Author's Note:
Thanks for your patience and love today.
I know it's the first day since April 1st that I did not upload (yesterday.)
I really wanted to but it just didn't happen at all,
But picking up the pace now.
Here's a new one just for you!
Let me know what you think in the comments,
And have a great day!
bobbiejelly
Falling Apart, Barely Breathing
In Which Addison meets Meredith in a bar. Things spiral from there. This is the story about what might have happened after Meredith asks Derek to "Pick Me, Choose Me, Love Me" but before he decides to do anything about it, and after SHE decides to do something about it. MerAdd. Meddison. Set during "Bring the Pain" GA. An Addison Montgomery/Meredith Grey - Grey's Anatomy Fanfiction. Written by me, bobbiejelly
Chapter 26: Meanwhile
Meanwhile,
"So what was the boy-man-Psychiatrist's name after all?" Addison asks Meredith if she remembers, as they idly pack up the snacks into boxes.
"Why, are you interested?" Meredith says with a bit of a menace and it makes Addison's lips curl up in a bit of a smile.
"Well, not for ME, no" Addison clarifies despite her enjoyment of Meredith's eyes flashing in jealousy at the concept.
(Interesting. Maybe I'm not the only one who's 'got it bad'...)
"I thought you told me to stay away from him because you 'used to know about him' and that you were 'a more experienced doctor than me' and you knew it?" Meredith calls Addison out on her bluff.
"So then you're not going to tell me?" Addison sighs at Meredith.
"Nope," Meredith smirks at her. The same way that Cristina always smirks at her and she wonders who taught the other that one.
"Darn, do you really have to look all so smug about it?" Addison says to Meredith frustratedly.
"Well, it's not every day that I get to know more than my boss so yeah" Meredith grins at her.
And it's just so damn cute that Addison can't resist grinning a little bit back at her.
"Why do you ask about him anyways?" Meredith questions her.
"Oh, just because we're discharging John today as you know and I need to ask him why he held him on a psych hold instead of admitting him to the surgical service right away" Addison says smoothly.
"Right," Meredith says, mostly convinced.
"Makes sense, right?" Addison asks her.
"Well, sure. Do you want me to talk to him for you then?" Meredith questions her.
"I might even be able to get us a favor" Meredith waggles her eyebrows suggestively.
"No, I can handle that part myself," Addison says a bit too forcefully.
"Right. You ARE the boss, Doctor Boss" Meredith doesn't think twice about Addison's motives.
"Ah, but never as much as Doctor Bailey" Addison quirks.
"I wonder why she's not organizing this party herself?" Meredith thinks to herself but has ended up asking aloud.
"No clue. Bailey tells, I go; Same as you all, but don't you dare ever say that to anyone, ever!" Addison says seriously but lightly as well.
"Your secret is safe with me, Doctor Montgomery" Meredith smiles at her.
(God if all these secrets weren't so hard to keep track of, Addison laughs to herself.)
"Thanks, Doctor Grey," Addison says with a quip.
"Say, do you mind texting the boys to see how they are doing with the decorations?
Meanwhile,
George O'Malley is doing an okay job of stealing all of his mother's mismatch of holiday decorations into his backpack.
He's trying to get away with it subtly without having to answer any of her questions, especially the ones about why his friend Alex was helping him all of the sudden.
Alex is doing a damn good job of not fussing too much or poking fun at all of it.
So they think they'll be able to sneak away without question, that is, until George's phone goes off loudly.
Meanwhile,
Text Message, 15:42, Location: Seattle
MEREDITH GREY TO GEORGE "007" O'MALLEY
MEREDITH
[George how are those decorations shaping up?]
[Addison wants to know.]
[Thanks for asking your mom. I bet she is sweet.]
GEORGE SETS HIS PHONE NOW TO SILENT FOR MEREDITH.
GEORGE
[Going good, Alex is helping.]
[Tell Doctor Montgomery the theme is going to be:]
[A week full of holidays. (I couldn't decide).]
[See you later.]
GEORGE SETS HIS PHONE NOW TO SILENT FOR ALL INCOMING CONTACTS.
Meanwhile,
"He's got them. George has the decorations! Apparently they are from everything. Like Christmas and Easter and Halloween and the others" Meredith says now to Addison.
"Thank you Doctor Grey" Addison is being all professional now, and Meredith wonders why the "Doctor Grey" all of the sudden, and then she spies Derek and Burke and Webber all coming their way, and that seems to answer that question for her.
"Doctors," Addison greets them professionally.
"Doctor," Derek says to her because he's not sure what to say to her now.
"Addison" Preston Burke tries before Addison gives him a big glare before he switches to "Doctor Montgomery."
Only Richard Webber gets away with calling Addison "Addie" and it makes Meredith pang a bit at how she can't call Addison that nickname (yet...).
"Looking Good," says Richard Webber first to their so far assemblage of snacks.
"Can I-" Preston Burke goes to steal away some samples before Addison slaps him right on the hand.
"Those are for the Party," Addison says to him sternly and frowns when he seems to enjoy how she's bossy. (UGH.)
"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Pipes in Meredith, and it startles Addison a little bit but doesn't surprise Richard Webber at all.
"Always did have her mother's temper, that one," Richard says to Meredith, endearingly. "I'd watch out for that one if I were you," Richard says then to no one in particular.
