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.
Chapter Seventeen
You've got the Love
Addison checked her appearance for the umpteenth time with the Meredith's car visor. She reached into her purse and pulled out her Rose Crush lip gloss by Tom Ford.
"Do I look okay?" Addison asked Meredith, again. "I know you said it was casual; I just don't want to be underdressed or overdressed."
Meredith rolled her eyes. "Addison," Meredith reached over the console and grasped Addison's nearest hand, entwining their fingers. "You look beauty, babe. Gorgeous. Stunning. Perfect. You don't need to worry, at all. My family loves you. As for your appearance, it's perfect. There really is no dress code. We're a very easy going, laid back family. Lexie, my sister, one year wore sweats and her Harvard sweatshirt. She said it was her winter break, and she was going to relax. One year Derek and I both wore our scrubs. There is no dress code. You could have worn a used trash bag, and you'll still be perfect. So don't worry."
"I know," Addison sighed. She took a quick glance at the backseat and found the girls engrossed in the movie The Avengers. "I just feel like if your mom likes me, approves of me, maybe when we tell her, or you, about our relationship, she'll accept us. Give us her blessing, or something."
"I may not know about being in a, ya know, homosexual, same-sexed relationship, but I can almost guarantee that your clothes and if she likes you now will change her opinion of the thought of us together. She may like you now but when I tell her about us, I don't know." Meredith turned on her parent's house street. "Just know whatever happens, I love you."
Addison smiled. She would never tire of hearing Meredith say those words to her. "I love you, too."
Meredith pulled into her parent's driveway, placed the car in park and shut off the engine. "Let's get this show on the road"
When the Grey- Montgomery walked into Meredith's parents' house, they were assaulted with the scents of that came with Thanksgiving. Pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, sage and garlic all mingled together making the most appetizing scent. Meredith walked in first followed by the girls and then Addison. Hugs, Happy Thanksgiving wishes, and kissed were passed around.
Meredith shook her head at her father, brother-in-law, Alex, George, uncle and cousin as they plopped their ass in front in the 90in plasma screen with surround sound and HD, watching the football game between the Houston Texans and Detroit Lions that had started an hour and a half ago. The Texans were up by three and it was going on halftime soon. Ally and Ella went upstairs to the loft area where the playroom was at. Meredith grabbed Addison's hand and joined her mom, aunt, cousin-in-law and sisters in the kitchen.
"The guy with the oxford shirt and blond hair is my Uncle Elliot and the other that was a younger version of him was my cousin, Joseph, but we call him Joe," Meredith said as they walked into the kitchen.
Her mom was bent over the stove, checking the turkeys and hams. Her aunt was peeling potatoes for the mash potatoes and her sisters were gushing over her cousin growing stomach.
"The woman over there, peeling potatoes is my aunt Lynn and this woman here," Meredith pointed the young woman that was about in her late twenties, early thirties with dark brown hair and striking hazel eyes, "is Rebecca, Joe's wife. Guys, this is Addison. Her mini-me is upstairs with Ally, and her name is Ella. Addison is a very good friend of mine."
After introductions, Meredith and Addison were quickly put to work. They were in charge of the salad and rolls. All the women worked side by side, laughing over shared stories and drinking glasses of wine. Meredith had switched shifts with a doctor who didn't have any plans, and was on-call for Christmas Eve instead. In between, one the guys would come in a gather a couple of beer bottles and some appetizers that were set out and the girls would come in for drinks and food, too. About an hour after their arrival, Cristina showed up as did some of her parent's friends.
"What did you guys do this morning? Did you guys happen to catch the Macy's Parade?" Lynn asked her niece. They were working side by side, cutting up vegetables that were needed.
Meredith took a quick glance at her girlfriend. Addison and her mom was laughing over a shared joke and passing a bottle of wine to each other to refill their glass. It filled her heart to know that Addison and Ella got along great with her family.
