Help is Around the Corner
Addison and Derek's trailer catches fire, and Meredith offers them a place to stay for a while.
Meredith and Addison arrive home to find the house blasting music, with Derek and Mark talking with each other in Derek's hammock on Meredith's deck.
At least they're making progress with each other, Addison thinks idly to herself.
"Good evening," says Meredith.
"Hey," says Addison.
"I don't know if you want to go in there," says Derek, wincing.
"Karev and Stevens are-" says Mark.
"Ah-" says Meredith.
"I see," says Addison.
"Where are George and Callie?" says Meredith.
"They got a hotel room," says Mark.
"And Cristina is at Burke's place," says Derek.
"That makes sense," says Meredith.
"So you two are avoiding the noise," says Addison.
"Yes, well, we're not out here together by choice," Derek scowls.
"He's stil mad," says Mark.
"Right…" says Meredith.
"So, how was your date?" says Derek suspiciously.
Mark chuckles, and Addison tilts her head sideways at him, and Meredith bites her lip.
"Well, our dog walk and dinner was very lovely," says Addison quickly.
"How was your bath, Mark?" says Meredith, changing the subject.
"It was great. Lots of bubbles, if you'd been here, I would have asked you to come so you could keep me warm-" says Mark.
Meredith's eyes open wide before she remembers her plot with Mark, and Mark winks at her, and Meredith shakes herself out of it before she answers him.
"I bet you're as warm as you need to be all on your own, McSteamy," Meredith giggles forcibly.
"Okay, so I'm getting déja vu here. Mark, please keep your eyes off of Meredith. It was bad enough when you were ogling Addison," says Derek, clearly missing the point.
"I'm just lookin'," says Mark. "It sounds dirtier without the 'g,' don't ya think?" Mark adds crudely.
"Hey!" says Addison. "So you get upset at Mark talking to Meredith, but not talking to me? Am I invisible to you!?" says Addison.
"Wha- no, of course not, honey…" says Derek.
"Don't call me honey," says Addison.
Meredith narrows her eyes at Derek, and scoffs.
"Derek, you have a wife. A very gorgeous, long-legged, fabulous and intelligent, sweet and empathetic wife. So don't get mad at Mark for talking to me, because you don't get to be jealous over me if you can't see what's right in front of you!" Meredith crosses her arms, and taps her foot impatiently at Derek.
"Sorry…" Derek mumbles, and looks down.
"I'm going to check on Doc," says Addison.
"Yeah," says Meredith.
They open the door, and Derek looks bewildered behind them.
"My wife and my girlfriend just yelled at me on the same day…" Derek sighs and covers his face with his hand.
"I'm not your girlfriend," says Meredith, before slamming the door behind her.
"Ouch," says Mark.
"Shut up," says Derek. "Or I'm kicking you out of my hammock."
Inside, Doc jumps and runs at Meredith and Addison the moment he sees them.
"Rr!" says Doc.
"Hiya buddy," says Meredith.
"Rr!" says Doc.
"Yeah, we missed you too," says Addison.
"Rr!" says Doc.
"We had a good time, thanks for keeping Mark and Derek company," says Meredith.
"Rr!" says Doc.
"Oh, you like Mark nowadays?" says Addison.
"Rr…" says Doc.
"Did he feed you treats!?" says Meredith suspiciously.
"Rr…" says Doc, looking sheepish.
"Of course he did," says Addison, picking Doc up. "Anything to win you over," she says.
"Well, he's probably going to be here awhile, might as well get acquainted with you," says Meredith, as she pats Doc on the head.
"Rr," says Doc.
"Yeah, you're very important. Don't let it get to your head," says Meredith.
"Rr," says Doc.
"Glad you're okay with all the people in the house," says Addison.
"Rr," says Doc.
"Yes, we had a great time out together, didn't we Addison," says Meredith.
"Rr!" says Doc.
"Yes, it was lovely," says Addison.
"Rr!" says Doc.
"Yes, we're happy, Doc. We talked through our issues, we're getting along great," says Meredith.
"Rr!" says Doc.
"Yes Doc, we know you've had a long day. Why don't we get you up to bed?" says Addison.
"Rr!" Doc agrees.