(And this Meredith's flash of temper thing is really working for Addison because she's now looking away from Meredith to give Bruke an indignant expression, hoping that her flush of red all over her chest will be confused as her anger and not at her delight at what Meredith's sudden red-hot temper just does for her body.)
"Ooh, I wouldn't want to go anywhere near Addison either. She bites when she's upset!" Derek says looking at her with an unreadable expression. He knows that the flush could be for a variety of reasons, but that none of them are good for him now so he stays quiet.
(Meredith wonders if Derek means that Addison 'bites' in the literal sense or in the metaphorical sense, and frankly, she's sort of turned on by either or both of those things...)
Meanwhile,
"ARE ANY OF YOU FOOLS GONNA TRY BEING DOCTORS THIS EVENING?" Miranda Bailey wails at them from the end of the hall.
"Right away, Doctor Bailey" even Richard Webber submits, and all of the other attendings scatter while Meredith and Addison keep packing up the snacks.
"You can have some if you want, now," Addison says to her in a whisper.
"Just for you though. Don't go telling anyone else!" Meredith says, trying to butter Bailey up a bit.
"Don't mind if I do" Bailey picks out a chocolate bar. "Good lord all these chocolate cravings are killing me these days. Well, you know what it's like…" She says 'matter of factly'. And both Addison and Meredith nod at this in a sort of solidarity of a moment.
And Bailey looks at the way Addison is beaming at the intern as if she were the sun for her. And Meredith is squishing a little closer to Addison now as if that girl could calm all the rain for her on any stormy day.
And Bailey just smiles for a moment, not wanting to give anything away. And she lets them continue the packing, only to tell them both that "If no one is in there, Addison you can have Grey help you put those cans of whipped cream in the Attendings lounge fridge."Before she walks away saying she'll see them at five.
As soon as Bailey is gone though, Derek Shepherd reappears in front of both of them looking rather rugged and… Even Addison doesn't know what. But he has a purpose in his stride and it is starting to scare her a bit.
Meredith notices the tension and really wants to rub Addison's shoulder in comfort, but she knows that won't help her now so instead she keeps unpacking the Cheetos without offering Derek any.
"Meet me tonight at Seven. Let me know if you still want to go for Thai, I will if you want to. I'll even buy" Derek offers to Addison.
And if looks could kill anyone, Addison would be dead in a second. Because Meredith is fuming at Addison under the assumption that Derek was going back to her to try to take her for dinner. But before Meredith could start punching him out in the hospital with her tiny, ineffectual fists, Addison speaks up and stands in between them so nothing violent hits.
"I don't want to go out for Dinner, Derek. We just need to do this. Order Thai if you want, you know what my order is. Thanks for that. And I'll ask Richard if we can reserve the conference room. Let me know when they get here." Addison says to him coldly. "And I can buy my own dinner, Derek. Though I will not be buying yours, either. You just save the receipt and I'll pay you right back" she says clearly.
"Pad Thai with shrimp, extra lime, green onions, peanuts, and less cilantro, side of tofu salad rolls with peanut sauce, diet Doctor Pepper and maybe a dessert I can buy you so you don't feel guilty about ordering one on your own?" Derek asks her, but hollow as well.
(Meredith feels a pang of jealousy and annoyance that Derek has memorized that something about Addison she didn't even know about, yet)
"Yeah. My tastes have changed for snack foods but I guess not about everything. Like I don't hate what I used to like I just like other things now that I didn't before" Addison just says to him, almost sadly. "I'll call them right away. If they can't do delivery though, would you be able to drive?" Derek asks her.
(He's trying hard not to say "we're getting a divorce Addison because you asked me for one. I won't be plastered like the night you left me your rings and the papers, but I'll probably sneak some scotch into my soda at the party. I've cleared my schedule for surgeries and consults tonight 'just for the party', but the truth is I'll probably be too drunk to drive by then.)
(And Addison starts thinking about this, then. And she's tempted to ask even right in front of Meredith if she can have a few shots of that scotch she knows he has stowed away in his desk drawer later for herself.)
And Addison reads through his expression like glass, and she says she'll pick it up no problem even if she has to slip out of the party. And he nods at her a hollow 'thanks' and he's gone.
Meanwhile,
A moment passes where Addison sighs and Meredith doesn't move a single muscle.
But once Derek is out of earshot of them, she leans closer and lays a hand onto Addison's arm like she'd wanted to earlier.
"You're not dating him, are you? This is something else, entirely, isn't it?" Meredith says to her softly.
"We're signing the papers this evening," Addison says to her softly. Hardly above even a whisper.
"Oh, Addie" Meredith can't help herself from calling Addison that right now. "I'm sorry, ya know," she says, even though she knows this is what Addison has wanted.
"Can I do anything?" she asks, not pressing further into touching Addison because she's already starting to pull away from her touch.
"Can you drive?" Addison asks her, her voice breaking a bit.
"I don't have my car here, George and Alex borrowed it for the decorations," Meredith says in a conundrum.
"It's okay, I trust you. I have insurance for it anyways" Addison pleads with her eyes, pulling her car keys out of her pocket and handing them over to Meredith.
Meredith takes them solemnly, not asking why off Addison's scared look why she's handing them over to her now rather than closer to seven. But then her eyes open a bit wide at the meaning of 'Addison not driving' and she keeps her thoughts to herself.
Meredith palms the keys in her fingers the same way Addison does, and that she used to with Meredith's keys. She attaches Addison's own keyring to hers and puts the whole set back into her pocket, enjoying the weight of both of them.
