AUTHOR'S NOTE: This chapter is rated mildly M.

Stress & Distraction

When Addison's alarm sounded Wednesday morning, she quickly picked up her phone to call Zed. It had only been three days, but early morning phone calls were quickly becoming routine.

"Morning, Gorgeous," Zed answered with a slight laugh in his voice after the second ring.

"Good morning, Handsome."

"Did you call to talk to me or Milo this morning?"

"Both of you, silly!... Can you put me on speaker?"

"Sure thing...Hey buddy, your Mommy's on the phone," Zed said to the small dog asleep on his bed as he switched the call over to speaker. "Go ahead, Addie."

"Hi, Baby! I miss you so much! I can't wait to see you today!"

"Was that for me or Milo?"

Milo opened his eyes and let out an adorable puppy yawn.

"That was for Milo, but it also applies to you."

"Suure...I see how it is."

"Oh stop. You know I love you. And I love you too, my cute little puppy!"

They both laughed as Milo barked in response.

"Oh, he's just the cutest!" Addison gushed.

Zed sat up and picked up the small brown and tan puppy, placing him in his lap. "So, what time is your appointment today?"

"Right after school. I have no idea how long it's going to take. I'm just going to have to meet you at the Vet. I'm so sorry."

"Hey, we'll make it work. You have nothing to apologize for."

"I know...maybe I should just reschedule my appointment. I don't want to miss his first visit."

"Addie...you need to go to your appointment."

"I know…it's just tha…."

"Nope. Not letting you make yourself feel guilty."

"But I..."

"Nope!"

"Bu..."

"No!"

"Fine!"

"Thank you," Zed said victoriously. "Now go get ready for school. I'll see you soon, Gorgeous."

"I love you, Z….I love you, Mii!"

Zed laughed and ruffled Milo's ears. "We love you too." He placed his phone down on his nightstand and stretched his arms above his head. "Come on Milo, let's go grab Uncle Puppy and get you two walked before school."

With the Cheer-Championships a month away, mid-day practices were in full swing. No matter how many times Addison and Bree re-worked the routine, in Addison's mind, it still just wasn't right.

"This is horrible," she whispered to Bree as she watched the squad.

"What are you talking about? It looks fantastic!"

"It's just not right. I don't know...I can't explain it. It's just...missing something."

"Well let's head up to the Cheer Lounge and look over everything. We'll figure it out."

Addison sighed. "I hope so," she said as she blew her whistle concluding practice.

As the squad gathered their bags to return to classes, Addison and Bree walked up to the Cheer Lounge.

"Bucky always made this look so easy," Addison sighed, throwing her cheer bag onto one of the nearby chairs.

"Um, are you forgetting Freshman year when he destroyed the squad and ruined any chance we had at Nationals?"

Addison smiled slightly. "He wasn't himself. Besides, if I remember right, that was the start of a certain relationship..."

Bree sighed dreamily. "He does always say the sweetest things."

Addison was quiet for a moment. "Bree, can I ask you a big favor? And I hate asking you, especially with the routine in shambles and Championships right around the corner."

"Addie, the routine is not in shambles...But, sure. What's up, girl?"

"I need you to run practice this afternoon. I have a doctors appointment and then Milo has his first Vet appointment."

"Yeah, no problem. Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I just really can't miss this appointment. I've already canceled it once. Gloria will kill me if I cancel again."

Bree gave her a look out the corner of her eyes. "What kind of appointment did you say you had."

"It's with Dr. Tara...she's your doctor right?"

"Addison Meghan Elizabeth Donnelly! You still haven't gone? We talked about this back in October! With as much as you and Zed..." she looked around to triple check that no one else was around. "Please tell me you've at least been using some form of protection!"

"Yes. We're always safe. And I know I keep putting it off...Do you realize how hard it is for me to do anything without my mother finding out? All I need is for Dr. Tara to be at a function and run into my mom and be like, 'Oh, hi! I saw your daughter in my office!'"

Bree rolled her eyes. "It's better than the alternative. 'Oh, hey Mom. I'm pregnant!"

"Trust me. I know." Addison plopped herself down on the plush pink couch and started to anxiously bite her nails.

"Woah..." Bree said quietly. She walked over and sat down next to Addison and gently grabbed her hand, moving it away from her mouth. "You never risk your manicure. What is going on."

"I'm a little nervous."

Bree laughed. "Well, obvi!" she nudged Addison with her elbow. "Talk to me."

Addison let out an exaggerated sigh. "With everything that happened over the weekend with the pictures and the article in the paper. What if someone snaps a picture of me going into the office?"

