Author's note:
Canon-divergent AU after GA-S2-E21.
bobbiejelly
Pieces Of The Night
"Addison, what are you doing here? And why aren't you with McSteamy?" Meredith asks Addison when she finds her sitting alone on the bench in front of the hospital.
"Meredith, what are you doing here? And why aren't you with McDreamy?" Addison mimics, and Meredith has to bite her lip not to smile.
"Sloan left me. He slept with someone else and he told me. Called off 60-day no-sex bet and let me. And Alex-" Addison rambles, and Meredith's eyebrows shoot up at the roof at that last one.
"ALEX!?" Meredith exclaims and then furrows her brow in surprise, as well as in semi-concern.
"Karev and I… Look, it's not gonna happen. He didn't want it to happen. So now I'm all alone, and I'm post-McDreamy, post-McSteamy, post-Karev, and post any boy and so my dreams of having a house full of kids and a barbecue are all out the window…" Addison sighs.
"You want kids and a barbecue?" Quirks Meredith.
"Yeah, don't you?" Addison asks because it's only polite.
"Well, yeah, I mean, someday. But I'm young, and I never really thought about kids yet. And I like barbeque but I usually just order takeout," Meredith shrugs.
"It's better when it's fresh off the grill," says Addison.
"Probably," says Meredith. "But I'm only an intern. Fresh barbecue can wait until I'm on a higher pay-grade," Meredith giggles.
"Trust me, once you experience fresh barbecue you'll never go back," says Addison.
"Is this some sort of metaphor, here?' Meredith questions.
"What?" Says Addison.
"Is this you referring to Derek as… 'fresh meat,' or something like that?" Asks Meredith.
"What? No, I just meant that, haven't you ever had fresh steak, fresh off the coals with sauce on it, and?" Addison asks her.
"No, and besides. You've had more life experiences than I have!' Says Meredith.
"What?" Says Addison, not quite following.
"Well, you have! I mean, as you said, you've had McDreamy AND McSteamy AND-" Meredith rambles.
"Well, you haven't had Mark, but I'd imagine you've had your fair share of-" Addison cuts herself off at this point.
"Well, you know, I almost had Mark. Twice. Barely had the strength to resist him. He walked up to me, the night he asked you to wait for him at Joe's. Propositioned me on the spot. Asked me again today, in the O.R, wanting revenge for you rejecting him, he looked kinda sad, it was weird…" Says Meredith.
"Oh, God," says Addison.
"Uh-huh," says Meredith.
"Well, y'know, Derek and Mark always did have similar taste in women…" Addison chuckles.
"They have good taste, if I may say so myself," says Meredith boldly.
"Well that's not egotistical," says Addison.
"Hey, I was talking about you, y'know," Meredith smiles.
"What?" Says Addison.
"Hey, I can swing both ways! Just because it's been a while since I've been with a woman doesn't mean I forget about how hot they are," Meredith smirks at Addison playfully.
"Wait, you're-, you, I mean, YOU- Meredith Grey, you're- what-!?" Addison questions.
"I'm a secret bisexual. Don't tell Derek. He doesn't know," Meredith giggles.
"You didn't tell Derek you've had women?" Asks Addison.
"Hey, he didn't tell me he's had a wife so we're more than even," says Meredith.
"Touche," says Addison, still entertained by all of this.
"What, like you've never been with women, either," Meredith rolls her eyes teasingly.
"Grey-" Addison says warningly.
"See! I knew it!" Says Meredith.
"What, you were waiting for this!?" Says Addison.
"Well, no, not completely. But now that you say it, I'm not exactly surprised, either," says Meredith with a shrug.
"But what makes you think that I could- that I might- that I have- that I am- was- still am!?-" Addison stumbles.
"I don't know. Maybe it's because you're tall?" Meredith tries.
"What, so every woman over five-foot-five you're going to peg as on-heterosexual?" Addison says pointedly.
"Well, no, maybe it's not just the height thing. Maybe it's the confidence thing. Maybe it's the way you walk around in those heels like you own the place, and intimidate everyone, but I mean in a good way, and in a kind way, and I have no idea but I had this little nagging feeling that you could like, 'play for the other team,' also…" Meredith starts fidgeting with her hands at this point, a little bit nervously.