And as Meredith does this, Addison tries not to stare too longingly at Meredith's key set, and at that beautiful engraving of an "M" that she knows already is on the one to her home.
"You know I almost lost this one forever," Meredith says to Addison with a sigh.
"But you didn't?" Addison tries to ask as a question.
"No. I didn't." Meredith says, without offering more.
And Addison sighs out in relief as Meredith jumps up, changing moods abruptly as she exclaims:
"SO COME ON I WANNA GO SPY ON THE ATTENDINGS LOUNGE FRIDGE!" dragging Addison along with a tug of the elbow.
And Addison, with a chuckle, agrees easily.
Meanwhile,
"So can you do the thing with your tongue with the cherries?" Izzie challenges Cristina while they hang around Meredith's house after having finished preparing the cake.
"Oh, you are SO on!" Cristina doesn't back down at all.
So the two of them eat ten vanilla-flavored-cherries each as fast as they can before seeing if they can twist a knot with them with their tongue in the stems of them before the other one can.
"Done!" Izzie says a second faster than Cristina.
"But mine are double knotted!" Cristina exclaims to her in pride.
"Mm, double trouble," Izzie says to her suggestively.
"Indeed" Cristina quirks an eyebrow at Izzie until she cracks before she does.
"What do you say about letting the cake cool in the fridge for a while and you can teach me more about the skills you have like double-knotting with your tongue" Izzie propositions to Cristina.
"Done. But we are keeping our clothes on. I'm classy like that and I'm not letting you put out for me on the first date" says Cristina.
"Done. I'm asking you out to Italian food later today before Joe's then because I have a feeling that us fooling around here with nobody home is going to prove to be all of my willpower." Izzie says to her wisely.
"How did you know I liked Italian food?" Cristina asks her curiously.
"Um, most people do I guess and I seen you eat pizza?" she shrugs at Cristina.
"Fair enough. At least it's not Vietnamese food again!" Cristina smiles a bit.
"Nope, not my favorite either" Izzie says to her sweetly.
(She's wanting to take credit for that one rather than sharing that Addison sort of tipped her away for it for whatever reason. How she knew Cristina's restaurant preferences Izzie had no idea, but either way, she wanted to awaken her beast tonight. She didn't want anything to stop it.)
"Come ON" Cristina yelps at her, now the one who doesn't want to wait.
"Wait, just let me put the cake in!" Izzie giggles as Cristina already has her hands all up and down her waist.
"Mm, okay that feels nice, lead on Cristina!" Izzie runs after her until they both crash on her mattress.
"Mm, I'm going to set a timer so we don't make out past the whole party" Cristina sets one on her phone as Izzie starts to fondle her ass a bit and plant kisses all over her shoulders.
"No marks. Not yet. For either of us, everyone will give us hell!" Cristina says before Izzie nibbles into her.
"God, fine" Izzie huffs at Cristina, annoyed she can't feel what Cristina's teeth might feel like grazing over her skin.
"It's okay, I will give you all the hickeys you want after dinner, Doctor Barbie" she nods at the nickname she's reserved for Izzie.
"Mm, you too, my Cardio Princess," Izzie says to her in a teasing tone as well.
And this flirtation and fun continue for quite a while that afternoon.
Meanwhile,
George and Alex are inundated with George's brothers asking him about cars. And also his dad who is impressed at Alex's knowledge of cars. And also his mother, Louise asking if his friend Alex has been at all well-fed today.
"We have not had lunch yet I guess if you're asking?" George says to her simply, feeling awkward that his mother is meeting his… buddy this way.
"Oh, well come have some soup then. Growing boy you look like your muscles are underfed. Now have some rolls, too" Louise O'Malley fawns over him.
And Alex looks so moved at how nicely George's mom is treating him better than his own mom ever could and much better than any of his previous partners ever would.
George senses this rush of emotion in Alex, so he plays footsie with him under the table as the brothers and his father compete on who has the best hiking story.
Meanwhile,
As Addison and Meredith spy through the window of the Attendings lounge, Meredith can't see anyone but Addison can because she's taller.
She sees a figure so she says that she'll go in to look at who it is.
And it's Miranda Bailey who looks sad and preoccupied for some reason.
Addison pries open the door just so she can slide through and gives Meredith a signal to stay silent, and she walks over to Bailey to put an arm around her gently.
"You can come on in Grey, just this once now, just today. Just shut the door there behind you and click the lock. I know you're standing there" Bailey turns to the door where she can see Meredith's shadow.
Meredith sighs a bit, revealing herself and determines that between her and Cristina, that she would NOT be the one to become a secret agent at all, given that she couldn't even conceal her presence behind an almost-closed door.
"Can you keep a secret, Grey? And I mean even from Yang and your friends" Bailey asks Meredith now, not having to bother to ask Addison.
"I can, I promise you, Bailey," Meredith says with pleading eyes.
"I found out two things today. Two things I wish I didn't have to find out at the same time, today" Bailey says very sadly.
"I'm sorry," Meredith apologizes like she does before Addison can even get a word in edgewise.
"Thanks, Grey," Bailey accepts from her intern. "And thanks, Addison," Bailey says to her even though she has not actually formed the words to her yet, she just knows.
"So the first one is that I found a letter from my husband. And it's a beautiful love note, and I read it and I almost cry…" Bailey says to them softly.
"But?" Addison asks her gently, having an idea of what the devastating thing that Bailey is going to say might be.
