Chapter 6: Friends

Meredith was finally home being cared for by Cristina, who like her had accumulated too many hours so she was sent home. Though Izzie was at the house and was also doing better Meredith did not want to bother her so her person would stay. They both lay in bed awake but in silence. Despite her many attempts, Meredith was not able to see Addison before leaving the hospital. The attending had been busy with back to back emergency surgeries. Any attempts to get into the gallery were quickly shot down by Bailey. Meredith had been quite vocal about her annoyance about it therefore Cristina already knew. However as the blonde broke the silence once more she began to talk about the same thing once again.

"I just don't get why I couldn't just be there. I just needed a minute." Meredith said once more, waving her hands about.

"Here we go again." Cristina sighed.

"Why couldn't I see her before leaving?" Meredith asked again, drumming her fingers on her chest.

"Mer she had things to do. Mothers to help, babies to save. She was busy." Cristina repeated what she had already told her before.

"I could've waited." Meredith protested.

"And risk Bailey's wrath?" Cristina joked. "Nah I'm good."

"I just wanted to see her." Meredith said, desperation bleeding onto her tone.

"Ok, Mer. Speak." Cristina said, propping herself up on her elbow, facing Meredith.

"There's nothing to talk about." Meredith replied and turned her face away from Cristina.

"I know there is. I know you. What is happening to you with Satan?" Cristina questioned.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Meredith said, still not looking at her.

"Stop lying to me, Mer. I know something's happening with you and her. You're not very subtle when you're high. And you are painfully honest too." Cristina with a laugh at the end. "Also oblivious and childish. I hate hanging out with high people." She rolled her eyes.

"I… I don't know." Meredith said, still refusing to turn.

"Listen here, you." Cristina said, forcing her to face her. "If I have to endure your complaining about the same thing over and over I want to know what's what. So speak!"

Meredith was quiet for a few minutes as Cristina huffed annoyed. Taking a few deep breaths she centered herself and began to speak.

"Remember when you told me we don't choose who we love?" Meredith asked.

"Meredith." Cristina breathed out. "You really are into her aren't you?"

"How pathetic am I?" Meredith chuckled bitterly. "I've been falling for my boyfriend's ex-wife."

"Mer. We are way too complicated, aren't we?" Cristina said softening a bit.

"Complicated is an understatement. What the hell am I supposed to do?" Meredith asked as tears pricked her eyes.

"I don't know. But now it's not just a triangle, is it? You've got McVet, McDreamy, and McHot." Cristina listed the suitors.

"No McVet. My high self sent him away. As you said she's too honest." Meredith said her palm covering her face.

"Wait." Cristina chuckled a bit. "What did high Meredith do?" She asked excitingly.

"High Meredith told Finn that she was in love with Addison a bit more than she was with Derek." Meredith replied embarrassed. "And when he asked if I was in love with him she told him that she had tried but she could not."

"I think high Meredith is more decisive than normal Meredith or even drunk Meredith." Cristina said with a chuckle.

"I hurt him." Meredith said softly.

"Necessary evil, Mer. Someone will always get hurt." Cristina shrugged.

"Guess you're right." Meredith sighed.

"Of course I'm right. Now… back to the triangle. What are you going to do?" Cristina asked.

"I don't know. Derek knows I took care of her the other night and..." Meredith replied.

"Hold up. What do you mean took care of her?" Cristina interrupted.

"Nothing." Meredith replied quickly.

"No. Now you gotta talk or I'll beat it out of you." Cristina threatened as she grew even more interested in this new detail.

"Fine. She was drunk, very drunk, so I took her to her hotel and took care of her." Meredith said cryptically.

"You 'took care of her'?" Cristina began making air quotations. "What did that consist of?"

"I got her to her room and put her to bed. That's it." Meredith replied.

"You are lying." Cristina chuckled knowingly.

The brunette was about to keep questioning her when Izzie burst into the room with two plates of food. Meredith was oh so thankful for her blonde motherly friend.

"I brought you guys dinner." Izzie said, sounding a bit chipper than she had been. Meredith was glad she had been trying to get past all the Denny stuff.

"Thank you." Meredith said softly with a relieved smile.

"This isn't the end of it." Cristina whispered to her. "Thanks Iz! You gonna eat with us?" She said a bit louder.

"Yeah, let me bring my plate." Izzie said as she left them alone again.

"Talk." Cristina demanded.

"Nothing to talk about. Eat." Meredith said as she dug into the plate of pasta in front of her.

