A/N -
Hi friends, sorry for the long wait asgjhdf! We just reached 1,000 reads on Wattpad and 2,000 on FanFiction, so we're celebrating with a very long chapter, so buckle your imaginary seatbelts! I just want you to know that I really appreciate those who leave comments, since they motivate me to write more, and some of y'all are hilarious af.
Don't forget to vote, comment and share!
shots of tequila for everyone!
Disclaimer -
I don't own Grey's Anatomy, I only own some OCs
CHAPTER SEVEN
"Oh my God, Meredith Ellis St. Claire Monet-Avery, is that you?!"
'I guess I can't hide this secret for long huh' thought Meredith as she turned around to see the confusion in Addison's eyes and the smiling woman behind them.
Fuck. She thought.
They stood there frozen, in the middle of the hospital lobby. The woman, a brunette with petite form and blue eyes, dressed in designers, walked towards the two. Addison was confused, clearly it was Meredith that was called by the unknown woman, as the said blonde looked at her with familiarity and a little bit of displeasure.
The shock that was evident on Meredith's face was gone and quickly replaced by a cold stare and a tight smile. The sparkle and warmth that she had earlier when she spoke to Addison about their lunch plans was nowhere to be found. This made the redhead's brows furrow, wondering who this woman is and why Meredith was acting so cold despite the other's warm smile.
"Patricia Davis" was all that came out of Meredith's mouth, her hands clutching her purse tight. Addison noticed how suddenly Peter and Tom were behind them, it was the only time that the two men came close to them the whole time they were in the hospital. "I can't believe you're back in New York, it's been ages!" said the woman, Patricia, as Meredith called her. She kissed both of the blonde's cheeks, clearly ignoring the other woman's distant attitude towards her.
Addison remained silent, just observing the interaction between the two women. It was clear on Meredith's face that she doesn't want to talk. "Yeah, I just arrived" she replied, smile still tight. "Oh, are you staying at your penthouse or the brownstone?" the brunette asked, letting go of Meredith's arm.
The redhead's eyebrow rose at that question. She didn't know that Meredith had a brownstone, hell she didn't even know that Meredith lived in New York until a few hours ago! Her eyebrow rose higher as she heard the blonde's answer "We're staying at the brownstone." She doesn't know why Mer had to lie, another question she had to ask later. It seems like in just a few hours of being with Grey, Addison's head is full of unanswered questions.
"We?" Patricia asked, a little taken aback, just now aware of the neonatal surgeon's presence. She eyed Addison, eyes clearly judging the redhead. If she thought that she could intimidate the redhead, boy was she wrong. She was Addison Adrianne Forbes Montgomery, a double board certified, world renowned surgeon and heiress to the Forbes Montgomery wealth. There were very little things that could intimidate her, so this pathetic stare down the brunette was giving her was not affecting her at all.
Noticing how the redhead did not quiver under her gaze, Patricia gave her a tight smile. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there" she said, but it was clear as day that she was not sorry at all. "I'm Dr. Patricia Anne Davis, plastic surgeon, Meredith's friend" offering her hand to shake.
Addison noticed how the woman emphasized the 'Doctor', still trying to intimidate her. Smirking, the redhead answered as she shook her hand "Dr. Addison Adrianne Forbes Montgomery, OB/GYN, fetal and neonatal surgeon, nice to meet you." This seems to shock the brunette, clearly not expecting to be trumped by the other woman. The redhead internally snorted at her wide eyes.
Meredith's lips twitched into a subtle smirk, which did not go unnoticed by Addison. Clearly the blonde was amused by the short exchange between the two.
Letting go of the redhead's hand, Patricia once again faced Meredith "So are you back for good or are you going to disappear on us again?" there was a hint of bitterness as she spoke. This made Meredith frown, "I'm actually staying here now, for a fellowship."