"So, you've been stalking me?" Addison asks her, suspiciously.
"Well, not like- stalking you. More like- observing you. I mean, you were Derek's wife- what else was I supposed to do?" Meredith says mock-defensively.
"Well, I suppose I've- observed you- too," Addison concedes.
"And?" Meredith insists.
"And?" Addison parrots back to her.
"And what have you… observed," Meredith asks her.
"Well, I've observed that you're fiercely loyal to your friends. That you don't love to talk about your family. That you enjoy surgery and being a doctor, even if you sometimes resent being overshadowed," Addison shrugs as if it were no big deal that she's noticed all of these things.
"You've observed a lot of things, Dr. Montgomery," Meredith says, impressed by this.
"Well, as you said. I've spent some time observing my ex-husband's ex-mistress, now haven't I," offers Addison.
"Right, it's like a sport. It's like, you see how you measure up, gives you something to compare yourself to," Meredith says softly.
"Exactly," says Addison, softly as well.
At this point in the conversation, they've come to a certain agreement, and they just sit there wondering where they're both going with this.
It's not terrible, not nearly as terrible as either of them might have expected.
It's nice, the talking, and it's true that neither of them has ever really talked like this while they've both been sober.
"You know, it's really nice talking like this with you, Addison," Meredith finally says aloud.
"Yeah…" says Addison. "It really is…" she sighs.
"I wish you were terrible, you know, it would make it easier," says Meredith.
"I know," says Addison. "But you're not terrible either," she sighs.
"Are you staying or going?" Meredith asks Addison thoughtfully, and at this, Addison really raises her eyebrows, stunned at how intuitive Meredith appears to have read her.
"I have no idea," says Addison, and it's the truth.
Meredith had only meant it about the bench they were sitting on, in front of the hospital, but Addison had thought of it the way she'd been thinking about it. About how she wanted to escape Seattle Grace Hospital and it's drama, at least for a little while.
"You look like you want to run away," says Meredith.
"Sometimes, I do," says Addison.
"Do you want to run away from me?" asks Meredith.
"I did, but now I just want to run away," says Addison.
"Yeah, I get that," says Meredith.
Addison nods, and then contemplates, and then looks up at Meredith.
"Come with me. If you want to. Just for a couple of days," Addison offers.
"Come with you to-?" Meredith asks her, confused at Addison's lack of explanation.
"Los Angeles," Addison deadpans.
"What's in it for you in L.A?" Meredith asks her.
"I have a friend there. She specializes in fertility. She has her own clinic," Addison shrugs.
"You- you want to have a baby," says Meredith.
"Yes, I do," Addison admits to Meredith, even though she hadn't even said that aloud to anyone else at this point, not even Richard after she'd asked him for a couple days off.
"I think you'd be great at that," says Meredith.
"You do?" Says Addison.
"I do," says Meredith.
"So, would you like to come on a road trip with me?" Addison offers. "I have a cool sports car, we can drive by the beach. Read trashy novels," Addison smiles.
"Gosh, I wish I could get the time off for that. I could use a vacation," says Meredith.
"I'm sure the Chief would be able to work it out for you, I could ask him," says Addison.
"You'd do that for me?" Says Meredith.
"I think he'd do it for you already," says Addison, and Meredith giggles.
"Also true," Meredith says.
"So, are you coming or going?" Addison asks, mirroring Meredith's phrasing from before.
"I"m coming- or I'm going- or, either way, I'll go to LA with you-" Meredith leaps at the chance as fast as she can before Addison changes her mind again.
"Alright then, it's settled. I'll pick you up in the morning," says Addison with a nod.
"From my place?" Says Meredith, tensely.
"Well, unless you're going to stay all night at the hospital, but I figure you'd probably have to pack first," says Meredith.
"Right," says Meredith. "I'll text you the address," she offers.
"Sounds good," says Addison.
And just like that, they're friends. Or at least they're long past being enemies.
It's far better than sitting there alone, each in pieces, for the rest of the night.
***** END OF CHAPTER 1
Author's Note:
Thanks for reading, folks!
Okay, so yes, I have way too many multi-chapter fics otg right now.
But this idea struck me and I couldn't put it down.
Let me know what you think :).
Take care,
bobbiejelly