Warning: Femslash. This is also a one shot.

Thanks To: TheBrokenWolf for thinking of the title and for giving me the confidence to post this.

Unexpected

Meredith Grey was fed up. She was fed up with her constantly hectic schedule, fed up with her gossiping co-workers and fed up with being confused for the majority of her day. Most of all, Meredith Grey was fed up with Alison Shepard. It seemed as though every other day Dr. Shepard would find an excuse to have Meredith working as her intern. And every other day, Meredith would face dealing with strange looks, and odd comments. The outlandish glances made Meredith feel as though she was constantly being judged, well, even more so than was usual. While Meredith still thought the looks and the odd comments were hard enough to deal with, she couldn't deny that every single time Dr. Shepard touched her, she felt as though it meant something more. As each day went by, she had a harder and harder time coping.

"Meredith," Dr. Shepard, in all her red-headed glory, came around the corner in a fairly quiet corridor and lay a gently hand on the weary intern's back. "I just wanted to say that you did a very good job today."

"Um, thank you Doctor Shepard." Meredith felt the manicured hand rub her back in a tiny circle before lifting.

"You're a smart girl, Meredith," Dr. Shepard began to turn away but stopped and looked back at her young intern. "I can see why my husband liked you." And with a wink, she was around the corner and out of sight, leaving the younger woman to just stand and stare.

Damn it, thought Meredith. It wasn't like she could think about what she was or wasn't feeling for Doctor Shepard. She couldn't even ponder if she was being given little hints of flirtation from the doctor either. Even though she was so tired from her daily activities, she was loosing more and more sleep each night going over conversations she had with a certain red head. What did that small back rub mean? Did I really do a good job today? I wonder if she always seeks out her interns to compliment their work. Maybe she likes me. What the hell did that back rub mean! I need sleep. But what did she mean by winking at me? Or was it just something in her eye…

"Meredith," George was shaking her arm gently.

"Huh? Oh, sorry George," Meredith rubbed sleep out of her eyes and took the coffee she was being offered. As she began sifting through papers, she heard yelling coming from down the hall. Stifling a yawn, she turned around and noticed all of her friends crowding a gurney that was carrying her mother.

Meredith nearly dropped her coffee. All thoughts stopped and she proceeded to back away slowly, fully aware she was about to cry.

The next day was the day Meredith usually was requested as an intern for Addison Shepard. Although Meredith truly loved working with Doctor Shepard, she was seriously considering just leaving. Her body was so tired and so full of emotions that for the majority of the day, all she could process was how to breathe in and out. It seemed as though every fifteen minutes she would have to pause, close her eyes, and inhale deeply through her nose so she could pretend to be far, far away.

"Stop it."

"Excuse me?" Meredith looked up into the eyes of Addison Shepard. As always, they were full of understanding and warmth.

"Stop with the hyperventilation." They were both in Doctor Shepard's office and for the past two hours of heavy paper work, Doctor Shepard had been forced to listen to the deep breathing of her slightly younger intern. "If you needed a break, why didn't you just say so?"

"I don't-"

"Yes, you do need a break. Come to think of it," Doctor Shepard pushed back her chair and stood up. "I could go for a break too." She moved towards the door and turned to see Meredith still working. "Come on, Meredith. We're going for coffee."

"I don't want coffee." Meredith sat at her small desk stubbornly, tiredly. She really did want coffee but she knew she couldn't handle talking to the wife of her former lover. It would just be too weird.

"Doctor Grey," Doctor Shepard stood up straight and, despite being exhausted, managed to look intimidating. "You are my intern. You do as I say. I am telling you, not asking you, to come with me to get coffee."

Meredith sat there for a moment, dumbfounded that she had actually been spoken to as though she were a spoilt child. As though apologizing for her tone, Doctor Shepard added, "I know a great place across the street so we won't have to drink the regular hospital crap."

"Let me just grab my jacket," Meredith was still staring at her boss with a confused look on her face. Doctor Shepard just smiled and waited at the front of the hospital.

