“No, it won’t!” Meredith complained to a very amused Cristina. The two became the other’s person a couple of months ago when they first started out as interns.
“Oh shut up! You’re going to New York to learn medicine.” Oh how she wanted to make Cristina shut up.
“You’re forgetting who I’m going with.” She sang with annoyance and frustration. Meredith didn’t hate the redhead but she preferred not having to interact with the neonatal surgeon.
“Oh please, I’m sure you will have separate rooms and there will be so many people there you won’t even notice her.” The blonde wanted to trust her friend’s words but there was also this strange feeling of excitement about this trip.
“Or she’ll eat me alive” they both laughed at that until the rest of the interns and their resident joined them at the nurses station.
“Yang you’re with Shepherd! Stevens you’re in the pit! O’Malley with Burke, Karev is off today due to sickness. Oh and Grey?” Bailey asked Meredith.
“Uhhh yeah?” She snapped her head up, ready to cry if she was assigned to Satan for another day.
“You’re on charts until you leave for New York.” The interns walked away wearing smiles when all Meredith could do was scoff at the boring charts in her hand.
••••••••••
“Ready to leave Grey?” She heard Addison say but she decided to ignore the woman for another minute or so. Hopefully satan would be quiet.
“Grey? I asked you a question?” Now Meredith just thought she was being bitchy, couldn’t the genius doctor see that she was busy?
“I heard you the first time, just finishing up this chart.” She seemed to have accepted that as she kept quiet until Meredith was done.
“Okay let’s go.” She simply stated and returned the charts to the station in passing.
••••••••••
They hadn’t spoken a word to each other since leaving the hospital but Addison was the one to break the silence.
“We need to eat something, a burger or sushi?” She was only met by two eyes asking her to be quiet. Something that only drove her to continue.
“Meredith”
“No.” She simply stated once again. The blonde really didn’t get why the smart and beautiful woman wanted to achieve from this. Wait, beautiful?
“You have to eat!”
“Why do you even speak to me? I screwed up your life, I can’t even look at you because it only makes me jealous and you are all tall, leggy and beautiful and I’m just me! So no. I do not want to eat sushi with you!” Addison was left in shock as the intern walked away to get to the gate.
Addison went to the closest sushi restaurant and ordered some avocado sushi for herself.
••••••••••
They ended up sitting next to each other on the plane as well which Meredith wasn’t very found of. But when Addison accidentally fell asleep and her head leaned on the other woman’s shoulder Meredith showed a small smile before returning to her magazine.
She would turn on her head from time to time just to catch herself staring at the other woman’s steady breathing, smiling as she did so. Except that this time she was met by a frown and she knew that Addison was having a bad dream.
The flight attendants rolled past the two with food with perfect timing, giving Meredith a reason to wake the girl up. She just moved a little and that was all it took for her to wake up with red cheeks and an embarrassing look in her eyes.
••••••••••
“You better be lying” the poor man at the check in desk would have peed his pants if it weren’t for Addison who tried to calm her coworker down.
“Come on Meredith we’ll fit in one room.” She said and turned to look at the man “Thank you for your service.” And flashed a grateful and sorry smile.
She was so not in the mood to take this conversation with Meredith but she knew that it would have to be discussed.
“You don’t have to hate me you know?” Meredith suddenly found interest in the dirt on the elevator floor. “I should hate you! You stole my husband from me and now you’re not even together! I got nothing because no one cares but you got nothing because you choose to not have people around!” Meredith just stood there, letting Addison give her all of her mind.
“You have a chance and you’re not taking it! All I want is to have a chance with someone I love but I can’t because that person is stuck on someone else!” Meredith did know what that was like. Well something similar, she so wanted her moms attention growing up but her mom was too focused on surgery to care.
“You don’t even want to eat lunch with me because you hate me. Stop hating me! I didn’t do anything to you and I can’t take you hating me anymore.” Addison was beginning to calm down and oh how Meredith hoped that they’d at least have separate beds.
The elevator door opened and they stepped out in silence. Meredith was still looking down as she followed Addison to their room.
“I’ll take the couch.” She just heard the attending say as she had walked towards the couch in the one bed hotel room.
“No Addison, I’m the one acting all McBitchy, you can take the bed and I’ll stay on the couch.” She even surprised herself by speaking but the relief on her coworkers face as she had realized that Meredith didn’t hate her as much as she thought.