"Addison made us this Thanksgiving breakfast of banana nut French toast, scrambled eggs and vegan sausages – that were surprisingly good for the girls, and made me and her feta cheese, spinach, mushroom and tomato omelet. We ate and watch the parade. Then we got ready, and headed here. It was a nice morning with my family," Meredith smiled as she remembered waking up in Addison's arms, sharing lazy, languid kisses – not caring about morning breath, until Addison got up and made breakfast while she went back to sleep until two giggling monsters woke her up.
Yes, it was a lovely morning.
"That sounds nice." Lynn snuck a glance at Addison. "How long have you been friends with Addison?"
"Since September," Meredith answered her aunt. She had always loved her dad's sister. They had a close bond that never diminished throughout the years, but with that bond came the uncanniness and annoyance at how well her aunt can read her. When she was younger she would tell her aunt everything, ask advice and shared stories. "Ally wanted to have a playdate with Ella, and Addie and I made arrangements to meet up and get to know each other. We've been friends since then."
Lynn smirked, "And the dating, when did that come in?"
Meredith was suddenly grateful for being a surgeon and having steady hands, or else she would have cut her fingers long ago with her aunt's bluntness. Meredith cleared her throat. It was useless to hide the truth from her aunt; her aunt would know she was lying. "We've been dating since the beginning of November, I say. It's been pretty fast for us, but we're not worried about it. You've always told me if I were to fall in love with anyone, it should be my best friend. Addison is my best friend, and the woman I love." Meredith looked uncertainly at her aunt. She kept her eyes down at the cutting board, scared to see disappointment, or worse disgust in her aunt's eyes. "Is that okay? My loving a woman?"
"You know it is, Merry," Lynn said with a smile. "All I want for you to be happy. You deserve to be happy. And if Addison is the one to bring back that smile and laugh I've missed so much, then who am I to disapprove. Plus, she hot!" Lynn exclaimed with a cheeky grin.
While Meredith and Lynn were catching up, Susan and Addison were doing a little bonding of their own. Addison was having a good time. Susan was the complete opposite of her mom. Susan was motherly, warm and caring, but also tough and unflinching when the time was needed. It just made her a little bit more envious of Meredith. Meredith, her love, had the family she always dreamt of.
"You didn't have any plans with your family?" Susan question Addison, passing Addison the gravy bowl.
"Uh, no, I'm not really close with my family. I have the Coronal, my dad, Bizzy, my mom and Archer my brother. That's about it for my family. We were never really close. My brother is off traveling the world; dad is running around with different women and mom, well, she does what she wants to do. I was raised by nannies, cooks, and my housekeepers."
Susan shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry," Susan apologized. "But you don't need to worry about that anymore. You have a family here with us, and especially with Meredith. I don't know how to thank you, Addison. You've brought my Merry back. It's so nice to see her laugh and smile and live again."
"Susan, you don't…"Addison stuttered.
"But I do," Susan insisted. "You don't know how grateful I am. When Derek died, a little bit of Merry died with him, but since you came into her life, I see that spark is back. And it makes me so happy," Susan said thickly.
"I care about your daughter and granddaughter very much. They quickly turned into my whole world. I can't imagine my life without them, just as I can't with Ella," Addison said honestly.
Susan looked at Addison hesitantly. She sensed that there was an underlining meaning towards Addison's words. Being a mother she noticed everything in her children's life. She had noticed the changes in Meredith when Addison came into her daughter's life; she noticed the lingering looks, the subtle touches and shy glances. She talked to Thatcher about it one day, and the thing the agreed about was they would keep their mouth shut about it until Meredith came to them and they would support, love and give their blessing to Meredith.
"Good," Susan nodded. "I like you a lot, Addison. Just please, please don't hurt Meredith. I don't know if she'll recover from it. She had some many people hurt her in life; I fear the next would push her over the edge."
"Meredith is stronger than you think. She's the strongest person I know."
"Oh, I don't doubt that. But, well, you see…"Susan shook her head, swallowing thickly. "You're different."
Addison brows furrowed in confusion. She waited for Susan to elaborate but the older woman went back to preparing the mash potatoes.
