Help is Around the Corner
Addison and Derek's trailer catches fire, and Meredith offers them a place to stay for a while.
True to her word, Addison pages the others when dinner is ready.
Instinctively, the interns and the residents, and even Derek come quickly.
"This looks delicious," says Derek.
"Thanks, Addison and Meredith helped make it," says Izzie.
"I only chopped the onions…" says Meredith a bit grumpily.
"And the garlic," Izzie says in a perky tone.
"I obliterated the garlic," Meredith deadpans.
"It was chopped," Addison volunteers. "Here, come eat," she motions everyone to join them at the table.
Izzie sits next to Addison, and it makes Meredith frown. Cristina smirks at Izzie, who looks up and then purposefully ignores looking at her so she doesn't laugh.
Derek is oblivious.
And Alex and Geoge focus on talking to Callie so they don't have to focus on the drama unfolding.
"Maybe I should bring a chair next time," Callie laughs as she walks up to the full table.
"Oh no it's okay it's okay," says Meredith, as she nearly falls over trying to climb onto Addison's lap.
Addison chuckles, and pulls Meredith onto her, and then she pats the chair beside her to let Callie sit.
"Okay then," says Callie, shrugging as she takes her place at the table.
Meredith relaxes as she feels Addison's breath on her neck, and her arms around her waist.
Addison serves a plate for Meredith from the dishes in the middle of the table, and then she serves a plate for herself.
Meredith thanks her, and nuzzles back into her neck before she starts eating.
"It's good!" says Meredith as she takes a bite.
"Glad you like it," Addison smiles.
"It is good, thanks, Addison for helping," says Izzie.
Meredith full-on glares at her sideways, until Izzie adds "oh, you too. Thanks for helping Mer. With the onions and garlic…"
Meredith keeps glaring at her, and Izzie pretends to not know the real reason why Meredith is glaring at her.
Meanwhile, Izzie finally fully understands Cristina's hypothesis, because based on the way that Meredith is acting, she is definitely jealous.
"So, I heard Callie you taught Addison how to make chicken piccata, is that right?" says Izzie.
"Yeah," says Callie. "She's a natural," she says.
"We could make it sometime," says Izzie.
"Sure," says Callie.
"Sure," says Addison.
"Does it require onions?" says Meredith.
"Umm… A few… Why?" says Callie.
"Because my cooking skills stop at onions," says Meredith. "The garlic is still a work in progress," she groans.
"Umm, yeah there are a few onions in the recipe," Callie says suspiciously, as she eyes everyone at the table, and tries to figure out why the vibe is a bit weird.
"Well, today, I did a craniectomy on a seventy-year old," says Derek, switching the topic back to... Himself…
"It was really cool," says George. "We drilled burr holes into his skull," says George.
"Yes, Dr. O'Malley assisted," says Derek.
"How's he doing now?" says Alex.
"Doing well," says Derek.
"Well, today Cristina and Meredith helped me deliver a preemie," says Addison, never forgetting to compliment her residents.
"Yes, it was a very interesting case," says Cristina. "Thanks for letting us join you."
Meredith preens at Addison's praise, and she feels little breaths on the sensitive skin on the back of her neck from Addison. It makes her very happy.
"Yes, thank you, Addison," Meredith turns around and smiles (googly-eyed, as always), at Addison, who smiles back at her.
They stay like that for just a second longer than they need to, before Meredith remembers her dinner, and turns around again.
"Wow, that sounds like such an interesting case, do you think I could join you for your next one, Dr. Montgomery?" says Izzie, in character, but also in genuine interest.
"Sure," says Addison. "I mean, if Bailey says it's okay," says Addison.
"Thanks, I'm very interested in that area of medicine," says Izzie.
"Great," says Addison. "As I said, I have a lot to teach," she smiles.
Meredith starts eating slower, because Addison isn't finished, and she doesn't want a reason to stop sitting on her lap during dinner.
She can't explain it, she just loves being in Addison's presence, and if she's rearranging her life to do more of it, it's not a bad thing.
Derek seems to be taking it fine, given he has less work to do with giving Addison attention, and he doesn't suspect a thing when it comes to Meredith growing attached to Addison.
He's glad they formed an unlikely friendship.
Doc starts to bark, and Alex keeps trying to train it not to beg at the table,
Izzie pretends she listens to Alex, but she always feeds Doc a little bit.
And then Doc starts barking at Meredith, so Meredith pulls him up into her lap until he calms down.
"Dude, that dog is never going to sit on the floor if you let him in your lap during dinner," says Alex.
"He's so happy though," says Meredith.
"He's a little cutie," says Addison, as she pets Doc as well.
Their hands brush, and more often than not Addison's hand ends up caressing Meredith's, and vice-versa, but Addison doesn't seem to mind, and Meredith definitely doesn't mind.
She enjoys the almost hand-holding as they finish their dinner, even under Alex's disapproving grunts.
Cristina smiles at Izzie when Izzie signals to her that Meredith and Addison are clearly bonding.
"Does anybody want dessert?" says George. "We have popsicles."
"Ooh!" says Izzie. "I'll go get them."
Izzie hops up to get a box of popsicles, and deliberately offers the first choice to Addison, who takes a red one, and Meredith narrows her eyes at Izzie, and then takes a blue one.
Once everyone has been served, Meredith and Addison have already unwrapped their popsicles and have started eating them.
Meredith feels herself growing hot from hearing Addison slurp on her popsicle right next to her ear, and she tries to be subtle about the way she turns around and looks at Addison, her pupils blown now, totally entranced before she faces forward again, abruptly.
Addison continues to eat her popsicle and make conversation, until she gets to the changing color and flavor center of the popsicle, and really enjoys the flavor.
"Mm, that's good, it's lemon in the middle," Addison moans, as she keeps eating it.
Derek laughs, and mentions something about Addison really like lemon candies or something, as he eats his own dessert.
But Meredith isn't listening, she's just leaning into Addison as she licks her popsicle, tucks on it, and twirls her tongue around it. And the absurd thought pops into her brain that she wishes it was Addison wrapping her lips around her own lips instead of the popsicle.
Meredith's breath catches as soon as she thinks it, and she desperately tries to un-think it as she concentrates on her popsicle, and starts crunching it, trying to tune out the delightful noises coming from Addison's mouth next to her, which are driving her completely insane.
***** END OF CHAPTER 5