Falling Apart, Barely Breathing

Chapter 23: What A Difference A Day Makes

Author's Note:

This is the longest chapter posted of this one so far,

And it is ALL for you, fans. All for you.

ENJOY!

@bobbiejelly

PREVIOUSLY ON "FALLING APART, BARELY BREATHING":

Meredith lets her voice trail off completely now, as she lets it all sink in what she's saying...

(About WHOM she's saying these things, she thinks to herself. About her mystery lover still, but mostly not. Mostly, she's thinking about ADDISON...)

(Could she be just Addison's friend if Addison doesn't or didn't like her back that way?)

(Could she even stand it? Being that emotionally intimate with her and then not being able to touch them in more than a friendly way? Not being able to kiss her like she wanted to-)

(Would my love be enough to be enough for me if she only lets me have her like that, rather than nothing at all? Would I stay or go? Would I walk away? Would I leave her?)

(As more than a friend, but less than anything else... If it were Addison, would I ever walk away? Or would I stay? If I were only ever going to be second-best to her)

(How long would I stay by her side and then not let go?)

END OF FLASHBACK SEQUENCE.

Falling Apart, Barely Breathing

In Which Addison meets Meredith in a bar. Things spiral from there. This is the story about what might have happened after Meredith asks Derek to "Pick Me, Choose Me, Love Me" but before he decides to do anything about it, and after SHE decides to do something about it. MerAdd. Meddison. Set during "Bring the Pain" GA. An Addison Montgomery/Meredith Grey - Grey's Anatomy Fanfiction. Written by me, @bobbiejelly

Chapter 23: What a Difference a Day Makes

"You never know the biggest day of your life is going to be the biggest. The days you think are going to be big ones, they are never as big as you make them out to be in your head. It's the regular days, the ones that start out normal. Those are the days that end up being the biggest...." - Izzie Stevens, in her voiceover voice.

During the operation on the Teratoma patient, John, Addison is enjoying her company.

She's enjoying the simple banter with the boys, Alex Karev and George O'Malley.

Much more than she might have otherwise expected to enjoy their company, that is (them being only her interns.)

But she enjoys how they all get along. And how they let her get along with them, with them.

And Addison is grateful, more than anything, that each of them has such a supportive group of friends at their side.

And she's grateful they have each other's backs, even if they're also competing against each other.

And she's grateful they're dating each other rather than dating people like Derek or Burke all over again.

And she's grateful they're letting her into their lives. She feels like she's slightly at least, a part of their quirky little world. And it's something she's strangely proud of.

More proud at least than of being a part of the Seattle Grace Attending Physician's club at times.

God, even Bailey didn't have that cross to bear, her being only a resident. (Not that anyone treated her like "only a resident"- or had in a very long time.)