A/N: I really didn't plan on this ending up this way.. but it kinda took over. All errors are mine. Yet, I own nothing.
Instead of cleaning like she had planned, Meredith finds herself sprawled across the couch as she watches the movie Alex had been watching last. She thinks it's called 'Legion' but she can't quite remember and has zero energy to get up and check. She's thrown up two more times, once on the way home and another as soon as she walked through the door, and it's made the cleaning appeal zilch.
Her phones rings, bringing her out of the daydream she was in, forcing her to lean over to the coffee table and pick up the noisy object.
"Lazy ball of goop!" Cristina's voice was shrill through the phone, causing her to jerk it away quickly as she opens her mouth and tries to pop her ears.
"Ow, Cristina, what the hell?"
"Blondie's here with her hubby," she laughs. "And I'm betting you went home and collapsed on the couch and haven't cleaned a single room."
"Shit," Meredith mutters as she sits up quickly and looks around the house. "Keep her distracted for an hour. I can at least clean out her room so they'll have somewhere to sleep."
"No promises," came her reply as did the end of the phone call.
With a heavy sigh she pushes herself off of the couch, throws her phone back on the coffee table and turns the television off as she walks towards the stairs. Maybe she should've let Alex clean out the room when he had offered last week, it would've been one less thing for her to worry about.
"Why did she come early?" She groans as she climbs the stairs to Izzie's old room, staring at the boxes that cluttered the once clean room. "She better make me some damn brownies."
x0x
"I would have helped."
Alex's voice floats through the room, reaching her where she lays across the bed. She had powered through taking the boxes up to the attic before promptly falling on Izzie's bed, not caring if the blonde showed up and found her. She was beyond exhausted and felt sick to her stomach again.
"You weren't home," she mutters as she rolls onto her back.
"I offered to do it last week," he reminds her.
"I didn't exactly plan on getting sick," she grumbles at him as she pushes herself up, climbing to her feet and heading for the door where he's leaning.
"She just called, they're on the way." He steps out of her way, letting her pass before following her down the stairs and into the kitchen.
"Why is she here a day early? I wanted to straighten the house up," she itches the back of her neck as she opens the refrigerator and stares for a minute before closing it again. "We're out of black olives."
"You hate black olives," Alex points out as he picks up the few cups on the table and takes them to the sink.
"I want some," she shrugs as she grabs the jar of peanut butter and hops up on the counter. "Is that a crime?"
"When you're Meredith Grey and you ask for black olives, yes. It could be considered a crime in the state of Washington." He hands her a spoon and moves to the refrigerator himself, pulling out a bottle of Ice House.
"Don't come near me with beer breath, I very well might throw up on you." She scrunches her face as she digs her a spoonful of peanut butter out of the jar, tilting her head to the side before looking at him. "Hand me the pickles."
"Sure, the smell of beer is going to make you sick but you can mix pickles and peanut butter." He rolls his eyes as he hands over the jar of baby pickles, shaking his head as he leans against the counter opposite of her.
"Comfort food," she shrugs as she pops the pickle in her mouth followed by a spoonful of peanut butter. "You can't tell me that you don't eat weird things, I've seen you put ice cream on a taco."
"I was drunk and George dared me to. You're completely sober and there's no one here but me."
"Wrong, Evil Spawn," Cristina tosses a peanut at his head as she walks into the kitchen, followed by the whole gang. "Look who I found at Joe's."
"I totally did not dare you to do that, you bet yourself that you could cause you were that drunk." George rolls his eyes as he sits down at the kitchen table next to Lexie.
"Meredith!" Izzie rushes over to her, bags and husband forgotten at the door as she throws her arms around the dirty blond sitting on the counter.
"Iz," Meredith grins as she moves her food out of the way for a hug before popping another pickle in her mouth. "Sorry about the house."
"I figured as much," taller woman responds as she looks her over before her eyes go wide. "Oh my God."
"I know, I look like shit. I think one of my patients at work gave me a bug or something.." She shrugs as she licks the peanut butter off her spoon, ignoring the small gasp that comes from Lexie.
"Right?" Izzie turns around and looks at the younger Grey, motioning to her older half-sister with a wave of her hand. "You see it?"
"Wait, what's happening?" Cristina squints her eyes at them before glancing at Meredith and what she's eating. Her own eyes go wide as she crosses the room and grabs her person by the wrist, jerking her off the counter and pulling her towards the door. "We have to talk. Now."
"Hey, I was eating!" Meredith huffs as she glances back wistfully at the peanut butter and pickles, giving up on that thought as Cristina simply tugs her out of the kitchen.
"Do not let him talk you into shaving your head again," Lexie warns George as she jumps up from her chair, following Cristina out of the room as Izzie trails behind her.
"Go talk with Alex while we handle Meredith." Izzie kisses Denny's cheek as she follows the line of women up the stairs, not bothering to look back.
"What just happened?" George frowns as he stands up and crosses the room, opening the fridge and grabbing two beers. "Want one?" He offers Denny.
"I think we may all need one before tonight is over with," the gruff man offers up as he walks to the counter, taking the beer and opening it up.
"You okay, Alex?" George glances at his friend as he takes a swig of the beer, not noticing the look Denny is giving the other man.
"You didn't," Denny questions as he steps back and stares at him.
"I did," Alex confirms with a half nod as he glances at his beer before looking at the man he had once considered his competition. "She isn't."
Denny simply laughs as George looks at them both, confusion coloring his face as he slumps against the counter and drinks his beer. "Oh, she definitely is," he says as he laughs again.
Alex doesn't say anything but downs the rest of his beer, staring at the floor as he tries to wrap his head around this new information. He's not sure what to say or do. When a beer is held out in from of him, he looks up and simply nods. "Thanks," he tells Denny as he opens it up and downs half of it. He wasn't sure if he wanted to remember tonight.