Author's Note:

This is based on the prompt: "Falling apart barely breathing has to be one of my favorites, I live for a good slow burn. I thought of a story idea that I personally don't feel like writing atm, but what about a slow burn MerAdd story that takes place during and after Derek's funeral", from Kristin_Aubrie in a comment on "Falling Apart, Barely Breathing".

(That I never forgot, I just waited until after 40 Chapters were published in FABB to get to this.)

So this one's for you, and everyone else who follows MerAdd.

It's a story of love coming from loss, of old enemies to new friends, and of newfound Meddison lesbianism.

Cheers, folks.

Welcome to another!

bobbiejelly

Leaves From The Vine

If Meredith Grey HAD call Derek Shepherd's family on the day that he died, what might have been different, for her, then?

Different for her relationships with his mother and siblings?

What might have been if Amelia asked Meredith to call Addison Montgomery next, and she did?

Set during the "How to Save a Life", GA Season 11, Episode 21, and AU from halfway there.

This is a story about Addison Montgomery and Meredith Grey. F/F. Femslash. MerDer to MerAdd. Meddison.

Alternate Universe Inspired by Grey's Anatomy & Private Practice. Rated E for Explicit.

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend, somewhere along in the bitterness, and I would have stayed up with you all night had I known how to save a life. How to Save a Life, The Fray.

%

Here is,

A Story, In Which:

Derek Christopher Shepherd dies.

Meredith calls Carolyn, Nancy, Liz, Kathleen & Amelia Shepherd.

Amelia asks Meredith to call Addison Montgomery, and Meredith does.

Jake Riley dies driving Addison Forbes Montgomery to Derek's funeral.

Meredith flees to Boston, not alone; Addison accompanies her.

The two new widowers help each other heal, and more.

Written upon request, from Kristin_Aubrie

For you, with much love-

and gratitude, and

Hope.

*%

We'll do it all, everything, on our own. We don't need. Anything. Or anyone.

If I lay here if I just lay here, would you lie with me and just forget the world. Chasing Cars.

A Poem, a Song, A Love Story, To Begin:

Leaves from the Vine

Falling so slow

Like fragile, tiny shells

Drifting in the foam

Little soldier boy

Come marching home

Brave soldier boy

Comes marching home

- Leaves from the Vine, by Iroh.

PROLOGUE:

What would you say to the people you loved, if you could say to them anything during your last moments on earth?

What would you do for the people you loved, if you could do anything for them on your last day on earth?

What would you offer for the people you loved, if you could offer them anything, for the rest of their days on this earth?

Derek Christopher Shepherd did not think for an instant when he woke up this morning that he could die today.

Derek Christopher Shepherd did not think for an instant when he woke up this morning that he could never see his mother or his sisters again after today.

Derek Christopher Shepherd did not think for an instant when he woke up this morning that he could never see his children again after today.

Derek Christopher Shepherd did not think for an instant when he woke up this morning that he could never kiss his wife after today.

Derek Christopher Shepherd did not think for an instant that he could be a hero today.

Derek Christopher Shepherd did not think for an instant that he would die, being a hero today.

But he did, and he was. And the love of his life, Meredith Grey, lived on, knowing that.

And he wanted their children to know that she knew that, and to know it, too, someday.

***** END OF THE PROLOGUE *****

Chapter 1: Coffee

When Derek Christopher Shepherd woke up the morning of April 23rd, 2015, on the day of his eventual tragic, heroic, and quite sudden death… What was he thinking about?

He was thinking in the instant he woke up about Washington, about his fancy new Job, and about working directly upon the invitation of the President of the United States of America.

(Hours later, when he lay upon a hospital bed dying, he would wish that he wasn't.)

But he was also thinking that morning about coffee. And how he wanted a cup.

"Meredith, honey," Derek calls out to his wife.

"Yes, Derek" Meredith calls back to him. "I'm here in the kitchen" she calls out to him back.

Derek goes to meet his wife, Meredith who hands him a cup of coffee and wishes him a good day.

"Call me when you get to the airport, will you?" Meredith asks him sweetly.

"I will, and I'll text you as soon as I can," Derek says to her sweetly.

(Hours later, when he lay upon a hospital bed dying, he would wish that he hadn't)

"Bye kids, kiss daddy goodbye, I love you, Zola and Bailey!" Derek offers, and Zola Grey-Shepherd and Derek Bailey Shepherd kiss him goodbye.

(Hours later, when he lay upon a hospital bed dying, he would wish that he'd said that more times than he had, but that at the very least, the very words that he'd said to his children were 'I love you's…)

"I love you Dad," Zola says to him.

"I love you Dad," Bailey says to him.

"I love you, Derek," Meredith says to him.

"I love you, I love you, Meredith," Derek says as he plants a light kiss on his wife's cheek.

(Hours later, when he lay upon a hospital bed dying, he would wish that he'd said that more times than he had, but that at the very least, the very words that he'd said to his wife were 'I love you's…)

(Hours later, when he lay upon a hospital bed dying, he would wish that he'd done that more times than he had, but that at the very least, the thing that he'd done alongside his wife was to kiss her goodbye…)

(Hours later, when he lay upon a hospital bed dying, he would wish that he'd known at the time that he almost got to meet his third child, Ellis Grey-Shepherd, whom Meredith was pregnant with at the time. And that it was the greatest tragedy of all that he died without ever knowing this...)

At the time, the last person on earth that Derek Shepherd was thinking about, was his ex-wife Addison Montgomery, who he hadn't spoken with, in a few years, since he got shot that one time at the hospital.

