Title: It Takes A Village
Authors: Sara and Lizzie
Rating: T for language, sex, you know.
Disclaimer: We happen to own our personal anatomies, not Grey's. Or Patrick Dempsey's. Sadly.
Summary: Sequel to "A Tale Of Two Cities". The raising of Meredith and Derek's three children by the Seattle Grace family. In addition, a Mark and Derek adventure will test Addison and Meredith to their limits.
Author's Note: First chapter. Enjoy. Review.
"Mommy!"
"Yea, Cam?" Meredith asked, smiling at her daughter.
"There's a package! And it has my name on it!"
"I know, Cam. It's your birthday gift from Aunt Addison."
"I thought she gave me my middle name."
Meredith smiled. Cameron loved her 'aunt' Addie. "She did, baby, but apparently she also sent you a birthday present."
"Can I open it?"
"Of course, Cam." She said. Using her scissors to open the box, Meredith extracted a huge, perfectly wrapped box, covered in shiny silver paper, topped with a pink metallic bow. Meredith shook her head, smiling. It was so Addison. Surgeon by day, Martha Stewart by night.
She handed the box to Cameron who tore open the wrapping paper, and ripped open the top of the box. She pulled out an exquisite wool coat, navy blue with tortoise shell toggle buttons. Meredith peered at the label.
Louis Vuitton. Paris. Cameron looked at it with wide eyes. "Pretty." She breathed. Meredith stared at it, and reached for the phone.
"Addison Montgomery."
"Louis Vuitton, Addison?"
"He just started making children's outerwear!" Addison said, laughing.
"You bought my daughter couture for her fifth birthday?"
"Hey, just because her parents look like they've just stepped out of an L.L Bean add doesn't mean she has to be a fashion disaster. Does she like it?"
Meredith looked down at Cameron, who was now wearing the coat over her clothes, despite the fact that house was fully heated against the November cold. "She loves it. But Addison, you really shouldn't have."
"I know. I wanted to. Wait until you see what she's getting for Christmas."
Meredith groaned into the phone. "Addison, you're spoiling my daughter!"
Addison laughed. "I've got something great for the boys too."
Meredith rolled her eyes. "I'll see you at Christmas, Addie."
"See you soon Mer." She hung up the phone, feeling awfully uneasy, as she often did after talking to Addison. They were friends now or something, she supposed. Well, Derek and Addison were friends now. Mark and Derek were friends. Meredith wanted to be friends with Addison, she was just so uncomfortable. They were still walking on eggshells around each other, even though Meredith could joke around with Mark until the cows came home.
"Well, don't you look like a princess, princess?" Derek exclaimed to Cameron in the living room.
"Aunt Addie gave me a coat for my birthday!" Derek picked up Cameron and swung her around.
"You look beautiful in that coat, princess." Meredith came into the living room and Derek picked her up and swung her around too, kissing her full on the lips. "Hello, gorgeous." He said, grinning.
Meredith's eyes lit up, and she shook her head in disbelief. "You didn't!" she shrieked. "You got chief?" Derek nodded proudly, and Meredith put her hands on his cheeks and kissed him again, hard. "Derek, I'm so happy for you."
"Happy enough to celebrate later?" he whispered in her ear. She gave him a look, and he rolled his eyes. "I know, I know. Condom ad. Promise." Meredith threw her arms around him and hugged him again.
"You're going to be great, Derek." She looked at Cameron, who was prancing around in her coat. "Your ex-wife sent her a Louis Vuitton birthday coat."
Derek rolled his eyes. "Naturally. She'll make it her life mission to keep our daughter swathed in couture." Meredith looked back at Cameron and smiled. She blinked twice and looked around, listening. The house was oddly quiet…
"Derek?"
"Yea?"
"Where are the boys?"
"Shit."
"Daddy!"
"Daycare?"
"Mer, I'm sorry. I was on my way to pick them up, and then Richard came to talk to me about chief…"
Meredith rolled her eyes. "I'll go get them, Der."
"I'll start dinner."
Meredith laughed. "Like you'd let me cook."
She walked into the daycare center at Seattle Grace twenty minutes later. "Hi Dr. Shepherd." The attendant said. "Here for Jack and Ryan?"
Meredith nodded. "Derek forgot to pick them up." Her boys ran up to her and each threw a pair of arms around her legs. Meredith smiled down at them, and ruffled their hair. "Hey guys. Daddy's sorry he forgot you, but he got some very good news today."
"Derek got chief." Meredith looked up into the face of her friend.
"Aunt Cristina!" the boys shouted, disentangling themselves from Meredith and running towards Cristina.
"Cristina…" Meredith started, stammering, preparing herself for the backlash. But Cristina's brow furrowed.
"Burke got chief too."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously. Apparently, they'll be co chiefing together."
Meredith grinned. "Well that's cute. They can go on chiefly fishing trips and play chiefly rounds of golf. Do you think they know this? Derek didn't mention it.
"Neither did Burke. Where's Mr. Mom now?"
"At home with Cameron, making dinner." Meredith grinned devilishly. "Care to dine at la casa Shepherd this evening?"
Cristina grinned back at her. "We'd love to." She whipped out her cell phone and fired off a text message to Burke. "What did you do on your day off, Mommy dearest?"
"Watched my daughter get a four thousand dollar birthday present from Addison."
"Jesus, she bought her a car?"
"Hardly. Louis Vuitton jacket."
"You have got to stop talking to her. Seriously. Cut off all contact."
Meredith rolled her eyes. "Don't I wish?"
When Meredith entered her home half an hour later, with Burke and Cristina in tow, Derek was wearing an apron in the kitchen, singing Bon Jovi into the spoon he was using to stir the sauce for their pasta, and dancing with Cameron who was still wearing her birthday gift.
Meredith motioned for the boys to quiet and stood in the doorway of the kitchen with Burke and Cristina. When Derek looked up and noticed them, he reached out and immediately paused the CD player and cleared his throat. "Preston, Cristina." He said.
Burke smirked at him. "Giving love a bad name, Derek?" He quipped strolling into the kitchen. Derek wiped his hands on his apron and looked at him uncomfortably. Burke's uncomfortable look matched his own. "You've heard the news, then?"
Derek nodded solemnly. "How are you taking it?" he asked Burke, who blinked at him in confusion.
"I'm ecstatic. How are you taking it?"
"Well, I'm pretty pleases myself," Derek said, slowly, confused. "I have always wanted to be chief."
"I'm chief."
Derek laughed. "No, Richard told me I'm chief." He looked at Meredith and Cristina who both looked at the floor or the ceiling and nodded. "We're both chief." He said, causing Burke to follow his eyes.
"You two knew this?"
"We figured it out. You should talk to Richard in the morning." Meredith said smirking. "Argue over who gets the office without the windows. This is cute though. You two, co chief. Think of all the conferences you'll be able to go to together."
"Chief camping trips." Cristina supplied helpfully.
Meredith looked at her and grinned. "I wish I knew how to quit you." She muttered in a bad western accent.
Derek's jaw dropped. "Brokeback Mountain jokes? That move is like, six years old."
Burke looked at Derek. "You saw Brokeback Mountain?"
Jack tugged on Cristina's sleeve. "What's Brokeback Mountain?"
Cristina smiled sweetly at him. "Your daddy and Uncle Burke will tell you when you're older.