Forever Grateful 1/1
It's been five years. You're sitting with Addison, Alex and Izzie in your house trying to pack everything up, but not succeeding, both of you keep getting distracted finding things you'd forgotten, sharing memories.
You're moving to a bigger house, Addison is pregnant, twin girls; you don't have the room in your mother's old place anymore.
Xay and Nick run into the room holding a Barbie each, Beatrice runs after them with Kathy Karev, Alex and Izzie's little girl who was born only seven months after the triplets.
"Mummy! Mama!" exclaims Bea, running to you, "Dey took Kaddy's and mine Barbies!"
You wonder briefly if Bea with get past her speech impediment, she's only five you know but you fear she'll never get past using D's instead of Th's.
"Xavier Michael Grey-Montgomery!" Addison yells out, "Come here."
Xay sheepishly walks into the room empty handed and sees Izzie holding a sniffling Kathy in her arms, and Bea glaring at him from her place on your lap.
"Did you take Kathy's Barbie dolls?"
"No." he mumbles,
"Xavier…" Addison warns,
"Nick did it!" Xavier says, "Nick took them, I said not to but-"
"Nick!" Nick runs into the room,
"Where are the Barbies?"
"Mama I don't know-"
"Nicolas." He runs of with Xavier and they come back with the dolls in their hands, "Give them back," Addison tells the boys,
They walk to Kathy and hand her the dolls,
"Say sorry,"
"Sorry Katherine." Xavier says, giving her a small smile,
"Sorry." Nick ads,
"Now," Addie says with a smile, "Play nicely or you'll have to sit on the Naughty Steps."
All four children nod and run off,
"Wow." says Izzie with a grin, "you were right Mer, Xay really does have a crush on Kath."
"I know," You grin,
Addison shakes her head, "He's five years old," she says,
"So? I tried to kiss Cindy Tanners when I was in preschool." Alex shrugged,
Izzie laughs loudly and you say, "Same old Alex," as Addie rolls her eyes,
"I just realised something." Izzie says after a moment,
"What?"
"Alex, we're buying Ellis Grey's old house."
"Iz it's hardly-"
"Think back to Med School."
"Jesus." He smirks, "It's awesome; we are awesome."
The door bell rings and before any of you can move to it, 6.5 year old Phoebe comes running into the room with 7 year old William Bailey-Jones or just Tuck, running with her, they're followed by Callie and Miranda, then George who is holding two year old Cynthia O'Malley.
"Hey guys," smiles Addie,
"Auntie Addison!" Exclaims Phoebe who runs forward, and you quickly remind her not to jump on top her favourite aunt,
She grins sheepishly and walks forward with a bit of a skip and hugs Addison gently, "Why can't I jump?" she asks,
"Because Auntie Addison is growing babies in her tummy," Says Callie with a smile, "remember?"
"Oh yea!" she grins, but soon frowns confused, "Why are the babies growing in her tummy?" Callie doesn't answer straight away as she's too busy chatting to Bailey,
"Mamma!" Phoebe calls out, pulling at her mother's top,
"Yes Phoebes?"
"Where do babies come from?"
"Ooh I know!" Grins Tuck, "I know! Babies come from when mummies and daddies have sex!"
You laugh with the others at his eagerness but Bailey frowns, "William George Bailey-Jones, we do not say the 'S' word."
"But-"
"No buts."
Tuck hangs his head, "Sorry Mummy."
Bailey nods and Tuck turns to Phoebe, "Let's go play outside." She nods and they run off,
The group of you are silent for the next twenty minutes or so until Alex speaks "I've hit the jackpot." He grins, "Baby photos."
Your eyes go wide, "Oh God," You groan because everyone has moved to him but Bailey, who is currently outside keeping an eye on Cynthia and the other kids,
"Aww, look how cute you are." Izzie grins pointing at one of you sitting in a bath tub,
Addison smiles at you, "Bea looked just like that, exactly like that as a baby."
She moves over to you and kisses you softly, and you take it as an excuse to block everyone out and deepen the kiss, forming your own little bubble around yourself. You smirk as you sense Addison's hormones take over her body as she deepens the kiss passionately and holds you closer, slipping one hand up the back of your shirt and the other into your back pocket.
"Hey!" Yells out Bailey, "You wanta do nasty things like that, do them in your own time, there're kids here." She motions Cynthia on her hip,
You break away from Addison, both of you are breathless and you just know your lips are swollen. You blush slightly and move to a box continuing to pile your mother's old Medical Journals into it.
The others have stopped look at your baby pictures and are packing things away as well, closing boxes with packing tape and writing on them in permanent marker.
It's been sixteen years. And now you sit with Addison in a church pew watching 22.5 year old Phoebe walk down the aisle on George's arm towards Tuck, who goes by Will now.