Ten minutes later, Meredith Grey was sipping hot coffee in a small café while sitting across from her boss and her former lover's wife. She was sitting with her back to a wall and she couldn't help but notice that her knees were touching other knees under the small, hip table. Things could not be more awkward. Then again, Meredith thought as she noticed not for the first time that she was being gazed at intently. Why doesn't she look away!

"Look," Meredith finally broke the silence that had been between the two women as she nearly slammed her cup onto the table. "I'm sorry I slept with your husband. I'm sorry I had to be the other woman and I'm sorry that I make work uncomfortable but can we please not talk about that today?"

She was sure Doctor Shepard was going to ignore her request. She had a certain feeling that a fight might break out and Doctor Shepard would find a way to get her fired. She was prepared for all of that but unfortunately; she was not prepared for what Doctor Shepard said.

"Fine," the redheaded doctor continued sipping her drink and gazing at her intern. The silence lasted another five minutes before Meredith had to say something, if only to create some kind of sound.

"And you know, I heard that you were the one who slept with his best friend." Meredith had no clue why that was the first thing to leave her mouth. Her eyes closed and she silently cursed herself for acting like an idiot whenever under stress. "Doctor Shepard, I'm sorry I- I didn't mean to just say-"

"Please, call me Addison," Addison just smiled at the apprehension that lingered on Meredith's face. "And you're right. I did sleep with his best friend but it was only a cover."

"A cover?" Meredith couldn't help but ask. She was known for being curious. "A cover for what?"

"I was trying to hide the fact that I was seeing someone else, a woman." At the look on Meredith's face, Addison's smile only grew into a grin and she guessed she should continue. "I didn't want my husband to know that I'm a lesbian."

Meredith dropped her coffee and watched as it dripped across the table. "Shit, sorry," she started to get up to grab napkins but stopped when Addison grabbed her hands and made her stay.

"Meredith, please," she was almost laughing. "It's fine. Look, see? It's not even going off the table." She pulled Meredith back down so that they were once again sitting across from each other.

"Doctor-"

"Addison."

"Addison," Meredith couldn't look up from her fidgeting hands. "Why are you telling me all of this?"

Warm fingers reached across the table and lightly grasped Meredith's chin, slowly guiding her eyes to look up. Addison looked contemplating as she scanned Meredith, searching to find any emotion other than the fear that clung to Meredith so insistently. Eventually, she found it.

"Because," she slowly said. "I really like you." And with that she leaned over the spilt coffee, still holding onto Meredith's chin, leisurely guiding their lips together.

The moment Meredith felt the other woman's hot breath against her lips she jumped back from the table, accidentally slamming her back against the wall. She shot out of her chair, eyes wide, and hurried out of the coffee house. As the cold air hit her and she inhaled the smell of the city, she stopped walking back to the hospital and looked back into the coffee house. Her eyes focused on the redhead, still sitting and sipping her coffee with her head hung low. Meredith turned around and tried walking again but found that she just couldn't walk away.

"Oh God," she groaned as she turned back to the coffee house once more. Her feet started moving and she burst through the glass door. A determined look crossed her face as she stormed up to Addison and faced the slightly older woman.

"Meredith I-"She couldn't get out another word. Meredith had lowered her head and met the other woman's lips in a hot, searing embrace. Without thinking, Meredith straddled Addison's lap and felt strong arms wrap around her waste. After light and hard kisses and sensual lip biting, Meredith felt herself running fingers through long, cherry hair and her body could feel delicate fingers traveling up and down her spine. As shivers crept up her body, Meredith moaned and felt the other woman's tongue slide smoothly into her mouth. Meredith grinned inwardly and began to massage Addison's tongue with her own. Her inner grin broadened when Addison shivered noticeably and whimpered into her mouth when Meredith pulled away.

"Wow," Addison said, her face was flushed and she was panting a little. "I wasn't expecting that at all."

"Neither was I" Meredith grinned and leaned in for another kiss.