First Contact- Chapter 2
Disclaimer: All characters in this fic belong to ABC/Shondaland. No profit intended.
Rating: PG-13.
Pairing: Addison/Erica
Summary: A re-envisioning of that night when Callie and Mark oh so rudely bailed on Addison and Erica.
Personal note: I always wished there had been more interaction between Addison and Erica on that godforsaken show, because in the few scenes they had together I thought they had an interesting chemistry. (Add it to the list of complaints, right?) So I got to thinking...
I need to give a special shout out to ilovecsr for talking me off the ledge with this one. Thanks, you're a life saver. ;))
Chapter 2
The Archfield was like a bad dream that kept recurring in Addison's life. Not that it wasn't a nice hotel. It certainly was, which was why she stayed there whenever she visited Seattle Grace, but it was full of ghosts from her past. Reminders of past transgressions that had left ugly scars on her psyche. It didn't help knowing that some of those scars, maybe most of them, were self-inflicted. She had to force herself to ignore all that, to not get all introspective and broody, especially since her companion seemed to have cornered the market on those two.
Since leaving the bar, the woman had barely spoken a word. Even now, as Addison walked two glasses of cabernet across the room, the woman seemed so lost in thought she almost felt intrusive disturbing her. She did though, sitting next to the woman and extending one of the glasses. Erica blinked at it, almost as if surprised by its appearance before reaching up and taking it. She muttered a thanks then her eyes drifted in thought once again.
Addison sank into the couch next to her and bit off the frustrated sigh. She wasn't used to being ignored. Not like this. She struggled for an opening line, to find some common ground other than Callie Torres. "So, Dr. Hahn, how are you liking Seattle Grace?"
Her eyes snapped up to Addison's face. "Honestly? Not very much."
Addison couldn't help the chuckle, remembering her own rocky introduction to the hospital. "It does take some getting used to. Grace has an ebb and flow all it's own."
"Grace is full of staff who, more often than not, border on unprofessional," Erica countered. "Most of the staff seems more concerned with their personal lives than patient care. It's more of a social network than a medical center and, because of that, I can't see myself working there for the long term."
It was a brutally honest assessment. Addison recalled the almost non-stop personal dramas that went on there during her tenure. Unfortunately, she'd been the epicenter of more of the drama than she cared to admit. Still, she felt the urge to defend the hospital. "There's an informality to Grace that doesn't necessarily exist in other hospitals," she conceded, carefully picking her words. "But there's also a lot of very good medicine that gets practiced there. They have some of the best attendings in the country- yourself, Derek, even Mark. While I can't defend some of the ridiculousness that goes on there, I can defend the standard of care. It's one of the best hospitals I've ever worked at."
"Yet you left," Erica stated, a hint of challenge to her tone.
"I did," she agreed, not really wanting to get into all that, but not knowing how to avoid it without being rude. She tried to be as diplomatic as possible. "Sometimes you simply have to move on. My ex-husband was there, my ex-lover, my..." She left that thought unexpressed. "I needed a fresh start. Plus I've always liked California. So when the opportunity presented itself to relocate, I took it, and I have no regrets about that. I miss Seattle Grace sometimes though. I miss the friendships I'd made there and I always felt as if we were doing amazing work."
"It's a good hospital," Erica reluctantly agreed. "There's a lot of very good work being done there, but we could be so much better. I think if people could leave their personal nonsense at the door, it could be a great hospital, one of the best. We could compete with Mayo and Hopkins, but I just don't see it happening because no one besides me seems to care that the whoring and personal bullshit is keeping us from reaching our full potential."
Addison smiled into her glass as she listened to the good doctor railing about the harm of personal relationships. She was no psychologist but she could smell projection a mile away, possibly because she was a master at it herself. "Dr. Hahn, are you trying to convince me, or yourself?"
Blue eyes pinned her. "I don't need to convince myself. I already know the deal." Erica took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. "And, since we're alone in your hotel room, you might as well call me Erica."
Addison openly smiled at that. "Only if you call me Addison." Erica Hahn gave an almost imperceptible nod then lifted her glass. Addison matched the movement, raising her own glass to drink but not taking her eyes off the blonde. Erica was certainly a tough one to crack. It was a good thing she liked a challenge. "There's some borderline behavior at Grace, sure," she said, lowering the glass, "but personal relationships happen at every hospital and you know it. When you put in the kind of hours surgeons do, there's not a whole lot of time to find love outside of the hospital walls. It's natural to look inside for that bond or for it to happen even without looking for it, and don't bother to tell me that in all your years as a doctor it's never happened to you, because I won't believe you."
Erica looked away, taking another long, slow drink of her wine. Finally she sighed, turning back with an almost contrite expression. "Of course it's happened to me. I'm only human. But, a moment of speculation and an intent to act upon it, are totally different things. It's called willpower, something my colleagues are sadly lacking."