The ceremony that binds Phoebe and Will in holy matrimony is beautiful. Bailey and Callie cry almost the whole way through; Cynthia who is 18 now looks radiant in her bride's maid dress as does Bea, who, you remember with a small wince to your age, is 20.
During the reception you see Xay dancing rather closely to Kath, they're both 20 now too, "Oh God." You say,
"What?" Addie asks you curiously,
"It's gonna be them next," You point to your son and god daughter, "I feel so old."
Addison sighs, "Well… Maddy and Joanne are still in high school."
"They're 16." You sigh, "I want a baby."
Addison sighs, "You know I would love to be young and a new parent again Mer, but let's just wait ten years until we're grandmas."
You pout, "I hate being old."
"I know."
A small smirk appears on your face, "Want to gross out little Jenny Shepherd?"
Addison grins, she leans forwards and kisses you softly and tenderly, "I don't think an 11 year old cares too much."
You shrug but as you look up you see 12 year old Luke Karev and 13 year old Tony O'Malley frowning obviously unsure if your kissing was hot or gross.
Cristina walks over to you, "Stop kissing, it's weird." She says, "Anyway, Mer you owe fifty bucks, Rebie just came out to me."
"Don't believe it." You say, "Rebecca Burke is not gay, she's 15."
Addison rolled her eyes, "You know how close she is to Joanne."
"They're just really good friends…" Your voice trails off as you see your 16 year old daughter kiss Rebecca softly.
"I hope you don't do that with your friends." Addie smirks,
You sigh, "Well at least I was right about Mia and Maddy."
Addison scrunches up her nose, "Please don't remind me my daughter is dating a Sloan."
"Oh come on Addison, Mia is perfect for Madds, who cares if Mark's her father."
"Or that Hahn's her mother," Cristina comments,
You laugh, "You only don't like Hahn 'because she's taken over form Burke now he's retired."
"Erica Hahn is not Chief of Surgery material!"
"She's perfect Chief material." You say, "Stop being bitter."
Cristina glares at you, "Whatever, you still owe me fifty bucks." She walks off,
You take Addison's hand and look around the room, Will is dancing with Callie and Phoebe is dancing with his father, Tucker Jones, your twin girls Joanne and Maddy are sitting at a table with Mia and Rebecca, Nick is laughing with Xavier and Kath, Cynthia is dancing with George, Izzie is dancing with Alex, Mark is laughing with his youngest and second daughter Vicky on his lap, she's twelve and 'dating' 13 year old Tony O'Malley. You see 11 year old Jen run up to her and pull her away from Mark and towards Luke Karev. Addison laughs,
"Jen and Luke?"
"Jennifer Karev definitely sounds better then Shepherd." You say, and as you do you notice Derek and his wife, an ex scrub nurse, Rose, dancing slowly. From there your eyes wonder to the next couple, "Oh fuck no."
Addison frowns, you don't swear as much as you once used to, "What?"
"Look at Beatrice."
She looks and sees your daughter standing on the dance floor kissing none other then Jason Shepherd.
"I think I just threw up a bit in my mouth."
"It's his hair," You say, "Beatrice has fallen for the hair, god, maybe it's in genetics to fall for McDreamy?"
"Jason is hardly a Mini McDreamy." Addison says, "He's practically a spitting image of his mother."
"But the hair," You say, "McDreamy hair."
"To bad Derek's lost his." You both burst out laughing loudly, knowing how the loss of hair affected Derek's ego,
You come out of the laughter with a sigh and softly squeeze Addison's hand as you both fall into silence.
"I love you Addie," you murmur,
Addison smiles, "I love you too, Mer."
It's been nineteen years. More. Today is your 70th birthday. It's hard, really it is, but… well you can't help but love your life. You are in great health, as is Addison, and your five kids are all happily married. Your grandkids bring light to your every day and today everyone will be at your house.
Bea and Jason have their nine year old son. They named him after his grandfather, who died a month before his birth. Christopher Derek Shepherd is the cutest little boy and you spoil him to pieces.
Nick and Cynthia have twin girls who will turn four in three weeks. Lily and Faith look exactly like Addie and you know Nick will have a tough job keeping the boys off them when they're older.
Xavier and Katherine have the most. They have five kids, and more on the way. Twin boys, 10 years old, Michael and Archer, then 7 year old Melissa and twin girls, two years old, Tamara and Paris.
Maddy and Mia adopted a precious little Vietnamese girl, she's four and her name is Chloe.
Joanne and Rebecca don't have kids, Jo wants to but she knows that Rebecca is a lot like her mother and she accepts she might have to wait a few more years.
But they are just your family with Addie, everyone else is coming too.
Phoebe and Will with their 17 year old Ashley-Miranda and 14 year old Jackson.
Tony and Vicky O'Malley and their little one year old boy, David.
Luke and Jennifer, no kids but due to have a little girl in two months.
Bailey and her husband of 35 years, Thomas Schmit.