"Well, that's great news" replied the brunette "We should get coffee sometime, to catch up." The blonde only smiled a little and nodded her head, but Addison could see that Meredith was reluctant to agree. "I heard Sadie was in New York too, we would finally be complete after you left us" added Patricia, excited for the idea of their little friend group being complete again. Though that didn't mean that she already forgave the blonde for leaving without a trace.
Addison was curious as to who this Sadie is, and the story behind Meredith's leaving. She was not oblivious to the brunette's bitter comments about Meredith's departure. It seems like the blonde left her friend on a bad note.
There were a lot of things Meredith was still hiding, and Addison was determined to know everything.
"Well, I'm sorry Trish but we have to go" the blonde said, done with the unwanted conversation. "We still have to eat lunch, so I'll just call you when I'm free" Meredith said as she grabbed Addison's hand, intertwining their fingers. This shocked the older woman, but played it cool by smiling softly despite the light blush on her cheeks and the butterflies going wild in her stomach.
The hand holding didn't go unnoticed by the brunette, whose eyebrow rose at the action. Patricia said goodbye with a tight smile. The two surgeons then turned their backs to head out the door when suddenly Patricia spoke again making them both freeze in their tracks.
"Oh by the way Death, say hi to your Jackson for me" she called out, earning a sharp intake of breath from Meredith.
Addison noticed how the blonde held her hand tightly, as if she'd collapse if she ever let goes. She was confused, it was just about Jackson so why is the blonde reacting so weirdly—Oh.
"I haven't seen that dear husband of yours since the last Avery Gala."
The older woman stood frozen in shock and unblinking, only moving when she felt Meredith tug on her hand. The two women were silent as they walked out the hospital doors. She was too surprised that she didn't notice Peter leaving to fetch the car. She only snapped out of her trance when Meredith nudged her towards the car that was waiting for them.
Husband.
Jackson Avery is Meredith Grey's husband.
Meredith Grey is married to Jackson, and Addison still can't believe it. It was the only thing that she could think of. It explains the nicknames, the pictures, and the relationship between them in general.
"Take us back to the hotel, we'll just order some room service instead of heading out" instructed Meredith. "And double check the area once we arrive, I doubt that Tricia would keep her mouth shut about my arrival" she added, closing her eyes tightly.
She didn't plan for Addison, who was sitting silently, to know her secret this early. She knows that the older woman already has a lot of questions inside her head, about her home and her identity, but she didn't expect for everything to be out in the open like this.
'I guess there's no escaping this conversation now huh' she thought, 'so much for a nice quiet lunch' she added, pinching her nose bridge.
She also didn't expect to bump into one of her old New York friends, and Trisha really had to open her big mouth. She knows that she would have to face the people she left behind years ago, but not this early, she's still not ready for the drama that seeing them brings.
The ride to the hotel was quiet, with the redhead still processing the new fact about Meredith that she just learned.
Jackson and Meredith… are married. What the hell.
Before heading up to the penthouse, Meredith told Tom and Peter to send someone to her brownstone, to check the property. After her unplanned meeting with one of her New York friends, it's better to be safe than sorry.
Sighing, Meredith walked towards the redhead who was patiently waiting by the elevator. Her nerves were shot, dreading the conversation that was coming. It was a conversation that meant she had to open up about her past that she tried to hide from her friends in Seattle.
Her life in New York was nothing bad, but it was different, very different. Keeping this part of her life a secret, meant normality… Well nothing about her life is normal from being known as the slutty intern and dirty mistress who held a bomb in her hand, almost drowned, survived a mass shooting and well to having a cheating husba—partner and now rooming with said cheating partner's ex-wife, yeah normal.
It was simpler than her life here in New York. It still has a lot of drama but it gave her a sense of freedom.
"You know we have to talk about it right?" said Addison, pulling Meredith out of her thoughts. They were now inside the elevator, away from the eyes and ears of other people.
The blonde took a deep breath and faced the other woman, who she didn't know was staring at her the whole time. "Yeah, I know" she huffed her cheeks, something Addison found cute, not that she'd tell the younger woman. "But I need alcohol for this conversation, so could we wait for the food first?" she murmured, avoiding the beautiful blue eyes that belonged to the curious and confused woman.
