Help is Around the Corner
Addison and Derek's trailer catches fire, and Meredith offers them a place to stay for a while.
"Where's Derek?" says Izzie, as she moves past Derek's muesli to find some ingredients for baked apple oatmeal.
"Maybe he left?" says Cristina.
"No, actually he's outside," says George. "I went for a walk this morning, and he's out on a hammock," he shrugs.
"Seriously?" says Izzie.
"Is there coffee yet?" says Cristina.
"In the coffee pot," says Izzie.
"Nice, oatmeal," says Alex, as he reaches over Izzie to get some.
"Now you at least need a bowl and a spoon," says Izzie.
"Oatmeal," says Callie, as she pours herself a bowl because she stayed the night last night.
"Hey, where's Mer?" says Cristina.
"They aren't up yet," says Alex.
"We should wake them," says George.
"Do you want to wake Derek? Or do you want to wake Meredith and Addison?" says Izzie.
"Neither!" says George.
"Well somebody has to do it," says Alex.
"You do it then!" says Izzie.
"I'll wake Meredith and Addison, Cristina you wake Derek," says Callie.
"Fine," says Callie.
"Yo, McDreamy, get your ass out of... The hammock... Izzie's made oats," says Cristina.
"Cristina?" says Derek, grumbling. "Time for work. And why are you outside?" says Cristina.
"Meredith was snoring last night," says Derek.
"And you can hear that from all the way down here?" says Cristina.
"Yes, well, it's really loud, I can," says Derek. "And I like the fresh air."
"Alright, whatever, get up if you want breakfast," says Cristina.
"Thanks, Yang," says Derek, yawning.
"Addison... Meredith..." Callie knocks on the door gently.
"Addison... Meredith..." Callie tries again.
There isn't a stir, so she opens the door, and walks up close to them. Addison and Meredith are out like a light next to each other, wrapped so tightly around each other that Callie can hardly tell them apart, with Doc resting on both of their foreheads.
They look so happy that Callie doesn't want to disturb them, but she has to, and she notes to herself that she'll have to ask Addison about this later.
"Grey, Addison, come on," says Callie, as she moves in and nudges them.
"Mm-" says Meredith.
"Mm?" says Addison, as they move even closer together.
"Come on, it's time to get up," says Callie, as she nudges them again.
They don't move, so Callie takes desperate measures, and pulls them gently apart.
"Hey!" says Meredith.
"Callie!?" says Addison.
"Breakfast!" says Callie.
"Sleeping!" says Meredith.
"Come on, we let you sleep in already," says Callie.
"Fine," says Meredith.
"Alright..." says Addison, as she gets up reluctantly.
"Rr!" says Doc.
"Come on Doc, you get to nap whenever you want," says Meredith.
"Rr!" says Doc.
"We gotta go," says Addison.
"Rr!" says Doc.
"Good day to you too, Doc," says Callie.
"Rr!" says Doc.
Callie heads downstairs, and lets Meredith and Addison get ready as she eats her oatmeal.
"You snored so loudly last night," says Derek.
"Who, me?" says Meredith.
"Maybe Addison too," says Derek.
"He slept outside," says Izzie.
"Outside?" says Addison.
"On the ground?" says Meredith.
"No, I brought my hammock," says Derek.
"Oh," says Addison.
"Well, I slept well at least," says Meredith.
"Me too," Addison smiles.
Izzie feeds Meredith and Addison oatmeal, which they eat quickly along with drinking their coffee before they head into work.
"You look better rested today," says Burke, as he passes Addison and Meredith.
"Yeh, we slept together last night, it worked out," Addison shrugs.
Burke chokes on his coffee, and Richard Webber approaches them before he can clarify.
"We've got a transplant case today," says Richard. "The patient may be pregnant, so I'll need your help," he adds.
"Got it," says Addison.
"Okay then," says Richard, as he walks away.
"You slept with Grey!?" Burke whispers to Addison.
"Well-" Addison starts saying before Derek joins them.
"Did you know about this!?" says Burke.
"What?" says Derek.
"She-" Burke starts talking, but then he's interrupted by Bailey.
"Dr. Shepherd, they need you in the pit," says Bailey.
"Thanks, Bailey," says Derek, as he heads there.
"Did you know about this!?" says Burke.
"About what?" says Bailey.
"Addison, we need you know," the Chief comes running over. "Bailey, you too," says Richard.
"Tell me later," says Bailey.
"Alright," says Burke.
Bailey, Richard, Addison, and Alex who is on Addison's service, rush into surgery.
Meanwhile, Cristina meets Burke and they share a second cup of coffee together.
"Did you know that Addison was sleeping with Meredith?" says Burke to Cristina.
"What?" says Cristina.
"They were sleeping together, that's what Addison said this morning," says Burke.
