Author: PeppermintPatty09

Title: What Makes a Family

Rating: T

Fandom: Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice

Pairings/Characters: Addison/Meredith, Violet/Charlotte, Arizona/Callie, Naomi/Sam, Izzy/Dell, Alex/Lexie and George/April. Past mentions of: Meredith/Derek and Addison/Mark

Genre: Romance and Family

Summary: A/U; Single moms Addison Montgomery and Meredith Grey start a friendship through their young daughters, which develops into more. This is pretty much a fluffy, romantic, family centric story with slight angst and drama.

Disclaimer: The characters of Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice are proudly owned by Shonda Rhimes, production company ShondaLand, and broadcast station ABC. No copyright infringement is intended. Alyssa Harper Grey and Ella Rose Forbes Montgomery are my own.

Authors Note: If the idea of two women or men loving each other and are in a romantic relationship is against your views, please look elsewhere. All mistakes are my own.

Someone sent me a lovely PM asking about the timeline. The girls started school the first Monday in September, 2012. Now it's November, 2012. Hope this helps.

Chapter Fifteen

You, my love

It was the Tuesday before Thanksgiving when Meredith brought it up. It's been something weighing on her mind for awhile, but has been too scared to ask, or too scared to think it might be too soon in their relationship for such occasion, and may be moving too fast for Addison.

"What are your plans for Thanksgiving?" she asked, twirling a lock of Addison's hair around her finger. They were in Addison's office, sitting on her beige couch, talking and spending their free time together. Ella and Ally were at school. It was their last day school, and then they would have one week of winter vacation before returning back.

"Usually Ella and I go to Nay's, but Nay made plans to spend Thanksgiving with her family. I'll probably make Ella and I something small and easy, go out for a special breakfast at a restaurant and watch the Macy's parade."

"What?!" Meredith exclaimed, sitting up abruptly, jerking a startling Addison up. "You guys can't do that. Thanksgiving is meant to be spent surrounded by family and love and food. That's it! You and Ella are coming with me, over to my mom's house."

"No, we can possibly do that," Addison shook her head. "I don't want to impose. That's your family, and you should spend time with them."

"But that's just it. They're my family. You and Ella are my family, too. I want to spend our first holiday together. Alex, Cristina and George are coming. There's always plenty of food. My mom wakes up at like five and starts cooking her feast that could probably feed some small village in Africa." Addison looked at Meredith with disbelief. "I'm serious. Since I could remember we always have these huge Thanksgiving dinners, with three turkey's, hams, and all these sides. It's crazy."

"Mer," Addison tried to interrupt, sensing that Meredith was going to go into one of her rambles. It was cute and ridiculously adorable, except when she wants to speak, then it's irritating.

"Or, or we could, you know, have something just you, me and the girls. It's just-"

Her rambling was cut off by a pair of lips bring pressed against hers. Soft lips delivered a firm and tender and sweet kiss upon her lips. Meredith soon found herself relaxing and melting into Addison's kiss. Her hands found her way tangled in Addison's golden-red locks, pulling Addison closer until Addison was practically on her lap.

Addison broke the kiss and leaned against Meredith, breathing hard. "We'll go."

"Oh." Meredith smiled goofily. "Good."

Meredith went to lean in for another kiss when Addison's pager went off. Addison grabbed it from the waist band of her grey slacks.

"911. Listen, I really need to go. It's the hospital. I'll call you later." Addison gave Meredith a chaste kiss then made her way out the door.

"Uh…goodbye," Meredith said weakly that turned into an annoyed sigh when her beeper went off. Seeing that she too go an 911 pager, she rushed over to Seattle Grace.

"Dr. Lee, what do we got?" Meredith asked sharply at one of her interns. She looked over the prone woman on the gurney, checking her pupils.

"30 years old woman…named Amanda Crane…while she was talking to her classroom she started having a seizure...BP is 90 over 55...during her seizure her head struck the side of the desk…has not regained consciousness. Her husband also mentioned she's been experiencing memory loss and slurred speech for the last couple of weeks."

"Order an MRI and CT scan, STAT!" Meredith yelled.