Addison nodded her head, she's been waiting for an explanation the whole time since they arrived. A few minutes more won't hurt. She wouldn't push despite her growing curiosity, it was clear that whatever Meredith was going to tell her, was something she kept hidden from all, if not most, of their friends.
They arrived at the penthouse and both agreed to change first into lounge wear before the food arrives.
The redhead was still getting used to the room she will be staying in for a few days, or weeks. Hell she was still getting her head wrapped around the idea that she's currently living with Meredith in the blonde's fucking million dollar penthouse.
Since the two of them would be staying in for the rest of the day, Addison settled on changing into a pair of leggings and her Yale hoodie. Despite being a fashionista, she still prefers to wear comfortable clothes when staying at home, it's not like Meredith would care, right?
Feeling a little bit conscious at the thought of the blonde seeing her in lounge wear and make-up free face; the red head decided to apply at least some lip gloss, different from the red lipstick she wore earlier.
As Addison walked out of her room and down the hallway, she noticed a door. She realized that they never went in there earlier when Meredith showed her around. Curious, she reached for the door knob, only to find it locked. 'Huh, that's the first locked room here' she thought.
Shrugging it off, she walked towards the kitchen to see Meredith wearing pajama bottoms and a tank top. She can't seem to take her eyes off from the blonde's creamy shoulders and nape, free for her to see as her hair was up in a messy bun.
"It seems like they forgot to stock me some tequila, so would you like white or red wine?" asked Meredith, looking at the wine cooler next to the small bar. When she didn't hear Addison's reply she turned around to face the woman only to see her staring at her.
"Addie?" she called out, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Snapping out of her thoughts, Addison replied "I'm sorry, what?" Meredith chuckled at the redhead "Would you like red or white wine?"
"Oh, red please" said the older woman smiling at the way Meredith chuckled. Addison went to the hanging wine glasses and grabbed two as the other woman grabbed their bottle of wine. Both walked towards the table out on the balcony, after agreeing that it was a nice day out.
They opened the bottle and enjoyed the silence between them, taking sips of their wine occasionally. It was peaceful, but Meredith knew it was the calm before the storm. She knew that once the food arrives she had to tell Addison the truth.
It hasn't been a day yet since the two reunited, but she was already letting the redhead enter and take part of this side of her life. She has shared more stories with her in the few hours they've been together than she ever did with Derek. When Addison came back from Seattle the first time, the two women decided to become friends and they had exchanged a few text messages and calls. Derek and Cristina found it weird, but Meredith enjoyed her short talks with the redhead despite what others think.
When Meredith moved her head to look at the woman sitting across from her, it was only then did she see how relaxed she was. Her red hair was let down, face bare, lips stained by the rich red wine, and cheeks a little flushed. Meredith had always thought that Addison was beautiful, but it was the first time that she saw her so laid back, it was a different type of beautiful.
She stopped staring once one of the hotel's staff entered the balcony bringing their food. It was nothing special, just the usual salad and steak.
When the waiter left, and after a few bites it was Meredith who spoke first after taking a deep breath. "I guess I have a lot of explaining to do huh" she said with an awkward chuckle. Addison smiled and wiped her lips with the napkin, "Yeah you do Grey, or should I say Monet-Avery."
Laughing at the older woman's teasing, Meredith spoke again "Well where do I start?"
"Well you could start with telling me who the hell you are Meredith" Addison spoke, before taking another bite of a potato.
Clearing her throat, the blonde started to explain "Um, for starters my real name is Meredith Ellis St. Claire Monet, I changed my name a couple years back just after finishing med school."
This earned her a confused looking Addison "Wait, so you're a St. Claire? Monet?"
This was harder than Meredith thought, but she knew she could trust Addison, so she kept going. It was weird how she could easily talk to her, even with all her trust issues.