"C'mon Mer. Tell me." Cristina whined.

"No. Now eat." Meredith said a bit more firmly.

"You'll tell me sooner or later ." Cristina shrugged.

"Mer! One of your suitors is here." Izzie called as they heard steps coming towards the room. Meredith perked up at this but Cristina brought her down from her cloud.

"Izzie doesn't know about Satan so it's not her." Cristina said softly.

Meredith let out a soft groan and her person began to giggle. She looked away from Cristina rolling her eyes and took a shuddering breath as she saw Derek looking at her from the threshold.

"Looks like I won." Derek said with his McDreamy smile.

"Won?" Cristina asked with a skeptical tone.

"No Vet in sight. So I'm guessing it's me and you now." Derek said, keeping his gaze on Meredith who forced a smile that was not quite reaching her eyes.

"Right." Cristina chuckled, earning herself a glare from Meredith.

"What made you come to see me?" Meredith asked but she knew.

She knew not what but who had made this happen. The thought of it tore her apart but she kept on her brave face and fake obliviousness.

"Addison explained about her being drunk. Thank you for taking care of her for me." Derek said with a grin.

"I didn't…" 'do it for you' Meredith began but stopped herself before she said something that would send him into a rage. "I didn't think you'd understand." She covered quickly.

"Oh I do. Addison helped me understand." Derek said with his McDreamy smile.

"Ok. Good." Meredith replied.

"So do you want some company? I could stay the night." Derek said walking into the room sitting by her on the bed. Meredith smiled at him but quickly looked at Cristina asking for help with her eyes.

"Sorry. McDreamy but I was enlisted to take care of her by Bailey and I will do it." Cristina said with a sweet smile. One of those that could scare a grown man with the amount of uncertainty that it could emit.

"Bailey isn't here. She doesn't need to know. Right Meredith?" Derek countered.

"I'm sorry Derek, maybe I wasn't clear. She may have asked me but I said I would even before she did. So… I'll take care of my person. You can leave." Cristina said pointing at the door.

"Meredith?" Derek insisted.

"I…" Meredith began unsure of what to say.

"Don't guilt trip her. She wants me here, not you." Cristina interjected.

"Derek, I just need a few days. I just… I broke it off with Finn…" Meredith said to try and assuage him. "I just… I need… umm…"

"She needs rest and to be away from all of you so she can heal." Cristina added for her.

"But…" Derek began.

"God… could you be any more stubborn. She just told you Finn is out of the race. So no one will take advantage over you for not being with her 24/7." Cristina interrupted him exasperated.

"Fine." He bit back a bit tight-lipped.

"Fine. Now go so we can eat." Cristina said motioning to the door. He got up and started to walk away when he turned to Meredith once more.

"I love you." He told her leaning in and kissing her roughly with bruising force.

"Dude." Cristina protested and he backed away from a now gasping Meredith.

"Bye Cristina." He said winking at the brunette.

"Yeah uh-huh." Cristina said waving her hand towards the door.

They heard him say goodbye to Izzie and George who had just arrived from the hospital. George and Izzie walked in with their own plates and sat at the foot of the bed. Cristina noticed the way Meredith had grown suddenly silent and still.

"Are you ok?" Cristina asked snapping Meredith away from her thoughts.

"Yeah." Meredith said softly. "That hurt."

"What hurt?" George asked, tilting his head.

"The kiss?" Cristina guessed and Meredith nodded. "It's probably desperation."

"Probably. But he won't like what happens next." Meredith replied.

"What do you mean?" Izzie asked.

"I didn't feel anything with that kiss." Meredith said as she played around with her pasta.

"You're not in love with McDreamy anymore?" George half asked, half exclaimed.

"Don't look so excited over there George." Cristina smirked.

"I'm not." George responded.

"George." Izzie said.

"I'm not. I'm over her." George defended.

"Good then you won't be affected by… ouch." Meredith elbowed Cristina before she could finish her sentence.

"Be quiet. Can we eat now? Also George, good job." Meredith added pointing at her stomach.

"Not 007 anymore." He smiled.

"That won't go away just cuz you fixed her appendix." Cristina joked.

"He's 'Heart in the Elevator Guy' now." Izzie countered winking at George.

"Where's Alex?" Cristina asked.

"Probably writhing. Satan sent him to the pit and the patient he happened to be working on was a gynie patient." George laughed and soon Izzie and Cristina joined in.

"Some people might consider the vagina squad a blessing." Cristina chuckled.