"It was my husband's writing, and my husband's signed it. But it wasn't addressed TO me. And it was dated from yesterday" Bailey almost breaks down as she says these words like sharded glass.
"I'm so, sorry," Addison says to her, and Bailey knows that she's apologizing in her own way to the universe for all the pain she has caused by having had an affair.
"But the worst part is the second discovery. This one I made when I went to check my blood levels in case I get high cholesterol" Bailey says.
And Addison knows before Meredith, but she doesn't say it so Bailey can say it.
"What does it mean, Grey, when levels of beta-hCG are elevated, Grey? We learned that this week" she says cryptically to make it seem more like she's using this as a teachable moment.
Meanwhile,
"The patient is, OH MY GOD BAILEY ARE YOU PREGNANT!?" Meredith exclaims with a whisper-yell.
"HUSH!" Bailey says to her and Meredith's eyes fly open as she covers her mouth over with both of her hands.
"You're going to need a better poker face if you want a future in OB-GYN" Addison chuckles at Meredith to lighten the mood.
"I'm s-" Meredith goes to apologize but Bailey shakes her head "don't".
"I asked, Grey. You don't have to apologize, I'm proud of you for knowing that" Bailey hums.
"Thanks," Meredith says to her. "You know, you're going to be a really great mother. You know, both of you would be. I mean not like, together, unless you wanted to be and I get it that's cool I'm fine with that but that's not what I meant, what I meant is that you're both so great to us interns and teaching and raising us and treating us well that I just think that a kid would be really lucky to grow up around you even if they might be a little scared off sometimes because of your look when you're all disappointed when we didn't study hard enough but it's never in a bad like you don't care about us way and-"
Meredith rants for a bit and it reminds Addison of her drunken rambling right before she had fallen asleep.
"Thank you, Meredith," Bailey says to her using her first name to interrupt her train of thought. "You better not call me Miranda, though" she adds quickly and Meredith relaxes at the familiar tone.
Off Bailey's look, Addison mumbles a thank-you as well, while Bailey can tell that she's keeping hard from blushing.
"I still don't know what I'm going to name him. But I know that I will when the time comes" she says.
Meredith wraps a hug around Bailey and tucks her neck into her shoulder. "You really are going to be a great mother," Meredith says coherently now.
(And both Bailey and Addison can tell that Meredith is currently trying hard not to say that 'Bailey, you already are…Bailey, you're the mother figure I never really had from my own mother...')
"Thanks for taking over the party planning. I just couldn't today' Bailey says to break the silence a bit.
"Thanks for letting me see the attending lounge" Meredith smiles a bit cheekily.
"Ha- like you haven't played hide and seek in here before. I almost tripped on your shoulder when you were six years old" Bailey laughs as it's Meredith's turn now to blush hard.
"Sorry I made you almost lose a limb," Meredith says a bit sheepishly.
"It's alright, Grey" Bailey switches back to her last name. "I was an intern then running around as you hooligans do" she laughs.
"They are chasing after things at least, most of the time" Addison adds in Meredith's defense.
"Oh, I doubt that," Bailey says to her with a bit of a glint. "But it's not that I don't miss it all somedays, so I know what you mean" she softens.
"Can I get you anything?" Meredith says in an empathetic tone she remembers from hers and Meredith's first night at the bar together, so she tries not to flash recognition of it in front of her face.
"Well I can't have any alcohol" Bailey laughs with them all.
"I know just the thing," says Addison, who goes to the fridge and whips open a bottle of Diet Doctor Pepper and adds a lime wedge and ice in a glass for it.
"You can pretend it's a rum and coke, you know if hypothetically we would drink in a hospital," Addison says, realizing too late she might not have wanted to say that, that way in front of an intern.
"I know many people who have had drinks in this hospital. It's not like you're 'not telling me' something I don't already know" Meredith deadpans a little too harshly.
Addison gives Bailey a look to say "does she mean Richard or does she mean Ellis Grey?" all the while Meredith is pouring herself and Addison a soda as well.
"I splurged on the curly straws because nothing's fun if it's only straight," Meredith says to them all in mischief.
Meanwhile,
"Oh, lord, we're becoming a sitcom," says Bailey. "What do you like Better? The Gays of Our Lives? Will & Will? Single Lesbians of Seattle?" she offers.
"Well I think the last one is out because we can't discriminate against gay men," Meredith says all inclusively, paying no big deal either way to Bailey's indirect admission of her non-straightness, either.
And Addison winces thinking directly of Derek, but she recovers once Bailey interrupts and says "she already knows all about George and Alex and she's fine with it as long as they don't skip off being surgeons just like anyone else".
Neither of them wants to ask what Bailey is going to tell or not tell her current husband in this predicament, so instead, they just sit there until Meredith remembers she still has to pick up the cake.
"See you later," Bailey says, not wanting to over-exert herself.
"Can you watch George and Alex putting up the decorations when they get here?" Addison says to Bailey.
(She doesn't say because I'm not sure the patient will care if they end up getting them all...messed up if they lose concentration and ditch to start making out with each other instead.)
"Will do. Drive safe" she says to no one in particular as Addison closes the door behind Meredith and Addison both.
"Do you want me to drive to my house or…" Meredith asks because she'd all but assumed Addison wanted her to drive because she might be sneaking drinks in like they'd all 'not talked about earlier' but obviously she hadn't already.
"Well, why would I know the way to your house from here?" Addison quirks up an eyebrow at her.