"And what's wrong with acting on it?" Addison let the innuendo drip from her words.
"It's a distraction."
She frowned when Erica didn't bite on her comment, Addison frowned more when she realized how bleak and unfulfilling she found the actual response. "It's a necessity," she countered. "Humans are social creatures, Erica. As much as I'm sure the cardio genius inside of you doesn't want to admit to common human needs, you still have them."
Blue eyes narrowed a touch. "Are you mocking me?"
"A little," Addison admitted. "But that's only because I think you're wrong and I think you know it too. No one's denying that some of the staff at Grace get carried away with their personal lives, but physical attraction is unavoidable." She couldn't help but notice how intently Erica listened, measuring every word, and what a really vibrant color her eyes were. It was almost distracting. "It's programmed within us," she went on although she was barely even paying attention to herself. "That want, that desire, that need to connect..." Her words fell away as she lost herself completely in Erica's eyes, as she felt that pull of the other woman's magnetism flare so strongly it was all she could do not to leap across the couch and attach herself like a tick. And, damn, she really needed to stop drinking scotch. She reminded herself that Callie was in the picture here. Her friend. She didn't know what was going on, if anything, as far as Callie's thoughts on Erica went but that was a friendship she cherished and didn't need to strain over a one night stand, however intriguing that one stand might be. "Take Callie. She has needs. Lots and lots of special needs. Not that she's, you know, special as in Special Olympics special, not that there's anything wrong with the Special Olympics special." Erica was looking at Addison like she was the one with the special needs. "I just mean, Callie has needs. That's all I mean." She cringed as she let the words tail off. Nothing quite like sounding like a complete idiot in front of one of the smartest people you've ever met.
"Well, I'm certain Sloan is fulfilling those needs as we speak."
Mark Sloan. Manwhore extraordinaire. She'd almost forgotten all about his role in this drama but apparently her sullen companion hadn't. Addison kicked off her shoes and hiked her knees up under her, getting more comfortable. "That must be hard, huh?" Erica schooled her face and gave an impressively non-commital shrug. The display only made Addison push harder. "You like Callie, don't you?"
"Of course. She's my friend."
Almost in sync both women lifted their glass and sipped, eyes locked, wordlessly feeling each other out. Addison figured that Erica was aware of exactly what she'd been driving at and she was aware that Erica had thrown up a barrier. Now it was a matter of how far was she willing to go to knock that barrier down and how hard Erica was willing to fight to keep it up. She could drop the whole subject right now and move on to something less personal, less intimate, but she wanted to know what was inside of that beautiful blonde head. She wanted to know what made Erica Hahn tick.
Addison lowered her glass, darting a tongue out to catch a stray drop of wine that clung to her top lip, fully aware of Erica's eyes dropping to watch the movement. "Callie is beautiful, isn't she?" She purposefully used the other woman's own words.
Erica swirled the glass in her hand, eyes twinkling a bit in the overhead lighting. Not surprisingly, she met the challenge head on. "You know she is." Her voice hit a lower register.
Addison bit her lip. That simple little phrase, or maybe the tone behind it resonated, got under her skin and made her want the woman all the more. There were no two ways around it, Dr. Erica Hahn was a force of nature. She was out of Callie's league, that much was obvious. Emotionally, she would eat Callie alive. So in a way, Addison figured she would be doing them all a favor by taking the blonde's mind off of her friend, then she mentally kicked herself for rationalizing something she'd only moments ago concluded was out of the question. But, damn it, if she couldn't imagine jumping in Erica Hahn and swimming around for a while, which was just a troubling analogy. Addison was aware she doing it again. Complicating. She always found herself taking linear situations and twisting them into knots, especially when it came to her own passions. And why could she never seem to control the things that came out of her own mouth? "So, um, you're not even a little gay?"
Erica's expression was stony although her eyes lit with something Addison couldn't quite read. "No."
Addison still didn't believe it. "Have you ever been with another woman?"
"I just said-"
"I know what you just said and that's not what I'm asking. I'm asking if you've ever touched another woman sexually. If another woman has ever touched you. If you've ever wanted another woman to touch you." And, yes, she knew she was on dangerous ground but couldn't seem to help herself.
Erica sat very still, impressively stoic in light of the questions just fired at her. Addison half expected her to bolt or for that temper she'd heard so much about to explode but when Erica spoke her voice was carefully controlled. "That's a little out of line, don't you think, Dr. Montgomery?"
"It's very out of line," Addison admitted, intrigued by Erica's response and noting there was no denial there. "But we're all friends here."
"Are we?" The words were sharp.
"Of course." Addison kept her own tone light, knowing she was close to Erica's breaking point, but much too interested to back away. "How about I tell you all about my lurid bi-sexual affairs?"
