"

"Okay. What date?"

"The seventeenth."

Callie looks skeptical. "That seems kind of arbitrary."

"Seventeen's my lucky number," Addison explains.

0ooo0

Addison stands nervously at the airport, waiting. She smiles when she sees Mark, but frowns when she sees who follows him. "Sophia, what the hell are you doing here?" she asks when they're within earshot.

"Addie," Mark warns.

"What, Mark? Don't take that tone of voice with me. I want to know what the hell she's doing here."

"You two were best friends for how many years?"

"Until she slept with you!"

"So you'll forgive him, but not me?" Sophia asks.

For the first time, Addison meets her eyes. "I knew it would happen with him. Not you. I can forgive him, but I can't forgive you."

"Just what are you saying, Addie?" Mark asks, looking offended.

She sighs. "How do I put this? I've always known that you weren't exactly faithful. You think I didn't know about what you really did on those "boys" weekends? Believe me, I knew. But I loved you. I just never thought… with my best friend. So I can forgive you, but I can't forgive her. I just can't."

"She misses you, Addie."

"I miss her too. But I can't forget."

"Addie, can I talk to you?" Sophia asks as she approaches. Addison rolls her eyes, but Mark nudges her in the woman's direction.

"Fine." They walk away from Mark and Sophia says.

"Look, I miss you. I know what I did was wrong, but I can't be sorry. I love him, Addie."

Addison shakes her head. "I can't listen to this."

"Wait, Addie. Just wait. Hear me out. I'm sorry you got hurt. I'm sorry that you had to find out like that, but I'm not sorry for loving him. You get that don't you? I mean, after everything with Alex…"

"Don't you dare bring up Alex, because that was a completely different situation."

"Was it? Really?"

"Yes," Addison grits her teeth. "It was."

"Funny, because I'm failing to see the difference."

"You know what, Sophia? Come to the wedding with Mark. I don't care. Do whatever you want. I officially absolve you of all sins against me, but you have to promise to stay the hell away from me after the wedding. I don't want to see you again. Ever."

"Addie, I-"

"Don't, Sophia. I'll forgive, but I'm not forgetting, and I don't want you in my life anymore."

"Addison-"

"I'm sorry, Soph, but I just can't do this anymore."

0ooo0

"Alex?" Addison asks, a week after they return from their honeymoon.

"Yeah?"

"Okay, so don't get freaked out by this question, because it's not important. I mean, it is important, but not urgent in any way. It's just I was thinking about it and I thought that maybe, well, not any time soon, but just I was thinking about it, like I said, and-" she starts babbling nervously.

He smiles, as annoying as the trait might be sometimes, when he's in a good mood, he remembers that it's part of why he married her in the first place. It's kind of endearing. "Adds. Rambling," he says to snap her out of it.

"Right. It's just that I don't want you to get freaked out and…" she starts out on another round of nervous rambling, so he can tell that this question, whatever it is, must be important.

"Addison," he finally says. "Just ask the damn question."

She stops talking and looks down at her feet. Then she looks up to meet his eyes as she asks, "Do you want kids?"

He's shocked into silence, then starts laughing nervously. "Are you…?" he asks.

Her eyes widen. "Oh! No. No, I'm not. I was just… I was thinking, like I said, and I realized we never talked about it, and I was just curious. Because I do. One day, I mean. Not immediately. But I do. But only if you want to, of course. Because you're the only man I would ever consider having them with."

"I should hope so," he jokes. He quickly becomes serious when he sees her face shining hopefully. He thinks carefully before answering. "I do. Eventually, I mean. Not like tomorrow, or anything."

"No, of course not," she agrees. "But one day?"

"One day," she agrees with a smile.

"Now," he says, drawing her close. "I have no objection to events leading up to the little bundles of joy."

She slides her arms around her neck, and kisses him, smiling as she says, "Neither do I," against his lips.

so there you are. the end. le fin. yeah. um. yeah. hope you enjoyed it. i should be back soon with another one.

-Juli-