(This can't be something that triggers a memory can it? She wonders.)
"Oh. Right. I forgot. I mean I guess I could GPS it but…" Meredith trails off, embarrassed.
"You're not like a terrible drivers are you or something?" Addison asks her.
"No, it's just because it's your car" Meredith shrugs noncommittally.
"I have the pass here, for the garage. Because I am NOT parked in a red zone this time" Addison says to her then.
"That's good because even though your hair is red you shouldn't be parked in a red zone," Meredith says to her then winces because that joke made no sense at all.
"Should YOU be driving" Addison pokes fun at her then.
"Oh do not get me started on terrible puns" Meredith laughs alongside her as they walk to the car.
Meanwhile,
Derek is calling in the order for a meal for the order when he wonders whether he should order some for Meredith also. Not as a 'get back together with me' thing. More of a 'sorry I led you on when I was secretly married and never went to get you that night at the bar and for thinking you cheated with Addison that night' kind of thing.
Idly, he wonders if Addison might know what kind of Thai food that Meredith likes, so he texts his not-wife before he calls in the restaurant. He's not sure why this instinct appears in his mind, but it does and Derek is thinking too of other things to care that much about this one.
Before he gets around to phoning in the takeaway, Derek pours himself a glass of single-malt scotch, sitting himself down in his office and thumbing over Mark Sloan's number in his contacts again, knowing that he'll never actually have the courage to ever press the button to call.
Meanwhile,
Izzie and Cristina are testing their willpower. Knowing they can't cross certain lines though they can test out the boundaries of others. Cristina is sucking on Izzie's breasts over her clothes. Izzie is rubbing her hands on the inside of Cristina's knees on the outside of her pants.
They are kissing each other vigorously when the alarm finally sounds and they shut it off with a huff. "Damn!" yells Cristina at nobody. "Damn!" yells Izzie at nobody as they pull each other in for one final searing kiss.
Meanwhile,
Alex has eaten three bowls of soup at the O'Malley household and turned down the beer with a sigh because he has to go back to the hospital with George for the party. They tell the brothers they can maybe hang out sometime before heading back on their way.
"Wanna have a quickie in the car?" Alex asks George.
"THIS IS MEREDITH GREY'S CAR!" George exclaims.
"So do you?" Alex asks.
"We are keeping our pants on, but taking our shirts off" George sets the limits.
"Ten minutes tops," says Alex with a smirk. "I promise you, ten minutes if that" George smiles back.
Meanwhile,
Text Message, 15:44, Location: Seattle
DEREK CHRISTOPHER SHEPHERD TO ADDISON FORBES MONTGOMERY
DEREK
[Hey I was thinking of picking up Thai for Meredith as well just because I feel like I owe her, for you Sorry. And also for accusing you/her of having an affair when you weren't and anyway let me know what she wants when I call. I'll pay for hers. Text me.]
DEREK CRISTOPHER SHEPHERD MARKED ALL OTHER MESSAGES AS 'READ'.
Meanwhile,
When Addison reads this text message from… Derek, she's surprised and a bit jealous that Derek is buying Meredith dinner. But also impressed at such a sweet gesture. Normally the divorcing wife might be mad and think he was trying to win her back. But somehow she knows the run-on sentences are a product of the alcohol he's already consumed and she knows in her heart she's not thinking about a woman - not her nor Meredith, at all while he's intoxicated.
She doesn't want to tell Meredith though, that Derek wants to buy her dinner. Nor that she wants to buy her dinner. But she wants to. So she hides the text while Meredith is driving and asks her "Meredith, what kind of Thai do you think is better? I'm settling a debate with Derek. He's just so into this whole rice bowl thing but I can't get into it" Addison shrugs and bites her lip.
"If you're offering, I'm not going to say no. I haven't had anything good to eat in a while and the pad thai thing you talked about sounded really tasty" Meredith says to her, seeking through Addison like glass when she's not trying that hard to get away with it.
"Oh. Umm." Addison hadn't really expected to be caught in a lie by Meredith Grey, even in an innocuous one so she's stunned now, staring at the blonde up and down as she focuses on the road.
(She is SO flawless, Addison thinks to herself. I mean I know people say that about MY body sometimes but her thin waist; not at all artificial. And her delicate bone structure. She looks like she would melt in my arms but somehow I don't think that's her style and I like that even more…)
Meredith can feel Addison staring at her, ogling up and down her whole figure. But Meredith secretly loves it so she focuses her eyes ahead on the road and only glances at Addison through the overhead mirror when she's sure that Addison is eyeing her breasts or her ass or her waist.
"Order me another of whatever you're having" Meredith tries to sound casual and not like "I want to know everything about you including what makes your taste buds feel alive."
"Oh." is all Addison says to that as she snaps her eyes back to Meredith's face.
Meanwhile,
"Aren't you going to tell him?" Meredith says in a concerned tone and it makes Addison's mind wander everywhere about what she could possibly be talking about.
(Tell him about your insane crush on his ex-mistress/girlfriend/student/protege/whatever?)
(Tell him about how she felt in your arms when she cuddled you to sleep that night?)
(Tell him about the whole party thing? Or about the 'mystery key' person thing?)
(About how Meredith is driving your car now with your keys because you want to- what? Stare at her some more and pretend you don't like that you know where she lives?)