Addison stared in shock at the amount of food being displayed on the table in the family dining room. She had never seen so many types of foods before for Thanksgiving. Susan had literally planned a feast. She engrossed in admiration and thought, she jumped slightly when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her from behind, but relaxed when the comforting scent of lavender and vanilla engulfed her senses.
"What are you doing in here?" Meredith asked. She handed Addison a glass of Merlot. "My mom was looking for you."
"Sorry," Addison apologized. She leaned back into Meredith embraced. She smiled gently when Meredith started swaying them to the soft, soulful and sweet voice of Etta James singing about Sunday's and love that was coming from the stereo in the kitchen. "I was just thinking about my family. Seeing you guys laugh, joke with each other and just enjoy each other made me think how different my family is to yours. I'm scared when you tell your mom and family, you're going to lose this."
"I have faith in my family. They love me." Meredith hugged Addison close to her. "Come on; let's go see if my mom needs help setting up. Lunch should be ready soon. Ally is already picking at the food."
Meredith and Addison shared a laugh at the expense of their little daughter.
That was another difference between their families. Meredith's family ate their Thanksgiving meal around lunch time, and would snack of the morsels throughout the day. Her family would have their Thanksgiving meal around dinner time and an hour later, she was out the door. She was glad she and Ella were so accepted in Meredith's family. With that thought, Addison followed Meredith back into the food-filled kitchen.
Meredith passed the bowl of mash potatoes to Addison. They were all sitting around the table with Thatcher at the head, Susan at the other end. The kids were in the living room, eating and watching Megamind. Throughout the meal, Meredith kept a firm hand on Addison's thigh, rubbing soothing, tantalizing circles in the inside of Addison's thigh. Every so often Addison would shiver, and the delicious tingle would shoot straight to her center.
For the next hour there was continual chatter, laughing, clinking of sliver wear and moans of pleasure at Susan delicious meal.
"Hey, Mer, I was just telling your mom how seemed lately," Cristina smirked at her joke.
Meredith tensed; Addison downed the rest of her wine, already reaching for the bottle for a forth glass.
Snickers of laughter from Alex, George and Lexie went around the table. Meredith glared at them, silently telling them to shut it, or get it. She knew she shouldn't have told them about her relationship with Addison until after she told her mom and dad. She had told Lexie the day after her date with Addison. She needed someone to gush about and to talk about, and since she told her sister everything she called Lexie into an on-call room and told her everything. Her sister was supportive, listened and swoon at the romantic parts. It was also that same day that found Cristina walking into the on-call room to sleep between surgeries; only to find her and Addison asleep together. With Cristina unable to keep a secret amongst their little group, by the end of the shift they all knew. It was also the night the Addison told her group of friends. They had been out to everyone in the course of two days, but Meredith's family, and maybe Addison's. And today she had told her aunt, or her aunt told her, but either way her favorite aunt knew about her relationship with Addison and gave her blessing. They had decided they would tell Meredith's family by the weekend, and still wait to tell the girls. They wanted to be more evolved in their relationship, talk about what they want to come out of it and the future ahead.
Meredith glared at her snickering friends. "It's nothing you need to worry about, mom. Not right now, at least." Meredith grabbed Addison's glass.
"No, no, what is it? I know something is going on," Susan urged. She was ready for Meredith to come and talk to her. Susan shot her husband a look, giving him an almost unnoted nod.
"I'll tell you, mom and dad, but not right now, okay? It's not really something to discuss during Thanksgiving."
Susan nodded, accepting that her daughter wasn't ready to talk about it to her, but understood that she would be told soon. The rest of the dinner past uneventful with the exception of Susan giving Meredith looks, Addison and Meredith sharing subtle looks and Meredith glaring at a still smirking Cristina.
Meredith handed Addison a plate that held a slice of pumpkin pie with whip cream. It was going on six, and everyone was just about too stuff with food to move, or comatose. Meredith and Addison were enjoying their moment of silence together, alone. They were in the back deck, bundled up in their jacket, scarves and gloves. The night was crisp and cool and refreshing. Meredith revealed in it.
