Feels Like Home

'Cause I'm under the weather, just like the world

So sorry for being so bold

When I turn out the light, you're out of sight

Even though I know that I'm not alone

It feels like home.

Addison smiled sleepily and turned over in the warm sunshine pouring through her window. Sometimes, Izzie swore Addie must have been a cat in another life, because she just loved to sleep, lounge, and well, Izzie had found several ways to make her purr. Addison herself loved to trail a hand over Izzie's slowly swelling stomach, finding her nipples and teasing gently, until Izzie was too aroused not to turn over and kiss Addison everywhere she could reach on that soft ivory skin.

It had taken months, but finally, Izzie was pregnant. Addie had taken her to several fertility specialists in the Seattle area and then finally gave in, flying down to L.A. to visit her old friends at the Ocean Wellness Clinic. It had taken no time after that – within two months of being implanted (with sperm from a hot doctor who was also a violin player, a lacrosse athlete, and a writer – nothing less would do) - Izzie had missed her period twice and started throwing up in the mornings. Miserable for her, and in fact, she still complained to Addison in her fifth month that the very smell of Cheerios triggered her gag reflex, but Addison was overjoyed. If she personally couldn't have a baby, at least her blonde, beautiful wife could have one, and she could be the child's mother, too.

Izzie rolled over and smiled at Addison. "Good morning, sunshine," she murmured, running a hand over her stomach and capturing Addison's warm touch with her own. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Mmm . . ." Addison buried her nose in Izzie's soft neck, inhaling the sweet, slightly minty smell of her shining blonde hair. Addison swore that Izzie must be carrying a boy, because she was looking absolutely radiant and her hair was shinier than ever, but Izzie personally thought it was a girl. And since Izzie had been pregnant before, she told Addison that her guess was right. Either way, it didn't matter to Addie, although she did secretly want a girl more than a boy.

"I had to listen to you talking again. Were you talking to the baby?" Addison propped her head up on her hand, locking her blue eyes with Izzie's sleepy brown ones. Izzie smiled again.

"I was telling it a story. I thought you were asleep."

Addison felt a smile break out across her face. "No, I wasn't . . . but I sure did like to hear your voice. Is the baby keeping you up at night?"

Izzie frowned slightly and put a hand on her bump. "Well, it moves a lot . . . flutters around like it's going swimming. It's normal at this stage, though. I remember this from my last pregnancy."

Addison nodded assent. She'd been keeping an eye on Izzie since she found out her wife was pregnant. Sometimes, it seemed that all the information and advice she had given over the years went completely out of her head, now that it was her own child's progress she was watching. She felt as clueless as a teenage girl who had accidentally gotten knocked up. Forget the fact that she was a top neonatal surgeon and obstetrician – everything was a miracle when it came to this baby.

Izzie swung her legs over the bed and suddenly grimaced. "Ugh, shouldn't have done that . . ." She ran into the ensuite bathroom where Addison heard her gagging. Addie clucked under her tongue and followed Izzie in.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. This should end really soon. You're nearly finished your fifth month." Addison held Izzie's hair back and when the blonde resident was finished, Addison wiped her face with a cool cloth and handed her a cup of water to rinse her mouth out with.

Izzie smiled faintly at her. "I know. At least it's only once or twice in the morning now . . . or three times," she gulped, turning back to the toilet and throwing up again. Addison winced and stayed with Izzie until the spasm had passed. Izzie flushed the toilet and slumped against the wall, closing her eyes.

"You know, I was always an emetophobe," she said weakly. "Now look at me, not even caring that I'm throwing up every morning. I don't remember being this sick with my last pregnancy."

"Well, it is twelve years later," said Addison. "Your body is different now, and sometimes different children cause different hormone levels." She smoothed Izzie's sweaty hair back from her face. "Come on. I'm going to bring you breakfast in bed." She smiled softly at Izzie and helped her back to bed. Izzie closed her eyes gratefully, turning her face into the cool silk of the pillowcase.

"Lucky for me, my wife's a neonatal surgeon," she quipped, smiling.

"Lucky for you, your wife's also a good cook," Addison retorted back, kissing Izzie's forehead. "Thank goodness we both have the evening shift tonight."

Izzie nodded and turned onto her side sleepily. "Wake me when the food's here."

Addison grinned and snuck out of the room.

-..-

Izzie checked the IV levels of the young mother who had just undergone a complicated C-section and smiled at her. "You're doing just fine, Mrs. Hunt. I'm sure you'll be able to get up in a few days."

She checked the gurgling three-day-old little boy in the bassinet beside her. "And Evan's doing just fine, too." She ran a finger over the baby's soft, soft skin and felt her eyes well up with tears at the beauty of this little life – something she would have in just four more months.

Mrs. Hunt smiled tiredly up at her. "When is yours due, Dr. Stevens?"

"In another four months, give or take," said Izzie, blinking her tears away and turning back to her patient. "I hope it's less than that – carrying this weight around and being constantly on my feet does nothing for my energy levels!"