The two got their stuff fixed and got ready for bed, it had been a long day and they were both exhausted. Meredith had turned the lights off and fallen asleep after hearing Addison’s quiet wish of goodnight.
••••••••••
“No! No! Meredith!” Meredith woke up to Addison’s loud nightmare stressed and worried. She debated on just ignoring it and going back to sleep but she couldn’t let the other go through that nightmare. It sounded pretty ugly and she did want to know what she had to do with it.
“Addison? Addison wake up!” She didn’t wake up from just verbal communication so Meredith gave up and got off the couch to wake her up. She had never seen Addison in such beautiful lights and between the short episodes of screaming and turning there was a calm look on her face. Her face that happened to be hit by the moonshine through the window.
She shook her head and put her hand on Addison’s shoulder to wake her up. It was a success as the redhead was thrown out of her nightmare immediately and clung to Meredith’s body like her life was depending on it.
“Never leave me Meredith. You’re all I have.” The soft whimpers and tight hugs caused confusion for Meredith but she decided to ignore that for now. Her coworker was obviously in a much more emotional place and somehow she was in the need of her presence so she stayed cuddled up to Addison that night.
••••••••••
Addison woke up at an arm wrapped around her waist and air tickling her neck. She froze for a second, how did that happen? Last night she was yelling at Meredith Grey for hating her and now that same girl was spooning her. Unless it was someone else and that would be an even bigger problem. But the neonatal surgeon has been aware of her affection to the intern for a while so she let herself be spooned, she actually pressed more into the girl’s front.
“Hmmmm” that noise alone could make Addison die with no regrets. “Sleeping better now?” Meredith was waking up but asleep enough to not realize where she were.
“Hi?” The insecurity and vulnerability that it was said with made Meredith open her eyes to see who was next to her.
“Oh yeah Addison, hi” she didn’t really want to get up yet which wasn’t good, she knew that feeling, the feeling of feelings.
“Can I tell you something?” Meredith wasn’t sure how to answer that but her act of cuddling closer and breathing in Addison’s hair was the only answer she had needed.
“I enjoy your company, I like watching you interact with patients when you don’t know I’m close. The fact that you and doctor O’Malley visits the newborns in stressful times and the way your eyes shine with happiness as you watch innocent life makes me happy.” Meredith had no idea what was going on but she didn’t feel the need to run away and hide.
“Addison?” She pushed herself up on her elbow and Addison turned around to face her. “I don’t hate you. I strongly dislike the situation and I hate Derek for what he did to us but I don’t hate you.”
“What he did to us?”
“He should never have been that absent, if I would’ve been in your situation I would have acted the sam away Addison. What you did was wrong but he kind of made his own bed.” Addison smiled sadly at that and locked eyes with Meredith.
“Will this- us- you and I being casual. Will it disappear when we go back to Seattle?” The neonatal surgeon didn’t want an answer to that question but she felt like she needed to ask it. She needed to know if she should prepare herself for disappointment and lonely wine drinking nights.
“I certainly hope not. Not talking to you was starting to become too hard. I even think we can be friends.” Meredith said with certainty.
“Maybe I want to be more than just friends?” Addison mumbled quietly and wondered where the hell all of the confidence came from.
“Then we’ll take care of that when it comes to it.” She said with a chuckle, caught a glimpse of the clock stating that it was only six in the morning and their conference didn’t start until one pm so she cuddled up to Addison and went back to sleep.
“We will come to it Addison, I’m very found of you and it’s strange, give me some time to process it.” She said before passing out.
••••••••••
“Hey Meredith! Meredith!” Addison would be dead when the blonde actually woke up from her beauty sleep. “Meredith!”
“Addie shut up I’m sleeping.” She mumbled tiredly.
“I know but it’s two pm! We’re late and we need to get up!” She said in panic and turned to get out of bed but was held back by Meredith.
“Mer let me go.” Meredith did just that but it was out of shook.
“Mer? Since when do you call me Mer?”
“Since you just decided to call me Addie.” She replied back. And Meredith made one of those newly constant smiles. She had never seen the intern smile this much.
“Addie?” She teased.
“Yes?” Addison answered her question with a question.