"I thought Gloria took care of that?"

"She did! But the ones from the beach were from somebody with a cellphone. Everyone has cellphones. Anyone could take a picture at any moment of anything I do!" she rushed out on the verge of tears.

"Addie, look at me," Bree said calmly. "Deep breaths."

Addison breathed in deeply before slowly exhaling.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"I'm fine. I just...All of a sudden I feel like I have to be perfect again," she whispered wiping away a tear from her eye. "I spent years..."

"Knock, knock..."

Both girls looked up to find Zed standing in the doorway.

"Sorry to interrupt ladies. I just got a little worried when Addie didn't meet me in the safe room."

Addison started to cry. "I can't believe I forgot!"

Bree hugged her tight and Zed rushed across the room, kneeling down in front of her.

"Please don't cry. I'm not upset," he said quietly, reaching out to hold her hands in his.

"She's a little stressed," Bree said running a hand over Addison's hair as she hugged her.

"What's going on, Gorgeous?"

"It's just too much! This routine, the sneaky pictures, my appointment this afternoon, possibly missing our puppy's first appointment!"

Bree hugged her again before standing up and silently motioning for Zed to take her place. Zed stood up and sat down beside Addison, wrapping his arms around her.

"Addie, no one is perfect. We're going to rock Nationals no matter what the routine because we have an amazing Captain leading us. So, please don't stress about that. As far as the pictures go, you can't control other people. You're going to drive yourself crazy if you're constantly worried about something like that. And you need to go to your appointment. The only son you two need is the furry one you just adopted."

Addison giggled slightly as she buried her face into Zed's chest.

"Thanks, Bree," Zed said before kissing the top of Addison's hair.

"Take care of her, Zed."

"I will."

As Bree grabbed her backpack and walked out the room, Zed lifted Addison's chin to look at her. "Hey, Gorgeous," he whispered, kissing her lips softly. "You want to get out of here?"

Addison wiped her eyes and nodded.

"You got it," he said as he stood up and offered her a hand. He picked up her backpack and cheer bag and held her close as they walked to the front office. After telling the school secretary that Addison wasn't feeling well and that he was going to walk her home, they walked out the front doors. "So...your house or mine?"

"Yours. I think I need puppy snuggles from Mii."

Zed smiled and kissed the top of her head as they walked towards Zombietown.

"Milo, we're home!" Zed called out as they walked into the house. They were quickly greeted by two dogs running towards them at full speed. Addison and Zed both dropped down to their knees to pet them.

"And of course we're happy to see you too, Puppy," Addison said as she pet the small white dog.

"I'm going to go run them out to the backyard real quick. Meet you upstairs?"

Addison nodded and leaned over to kiss him.

"I'll be right up…Come on you two."

As Zed walked to the back of the house with the dogs, Addison headed to Zed's bedroom. She was sitting on his bed hugging her knees when he walked in.

"Puppy's eating, but I brought this little guy up to see you."

Addison held out her arms as Zed handed her Milo. She hugged him to her chest and gently pet his back.

"I also called over to the Vets office. I moved the appointment up since we're both out of school. That way it won't conflict with your appointment later."

Addison looked up at him, "You did?"

Zed sat down and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her into his side. "Yep."

"Thank you," she whispered, closing her eyes and resting her head on his shoulder.

"You're welcome. So...you want to talk about what happened in the Cheer Lounge?"

Addison let out a sigh. "Not really."

Zed gently brushed a stray piece of hair away from her face. "Do you think you need to maybe go talk to Dr. Bradley again?"

She shook her head no. "It's nothing I can't handle. Everything just seems a little overwhelming sometimes."

"Addie, that's what he's there for. To help you when things get overwhelming. Remember how much it helped with fixing stuff between you and your parents and helping you adjust to life without the blonde wig?"

"I know. If it gets worse, I'll go talk to him again."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Thank you. I don't want you getting so overwhelmed that you start having panic attacks again."

"I haven't had one since Freshman year," she whispered, placing a soft kiss on Milo's furry head.

"I know."

They were quiet for a moment as Addison pet Milo and Zed held her close.

"Z..."

"Yeah?"

"Can you play something for me?"

Zed smiled and kissed her gently. "Of course." He stood up and walked across the room to pick up his guitar. He sat back down next to her and began to strum out a tune. Addison smiled when she recognized what he had started to play. It was always one of her favorite duets. He knew her so well. She leaned over and kissed him before she started to sing.

"You don't know, babe
When you hold me
and kiss me slowly, it's the sweetest thing.
And it don't change
if I had it my way, you would know that you are,
You're the coffee that I need in the morning
You're my sunshine in the rain when it's pouring
Won't you give yourself to me?
Give it all, oh…
I just wanna see..."