(About how sexy Meredith looks confident at the wheel? About how you kind of want to feel her up on her thigh right now just to see what squeaks she could make and how far you could push before she pulled over and did naughty things to you on the side of the road here?)
(About how you also have other secrets to worry about, much less his secrets and you're freaking out?)
(About how you want to ask for your rings back to take Meredith Grey on a date and let her throw one of the wedding rings off of the ferry boat?)
(About all of the above and then many things more? About your super-secret gift plan that you really should be getting on with because it's getting later in the day?)
(There are just too many things so you're sweating so hard now…)
"Addie?" Meredith questions Addison, looking over while stopped at a stop sign.
"Addie?" She asks again as she tries to provoke an answer.
"ADDISON!" Meredith has to yell a bit louder.
But it doesn't work so instead, Meredith pulls over and puts her hand onto Addison's thigh.
Meanwhile,
"It's okay Addison, it's really okay. You're okay now. You're safe here, you're just having a panic attack I used to get those as well" she coos.
"Whoa!" Addison snaps back into focus. "I'm sorry what did you ask me?" Addison tries to remember.
"You're not like secretly drunk are you?" Meredith asks like she would ask a patient that.
"Oh, no just spaced out um, do you want me to tell ah. Yeah, I'll tell him to order you something for dinner" Addison finally remembers the exchange.
"Here" Meredith offers her credit card, pulling it out from her wallet.
"What?" Addison says in confusion. You just said you didn't mind?" she asks again.
"I didn't mind you ordering me something, I thought it was a good idea because we'll be eating cake and junk at the party which both of us had had all day," Meredith says to her knowingly.
(There she goes again, knowing all about my day. Wow, I kind of like that. Huh. Addison's mind says to her.)
(FOCUS BRAIN! YOU ARE NOT DRUNK REMEMBER!)
"I never said you had to pay for it" Meredith answers softly.
"It's really nice of you" she softens it so Addison doesn't feel rejected.
"You're driving, you're doing me a favor. Actually both of us; it would be rude not to offer when you're picking up OUR dinner" Addison answers.
"We're burning YOUR gas here you know that right?" Meredith says in rebuttal.
"But you're driving. Derek can't drive. And I can't, I mean I could now but. You know I really couldn't" Addison finally admits, surprising herself.
"Just for today, Meredith. Just for today" Addison begs her with her eyes. "We're getting a divorce let us do one thing our way for once. For me!" Addison asks.
Meanwhile,
"You realize you are the estranged wife getting a divorce from her husband after an affair ended your relationship, causing the husband to uproot and meet a mistress/girlfriend who subsequently found out he was married and begged him to take the mistress back and leave his wife despite the wife being… a lot of things…" (Meredith doesn't want to elaborate the 'leggy and fabulous part right now.)
"And then in some weird turn of events the wife people called Satan and the Wicked Beast of the East and the ex-dirty mistress became friends behind the husband's back while he couldn't choose between the two women, later finding them asleep together, accusing them of participating in a second affair which was nor true, and then he wants to make it up to I don't know which of us. So now both the divorcing husband and wife are fighting with the mistress about buying her some dinner?"
"That's your guilt-trip? That you're getting a divorce today partially because of my actions because let's face it - I've slept with him and made friends with you after (she doesn't say 'and I almost slept with you also!). And then now you both want to buy me dinner to make me/you/him/ feel better? Because you actually, really care about me… I mean, this is better than a telenovela I"ll give you that one" Meredith finally ends her rant but with a smile.
"You can buy me dinner if you want. But only if Derek doesn't" Meredith says simply, as if she's chosen who has just won the lottery.
And if there could have been a neon sign to say to Addison "pick me, choose me, love me, because I've clearly made up my mind about who's my prey after this divorce goes through", then that would have been it.
But Addison is so distracted by her win that she furiously texts Derek the order and says to pick pay upon arrival because she wants to get the air miles.
And he agrees because he's a bit tipsy to input a card number.
And Meredith and Addison are then heading to Meredith's place to pick up the cake before they go.
Meredith insists on showing Addison around the house, calling the girls before they go in because "they could be covered in...flower" she says carefully as Addison chuckles knowingly.
"WE'RE HOME!" Meredith announces loudly as she opens the door for Addison and walks into the house.
Meanwhile,
Addison stubs her toe on the doormat walking in as Meredith absently retells the story Addison already knows about her finding her key back that way and vows she should replace the damn doormat. Once she steadies Addison back to her feet again (and they hold a longing embrace...for about ten seconds as Meredith tries to get her heart rate down from holding Addison so close…) Meredith pulls out the two sets of keys and finds her house key easily, swiping the "M" with her thumb and index finger as she turns the tumbler to the door.
The house looks exactly as Addison remembers it, down to the coat rack that is currently unoccupied, the post-its lining the walls (for Meredith's mother, Meredith explains to her), to the potted plant that is STILL not straight at all that's on the counter where Addison remembers leaving it after replanting it that night. She swears she tried to straighten the roots but might have made them go all kinky on her instead, she sighs.
Addison is standing in the kitchen as Meredith is offering a glass of water. Addison says "sure" as she's remembering taking one of those glasses out and filling it with water next to the aspirin bottle that she still spies is in the same place it had been the other day. Addison shoots a quick, longing, look up the stairwell as she remembers carrying Meredith practically to her bedroom that night. And she inhales the intoxicating scent of Cherry and Vanilla from the cake that's been baked.