Addison passes Doc to Meredith, who carries him upstairs. Doc can walk upstairs, of course, but by the end of the night he's tired, and they spoil him by carrying him.
Doc jumps right into the middle of the bed, as usual, and waits for Meredith and Addison to join him.
Just as they're settling down, Meredith and Addison start hearing noises from the next door.
"Oh yeah-" Izzie moans from the next room over.
"Oh my goodness!" Addison says, as she covers her ears.
"Yeah, that happens around here…" says Meredith.
"It hasn't been like this in a while," says Addison.
"Date night," Meredith shrugs.
"Aha-" says Addison.
Doc buries himself under the covers, clearly not wanting to hear the commotion, either.
"Wow, I haven't had sex since…" Addison counts on her fingers for a moment. "I don't know, like six months?" says Addison.
"Wow," says Meredith. "I've had sex recently, but not like, super recently," says Meredith.
"I kinda miss sex…" says Addison.
"Me too…" says Meredith.
There's a moment, where Meredith and Addison lock eyes, and gaze at each other hungrily, investigating every aspect of their roommate's body, and imagining it, and picting it, and-
"You should go have sex," Meredith deadpans.
"What!?" says Addison.
"With Derek, he's your husband… You should go… and have sex with him," Meredith gulps.
"Where would we possibly have sex?" Addison laughs.
"I don't know, on the couch? Or in my room, and you can take the couch," Meredith shrugs.
"I couldn't do that…" says Addison. "It's your room, it's weird."
"Okay, so couch then. He's your husband, you can go… Be with him…" says Meredith awkwardly.
"Oh…" says Addison awkwardly. "But what would you do?" says Addison.
"I don't know, maybe I'll indulge Mark. He seemed to be interested when he was inviting me into the bathtub…" says Meredith.
"Right…" Addison sighs.
"Seriously, go. When I said you could live here, I didn't mean you couldn't sleep with Derek. Whatever makes you happy…" says Meredith.
"Meredith-" says Addison pleadingly, seeing the sadness in Meredith's eyes.
"Go, Addison," says Meredith.
"Meredith-" says Addison, as she gently reaches to touch Meredith's shoulder, but Meredith pulls away from her.
"He's your husband, touch him, enjoy him. He picked you, you should be with him-" says Meredith.
"What's gotten into you all of a sudden?" Says Addison.
"I don't want to trap you here, I know you said you liked living here, and I like living here, but you're still with Derek, and that's fine, but you said you missed sex and you can have it, so I'm saying go-" says Meredith.
"Fine-" says Addison, taking one last look before she huffs away from Meredith.
Meredith watches her go, and closes the door behind her, crawling into bed beside Doc.
"Rrrrrrrrrrrrrr," says Doc.
"What?" says Meredith.
"Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr," says Doc.
"She should go, she should have sex, Derek picked her, Derek loves her, who wouldn't love Addie?" says Meredith.
"Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr," says Doc.
"She said she didn't know what she wanted, now she can figure it out. She came here to fix her marriage. She wouldn't be her if she didn't try," says Meredith.
"Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr," says Doc.
"I know, I feel crushed. I feel helpless. I think I'm falling in love with a married woman, Doc. A married woman! What am I going to do?" says Meredith.
"Rr," says Doc.
"Hey, you make it sound so easy, but it's hard," says Meredith.
"Rr," says Doc.
"No, I didn't drive her away, don't put this on me, Doc," says Meredith.
"Rr," says Doc.
She said that she was getting attached to me, but if she really wanted me, she'd leave Derek. I can't love her like I want to if she has a husband, I won't," says Meredith.
"Rr," says Doc.
"I don't know if she's coming back here tonight Doc. I don't know," Meredith sobs.
"Rr," says Doc.
"I'm fine Doc. I'm fine," says Meredith.
"Rr…" says Doc.
"Yeah, I know I'm crying. I cried last time she was at the hospital. I'm a wreck, let's just go to sleep and try to forget about it," says Meredith.
"Rr…" says Doc.
"Hey, I'm petting you instead of drinking tequila. That's already a better coping mechanism," says Meredith.
"Rr…" says Doc.
"One step at a time, Doc. You never know, I might just get drunk tomorrow."
***** END OF CHAPTER 22