Meredith sighed. She could already feel it was going to be a day and night. Pulling her phone out she called her mom and asked her to pick up Ally and keep her for the night. She was on-call the whole week. After getting off the phone she decided to need an afternoon boost of caffeine. Just as she was about to step into the elevator, she heard someone call her name. Turning, she found Addison walking briskly towards her.

"Hey," Meredith greeted, tiredly. "911, okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, mother and baby are doing fine. What are you doing here?" Addison in returned asked, following Meredith into the elevator.

"Got called in. Woman came in after having a seizure in front of her class, met the corner of her desk falling down. I already have a feeling that the rest of the day is going to be busy."

"Oh, me too. Hate the holiday seasons. It seems like the worst and most bizarre cases come in. I'm actually on my way up to get some coffee. Join me?" Addison leaned into Meredith wrapping her arms around the blond attending waist.

"Of course."

Meredith held up the films from Mrs. Crane's MRI and CT scan. Nodding as she study. " And you already did a biopsy, it came back benign?" Meredith asked. "Book an O.R. I'm going to go out and speak to Mr. Crane about his wife."

Meredith left the room. She made her way out to the waiting room and found a pacing and concerned Mr. Crane.

"Mr. Crane."

Mr. Crane stopped her pacing and walked over to Meredith. "Is my wife okay?"

"You're wife is going to be fine. Her MRI and CT and biopsy scan found a benign tumor. It's called meningioma. They're fairly easy to remove and some don't even have problems with them. I booked an O.R. and will removing the tumor. In about two hours I'll have someone check on-"

"Dr. Grey!" a voice shouted urgently. "May I have a word?" Dr. Lee, Meredith's intern asked.

"Excuse me, Mr. Crane."

Meredith walked over to her hysterical intern. "What?!"

"Mrs. Crane blood work came back. She has high levels of hCG in her blood. Levels of 26 thousand range. She's pregnant."

Meredith sighed. "It's obvious her husband didn't know. She's - what - around 12 weeks pregnant, a little more."

"Yes, but that's just it. We did an ultrasound to check the fetus, and couldn't find anything in the uterus. Upon further inspection we found the fetus…in the fallopian tubes. Mrs. Crane has an ectopic pregnancy."

"Shit! Page Dr. Montgomery. I'll talk to the husband." Yup, it was going to be a long day, Meredith thought.

Meredith and Addison stood side by side scrubbing their hands. The room was full of melancholy, defeat and death. During Addison operation of removing the unviable fetus from Mrs. Crane, the young woman started to have a seizure on her table. Meredith was called in and together they work to save Mrs. Crane until she coded on the table.

Addison reached for the paper towels. "Listen, I know your mom wants to keep Ella tomorrow but I want her with me. Is that okay?" Addison asked hesitantly. It was during these times where she just need to be around Ella, to hold her closer and breath in her child's scent. She would shed a few tears and thank whatever deity that she has her baby girl.

"Yeah, um, I think I'm going to follow you there. I want Ally, too. Do you want-"

"Yes!" Addison almost shouted. She knew what Meredith was about to say. Just as much as she needed to be around Ella, she needed to be around Meredith and Ally too. Looking at the clock she noticed she still had five more hours until they completed she 14 hour shift.

"Kiss me," Meredith breathed desperately.

Addison stepped closer to Meredith, cupping her girlfriend's face. Unconsciously, Meredith licked her lips in anticipation. Her breathing has become labored, her heart was racing and lips were tingling. She was still amazed at the affect Addison had on her; how her body, heart and mind seem to respond to her.

Very slow, oh so slow, Addison lowered her mouth to Meredith's. Addison brushed her lips against Meredith's once, twice and then she finally gave in and gave Meredith what she and her wanted. A few seconds later, she added a little pressure. Addison's body hums when Meredith lets out a tiny whimpers/whines. Cupping the back of Meredith's head, Addison parted her lips slightly.

"God," Addison's whimpers against Meredith lips. She doesn't think she would ever get tired of kissing Meredith, feeling Meredith's body respond to her.

Unable to take it anymore, Addison lets the tip of her tongue trace Meredith's upper lip, and closed her mouth over it, gently suckling on it. Her body starts to throb and heat begins to throb and pool at her center when Meredith starts sucking on her own bottom lip, tightening her hold around Addison waist.

