Love Wins Every Time 22/?
Hi everyone!
Back with more, at last. Sorry about that! New job, shiny new Macbook, a lot going on :) Back in my routine now, I think, and ready to continue. This will be a short one, but I want to keep things moving so that we can get on with this.
In this chapter: Callie does not want her marriage to be another Addison and Derek. Addison does not want to sleep alone.
Previous Parts:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12
Part 13
Part 14
Part 15
Part 16
Part 17
Part 18
Part 19
Part 20
Part 21
And now, on with the story...
--
It's nearly two in the morning when the first knock on the door wakes him. It's Callie. She's pale and teary.
"O'Malley didn't come home?" he asks, his heart breaking for her a little.
"No, he did," she answers, sitting on the edge of his bed, clearly shaky. "He did. And he…he yelled. And I know what Addison means now, when she says she hates being yelled at, because it sucks."
"And?"
"And I think this is going to be another Addison and Derek, Preston. We both did wrong. And we're both sorry. And it's just…sad."
"What wrong did you do?"
"I married him."
"And what wrong did he do?"
"He let me."
He climbs back into bed, letting her stay on her little perch at his feet. "Do you want to elaborate on that?"
She sighs. "So he comes in, and he's all 'what was that about?' And I ask him if he's okay, and he says he doesn't know, that I've messed up his head, that he's tanked the intern exam….says he doesn't know what's going on with me. He doesn't know what's going on with Izzie…"
"But something IS going on with her?"
"Yeah. Something's going on."
"Callie, I'm sorry."
"Me too, Preston. Me too. And it's like a part of me is angry, like, throttle him kind of angry, but a part of me doesn't really blame him because I know that this is my fault too. I pushed him in, way over his head, and he wasn't ready for it. Wasn't ready for me. And I thought…I guess I thought love was somehow enough to make it all work out…"
"It's not another Addison and Derek," he realizes.
"No?"
"No."
He holds her gaze and watches her eyes widen as she gets it. "It's not another Addison and Derek…"
"No."
"It's another Burke and Cristina…"
"I thought love was enough too," he says. "But it isn't. Happiness, that's enough. But love?"
She nods. "So what do I do?"
"I guess you do what Addison did. You decide that you'd rather live with a little regret than a lot of heart-break. And you make the choice for yourself and not the both of you."
"I let him go?"
"If that's what it takes, yes. You let him go."
She sighs, letting herself fall back onto the pillows. "This is gonna suck…"
"Yes."
"Going back, facing him, facing…facing her…"
"You don't have to, you know."
She bolts up again. "What?"
"You don't have to go back. I heard about George. Mercy West. And you know…he's not the only one who can transfer…"
She wipes at her eyes, then breaks into a watery smile. "You genius."
"I've been talking to some people at Mercy West myself," he says. "About my own future. And…"
"Fuck Mercy West. Preston, I'm rich. I know people."
"Oh?"
"Hell yeah. You want to take a little road trip with me?"
"I have a date tomorrow."
"Silly, I didn't mean now. I'll need a week or so to set things up, but I have this friend in LA…"
There is another knock at the door, and he climbs out of bed again, shushing her. It's Addison: dry-eyed, but a little shaky too.
"I'm fine," she says.
"Uh huh."
"I haven't been drinking, and I haven't been crying, and I am 100% completely fine."
"But?"
"But I don't want to sleep alone tonight…"
He sighs, climbs back into bed, lifts away the covers and pats the bed on either side of him. Callie climbs in on his left, Addison climbs in on his right. And they sleep.
--
When his alarm goes off, he finds he is alone again. He dimly remembers a pager going off. Addison, he thinks. A quick scan of the room proves him correct: it was Callie who made it until morning. The room service tray which has been left for him has a note from her thanking him for yesterday and telling him she's gone back to her own room to shower and change.
He finds himself a little restless, and a part of him is annoyed that it's from them. He is remembering what happened the last time Addison got pulled away in the dead of night. And Callie...
He shakes off his lingering bristles of impatience. He has friends. That's worth a little drama.