"Don't touch the cake" Meredith insists. "Izzie will kill us both, or Cristina will. I think Cristina would be more likely to stab another girl in the chest though. You know, not that she would but of all of us. She'd probably want to scrub in on the heart repair too and call it 'cool' she laughs.
"I won't touch the cake. Don't want to risk being at Cristina Yang's bedside, ever" Addison laughs at her own inner comment to herself. (Addison vividly remembers yelling at Cristina that she was 'not at her bedside and probably won't ever be.)
"Who's the WE?" Izzie yells from her room as she tries to throw the correct jacket on for Cristina to wear. They fulfilled their plan, they are not naked at all but they are down to thin tank tops and slightly wrinkled pants right now and they're trying to get it together, fast.
"We're going to be LATE!" Meredith calls to them in a singsong voice without bothering to answer.
"Do you have everything you need for going out tonight?" Cristina yells at Meredith from upstairs.
"SHOOT! I don't, can you pick out something for me to wear?" Meredith shouts at either of them.
"Ah, kinda busy with my own… clothing" Cristina yells down to Meredith as she tries to do up her shirt buttons. (The missing ones were definitely going to be later found in the vacuum later. Meredith is going to want to kill her! Cristina thinks to herself.)
"Alright fine," Meredith says in a huff.
"Addison can you?" Meredith asks her nonchalantly as she puts the cake into the cake-carrier and unpacks the rest of the toppings into a Tupperware.
"Huh?" Addison zones in again.
"Pick me out something to wear to Joe's tonight!" Meredith insists to Addison.
(Was she testing her to see if she already knew where her room was in her house? Addison was freaking out.)
"First door above the stairs. The others will probably have opened doors anyways. Don't look into Izzie's room. I don't know if Cristina and she have clothes on. And whatever set is fine as long as it's a dress" Meredith delivers specific instructions.
Meanwhile,
"COME ON ADDISON I DROVE FOR YOU!" Meredith finally exclaims to her in a huff.
"Oh, on it" Addison tries not to have her heart pound out of her chest as she walks up these stairs for the second time in her life.
She makes her way to Meredith's room, experiencing anxious waves of Deja Vu.
Cristina and Izzie appear at the doorway, closing their door behind them, trying to fix up their hair as they stare a bit open-mouthed at Addison even though from Meredith's yelling they know that she has been here.
"Hey, I'm Meredith asked me to pick her out, is this her room?" Addison purposely points to the wrong one.
"First door above the stairs" Izzie tries to be helpful and adds "thanks Doctor Montgomery" in a way she might, had Addison just handed her a work chart.
"She looks good in Red" Cristina smirks widely at her, winking as she looks at Addison pointing to George's room while actively eyeing Meredith's before Izzie actually 'confirmed it'.
Addison still hasn't lost the battle completely though, because she catches Cristina's collar before she goes to walk down the stairs before saying to Izzie "You both have the wrong white coats on" with a chuckle as the look down and blush simultaneously.
Cristina rolls her eyes at Addison with a glare as Izzie giggles, horrified at her bosses 'discovery' of their antics.
But as Addison whispers in to 'tell Cristina this as well', Cristina pulls Addison into a whisper to tell her that "the dresses are in the chest of drawers on the left. I know you didn't know that because she didn't get undressed that night" and then Cristina releases her again expressing another grateful look at Addison.
"Thank You" Addison mouths at Cristina as Cristina's mouths the same at Addison back.
"Let's GO, Cristina, you have our bag of clothes, right?" Izzie turns, luckily after Cristina is finished being so close to Addison for actual 'business' reasons.
"On the way" Cristina yells down at Izzie, not wanting to call her by a pet name even in front of Addison and Meredith.
Addison smiles as they run off to help Meredith pack up the bags with the cake and the card and the extra treats that Izzie baked.
Meanwhile,
(As Addison thinks to herself...)
(As if someone wouldn't want cherry and vanilla cream cake…)
(Addison's mouth is watering at the thought.)
(Actually Addison's mouth is watering at the thought of what cherry and vanilla stand for in that mind of hers… mmm…)
('Addison if you're going to moan about imaginary cake at least you're not in Meredith's room yet because that would just be all kinds of kinky and wrong' half of Addison's subconscious admonishes the other half.)
('What was I doing?' asks Addison.)
(Looking through Meredith's clothes preferably in a non-creepy way as you subtly try to picture Meredith undressing between each of the outfits and dressing up in another as you try to pick the sexiest one…)
('Right. You don't have all day for that so get it together, Montgomery' says her subconscious.)
('I'm GOING! Stop nagging!' Addison sighs at her own brain again.)
Finally, Addison opens Meredith's drawers one by one to examine all her clothing... Addison does have a thing for fashion!
Meanwhile,
Alex and George have no idea what time it is but they are enjoying making out in the backseat.
Meanwhile,
Cristina teases Meredith for having her platonic girlfriend around to pick out her evening wardrobe.
"I mean for what it's worth, Addison is stylish as heck!" Cristina says unabashedly as Izzie pokes her in the ribs in return.
"She really does dress the best of all the doctors. I mean she's the only woman Attending so I get THAT but still, the way all her clothes flatter her figure it's just such an aspiration" Izzie gushes as Cristina pokes her right back in return.
"Aren't YOU the model?" Cristina jokes at her and Izzie says "I am" to her a bit dreamily.
And Meredith is off in her own little world, imagining what Addison's dresser would look like with all her beautiful clothes and jewelry and makeup.