With their eyes closed, they block out the world. They kiss each other hard, in sweet caresses, passionately and deeply.

"Addison," Meredith whines against Addison's lips. As much as she wanted to continue to Addison, to get lost in Addison, they can't. Not now, not here, and that's why she slowly begins to end their kiss with soft pecks, swipes of thumbs against swollen, pulsing lips, cheeks, jaws, collarbones and necks.

"Fuuuuuu," Addison breaths out once they finished their exploration.

"Yeah," Meredith said in a deep, raspy, hoarse voice. If anyone knew her, they would know her voice was thick with arousal, want, desire and love. "That was…"Meredith trails of, breathing hard. "God, I don't even have words."

Addison kisses Meredith on the forehead. "Let's go pick up our girls."

Three hours later, after their shift, picking up the girls and driving to Meredith's house, they were all bundled in Meredith's California king bed. Ally and Ella were asleep in the middle, breathing evenly and dreaming of superhero's, unicorns and perfection, and Addison and Meredith were on each side with their hand intertwined in the middle of the girls.

Addison was facing the television set, watching some late night cooking show on the Food Network, and Meredith, Meredith was just watching the redhead and thinking. She thought about Amanda Crane, Mr. Crane, death and life. Being a doctor she has learned not to let cases rule your emotions, you needed to be strong for your patients. She had also learned being a doctor that life was too short and no one is guaranteed anything. Mrs. Crane was the perfect example. It just reminded Meredith that she couldn't take for granted her little girls, Addison, her friends and family. That everyday she should show them her appreciation, gratefulness, care and love. And with that thought she knew what she had to do. It may be too soon for others but she couldn't take the chance of Addison not knowing that she loved her.

"Addison," whispered Meredith softly.

Addison turned towards Meredith upon hearing her name. When she turned, she had to rear back a little at the intensity of Meredith's look. She looked…determined and lighter.

"I love you," she heard Meredith say to her. Her breath hitched at the three words; eight letter, forming the perfect sentence. "I'm in love with you." Meredith licked her lips nervously. "I have never felt this way before," she softly confessed, feeling a tinge of guilt for her feelings not being as strong for Derek. "I know it's too soon, but I can't wait any longer. I don't want to regret it, and have something happen and you not know how I feel about you. 'Cause God, Addison, I love you so damn much," Meredith chocked out.

Addison freed her hand form Meredith's grasp. She had to take this chance, too. She couldn't let it pass her by. Wiping the stray tear that was journeying down Meredith's cheek, she cupped Meredith's cheek.

"I love you, too, Meredith Grey. So much. I feel the exacted same way. I've wanted to say those words to you for so long, but I feared it was too soon, so I waited. But I don't want to wait anymore. I'm so in love with you, Meredith. More than you know."

Meredith stretched over and kissed Addison fully, gently and passionately. She poured all her love, longing, desire and want into that kiss. She reluctantly broke the kiss when she felt Ally stirring beside her.

"I'm glad I found you," Meredith stated, pulling back. "I can't wait to start a life with you."

"I can't either, baby," Addison replied back.

TBC

A/N: It looks like this will end at about twenty chapters. The Amanda Crane story is actually true, I just changed the name. I actually don't know her name, she was a patient of my aunt and this was her case one night.

Did anyone else think Private and Grey's was a let down. I'm seriously considering quitting Private. I can't believe Addison chose Jake. Asshole. When Addison was talking about her pain in her stomach, I swear I was yelling at the tv that it was guilt and she check Jake's phone too much because she's looking for a way out. Char and Cooper…damn! That's all I have to say. And I'm sorry but I've never been a fan of Cooper. I dislike him more than Jake. Sad but true.

As for Grey's. It took me three tries to get through it, I kept falling asleep. The dragged out Mark's death and Arizona's where about Is it me, or did Ellen get fucking hotter. She's one hot medusa. Kinda gives me some stories ideas. Plot bunnies were at work every time she had screen time. As for the new interns, I feel nothing for them. They're just boring to me. All of them.

All right, since I'm done ranting. You may do as you wish. Next chapter out as soon as possible, and it's Thanksgiving time.