Falling Apart, Barely Breathing
In Which Addison meets Meredith in a bar. Things spiral from there.
Chapter 55: Plans
Archer Montgomery is full of jokes when Addison and Meredith walk into his room to check up on him.
"Well, if it isn't the two sapphic secrets," Archer guffaws at his sister, and Addison rolls her eyes at him playfully.
"How are you feeling?" Addison asks, changing the subject.
"Not bad for a man whose brain almost got completely consumed by worms," Archer smiles.
"You're lucky you caught it when you did, there could have been eight of them there if you'd waited for all you know, and that surgery would have been much riskier," says Meredith.
"True," says Derek Shepherd, materializing for his morning check-up.
"Alright, do you see the light?" Derek asks, as he flicks his penlight.
"I SEEEEEE THE LIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT," Archer exaggerates, and Derek declares that his vision is fully recovered.
"Oh Archer, I'm so glad," says Addison, hugging him.
"Thanks, sis," says Archer. "I feel much better without the worm in the brain," he says.
"I bet," says Addison.
"You know, you'll have to stop by New York sometime. Show Meredith around if she's never seen it. You can crash at my place if you want," Archer offers.
"That sounds cool," says Addison. "Although we might want to have our own space," Addison laughs.
"Riiiiiiiight," says Archer.
"Because you always bring home girls, brother," says Addison.
"Ha, and you're one to speak!" Says Archer.
"Hey, I only have one girl. She's my girlfriend," says Addison, and Meredith swoons at her.
"I haven't been to New York in years, I've only been there with my mother for medical conferences, and we didn't really see the city," says Meredith.
"Would you like to go then?" Addison asks her.
"That would be so cool," says Meredith.
"We'll have to plan a vacation!" Addison smiles.
"How's the bro doing?" Mark Sloan barges in, curious.
"Doing fabulous, Mark," says Archer. "And these two are coming with me to the big apple!" Archer says excitedly.
"With you?" Mark asks.
"He gave us the idea to come to New York on vacation, but we're probably gonna book a hotel room," says Addison.
"Nonsense, you still have property there don't you," says Mark.
"Oh right, I almost forgot that," Addison laughs. "We have a Brownstone, and also the Hampton's," says Addison.
"You forgot that you have two houses!?" Meredith laughs.
"It happens," says Addison.
"Only to fancy people," Meredith teases.
"Hey maybe Mark you could come back to New York," Archer suggests.
"Nah man, I got a nice life here but I'd love to come visit sometime," says Mark.
"Yeah, bring Derek we can all have a party," says Archer.
"Hey, I'd be bringing him," Derek laughs.
"You could stay at my place," says Archer.
"He could stay in one of our old houses," Addison offers. "Meredith and I don't need both at once," she suggests.
"That's sweet of you Addison," says Derek.
"No problem," says Addison, giving her ex-husband a sympathetic look when she sees him pining after Mark.
"So when do we head out on vacation?" Meredith asks them.
"How about in a few weeks, we can book some time together," says Addison.
"Sounds good," says Meredith.
"And it'll be right on time for our next milestone," Meredith whispers into Addison's ear.
News of Meredith and Addison (and Mark and Derek)'s vacations spreads throughout the hospital at a breakneck speed, and soon enough the Chief is stopping them in the hallways.
"Are you trying to start a revolution? Everyone is asking for time off all at once all of a sudden," Richard Webber says, which scares Meredith a little, but Addison notices that he's still chuckling.
"Yep, off to form a coup right now," Addison teases back, comfortable with her former mentor.
"I'm happy for you, enjoy your trip. Work hard until then, and work hard when you get back," says Richard, as he heads off to his own surgeries.
"I still can't believe that Richard Webber is cool with me dating you, Sugar," says Addison.
"Why, Spice?" Meredith asks her.
"Well, he's very protective of you," says Addison.
"He is, he's like my family," says Meredith. "He likes you though, because you're so sweet to me. And I like you to bits," says Meredith.