Izzie and Alex, still strong.
Callie and George, fighting it through, both knowing that Callie's health is deteriorating far too quickly.
Cristina, alone now, Burke was involved in a car accident in which he, Derek and Rose died.
Erica and Mark, separated and both single. They're still friends and they are your family and you love them and know Addie does too, no matter how much she denies it.
It's been twelve years. You can't believe it. This little baby you hold in your arms is your great granddaughter, barely five hours old.
Your sixteen year old granddaughter, Faith, sits in her hospital bed asleep.
"I feel old." Cynthia tells you, "I'm a grandma."
You laugh, "Could be worse," you say, "You could be a great grandma."
She laughs, as does Nick who's holding your other great grand child in his arms, "Well… Twins obviously run in the family."
"What gave you that idea?" asks Addison, "Maybe that these are fifth set of identical twins in the family?"
He grins, "Shut up."
Lily laughs at him, "Can I hold my niece Daddy?"
Nick nods and passes the little unnamed girl into his daughter's arms.
"I wish George was here." You say with a soft sigh, he died ten years ago, a week after Callie, "He would love this."
Cynthia sighs, "He would."
You look over at Faith and then at Addie, who yawns loudly, "Nick, maybe you should take us back home."
He nods and takes your great granddaughter from your arms, and places her in her small crib, "Lily honey, help me wheel your Gran to the car?"
"Ok Daddy." Lily smiles, Cynthia takes the baby and Lily moves to you and starts to push your wheel chair as Nick pushes Addie's.
It's been five years. You weep softly and wipe your eyes shakily with a tissue. You can't believe Cristina is actually gone. At eighty-seven she died in her sleep.
Rebecca's a mess and Joanne is barely managing to comfort her and their six year old son Preston.
Addison reaches over with her pale, bony hand and takes yours. Izzie is crying on your other side, Alex next to her.
It's been one year. Addison is 100 years old today. You can hardly believe it. But really it's not that big of a thing anymore. The oldest man alive is 160 but really people are expected to live to about 145.
"Remember," you say rather loudly but croakily, "when you were a kid, of six or seven and 100 was the biggest number you knew?"
Addison smiles, "I remember."
"You're still beautiful." You say, because, at least to you, she is,
"So are you."
You smile and a young man of about 40 walks to your table in the cafeteria, "Happy birthday Addie," He grins, "Want a kiss?"
She laughs, "Naughty." She swats him away, but not until he's given you both a small slice of cake. He comes back after a minute to help her eat, you manage on your own, but you know at least half of it fell into your lap.
It's been 10 years. Today is the first anniversary of Alex's death. You've just been told Izzie has passed. A heart attack they say, she would have lived had she been younger but she was 99 and weak.
Your little group has gone. You remember your first day as an intern, your patient Katie Bryce, George's 007 surgery, Alex calling you nurse, Cristina befriending you after you basically stole back a case she helped you on, Izzie complaining about rectal exams.
You remember Burke and Derek. The chief and Bailey.
They're all dead now.
But you still have Addison, 110 and strong.
"I love you."
"I know Mer." She says her hand in yours, "I love you too."
It's been twenty years. You're 118 years old. Life is long and boring. You hate medicine now, keeping everyone alive when they're too weak and old to do anything with the extra time.
Addison died today.
She had a long life. And it was full while it could be. She was 130, so not to bad really. Pretty amazing actually.
You miss her.
Your great granddaughters, 36 years old, though it seems like yesterday you were in that room with 16 year old Faith and two unnamed newborns, come to visit you. Samantha Dandridge and Tashana Edwards bring with them their children, Calliope and Georgia Edwards and Harrison Dandridge. The girls are six and Harrison is 10.
"We were given this," Sammy says, holding a brown paper wrapped package, "in the will with a note saying to give it to you."
You take it, and slowly and awkwardly you unwrap it. It's a book. A very old book. No, a diary. And by the looks of the handwriting it's one of Addison's diaries. You sit in your bed staring curiously at the diary in your hand for a moment before you open it and see a typed piece of paper.
Meredith my love,
This is the diary that brought us together, I am forever grateful you read it all those years ago –my nosey Mer, thank God you're one to pry- because you have made me amazingly happy my whole life. I will love you always, even once I have passed (whenever that may be). You are my wife, the mother of my children, my one constant and if I could, I would spend another hundred years loving you.
Always yours,
Addison.
Tears slowly fill your eyes and you clutch the book to your chest tightly. You never expected your life to turn out this way, but you are so ecstatically grateful it did.
Leave a comment!
I have an idea for another story, called Falling For My Sister's Sister, it's AU in which Meredith became apart of the Shepherd fmaily much like Mark did. It focuses around her falling in love with Addison and Addison falling in love with her even though Addie and Derek are married. Let me know if you think I should start to write it now or wait until Pulling the Puzzles Apart is finished.