Back with more, at last. Sorry about that! New job, shiny new Macbook, a lot going on :) Back in my routine now, I think, and ready to continue. This will be a short one, but I want to keep things moving so that we can get on with this.
In this chapter: Callie does not want her marriage to be another Addison and Derek. Addison does not want to sleep alone.
Previous Parts:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12
Part 13
Part 14
Part 15
Part 16
Part 17
Part 18
Part 19
Part 20
Part 21
And now, on with the story...
--
It's nearly two in the morning when the first knock on the door wakes him. It's Callie. She's pale and teary.
"O'Malley didn't come home?" he asks, his heart breaking for her a little.
"No, he did," she answers, sitting on the edge of his bed, clearly shaky. "He did. And he…he yelled. And I know what Addison means now, when she says she hates being yelled at, because it sucks."
"And?"
"And I think this is going to be another Addison and Derek, Preston. We both did wrong. And we're both sorry. And it's just…sad."
"What wrong did you do?"
"I married him."
"And what wrong did he do?"
"He let me."
He climbs back into bed, letting her stay on her little perch at his feet. "Do you want to elaborate on that?"
She sighs. "So he comes in, and he's all 'what was that about?' And I ask him if he's okay, and he says he doesn't know, that I've messed up his head, that he's tanked the intern exam….says he doesn't know what's going on with me. He doesn't know what's going on with Izzie…"
"But something IS going on with her?"
"Yeah. Something's going on."
"Callie, I'm sorry."
"Me too, Preston. Me too. And it's like a part of me is angry, like, throttle him kind of angry, but a part of me doesn't really blame him because I know that this is my fault too. I pushed him in, way over his head, and he wasn't ready for it. Wasn't ready for me. And I thought…I guess I thought love was somehow enough to make it all work out…"
"It's not another Addison and Derek," he realizes.
"No?"
"No."
He holds her gaze and watches her eyes widen as she gets it. "It's not another Addison and Derek…"
"No."
"It's another Burke and Cristina…"
"I thought love was enough too," he says. "But it isn't. Happiness, that's enough. But love?"
She nods. "So what do I do?"
"I guess you do what Addison did. You decide that you'd rather live with a little regret than a lot of heart-break. And you make the choice for yourself and not the both of you."
"I let him go?"
"If that's what it takes, yes. You let him go."
She sighs, letting herself fall back onto the pillows. "This is gonna suck…"
"Yes."
"Going back, facing him, facing…facing her…"
"You don't have to, you know."
She bolts up again. "What?"
"You don't have to go back. I heard about George. Mercy West. And you know…he's not the only one who can transfer…"
She wipes at her eyes, then breaks into a watery smile. "You genius."
"I've been talking to some people at Mercy West myself," he says. "About my own future. And…"
"Fuck Mercy West. Preston, I'm rich. I know people."
"Oh?"
"Hell yeah. You want to take a little road trip with me?"
"I have a date tomorrow."
"Silly, I didn't mean now. I'll need a week or so to set things up, but I have this friend in LA…"
There is another knock at the door, and he climbs out of bed again, shushing her. It's Addison: dry-eyed, but a little shaky too.
"I'm fine," she says.
"Uh huh."
"I haven't been drinking, and I haven't been crying, and I am 100% completely fine."
"But?"
"But I don't want to sleep alone tonight…"
He sighs, climbs back into bed, lifts away the covers and pats the bed on either side of him. Callie climbs in on his left, Addison climbs in on his right. And they sleep.
--
When his alarm goes off, he finds he is alone again. He dimly remembers a pager going off. Addison, he thinks. A quick scan of the room proves him correct: it was Callie who made it until morning. The room service tray which has been left for him has a note from her thanking him for yesterday and telling him she's gone back to her own room to shower and change.
He finds himself a little restless, and a part of him is annoyed that it's from them. He is remembering what happened the last time Addison got pulled away in the dead of night. And Callie...
He shakes off his lingering bristles of impatience. He has friends. That's worth a little drama.