“We’re already late and it’s finished in three hours, can’t we just stay cuddled up in here? Order a pizza and just talk?” Addison liked that idea but she was also Meredith’s boss. She couldn’t just do that. But then again.
“As your attending and boss I’m telling you no. But as your friend and the one who woke you up in the middle of the night? Yeah why the hell not! Hawaii pizza? We can order a Ben and Jerry, half baked good?”
••••••••••
“Girls! We’re here!” Addison said as she jumped out of the car and looked at the city she and Meredith had gone to so long ago.
“Addie be quiet! They are sleeping!” Meredith hushed her wife and quietly closed her car door. She walked around and wrapped her hands around Addison’s body from behind. Her head on the taller woman’s shoulder.
“Can you believe it’s been ten years? Ten years ago it was 2005, I thought you hated me and all you did was falling for me.” They chuckled and Meredith kept her arms around Addison as she turned in the embrace.
“You know I love you right?” The redhead asked playfully with the same old smile as she wore the day she proposed, the day she was dressed in white and said “I do”, the smile that multiplied by infinity whenever she watched their daughters Zola and Emma play. The smile that once again popped up as Meredith had told her about her pregnancy test being positive, Addison had that same smile now and Meredith fell in love with her every time she saw it.
“Yeah baby, I know.” She kissed her. “I love you too.” They kissed again but were interrupted by their three year old banging on the window. “This will be fun baby, you and me alone at night with the kids at their grandma’s.” Meredith and Ellis had somehow formed a relationship during the past couple of years and her mother had even been present at their wedding.
“Maaaaamaaaaaa!” They both looked at each other and kissed once more before opening the doors for their daughters.
“Woah! Mama, ne ork’ is so pretty” their youngest, Emma, claimed and well no one could say anything about that. It was absolutely breathtaking.
“Yeah, wanna go and see your rooms?” They had bought an apartment on the outside of New York City and they had spent days packing stuff for their vacation place.
••••••••••
After leaving their kids at Meredith’s mom’s house in New York which she had bought when she took the position as chief of surgery at one of the best hospitals in the state two married couple were in the car again.
“You know I love you right?” Addison asked her again.
“That’s the second time you’ve asked this today. What did you do or what do you want?” Meredith laughed at the situation.
“Don’t be mad but I have something planned and we’re not going home tonight.” Curiosity rushed all over Meredith and she was excited.
“Why on earth would I be mad?”
“Because you used to hate surprises?”
“Yeah but I trust you.”
“We’re here.” Addison said as she took a right turn and parked their car in the parking lot.
“Addison I-“ Meredith was speechless, never would she have thought of booking them the hotel that marked the beginning of their story.
“Let’s go inside.” And Meredith followed happily.
••••••••••
“Happy birthday dear Emma, happy birthday to you!” They all sang and watched how Emma blew out the 13 candles and showed them all her beautiful smile.
“Thanks guys!”
“Did you make a wish?”
“Of course I did!”
Meredith and Addison looked at their happy family of five and shared a quiet moment of peace as all of their kids were being nice to each other.
••••••••••
A couple of days later and Zola came running into their bedroom and jumped onto their big bed screaming and shouting without making any sense. The long time married couple had to break apart their cozy cuddling positions and calm their daughter down.
“Calm down Zozo! No one understands you right now.” Meredith almost laughed at her own daughter.
“I got in! I got in! Early acceptance for college! I got in!” The three of them couldn’t stop smiling at that. Fifteen and already ready for college.
“You’re gonna be mama’s little college student, damn, college oh boy I’m old.” Meredith said as she realized what this all meant.
“You’re old? What about me? I’m going to be fifty soon?” At that her daughter and Meredith just laughed. “Okay you know what? Mer honey? You are sleeping on the couch tonight!” Addison said and smiled at them both.
••••••••••
“Happy 30 years of marriage Meredith”. They simply just stood there, in their own dream house that took place in a big apartment in New York. After Zola got into medical school at Columbia, Emma got into dancing, a lot of dancing. She had always been a dancer from the moment she knew how to walk she could dance. So she is in college and getting ready to teach dance in the near future. And Henry who is living his best life in pre med, thinking about going into OB/GYN and taking after his mommy.
“Happy 30 years of marriage Addie” she said into the kiss.