Help is Around the Corner
Addison and Derek's trailer catches fire, and Meredith offers them a place to stay for a while.
The score is tied 20-20 about an hour later, with Meredith still on Addison's lap (very happily), and Izzie progressively moving her chair closer and closer to Addison and Meredith's (less happily, for Meredith, at least).
By the end of it, the three of them are practically a sandwich with Derek on the other side of the table with his eyebrows raised, and George complaining that they're so close they can see the prompt words.
"We're not cheating!" says Meredith.
"Yeah, I'm not a cheater!" says Addison.
"Me neither!" says Izzie.
Derek chokes and snickers, and Addison rolls her eyes at him.
"It's a game, Derek. And we're not cheating," says Addison.
"We're on the same team, Derek," Meredith groans
"Well, you're not acting like it," says Alex.
"Can we please play the last round," says George.
"Yeah, let's do that," says Callie.
This time it's Addison's turn, and they hand her the prompt, and make Meredith look away so she can't see it.
Addison holds up the notebook so Meredith can see it without leaving her lap, and she begins drawing.
She draws a picture of the sun, so everyone guesses 'sun,' until she draws a plus sign, and then a flower next to it.
"Sunflower!" Meredith yells.
"Yes!" says Addison.
"Yay!" says Meredith, hugging Addison, and Addison hugs her back.
"Come on, that was an easy one…" George grumbles.
"Hey, losers weepers," says Izzie. "Nice drawing, Addison," she adds sweetly.
"It's our turn now!" says Callie, interrupting the… Situation… That's going on, on the other side of the table.
"Okay!" says Cristina.
It's her turn to draw, and Cristina digs out one of the sheets. "Oh come on," Cristina frowns at the piece of paper.
"Alright…" says Cristina, as she starts drawing. She furiously scribbles, but it's unintelligible, even as she points to it furiously.
"Time!" says Izzie, while Alex and George and Callie squint to try to figure it out.
"What even is that!?" says Callie.
"We could steal," says Derek.
"We have to know what it is to steal," says Izzie.
"I've got nothing…" says Addison.
"Umm…" Meredith tries.
"You're her person, you could guess via telepathy or something," suggests Derek.
"Is it a pineapple?" says Meredith.
"Nope, it's a cantaloupe," says Cristina.
"Seriously!?" says Izzie.
"Yup," says Cristina.
"That's not even a circle," says Alex.
"Plus it's a melon," says George. "If you cut it from the sides…"
"Look, we lost okay," says Cristina.
"Yup," says Callie.
"We won!" says Derek.
"We did!" says Addison.
"Thanks, everyone, thanks Addison," says Izzie.
"Yes, thanks Addison!" says Meredith.
"Hey!" says Derek.
"Thanks Derek…" Addison and Meredith and Izzie nod at him.
"Whew, that was intense," says George.
"Yeah," says Alex.
"You're lucky you can draw. I would never have guessed 'bus,' until the very last second," says Callie.
"Yup, O'Malley's a hero, 007 all the way," says Cristina.
"Do we win anything?" says Meredith.
"Buy us drinks next time at Joe's?" suggests Izzie.
"Alright…" says Alex.
"Fine," says George.
"Yay!" says Meredith.
"Fine," says Cristina.
"Alright, well I'm getting kinda tired," Addison yawns.
"Ooh me too!" Meredith says excitedly.
"You sound pretty awake for someone who's tired," says Callie.
"I'm really tired…" says Meredith, opening her mouth super wide until she yawns on purpose.
"Okay then, anyone else up for another game?" says George.
"Actually, I'm working the night shift tonight," says Derek. "I'll be back later," he says, as he picks up his keys.
"Me too, could I get a ride?" says George.
"Sure, come on," says Derek.
"Look at us, all happily coexisting," says Alex.
"Yay!" says Izzie.
"Woof!" says Doc, who is currently pawing at Addison's foot.
"Awe, Doc," says Addison, as she lifts him up into her and Meredith's arms.
Doc whimpers, and then settles on Meredith's lap tiredly.
"I think we better get this one to bed," says Meredith.
"Let's," says Addison.
"Do you need any help?" says Izzie. "With Doc, I mean," says Izzie.
"No we're good," says Meredith crisply.
"Goodnight everyone," says Addison, as she helps Meredith lift Doc up the stairs.