"You have a good time?" Meredith took a bite of her peach cobbler and ice cream. She was worried Addison would fill suffocated with all her family and her parent's friends.
"I did," Addison nodded. She moaned in delight when nutmeg and cinnamon mingled together in her mouth. Addison cleared her throat. "I think your mom knows about us, or has some inkling."
"What?" Meredith turned facing more toward Addison on the patio chair. "What did she say?"
"I don't think it's too much of what she said, but what I alluded to. We were talking about you, and how much hurt you've dealt with in your life, and how much I cared about you and Ally. She then asked me not to hurt you." Addison swallowed nervously. She was unsure what Susan meant with she said she was different. Addison, herself, was too focused on it that most of the meal she blocked out. "She said I was different. That if I hurt you, you wouldn't make it. What did she mean?"
Meredith set her plate on the table. She wanted to give Addison her full attention when she answered Addison question. "You are different," Meredith agreed. "I think what she meant was that I feel more…complete, whole with you, like, you were meant for me. My soul mate, I guess. I loved Derek, I still do, but what I felt for him and for you, pales in comparison. You make me feel weightless but complete. You're my soul, my sun and my everything. If I ever lost you, I don't think I would make it. I'm not saying this to make you feel obligated to stay with me; I'm just saying it to make you understand. If something were to happen to you, I don't think I would survive. Sure I would go through life but I wouldn't enjoy it. It would be gray, baron, lifeless."
"Mer…" Addison wiped her eyes. No one had ever spoken more beautifully towards her. She had never felt so love, complete and more. Hearing Meredith speak about her like that, seeing the love shining in Meredith's cobalt eyes, she knew that her future lied with Meredith. She could picture a wedding, more children, growing old and watching grandchildren all with Meredith.
Unable to convey how much she loved Meredith, Addison stood from her stair and straddled Meredith. Meredith arms slipped around Addison waist. She loved the feel of Addison weight resting on her. Addison leaned in and kissed Meredith, at first the kiss was tentative both wanting to savor the moment that had surly changed their whole lives. But the kiss was quickly deepened, their love igniting in the kiss, desire pooling and centers weeping.
Meredith shivered under Addison touch. Addison's had brought her skin to life, singing its praises with every touch Addison inflicted. Her nerves were humming, and crying out for more, more of Addison, more of Addison's touch, more of everything.
Addison's hot, slick tongue caressed the nape of Meredith's neck, stroking the sensitive skin, leaving a trail of blazing passion fire. She smiled against Meredith's neck when she felt Meredith responded to her assault, moaning and whimpering in delight.
Meredith, wanting Addison to feel what she felt, tucked her face into Addison's neck. She nuzzled Addison's neck, sucking on Addison ear lobe, kissing behind Addison's ear. As Meredith nipped at the base of Addison's throat, her hands journeyed upward and settled on the sides of Addison's breast. She kneaded Addison's breast, feeling the heaviness of them. Her thumb swiped against the harden nub of Addison's nipple. Unable to take it anymore, Addison began to rock against Meredith, hoping to find relief in her arousal.
Sensing that they were about to cross the line to no return and make love out on her parent's deck, Meredith reluctantly pulled back.
"Addie," Meredith whimpered. "We have to stop, babe. When we finally cross that step, I don't want it to be on my parent's deck, where anyone can walk in on us. I want you all to myself."
Addison groaned in disappointment. She understood; however, that didn't stop her from wanting more of Meredith. Addison's head came to rest on Meredith's shoulder, letting her arousal wane, soaking up the feel of Meredith.
Meredith brushed her lips against Addison's head. "I love you."
"Mmm…I love you, too," Addison said slowly, her eyes slowly drooping. She was comfortable on her spot on Meredith. She could feel Meredith breath against her body and tickle of Meredith's small puff of breathes against her neck and her warmth. All her personally lullaby.
Unbeknownst to them a pair of blue eyes watch the exchange.