"I don't think Alex sees it that way." Meredith said, throwing her a stern look to which Cristina shrugged.

"Wonder if he'll enjoy working with McSteamy." Izzie said.

"The way Sloan is. How much you wanna bet Alex is gonna be fetching coffee?" George laughed.

"He'll be begging for gynie, watch." Cristina said and laughed as well.

The group of four kept joking and making small talk as they ate. It was nice being home with her friends though they were missing Alex. Joking and chatting and just resting made Meredith feel better. Her head clearing a bit from all the turmoil of being somewhat involved with two different people. She knew she would have to think about her decision. She knew she had to figure out what to do and very soon in order to avoid hurting people too badly. Thankfully Finn was out of the picture but now Addison was really in the mix of it all.

Addison leaned against her car with the blonde's shirt folded gently against her chest. She felt like an idiot holding onto something like that which was actually not hers. Yet she held onto the fabric lost in thought. She was in fact so lost in her head that she failed to notice someone walking up to her and leaned against her car next to her.

"You sure you don't want that drink?" Addison jumped off the car as she heard Mark's voice close to her ears.

"Motherf- Mark! What the hell?!" Addison exclaimed as her heart raced.

"Oh sorry." Mark chuckled. "Where were you Red?"

"It doesn't matter." She said calming down and leaning back on the car.

"It matters. You just jumped. You don't do that unless you're flustered or thinking about you know." He said, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"Shut up." Addison replied with a heavy sigh.

"Oh hit it right in the money, didn't I?" Mark smiled.

"No you didn't." Addison protested.

"You know I could help you with that 'you know' right?" Mark suggested gently nudging her with his shoulder.

"That would be counterproductive." Addison chuckled a bit.

"How so?" Mark asked, squinting his eyes a bit.

"Mark I left you. It would be counterproductive for me to go back when I know how you are." Addison explained.

"But I love you." Mark said with puppy eyes.

"Yeah and I love you too but I'm not in love with you and neither are you." Addison said gently bundling him this time.

"You're a really good sex partner." Mark said, trying to use a serious tone.

"Mark!" Addison said as she lightly punched his arm.

"You really think I'm not in love with you?" Mark asked. "I should know if I am shouldn't I?"

"I think you like the idea because I've always been there. We've been close for a very long time. I know you even thought to ask me out but Derek beat you to it. You liked the idea of being with me because you could settle a score like that. Because I was Derek's and in some twisted way you wanted to win over him." Addison said in a sad tone.

"Red you weren't a trophy to pass around." Mark said.

"A trophy huh? If my mother heard that she'd be proud." Addison said with a sad smile.

"Let's leave Bizzy in Connecticut. Anyway I enjoy your company more than any other human being. I consider you my best friend." Mark said wrapping an arm across her shoulders and pulling her closer.

"I think you are my best friend too." Addison said, leaning into him.

"So… friends with benefits?" Mark said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Mark." Addison said slapping him lightly on the chest earning a hearty chuckle from him.

"Red…" Mark said after a while.

"What?" Addison replied.

"Let's go for that drink. We deserve it." He said.

"Fine. But Mark, no sex." Addison said looking up at him.

"I wasn't even thinking about it." Mark said with mischief in his eyes.

"Mark, no." She said chuckling at the face he was making.

"I'll say yes but I can't promise our drunk selves will behave." Mark said as he pulled her along towards the bar in front of the hospital.

"Wait I need to put this in the car." Addison said stopping and turning back to her car.

"Why are you walking around with clothes?" Mark asked, looking at her.

"Mind your business." Addison said as she placed the shirt on the back seat.

"Defensive much? Anyway let's go! I heard the wings in there are good too." Mark said grabbing her arm and leading her away to a night of chicken wings and drinks.

"Dammit Mark." Addison lightly cursed as she laid naked on her hotel bed the next morning.

"I'm sorry, Red." He replied equally naked.

"It's not your fault." She said as she stared into nothing on the ceiling.

"For what it's worth I think we did good." Mark said with a chuckle.

"Oh shut up." She said chucking a pillow at him.

"Now we're really friends with benefits." He smirked at her and she smirked back sarcastically.

"I will hurt you."

And then there were 6! I want you guys to know that as I start my full time job things may get pushed back. The updating and such. Please don't hate me. I'll try my best to keep the schedule but there's only so much I can pull off. Anyway hope you enjoyed this one. Let me know your thoughts. Until next time. ;)