"Wait, sleeping together? Or sleeping together," says Cristina.
"I don't get what you mean," says Burke.
"They've been sharing a bed for weeks now, that's not news," says Cristina.
"It isn't?" says Burke.
"No," says Cristina.
"Oh," says Burke.
"Why?" says Cristina.
"Oh, nothing," says Burke. "Does Bailey know about this?" he asks her.
"Probably not, or maybe because she's Bailey. Why?" says Cristina.
"Oh, I just said I'd tell her later," says Burke.
"Why?" says Cristina.
"Well, it concerns Meredith, I thought she might be interested in it," says Burke.
"Hey, don't gossip about Meredith's life to her boss," says Cristina.
"Fine," says Burke. "Does Derek know?"
"He does, he's staying at the house too," says Cristina.
"And he's fine with that?" says Burke.
"Yeah," says Cristina.
"That is... Unusual," says Burke.
"A little, but in the grand scheme of things, a lot of things are unusual in Meredith's life," admits Cristina.
"True," Burke shrugs. "Are you going to tell Shepherd?" says Burke.
"He already knows, I said that," says Cristina.
"Alright then," says Burke, walking away.
Meanwhile, Cristina decides to tell Meredith this in case something comes out of it.
"So Burke overheard Addison saying she 'slept with Grey,' and I made him promise not to tell Bailey and Webber, but I don't know if he'll do it anyway, so just so you know," says Cristina.
"Well, it's the truth," Meredith shrugs.
"Yeah, but that could be misinterpreted as 'not sleeping, sleeping,' which will cause rumors that Addison's been cheating on Derek, and not only cheating on Derek, but cheating on Derek with YOU," says Cristina.
"They'd know it's not true though, right?" says Meredith.
"Not so sure about that," says Cristina.
"Right, well, I don't know what to say. People can spread rumors all they want, but that doesn't have to mean anything. We're not having an affair," says Meredith.
"Right, you're not, but your friendship with her... It's getting... Intimate," says Cristina.
"We're close," says Meredith.
"You're basically attached at the hip," says Cristina. "You and I are close. You are my person. And we sleep in the same bed sometimes, and we share a lot of stuff, and understand each other. But you and Addison... This is beyond that," says Cristina.
"She's just always there for me. And we get along. And I feel so lost without her. What am I going to do?" says Meredith.
"Well, what do you want to do?" says Cristina.
"I don't know," says Meredith.
"Well, you'll probably want to figure that out," says Cristina.
"Ass," says Meredith. "Of course I want to figure it out."
"You can tell me. I'm your best friend, if there's something going on, you can tell me right?" says Cristina.
"Right..." says Meredith. "Okay fine, but you can never tell anyone ever-" says Meredith.
"Of course not," says Cristina.
"So the other day, Addison was doing yoga. In our room-"
"Wait, so you call it 'our,' room, like yours and her's?" says Cristina.
"Well it is," says Meredith.
"Well it's your room, and she's crashing there," says Cristina.
"We share, it's our room. And anyway, as I was saying. The other day, Addison was doing yoga. And she was wearing this thin tank top. And I was looking at her, and I was so hot. She's so hot, Cristina. She's got a body like I don't even know, and she was stretching- she's flexible- and her calves are tight, and her abs are wild, and her hips are so sculpted, and she's just beautiful, okay?" says Meredith.
"Okay," says Cristina.
"And more than that, she's smart. And kind. And funny! And I kinda wanna kidnap her forever. How wild is that?" says Meredith.
"Pretty wild," says Cristina.
"So what should I do!?" says Meredith.
"Have you told her any of this?" says Cristina.
"No! And I can't! She's married, Cristina. I can't do that to her. I already fell for her husband once. I can't fall for her too! What would that make me!?" says Meredith.
"A Shepherd-magnet?" offers Cristina.
"Ha- not funny!" says Meredith.
"Or, you could try to make her come to you?" says Cristina.
"And how would I do that?" says Meredith.
"You could flirt with someone else, see if you can make her jealous?" she offers.
"Ooh! Will you do it?" says Meredith.
"Oh no, not me. I've got Burke," says Cristina..
"Izzie?" says Meredith.
"She's got Alex," says Cristina, without missing a beat.
"George?" says Meredith. And then she pauses. "No, that won't work... Hm... I don't think flirting with Derek would get in her good graces," says Meredith.
"Unlikely," says Cristina.
"Callie?" says Meredith. "Oh wait, she's with George," Meredith huffs.
"You'll figure it out," says Cristina, smiling at her.
"This is an excellent plan. Thank you Cristina!" says Meredith.
"What can I say? I am a mastermind," says Cristina, as she walks away smirking.
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***** END OF CHAPTER 18
Author's note:
Did I just-
Thanks all.
You're fantastic!
bobbiejelly