"I was originally named Meredith Ellis Grey, but a few years after Thatcher left my mom I learned that he wasn't really my biological father—" she was cut off by Addison choking on a piece of steak. Quickly she offered the woman a glass of water, asking if she was okay, to which the redhead only replied with a nod.
"Wait, but Lexie? I remember the case with Molly" she said after catching her breath.
"Why did you think I was adamant on telling you guys that he wasn't my father and that she was not my sister" Meredith said, smirking a little. "I thought it was about him leaving you behind!" Addison replied, flailing her hands around.
This was a lot to take in. Addison could still remember how reluctant the blonde was from interacting with the Greys and how she kept telling Yang that Thatcher was not her father. She did not expect that she meant it biologically! She thought it was just the blonde refusing to be related to the man that left her behind.
"Do they know? Does little Grey know?" asked the redhead, remembering Meredith's sister-not-really-her-sister.
Meredith let out a sigh before shaking her head "No, Thatcher doesn't know and so does Lexie. It was a secret kept hidden by my mother. I wouldn't have found out had my real father come knocking on our door one day, demanding a DNA test." She drank a little bit of water before continuing "I didn't have the heart to tell Lexie, after how hard she tried to become my sister. She will always be my sister, maybe not by blood but I'll always love her as my sister."
Addison has heard from Callie about how the younger Grey tried so hard to win Meredith's affection and how the blonde was not happy about the thought of having a sister. "So your real father?" she asked, curious as to who the man was.
"My father, Anthony Monet, is a French-American business man my mother met during a three week vacation in France just before her internship, he was my mother's summer lover as my dad had said." Taking a deep breath Meredith spoke again "Ellis left dad without a goodbye, and despite being a cold woman, she actually fell for my father so when she got back to the States she got drunk and fell in bed with Thatcher, who my mom met at a bar."
Addison's eyes were wide open, she could not believe that The Ellis Grey had a summer lover and a very complicated love life. "Thatcher fell for my mother, even though it was clear as day that Ellis was still hung up on someone. So when my mom started to show signs of pregnancy Thatcher immediately thought that it was his, not knowing of my mom's summer affair."
Meredith took a bite of her steak. what? She was hungry and the food was good. After swallowing she continued. "My mom knew though, but being a prideful woman, she agreed to marry Thatcher after a few months to spare her from the gossip of being a single mother. I only met my real father when I was eight when he came to our Boston home after tracking Ellis down and hearing that she was finally divorced, claiming that I was his daughter and demanded a DNA test, Ellis didn't agree at first but my dad was persistent so in the end we did the test and tada turns out I was his daughter."
Meredith could still remember that day, when a tall brunette man came knocking at their door. It was one of the rare days that Ellis was home, though she spent it most of the time in her home office. She didn't understand what was happening during that time, but all little Meredith could think about was suddenly she had a new daddy, she finally had her real dad with her.
"So that explains the Monet on your name and this penthouse?" said Addison as she waved her fork around. "Yeah, dad gave me this penthouse the moment I turned 16 and the whole hotel when I turned 21" Meredith said nonchalantly. "But since I was still so young, and barely out of college during that time, I hired a few people to manage it for me and I just checked in at least once a month."
Addison's jaw dropped, she didn't expect that the blonde woman actually owns the whole hotel. Sure she thought after hearing that she was a Monet that probably her family owns the hotel, but it turns out she actually owns it herself. She then remembers her conversation she had with the blonde during their plane ride, about her personal assistant "I needed someone to look after some properties and all."
So that's why she needed a personal assistant, when she said properties Addison thought about maybe an apartment or two, not a whole entire hotel. Snapping out of her shock the redhead asked another question "Woah, so that explains the Monet, how about the St. Claire?"
Swallowing a potato, Meredith took a sip of her wine before she responded "My Grandfather, my mom's dad, is Nikolai St. Claire—"she was cut off by the redhead.