Zed joined in, singing the chorus with her as Milo jumped down from her lap. "I just wanna see how beautiful you are. You know that I see it. I know you're a star. Where you go I'll follow, no matter how far. If life is a movie, oh, you're the best part, oh. You're the best part, oh."

"Best part," Addison sang smiling up to him.

Zed took over the next verse.
"It's the sunrise,
and those BLUE eyes, yes.
You're the one that I desire.
When we wake up, and then we make love
It makes me feel so nice.
You're my water when I'm stuck in the desert
You're the Tylenol I take when my head hurts
You're the sunshine on my life..."

"I just wanna see how beautiful you are. You know that I see it. I know you're a star. Where you go I'll follow, no matter how far. If life is a movie, then you're the best part, oh. You're the best part, oh, You're the best part." They both sang together, looking deep into each other's eyes.

He leaned down and gently brushed a kiss against her lips. A soft sweet moan escaped her mouth. He set his guitar to the side and wound his arms tightly around her, pulling her to him hard, his lips covering hers.

Her arms went around his neck, her fingers wrapping in his thick green hair, pulling him to her, needing him nearer, closer.

Zed's lips swept over her jaw and down her neck, kissing, nipping, sucking, roaming across her shoulder as his hands went to the hem of her cheer top. He pulled it up and over her head, throwing it across the room.

Addison pulled his t-shirt over his head, throwing it to the floor, before trailing hot kisses over his well-defined chest. Her hand brushed across his tight abs before going lower to cup his hardness. She pressed her palm to him, stroking him through his jeans. Zed growled low in his chest as he pushed himself into her. She left kisses on his bicep, then his chest, over his tattoo that drove her wild, and up to the side of his neck, before biting down.

"Ztergoge," he hissed as he pulled her even closer. Zed's hands worked their way up her body to the hem of her sports bra, pulling it up and tossing it by her top. He laid her back gently on the bed. She was stunning with her snow-white hair fanned out around her. He began kissing her collarbone. Moving down to her breasts, then lower to her stomach.

He ran his hands over her hips then down the outside of her thighs and back up, going under her cheer skirt, his fingers hooking the waistbands of her bloomers and panties, drawing them down her legs and off. His hands slid slowly back up her thighs, and he could feel the heat coming off her the higher they went. She was so sexy, arching her back up from the bed, her head to the side so she could watch him.

She reached down, pulling him by his hair up her body to her, kissing him with so much passion, they were both left breathless. She rolled over on top of him, feeling his thick hardness under her. His mouth came up capturing her nipple, drawing it in, sucking deeply. She moaned and moved against him, grinding on him, causing him to buck up under her. Moving back to straddle his thighs she reached down and unbuttoned his jeans, putting a hand inside to grip his length, making him growl.

He turned them so that she was under him again, trailing kisses down her body. He bunched her cheer skirt up to her waist, his mouth leaving kisses on her inner thighs as she writhed under him, her hands tangling in his hair as she moaned loudly, urging him on. His lips moved to her softest parts and he ran his tongue over her making her cry out. He got so caught up in the heat of the moment that he hadn't noticed her pushing on his shoulders.

"Zed, we need to stop!" Addison said, sitting up quickly after he removed his mouth from her.

He sat up on his knees, breathing heavily. "What's wrong?"

"I have an appointment this afternoon. We can't have sex right now. The doctor would know!"

Zed ran a hand through his hair. "I think she's already going to know we're having sex when you answer 'yes' to the 'Are you sexually active' question."

Addison giggled and sat up on her knees to kiss him. "True. But given the fact that I need to have an exam..."

"Point taken," he said kissing her lips softly.

"You're not mad?" she whispered hesitantly.

Zed smiled before he tackled her onto the bed and smacked a loud kiss on her cheek. "Not at all, Gorgeous. Why don't you get dressed and I'll go make us some lunch."

"Grilled cheese?"

"With or without tomato soup?"

"With!" she giggled.

"You got it," he smiled down to her. "I love you."

"I love you too. Thank you for distracting me this afternoon. I needed this."

"Anytime, Gorgeous. Anytime."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Happy almost weekend everybody! I hope you enjoyed this week's updates! Drop me a review and let me know!

I do not own the rights to the song in this chapter (Best Part by Daniel Caesar). Somewhere in the depths of the internet is a video of Milo playing this song. It's rather dreamy.

So...Anyone else catch American Housewife this week? I can easily say that Pierce is my new favorite character and I hope he comes back soon!