Meredith and Addison spend their work break together, researching different sights and shows that they want to see in New York City.
"We've got to see Hamilton!" Addison insists.
"Okay, we'd better book tickets then," says Meredith, as they manage to snag some of the last available ones.
"The food is great there. The portions are massive though, watch out," says Addison.
"Guess we'll just have to share, huh," says Meredith in a singsong voice.
"I guess so," says Addison.
Meredith smiles, as she sits up in Addison's lap as they continue to spin in the rotating chair.
She cherishes Addison's warmth, and that they get to hang out a little on break.
Addison is clearly getting excited though, because she leans down and starts nibbling on Meredith's shoulder.
"Mm, Spice," Meredith whimpers quietly, as Addison starts kissing her way up Meredith's neck.
"That's nice," Meredith whispers, as Addison brushes Meredith's hair aside, and kisses the spot behind Meredith's ear.
Meredith groans a little bit, as Addison swirls her tongue around the spot and bites it, suckling harder until she gets a response from her girlfriend.
"Do you like that?" Addison whispers, as she moves to nibble Meredith's earlobe.
"Yeah," says Meredith. "I like that a lot," she says, as Addison plans a trail of open-mouthed kisses around her neck to the other ear.
"You're being so good for me," Addison coos, as she kisses up Meredith's jaw, and brushes her hair away with her hand.
Meredith shivers, and then she turns around quickly in Addison's lap, her demeanor changing as she straddles her girlfriend.
"Mm, and are you gonna be my good girl, Spice?" Meredith smirks, not to be topped completely by the redhead.
"Yes, Sugar," says Addison, still smirking because she'd gotten exactly what she wanted; to provoque the blonde so that she'd take charge again.
"You're trying to rile me up, aren't you?" Meredith guesses correctly.
"Yes, Sugar," Addison concedes easily. "I want you to kiss me, and make me yours," says Addison.
"Mm, you're already mine, aren't you, Spice," says Meredith.
"Yes, kiss me please," Addison begs.
"Alrighty," says Meredith, as she leans down to pull Addison in for a kiss.
Addison grapes Meredith's hair, and tugs lightly until Meredith coaxes her lips open, and slides her tongue in to caress her mouth.
Addison moans and leans back in the chair, enjoying the sensations of Meredith teasing her.
Meredith nibbles and bites down Addison's neck, as Addison's hands wander all down Meredith's back, her nails tracing lines on Meredith's muscles over her shirt, and her head thrown back in pure delight.
"I'm going to have so much fun with you in New York," says Meredith, as she nibbles Addison's earlobe.
"Yes please," says Addison, as she tries to buck her hips into her girlfriend.
"I'll have all my time with you, alone, in a hotel," Meredith smirks, as she moves her hands down to Addison's shoulders.
They make out like that for ten minutes, teasing and tasting each other until inevitably Meredith has to go back to work.
"More of that later, Spice," says Meredith.
"I'll hold you to that," says Addison.
During the few weeks before Meredith and Addison's trip to New York, the interns plus Addison throw a party at Meredith's house and invite practically everyone.
Izzie, Alex, Cristina, George, Mark, Derek, Callie, and Bailey all show up, and Burke and Richard Webber are both working.
"Hello, welcome welcome," says Meredith as she sounds a toy party favor.
"Thank you," say the crowd as they all pile in.
Addison turns on the music, and everyone dances and loosens up while Cristina tries her hand at bartending.
"See you're awesome at this," says Izzie.
"I bet I could do this while dancing on a table," says Cristina.
"Careful," says Izzie as Cristina starts dancing on top of it. True to her word she can pour drinks on the table, and she does so as the crowd cheers until Izzie insists she come down again.
"Am I gonna get a private showing later?" Izzie asks Cristina.
"We could see about that," says Cristina as she winks at her girlfriend.
Izzie brings out a game that she's made of "pin the body part onto the person," a version of pin the tail on the donkey she's made, only the doctors have to put the anatomy on the blank person on the wall in the correct place while blindfolded.