"Do you know what it's going to be yet?"

"No, we don't know yet. My wife thinks it's going to be a boy, but I think it's going to be a girl. It feels very much like my other pregnancy, and that one turned out to be a girl."

Mrs. Hunt shifted painfully in the bed. "Well, I'm sure she must be happy to be a big sister soon!"

Izzie frowned a little. "Uh, well, yes. I'm sure she is." She didn't feel like explaining her life story to a patient just trying to make conversation, so she smiled and picked up her charts. "I've got to continue my rounds now, but I'll be back in a few hours to check on you, or my intern will."

Mrs. Hunt nodded. "Make sure to take some time for yourself tonight, Dr. Stevens!"

Izzie grinned. "Not likely, but thanks!"

She left the patient's room and ran smack into Meredith Grey. "Oh, Mer! Sorry, I didn't see you there."

Meredith gave Izzie a big smile. "You're just who I wanted to see. How's the baby?" Meredith knelt down and put her hands on Izzie's stomach. Izzie normally wouldn't have let anyone else but Addison do this, but Meredith was so excited about the baby that Izzie couldn't deprive her of sharing in it. And anyway, she found it kind of sweet.

The baby kicked obligingly and Meredith squealed. "She kicked me!"

"She knows it's her favourite Auntie Meredith," Izzie said fondly. "Now, would you mind letting me continue my rounds? Anyway, don't you have a surgery you need to attend to?"

Meredith pouted, standing up. "I just got out of surgery with Derek. We lost the patient. I'm not really in the mood to do another aneurysm removal, but I suppose I can't lose more than one patient today." She made a face. "I'm starving. When do we residents get to eat around here? I swear, we're run more off our feet now than we were when we were interns. I don't think it's very fair. We're higher up on the food chain, you know? I think we should be able to schedule our own breaks. Or at least our own naps. Or something. You know, seriously!"

Izzie shook her head. "Oh, Lord. We have a break in an hour. If I'm pregnant and I can stick it out, so can you. I'll see you in the cafeteria later." She patted Meredith's shoulder and shook her head, continuing down the hall.

Izzie spotted Lexie Grey and called out to her. "Grey, have you checked on 2401, 2405 and 2407 yet? I know for a fact that 2405 is running low on IV fluids, so I expect that you've ordered them. As well, 2407 is due for discharge – she's been in here the requisite seven days. Have you processed her papers yet?"

Lexie Grey, in some ways so much like her half-sister Meredith, looked up blearily. "No, I haven't gotten to those rooms yet, although I ordered 2405's IV half an hour ago."

Izzie's soft heart twisted a little in her chest at how tired the intern looked, but outwardly she remained professional and aloof. "Well, what are you waiting for? Honestly, Grey, if you ever expect to scrub in on any of my surgeries, you'd better step it up!"

Lexie nodded and gathered up the charts quickly, heading in the opposite direction down the corridor. Izzie had never expected that as a resident, she would have turned into another Bailey, but now she could appreciate the residents' and attendings' impatience with interns. They were just learning, it was true, but sometimes they acted so, well, so stupid! And after five months as an intern, Lexie Grey should know better. Meredith herself had complained about Lexie's apparently sluggish learning curve. Izzie shook her head in annoyance and squealed a little as someone pulled on her blonde ponytail. Spinning, she saw Addison, looking resplendent in red dress, crisp white coat and ever-so-elegant Jimmy Choos.

"Surprise," said Addison, giving Izzie a quick kiss on the lips. "I thought I'd come down here and see what was happening with Mrs. Hunt."

Izzie nodded. "I just checked on her. She seems to be doing well, and the baby's beautiful. However, her heart rate was up a little bit, and I think she could benefit from a little higher dose of morphine."

"Well, order it, then. And now, let's get you off your feet. You look about dead," said Addison in concern, brushing Izzie's hair back from her forehead. Izzie nodded gratefully. "Baby's weighing heavily today."

They collapsed on a bench outside of the nurses' station and Izzie yawned. "I could use some water."

"How about some juice? You need to keep your blood sugar up. When's the last time you ate?"

Izzie rolled her eyes. "Addison, I ate an hour ago. I'm fine. You don't need to play Mother Lion, here."

Addison leaned over and captured Izzie's mouth with her own. "Yes, I do. I want you to be healthy."

Izzie closed her eyes as Addison kissed her, but then pulled away. "Whatever. Anyway, I would like some juice." She fluttered her eyelashes at Addison. "You're so good to me."

Addison smiled. "I know." She got up to go to the nurses' kitchen down the hall and Izzie closed her eyes, leaning against the wall. She'd just have a short nap.

"Dr. Stevens?"

The voice pulled Izzie back from the verge of slumber and she opened her eyes, annoyed. "What is it, Grey? This better be important."

"I'm so sorry, Dr. Stevens, but you're needed downstairs. Trauma case came in, and it involves a little girl named Hannah Killearn. She's asking for you."

Izzie's eyes widened. "Hannah Killearn?" She got to her feet in a flash. "I'll be right there."