"Wait, hold up. THE Nikolai St. Claire of the St. Claire Pharmaceuticals and Technology?" she said wide eyed. "Yeah him, you know him?" asked Meredith, eyebrows furrowed.
Holy shit, Meredith is like fucking royalty.
"Who doesn't know Nikolai St. Claire? He's basically New York royalty with his multibillion dollar company! And you're his granddaughter?" Addison exclaimed, jerking her hand sending a poor piece of potato flying through the air to which made Meredith laugh.
"Well you do have a point" the blonde replied smiling shyly. "Meredith this is huge!" said the redhead, still in shock with the blonde's revelation.
"That's also one of the reasons why I changed my name back to Grey, just like my mom." Meredith said, smiling sadly. Her name carries too much pressure and also attracts too much attention from people. She had no choice; it was either to be known as Ellis Grey's daughter or to be known as the heiress to the Monet and St. Claire Empire. Even if she hates being in her mother's shadow and being compared to her, she would rather be known as that then have people kiss the ground she walks on just because of her family's wealth.
"Ever wondered why Ellis kept the name Grey, despite being divorced to thatcher?" The blonde said after a few seconds of silence. Addison arched her brow, as if to ask why.
"Well it's because she didn't want to be known as the only daughter of Nikolai St. Claire, she wants to be known as Dr. Ellis Grey, surgical goddess not Ellis St. Claire heiress to a multibillion dollar corporation" she said, rolling her eyes and letting out a deep sigh.
Addison understands the pressure that could come with a family name. Although not as much as Meredith, being a Forbes Montgomery was also very hard. The expectations that come with the name are very high, from learning various languages, to the pressure of being on top of your game. There was no room for imperfection and being inadequate.
"I understand, sometimes being part of a well-known and well-off family is hard." The redhead said with her own sad smile. "Bizzy, and the Captain would always talk about not embarrassing the family and how we should always act like a picture perfect family" she said with distaste.
"I guess you're just as WASPs as me then" added the red haired woman, to which Meredith laughed at as they clinked their wine glasses together.
It was silent for a while, as they finished their food, when another question popped up from the older woman's head. "Hey, don't think that I forgot about the Avery" she said glaring playfully at the blonde who playfully rolled her eyes in return.
Wiping her mouth with a napkin the blonde then answered "Yeah, I was married to Jackson for four years."
"Turns out it wasn't just Derek who was secretly married huh?" The redhead jokes, smirking and amused by the situation, despite the small pang of jealousy that she felt.
Meredith laughed at the hilarity of the older woman's words "Hey! I at least was divorced, unlike some people" she said with mirth.
The two women laughed heartily. If you told them that they would be laughing about the secret marriages years ago, they would have laughed at your face and called you crazy.
After calming down Addie once again asked "But how did that happen?"
"Remember the woman with Jackson and I, from the photo earlier?" the blonde said, receiving a nod from the redhead. "Yeah, Nana Tina, Jackson's grandmother?" said Addison
"As I told you before, Jackson and I would spend our summers together, we were best friends and we were close with Nana Tina" the blonde said, looking at the view before them, imagining what it was like before.
"Nana Tina!" screamed the two children, as they ran across the garden towards the open arms of their beloved grandmother.
"Jackie! Meri-bear! I've missed you!" said the woman, kissing each child's cheek and hugging them tightly.
"Nana we've missed you too!" said the little Jackson who was holding hands with little Meredith. "Yeah Nana, we also missed your cookies!" said the little girl who recently lost her front tooth.
Chuckling at the excited grins of the two children, Nana Tina stood up and grabbed both of their hands and headed to the kitchen to bake her babies some cookies "Well then let's go and bake some."
"Nana!" screamed a teary eyed Meredith. "Oh baby, what's wrong?" The old woman asked the 13 year old.
"Jackie told me my hair looks ugly" said the girl as she glared at the young boy who was laughing a few feet away. "Jackson Avery come here!" said Nana Tina, making the boy stop laughing and the young girl smiling.