"How about you don't?" And there it was, the threshold. Erica abruptly stood, setting her glass on the coffee table. "I should go."
Putting her own glass down, Addison bounded to her feet beside her. "I think you should stay."
Erica openly scoffed. "I'm sure you do. Look, Addison, I don't know what you think you know about me, but you're wrong." She started to turn away but Addison grabbed her wrist.
"Wait. I'm sorry," she said, as Erica turned back to face her. "I'm an insane person. Callie must have told you that. I get things in my head," she explained, feeling almost desperate about it, "and they seem really rational, so I act on them because- hey, what's there to lose? Right? Only wrong. Take now, I'm just talking and I can see it in your eyes that you think I'm absurd and that's okay, because I am, but I like you and I don't want you to-"
Erica's lips crushed against her own, cutting off her ramble and startling her so much that it took Addison's brain a second to catch up. When it did she moaned into the kiss, not wasting any time sliding her hand up into blonde hair and pulling her closer. Strong fingers dug into Addison's hips and it was like a jolt of electricity through her body, short circuiting everything except her libido. She hooked a leg around Erica's, tugging her body closer, wanting more even as their tongues clashed, and teeth nipped. Then it was over. As abruptly as she'd started it, Erica yanked herself free, pulled away, pushing Addison so hard that she stumbled back a step, her equilibrium upset by the past minute's interaction.
"What's going on?" She insisted. Erica didn't answer since she was too busy bolting toward the door. She had the door open and was into the hallway by the time Addison thought to give chase. "Wait!" She grabbed the keycard off the coffee table and ran. Erica was all the way down the hallway, at the elevator by the time she exited the room. She rushed down there arriving just as the doors slid open. "What happened? You can't just kiss someone like that, then run off."
"I'm sorry. I have to go," was all Erica said, slipping onto the elevator. The doors started to close but Addison wasn't ready to let this go, not that easily. She put her arm out, halting the doors' progress, stepping forward to staddle the doorway, her back keeping the bucking door from closing. It was only then that she noticed the old couple in the back of the elevator. She gave them an awkward smile then looked back to Erica. "Um, maybe you should step out here, so we can talk."
"There's nothing to say. Goodnight, Dr. Montgomery."
Addison cursed under her breath then gave the old couple an even more awkward smile. "Do you really want to bother these poor people with this?"
Erica glanced back at the old couple then turned around. "I'm not bothering them, you are. Get off the elevator, Addison."
"Not until you tell me why you kissed me then ran off."
The pink traveled up Erica's neck, washed over her face. "Goodnight, Dr. Montgomery."
"If she doesn't want to kiss you, I will, honey," the old man said. Both Erica and Addison looked at the couple in time to see the woman swat him in the arm.
"Despite my husband being a cad, the young woman deserves an answer," the old woman stated.
"She's right," Addison stated, drawing Erica's attention. "I deserve an answer. So, the kissing? The running?"
"I was curious," Erica said. "I satisfied that curiosity, now I'm going home." She turned back to the old woman. "Good enough?"
"No, honey. That's not a good answer. If you're worried about being a lesbian, don't. My niece is a lesbian, lovely girl, wears terrible shoes."
"No one cares about Hannah's shoes," the man said.
"I care," the woman responded. "She's going to ruin her feet."
Erica closed her eyes, pinched the bridge of her nose, purposefully turning from the older couple. Her eyes were steely as they reopened. "What do you want from me, Addison?"
"To talk."
"We have nothing left to talk about."
"Well, a couple of minutes ago you had your tongue in my mouth," Addison quipped. "Call me crazy, but that strikes me as something we could talk about."
"Try not to be so sassy, young woman," the old woman interjected. "No one likes a sassy girl."
Again both surgeons looked to the couple in back of the elevator. "See what I have to deal with?" The man said, gesturing toward his wife. "55 years of this. My ears have ringing from the nagging. My doctor tells me it's permanent."
"Oh, and you think they'd rather hear about your ears than Hannah's shoes?" the woman challenged. "They're having a lovers' quarrel, Harvey, they don't want to hear about your ears. No one wants to hear about your ears."
"They're not having a lovers' quarrel," he disagreed, voice raising just a touch. "The blonde just kissed the redhead for the first time tonight. Don't you ever pay attention?"
"Don't you raise your voice at me."
"I'm not raising my voice, I'm explaining what's going on."
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Erica muttered. Eyes narrowing and lips pursing, she whirled on to the couple. Addison seized the moment, grabbing Erica by the elbow and yanking her out of the elevator. Taken off guard, Erica stumbled into the hallway, but quickly regained her balance as the doors finally slid closed. "Could this night get more fucked up?" She wondered aloud, shaking her head in disbelief. It was at that moment the second elevator opened and Callie was standing there, eyes wide in surprise.