Everyone is assigned a piece that goes along with their surgical specialties or a surgical type they enjoy, and they all take turns trying to pin them.
"Score," says Cristina as she inevitably wins.
"Hey the heart is too easy because it's at chest level," says Alex.
"Don't complain Addison because you got the fallopian tube and there's two of them!"
The next set of games gets juicier because they're tired from all the jumping around and want a more sitting down type game.
"I know let's play hot seat," suggests Callie. "It's where everyone has to answer embarrassing questions for two minutes," she explains.
"Well that sounds hilarious but I gotta go, I have to pick up my kid at ten," says Bailey.
"Awe," says Callie. You'll have to play next time."
Bailey heads out, and everyone else piles together in a circle.
"Who goes first?" Derek asks.
"Pick me!" Says Mark. "I've got nothing to hide," he insists.
"Alright, Mark…" Says Callie.
"What do you miss the most from New York?" Alex asks him.
"Definitely the pasta," says Mark. "There was this epic restaurant…" He rambles on.
"Ooh, tell me. Addison, we gotta go there," says Meredith.
"I could show you, Grey," says Mark, reminding her that they're coming too.
"Yeah, we could show you," Derek chimes in, and Mark agrees to this.
"Awesome," says Mark.
"Pick someone!" Callie says.
"How about you, Callie," says Mark.
"Bring it on," says Callie.
"Have you ever been in a fistfight?" Izzie asks her.
"Not on purpose, but I could hold my own," Callie laughs. "Once I had to defend a friend from someone trying to mug them," she explains.
"Oof, I'd be intimidated by you in a fistfight, but I grew up in a trailer park so mauve I could take you…" Izzie muses.
"Let's hope we never have to find out!" Callie laughs.
"Who do you want to ask a question to?" Cristina asks her.
"Ooh, how about Derek," says Callie.
"Yeah?" Derek asks her.
"Where would you move, if you had to move to another city?" Callie asks him.
"Well, I thought I'd hate Seattle. But I like ferry-boats. So now I don't think I'd ever move unless like, the President of the United States asked me to," Derek shrugs.
"Dream on, McDreamy," Addison teases.
"Ask someone something!" Meredith insists.
"Alright," says Derek. "Geroge, what is your biggest fear?" Derek asks him.
"Probably going to war," says George.
"Understandable," says Alex protectively.
"Hmm, Addison, beach or forest?" George asks her.
"Well, I had a lot of forests trying to live in the trailer, so probably the beach," Addison laughs.
"Cristina, do you have any nonproductive hobbies?" Addison asks her.
"No," says Cristina.
"But she doesn't clean, so she takes forever to find stuff," says Izzie.
"Izzie!" Cristina exclaims.
"What it's true," says Izzie.
"Fine," says Cristina.
"Alex, do you want to have babies?" Cristina asks him.
"Maybe," Alex considers, "I'd want them to have a good home life though," he adds. "And I'd want them to have two parents," he adds.
"Izzie, if you could live out the plot of a movie, which one would you pick," says Alex.
"Easy, The Wizard Of Oz," says Izzie.
"Why?" Alex asks her.
"Because there's no place like Kansas," says Izzie.
"I thought it was there's no place like home," says Meredith.
"And home for her is Kansas," Addison whispers.
"Meredith, what do you think would be the worst way to die?" Izzie asks a little bit morbidly.
"Hmm… Anywhere without Addison at my side, as long as she wasn't dying also," says Meredith. "But seriously, dying while exploding with a bomb, drowning, in a fire, in a plane crash… Those would all be terrible ways to die," says Meredith.
"Let's just hope none of that ever happens," says Addison.
"Absolutely," says Meredith.
"Cheers, everyone," says Cristina.
"Cheers!" says Izzie.
"I'm so happy that I'm making plans with you, Spice," says Meredith to Addison later.
"I'm so happy to be making plans with you too, Sugar," Addison says.
And they all celebrate a fabulous evening together.
***** END OF CHAPTER 55