"Why did you tell Meri her hair was ugly?" asked their Nana. "Because, it's color pink!" replied young Jackson, not meeting his grandma's eyes. "Well, that's not nice, go ahead and say sorry." Reprimanded the old woman.
"Sorry" mumbled Jackson, to which Meredith replied with a scoff. Seeing that the blonde girl was still upset, the young boy said "I'm sorry, I'll do anything for you to forgive me."
This made Meredith smile evilly "Anything?" Seeing this Jackson gulped and nodded his head "Yeah anything."
The blonde girl then grabbed Jackson's arm and ran towards her room, making their Nana laugh. Wondering what the girl has planned for her best friend.
A few hours later she was met by a pink haired pouting Jackson and a very happy Meredith.
"Now we're both beautiful" said the cheeky girl.
"Um Nana" called out Jackson from the other side of the bedroom door. "Come in Jackie" she replied.
"Can I talk to you for a bit?" said the 16 year old.
"Sure, come sit baby" replied Nana Tina, patting down the space next to her as she placed down the book that she was reading. "Where's Meri by the way?"
"She's in her room, sleeping." Said the young man as he sat beside his grandma. "Um, Nana I have to tell you something" he added, rubbing his head.
"Well spit it out boy" chuckled the old woman, amused by her grandson's blushing cheeks.
"I kissed Meredith" he said quietly, looking anywhere but his grandmother's eyes.
"Oh, well how did it go?" replied Nana Tina after she recovered from her shock.
"Well she kissed me back and smiled" said Jackson with a huge grin.
This made the old woman laugh, seeing her grandson smiling and happy because of a girl, a very special girl.
Snapping out of her thoughts Meredith turned her head back towards Addison and said "Jackson and I dated back in high school, and Nana Tina was the first person we ever told, but we broke up when we started university."
The redhead remained quiet, knowing that there is more to the story. The blonde took a deep breath before continuing "When we were in our last year of college, just a few years before med school, Nana Tina got diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer, she was getting weaker and we all knew that she was dying."
There were tears in the blonde's eyes, remembering her kind Nana. Addison immediately held the blonde's hand and offered her a kind smile. Meredith appreciated the redhead's action and smile back, wiping away the tears that escaped her eyes using her free hand.
"She, uh, she made a dying wish to see Jackson and I get married." She said smiling sadly at the memory "I didn't agree at first, because I was seeing someone else… but we broke up so I agreed in the end."
The St. Claire, Monet, and Avery family were gathered at the Avery Mansion's garden in the Hampton's.
The garden was decorated beautifully with a lot of fresh flowers and warm lights. It was almost sunset and the gazebo that was used as an altar was beautiful.
They gathered a few close friends and family, to celebrate the wedding of Jackson and Meredith.
It was a simple ceremony to be followed by a small dinner inside the house.
Meredith wore a simple white strapless floor length dress, and with flowers on her hair. Jackson wore a white suit and was standing at their makeshift altar.
Meredith was being led down the aisle by her dad and mother, who miraculously took a day off from work. Mer silently appreciated it, as it made the moment much more special.
They said their vows and exchanged their rings, as their friends and family sat there as their witnesses.
As Meredith said 'I do' she saw in her peripheral vision, a familiar back of a person, head down and walking away.
As they ran down the makeshift aisle, Meredith and Jackson saw how happy Nana Tina was, and everything was worth it. What could go wrong in marrying your best friend right?
A few weeks later, three days after the newlyweds got home from their honeymoon in Switzerland, Nana Tina passed away.
"I married Jackson at the Avery Mansion's garden, it was a small and intimate wedding." She smiled remembering the smiling face of Nana Tina. "But a few days after we got home from our honeymoon, in Switzerland, she passed away in her sleep." She finished with a small smile.
"Jackson and I stayed married throughout med school but something happened" The blonde said, but something in her eyes dimmed. Addison could see that that 'something' still affects Meredith, seeing that the woman is close to tears
"But we ended it on good terms, and promised to stay best friends… then we left for Seattle, me to the then Seattle Grace to be near my mom and him to Mercy West to be far away from his" she said looking at the view in front of them again, smiling softly.