At the time, the last person on earth that Meredith was thinking about, was her husband's ex-wife Addison Montgomery, who he hadn't spoken with, in a few years, since they had both been in a plane crash and she'd called her to let her know Mark Sloan died and Lexie Grey, but they'd lived on as well as other their 2 other friends from the crash, Cristina Yang, Arizona Robbins.

At the time, the two people on earth that Addison Montgomery was thinking about, were her ex-husband, Derek, and her ex-husband's ex-wife Meredith Grey, whom she hadn't spoken with, in a few years, and since then her own child Henry Montgomery was doing wonderful and she was still married to her new-husband, Jake Riley.

When Derek Christopher Shepherd woke up the morning of April 23rd, 2015, on the day of his eventual tragic, heroic, and quite sudden death...

He was thinking in the instant he woke up about Washington, about his fancy new Job, and about working directly upon the invitation of the President of the United States of America, and also about coffee.

When Addison Montgomery woke up the morning of April 23rd, 2015, on the day of her ex-husband Derek Shepherd's eventual tragic, heroic, and quite sudden death…

She was thinking in that instant about her child, Henry Montgomery, about her husband Jake Riley, about her Private Practice in Los Angeles, about her beach house and also, about coffee.

When Meredith Grey woke up the morning of April 23rd, 2015, on the day of her husband Derek Shepherd's eventual tragic, heroic, and quite sudden death…

She was thinking in that instant about her children Zola Grey-Shepherd, Derek Bailey Shepherd, her husband Derek, about the fact that she hadn't gotten her period, yet, and also, about coffee.

When Derek Christopher Shepherd, Addison Adrianne Forbes Montgomery, and Meredith Grey woke up the morning of April 23rd, 2015, on the day of Derek's eventual tragic, heroic and quite sudden death...

They were all thinking about coffee.

Little did they know that their lives were about to be changed by a heroic tragedy, forever.

Little did they know that their lives were about to be intersected by today's events, forever.

Little did they know that they would end up finding true love again, forever.

****** END OF CHAPTER 1

Author's Note 2:

Well, this is another multi-chapter serious fanfiction coming your way.

It will be a lot of work, and therefore it probably will not be updated daily.

Very angsty, a lot about grief and love and loss, with the MerAdd pieces being hurt-comfort...

This is some very, very, very, slow-burn business that I hope can become a new love novel.

Let me know what you think, and if you want to read more.

This is also a similar story premise of "How To Disappear Completely" by SilverStarsAndMoons / itslexipedia.

This beginning was actually written before I read that, but I love that story now and recommend it.

Hoping that this story can do itself justice, standing on its own with that one existing as well.

Have a good day, leave me a note.

bobbiejelly

***** THANKS FOR READING, FOLKS! HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL IN THE COMMENTS! *****

:D

Here are some suggestions for Further Reading: (Other works you may like). These are my other MerAdd works, so far, about Addison Montgomery and Meredith Grey from the TV Shows Grey's Anatomy & Private Practice. If you enjoyed this F/F story, you might enjoy these as well…). These are my current suggestions, as they are what I am currently updating and working on the most: Falling Apart, Barely Breathing Soothe Chasing Butterflies A Seattle Grace Mercy West Swingers Party - Post Plane Crash Edition McCravings RED is the new BLACK. You Know, I Know The Feeling... Five Reasons We Knew Calzona Was Made For Each Other & Five + More 6 Sentence Fics Out Of The Dark Hello, Seattle Peace Of My Heart Meredith gets her Mojo Back Tears Shed From A Drunken Conversation Who Can Screw the Shepherd Siblings Better? A Sex Bet Between Addison Montgomery and Mark Sloan. Elevator To Heaven To Build A Home - For Me & For You Sights of Seattle, Stars in the Sky Meredith Makes Her McCHOICE of a Lifetime. Chief Montgomery's Seductress MerAdd PROMPTS Consultation for bobbiejelly - INPUT REQUESTED ! After Italian 'Merley' (Meredith Grey/Miranda Bailey), eventual MerAdd (Meredith Grey/Addison Montgomery), mostly for Lesbi_Honest_FP The whole MerAdd Series can be found here: MerAdd My Heart 3 Author's Note 3: Much love, Hope to see you in the comments! This has been one of the great joys of my life to write,

My actual best piece of writing, ever, thus far, is:

Falling Apart, Barely Breathing

In Which Addison meets Meredith in a bar. Things spiral from there. This is the story about what might have happened after Meredith asks Derek to "Pick Me, Choose Me, Love Me" but before he decides to do anything about it, and after SHE decides to do something about it. MerAdd. Meddison. Set during "Bring the Pain" GA. An Addison Montgomery/Meredith Grey - Grey's Anatomy Fanfiction. Written by bobbiejelly. NOW RATED E FOR EXPLICIT. You're welcome :)

If you'd prefer to read more of my "Vauseman" work, simply click on the series:

Be My Little Spoon

Or this story here:

Half-Moon - A Vauseman Valentine

To read my other Vauseman story so far,

Letters to Piper, from AV 3

(This one was my first fanfiction, EVER, a very, very, very long time ago...)

If you'd like to read my "Weeds" Fanfiction, click here:

Lesbiana Tortillera

If you'd like to read more of my Grey's Anatomy & Private Practice & Station 19 Fanfiction, click here:

Gay's Anatomy

or here:

Non MerAdd Grey's Universe Bobbiejelly Fanfictions

And if, for some reason, you'd prefer to read the one "13 Reasons Why" fanfiction I wrote, well, I'll let you find that one yourself, by clicking on the link to my profile:

/users/bobbiejelly

Hope you enjoy, and hope you will leave a review :D

Yours, truly, bobbiejelly bobbiejelly