"Yes Doc, I know it's late, let's get you settled," says Meredith, as she places him on the bed.
Doc wags his tail, and spins around, and then settles right into the middle of the bed.
"Oh, come on, Doc, you're tiny. At least choose a corner," Addison groans, and tries to move him.
Doc keeps moving to the middle, and Meredith says "oh, let's just let him until we're ready for bed too."
So they wait, and they swap places expertly, with Meredith brushing her teeth first, and then switching with Addison while she gets her pajamas on. It's a good routine, and it's soothing.
Addison looks cute in pajamas, Meredith notes. Okay, so she's noticed before, but now she's noticing it again.
Once they're ready for bed, Doc is still right in the middle of the bed defending his territory.
"Okay, now move over," says Meredith, as she sets him aside so she can crawl into bed.
Addison chuckles, as Doc sits in the middle of the bed again, until she crawls in, too.
Doc makes a satisfied humming noise once both Meredith and Addison are in bed, and he proceeds to burrow until he's the center of the 'nest.'
"Doc! Leave us some room!" Meredith groans, but Doc has fallen asleep, and will not budge.
"Are you going to go to sleep right now?" asks Meredith.
"In a bit," says Addison. "This is relaxing."
"It is," says Meredith. "We can just stay awake and talk," offers Meredith hopefully.
"Yeah," says Addison.
"I had a lot of fun in that game," says Meredith.
"Yeah, me too," says Addison.
Meredith tries to shift closer to Addison, effectively squishing Doc a bit, who manages quite fine.
Addison takes the hint, and wraps her arms around both Meredith, and therefore also Doc.
Meredith sighs, and wraps her arms around Addison's arms.
"You must all have so much fun in this house all of the time," says Addison.
"We do," says Meredith. "It's fun to have you here too," Meredith smiles.
"Yeah, Derek and I, we've been making the most of it. Of course, let us know if there's more we can do-" says Addison politely.
Meredith flinches at Derek's name being mentioned.
She hasn't thought about him much in a while, and it hits her again that Addison's married, and whatever weird feelings she's feeling for the redhead can't be properly acted on with Addison being so very much… Married…
It sort of gives Meredith an out, because she's not sure that she's strong enough to ask Addison out if there were an option to.
Wait for what!?
Meredith realizes she'd been fantasizing about dating Addison, and she stops herself short.
The kissing thing was one thing.
She likes sex, she's a sexual person, she has a thing for inappropriate people, whatever.
But this- this is even more dangerous.
Thinking about time alone, at a restaurant, or on the beach, with some hand-holding, and whispers, and secrets…
That's something else entirely.
"Are you alright Meredith?" says Addison, looking at her with a concerned look.
"What?" says Meredith.
"You were a bit shaky there…" says Addison.
"Oh- haha, no, nope, I'm just great, yeah, I'm perfect. You know, I'm just thinking about the next week, and the surgeries. Nothing out of the ordinary, just thinking- yeah…" Meredith rambles.
"Okay…" says Addison. "If there's something bothering you, you know you can always talk to me about it right?" says Addison.
"Okay…" says Meredith.
But she thinks in her head that she wants to talk to Addison about this because she talks to Addison about a lot of things, but how can she tell her she's conflicted because she's developing these strange and scary feelings for her!?
"You don't have to though, I mean, of course, you have Cristina too, and your friends, and Derek, and the Chief…" says Addison.
"Right…" says Meredith, flinching again about Derek.
"You can still be friends with Derek, I don't mind," says Addison. "I mean, I was jealous at first, when I didn't know about you, but we've gotten to know each other, and I like you, and we're staying here, and we're friends, so if you want to be friends we can all be friends," says Addison.
"Okay…" says Meredith, even though that's not at all what's going on inside of her head.
"I promise," says Addison. "I'd tell you otherwise," she says.
Her smile is so genuine, and Addison traces up Meredith's face, and brushes a hair from her eyes.
Her touch is so gentle, and Meredith holds her breath, and enjoys it, and wishes Addison would just keep touching her, and saying all of these perfect things.
"So we're friends?" says Meredith.
"Friends," says Addison.
Meredith nods, and Addison keeps stroking her face for a little while longer, and even though it's more than just being roommates (and platonic bedmates!) by circumstance, Meredith can't help but feel that being just 'friends,' is a bit of a letdown.
***** END OF CHAPTER 8