Meredith learned to love Jackson again after they got married, and they really did try to make it work, but sometimes even though you fit perfectly together fate will always find a way to break you apart.
Jackie was her best friend, and even if their marriage failed, their friendship will still remain strong.
It was silent again, Addison allowing the blonde to breathe first before asking again "How come you chose to hide your relationship back in Seattle?" It still confuses Addison why they chose to act as if they don't know each other that well. If they chose to remain as best friends, why hide the friendship?
"Here in New York, our relationship was never a secret, almost everybody knew that we were married" Meredith replied, taking a sip of her wine again "and by everybody I meant those who were familiar of the medical field and those of the business world, and we were even featured at a lifestyle magazine" she said smiling remembering how her and Jackson thought it was too much and how stupid they looked.
"Oh I think I remember this one, back during my fellowship!" Addison mused, remembering how everybody kept talking about a newly married young couple both from well-known families, even talked about how both were aspiring surgeons and would possibly become a surgical dream team.
"Everybody was talking about it, but I was too busy being a fellow and all that I didn't really get to gossip about it." She said laughing about how Naomi would gush about it and she would wave her off, pissed about the charts she needed to do.
Meredith laughed along with her, thinking that it was funny how even before they met somehow they crossed paths even though it was through gossip.
"We didn't plan to hide it when we went to Seattle, but when we arrived nobody seemed to know about it. It was like a fresh start for the both of us so we kept it in the down low." She continued her explanation after they both calmed down.
"I made him promise to keep this part of my life a secret, because having Ellis Grey as a mother already caused too much pressure, drama and attention" she replied. "Imagine if they knew who I really was, and they knew my relationship with Jackson, it would have been chaotic" she added, chuckling a little at the thought.
"I'm surprised Richard never knew about this" Addison said, eyebrows raised, sipping her wine.
"Well my married name was different, and as I said I changed my name before entering Seattle Grace" the younger woman shrugged. "And I guess Ellis never really bothered to update him or he never really kept tabs on my personal life, other than sending me gifts during my birthday and graduations."
The redhead nodded her head, eating a piece of fruit from the fruit tray the waiter brought earlier. "Any more questions?" asked the blonde, rubbing her hands together.
Addison thought about it for a few seconds, and finally came up with another question "Hmm… who was that Patricia woman earlier?"
The blonde relaxed on her chair, grabbing a piece of strawberry before answering "One of my friends from college, her dad and my dad are friends."
Addie wanted to ask more, remembering the bitterness oozing from the woman's pores earlier. Surely there was something more to it other than that. But she stopped herself from asking, since Meredith looked exhausted from all the talk about her past so instead she said "Thank you Mer."
It was Meredith's turn to be confused, "For what?"
"For letting me stay here, for opening your doors, and for trusting me enough to tell me about this part of your life" Addie said genuinely, and smiling softly. She knows that Meredith doesn't just trust anyone especially with this part of her life.
Meredith was taken aback, and was silent for a moment. She knew that the redhead wasn't like the other people she blindly trusted before. Grabbing the other woman's smooth pale hand, Meredith stared at Addison's eyes and said "Thank you for listening, and you are always welcome here Addie."
They stared at each other's eyes, hands still intertwined for what seemed like hours, but was probably only a few minutes. There they were again, just enjoying the peaceful moment between them. They only broke their gaze when a waiter came in with their second bottle of wine and desserts.
The conversation that followed was light and fun. They didn't talk about the drama they left behind in Seattle and instead chose to exchange stories about trips, cases, and anything under the sun. The two surgeons failed to realize that the sun was already setting, only noticing once the air started to get chilly.
They moved to the lounge and decided to continue their talk there, with what seemed to be like their third of fourth bottle of wine. They kept laughing and smiling all throughout the night, forgetting about all the boy drama and chaos that life threw at them. It was only the two of them, in their own bubble.