She imagines it's pristine and that she'd even be the type of person to always use coasters and coat racks and such things that Meredith always finds to be such a hassle.
Meredith is lost in thought so she doesn't even think to negate Cristina's comments while she's thinking about what Addison could be picking out for her. How would she choose? Would her clothes smell like Addison because her hands had been over them? Would her room smell like brown sugar tonight?
(Meredith really hoped it would…)
Meanwhile,
Preston Burke and Richard Webber hang out in Richard's office while the decide what to get John the patient and have absolutely no idea.
Meanwhile,
Bailey checks in on John the patient who offers her some sage advice about her marriage.
Meanwhile,
Derek Cristopher Shepherd unknowingly to himself, semi-drunk dials his childhood best friend, man-crush & confidant, Mark Sloan.
Meanwhile,
Addison finally selects a form-fitted blue dress for Meredith that she thinks will match her eyes. She matches it with a star-shaped necklace from Meredith's jewelry box and a pair of low kitten heels she finds one at a time on top of Meredith's floor.
She bites her lip as she opens the very last drawer and picks out socks for Meredith in case her feet get cold, pajamas and clothes for tomorrow in case they all get paged into work overnight (Addison knows from experience this has happened to her before as an intern, so she's offering this tinge of experience for Meredith to learn from if she hasn't already.)
And finally, she realizes she does have to pick out panties and a bra for Meredith. She stares at the selection as she tries to get her raging libido under control. This is not what she should be doing while planning a surprise party for a patient and while waiting on her impending divorce. Addison had been a cheater but she did not want to be a permanent adulterous whore.
And she didn't want Meredith a dirty mistress anymore. She wanted better than that for her, Addison truly did. And she wanted to tell her everything the moment those papers were mailed in, she swore to herself then that she would. And Addison's heart is beating right out of her chest now as she picks a nude bra with lace over it and a pair of black lace panties for her outfit for the night.
She throws in a few extra pairs just in case (for the hospital though, not for evening wear) and she packs it all in a backpack that she's found somewhere by Meredith's desk. She realizes she looks like she's planning to kidnap the intern as she packs her toothbrush and toothpaste just in case as well. And finally, Addison throws in a Dartmouth hoodie and a raincoat and tights should she get cold.
And when Addison is finally satisfied with her planning and she's finally certain she has all the pieces together, Addison can't help but smile at her careful and delicate work. All the clothes were perfectly folded and packed in an ergonomic way. And she takes three more longing looks before heading downstairs.
One to Meredith's mirror where she sees it matches the picture of Meredith that Cristina had once sent her. She imagines herself in that picture, holding Meredith over her shoulder. Two to Meredith's pictures up on the walls, especially the ones where she is happy. And despite herself at Meredith's bed. Where Addison can't contain her flashbacks of tucking Meredith under those same covers not so long ago.
Meanwhile,
One might think that Addison is currently thinking about Meredith's bed in a dirty way, but she truly isn't.
All she's thinking is that she'd like to tuck her in again at night and brush the wisp of hair off of her face.
Addison thinks then that she'd really like to be the last person to say 'goodnight' to Meredith.
And to be there when she's later awake in the morning.
Curled up against her arms just like that perfect day they once had shared together had been.
Meanwhile,
Addison Montgomery is happy. Because Meredith Grey is waiting for her just downstairs.
And because she thinks the blue dress will make Meredith's eyes sparkle perfectly like the Seattle rain.
The rain which Addison had once hated more than anything, but has since grown to love more than anything.
***** END OF CHAPTER 26
Author's Notes, Part 2:
Thanks all, this chapter was supposed to be shorter but then became its own fluff-fest. Apologies for the delay but I thought you might prefer 8000 words today rather than wait for slightly more than that tomorrow.
But I really enjoyed it and I hope you do too!
Here are the 5 questions I have for you today (but feel free to think of your own for the comments!)
What are your favorite parts of this chapter?
What do you think Meredith and Addison's gift for John will be?
(If you get it SPOT ON, I will gift you a MerAdd one shot in your honor, and you get to pick the prompt!
(For the offer to be valid you have to guess before the next chapter is posted. You have likely 20 hours from the post time of this chapter so get going with those guesses!)
(So happy guessing, readers, can't wait to hear your thoughts... but I bet I have something planned that you never expected!)
** This contest is still without a winner from last time, I delayed the posting of the reveal of what the gift is so people would have a chance to vote. No penalty if you're wrong but a prize if you are right!***
How do you think the divorce will go, and how will it change Addison and Meredith's budding flirtation?
How do you think Meredith will eventually find out the truth about this 'mystery person'? (She will. I will tell you I will not END the story without her knowing. But I won't tell you WHEN it will happen. But she will.)
How do you think this will affect the chances for Mer/Add? How will it change them?
Enjoy the next approximately max 36-48 hours before the next installment. I do update almost daily now, like clockwork. But if I have enough written and I get enough reviews I MAY POST EARLY!
PS: THANK-YOU folks all SO MUCH for the raving reviews of this piece. Every kudos/like/star. Every time this story is followed or favorit-ed or bookmark-ed or subscribed to this story. Every COMMENT - I live for your comments and waking up to them every day is my favorite. I'd LOVE some feedback on this work as we know it. It's not the end of the world though, even if you can't, I understand. :D
Love, bobbiejelly
THANK YOU FOR READING! LEAVE A NOTE, IT WILL MAKE MY DAY :D