Addie and Mer.
Mer and Addie.
They kept drinking and laughing as they ordered pizza for dinner. They enjoyed the moment, feeling relaxed and at ease with each other.
That night was a blur, full of laughter, smiles, hushed whispers, and even wandering hands.
The pair got so drunk that they woke up the next morning to a pounding headache, in Meredith's bed, laying in each other's arms.
Shit. What the hell happened last night?
A few hours earlier, in a high rise condo somewhere in New York.
The brunette walked inside her friend's luxury condo, with a smirk on her face "You wouldn't believe who I bumped into earlier."
"Who?" asked the person sitting on the couch, drinking a glass of champagne as she read an article in a medical journal.
"Guess" said the other woman with a playful smile on her lips.
"Just spit it out Trish" growled the other woman, slamming the journal shut, unamused by the other woman's teasing.
"You're no fun" pouted Patricia.
The dark haired woman on the couch only glared at her, impatient as always.
"Fine" Trish huffed, smirking again because she knows that what she's going to say next would surely shock the other woman.
"Meredith Ellis St. Claire Monet-Avery" she finally said, stressing the last name. Her tone was laced with a little teasing.
She watched in amusement how quickly the other woman's emotions changed from annoyed to surprise.
"Sh-she's back?" muttered the other woman, still in shock.
"Yes she is… and she's with a redheaded woman" she added, eyeing the dark haired woman, immediately noticing how her eyebrow rose.
"A woman?" she asked, hands clutching the champagne glass tighter.
"Yes a woman, a tall, beautiful, and smart woman" teased Trisha, sitting down on a loveseat. "They were laughing and holding hands, tightly, when I saw them."
"Who is this woman?" asked the other.
"Addison Adrianne Forbes Montgomery" spoke the brunette, observing the other's reaction.
The dark haired woman crossed her legs and leaned back "What's so great about her? Just another lowly woman" she scoffed.
Patricia chuckled "Oh no honey, she's a surgeon as well, double board certified and she was classy, probably from a rich family, she wasn't easily intimidated."
The other woman took a deep breath, calming herself "Maybe they're just friends, you know how Death could be a little flirt sometimes without her knowing."
"Yeah, sure, whatever you say" said the brunette as she played with her hair, before she gave her another mocking smirk. "You could believe whatever you want, but I saw it with my own eyes how Death looked at her, how she smiled softly and laughed loudly, you know the same looks she'd given someone once upon a time."
The other woman froze, and stared directly at the brunette's blue eyes, daring her to talk more.
Patricia stared back at the woman's gray eyes, still with a teasing smile despite the other woman's deadly gaze.
"Oh did I mention that they're living together?"
Suddenly the champagne glass that was once on the woman's hand flew to the wall, breaking into tiny little pieces. Trisha was unfazed though, still supporting a mocking grin.
"Calm down Lauren—"
"CALM DOWN?! CALM DOWN?! MY MEREDITH IS IN NEW YORK BUT SHE'S WITH ANOTHER WOMAN AND YOU WANT ME TO CALM DOWN?!"
It was silent for a while, only the heavy breathing of the frustrated woman could be heard. Suddenly the woman stood up from the couch and walked towards the floor to ceiling window and said…
"I am Natasha Lauren Ford, whatever I want, I get."
Slowly her lips formed into a smirk
"And I want Meredith St. Claire Monet all for myself." She growled, a small determined smile gracing her lips as she stared at a photo of her and a smiling blonde woman hanging on her wall.
"And I will have her, MY Meredith."
QUESTIONS FOR THE CHAPTER
- What was the most shocking thing about this chapter?
- Who do you think is Patricia?
- Who do you think is Lauren?
- Do you like long or short chapters (I need your opinion on this one)?
- What do you think happened that night?
- Speculations as to why Jackson and Meredith broke up?
- What do you think is inside the locked room?
