I couldn't help myself.
Mark walked up the front steps after a grueling day at the hospital. He had gotten home as soon as he could. Cristina was babysitting the kids and he didn't trust his brood to make it easy on her. From the moment she had found out about her pregnancy she had insisted that they let her babysit. Mark and Izzie were hesitant. She had tried to convince them by using Meredith's kids as an example, but Meredith Derek's two boys were much more compliant than their four. Not to mention they were 4 and 1. Kyle was old enough to stay out of things and Matt was to little to walk very far. He found Cristina in the kitchen trying to feed his son and the youngest of the clan. '
"Daddy!" Mark smiled at his two year old boy.
"Hey there James. How are those peas?" He laughed at the little boys face of disgust.
"Thank God your home."
"What Cristina couldn't handle it?"
"They run and talk and disappear. How do you do this all the time?"
"You get used to it." He chuckled at her frustration.
"Daddy!" Mark leaned down to pick up the four year old little blond girl running at him.
"Hey princess. Where have you been?"
"Upstairs in my room."
"Doing what?"
"Coloring."
"Did Aunt Cristina give you your coloring books?" The mischievous grin on her face concerned him.
"No."
"No."
"I colored my walls."
"You colored on your walls? Cristina?"
"I fed her and then I was feeding him."
"Elizabeth sit by your brother. We need to talk about you coloring on you walls, but right now I need to find your sisters"
"Yes sir."
"Thank you. James eat you peas if you want a bubble bath. You have to bribe him to eat his vegetables."
"Why didn't you tell me before I started babysitting?"
"Slipped my mind. Elizabeth make sure he eats the peas."
"I will."
Mark headed up the stairs to find his other two children. At the top of the stair he turned to the left. He thought it would be best to find his oldest first. He knocked before entering. His eight year old was big on privacy. He couldn't blame her with two little sisters and a little brother. They had plan to stop after Elizabeth, but he really wanted a son and Izzie hated odd numbers so decided to have one more and 9 months later James was born. He knocked again.
"Come in."
"Hey sweetheart. What are you doing."
"Math homework."
"Alright. Have you seen Charlotte?"
"No."
"Ok I'm going to go find her. Did you eat?"
"Yes. Aunt Cristina fed us all. Daddy when is mom coming home?"
"She will be in tomorrow afternoon."
"Ok." With that Amelia turned back tucked her blond hair behind her ear and set back to figuring out her homework.
Mark walked down the hall to Charlotte's room. He opened the door, but there was no six year old inside. He knew she wasn't down stairs. He stood in the hall and wondered where she could be. He faintly heard the sound of what could only be described as splashing, and he knew exactly where she was. He walked in to the room he shared with his wife. He headed to the bathroom door and opened it. Sure enough there in the whirlpool tub was his daughter in her bathing suit trying her best to swim. Izzie insisted that all of their children know how to swim, but Charlotte had an unnatural draw to the water and she loved it. She utilized the pool in the backyard, but it was December and cold out. He couldn't help but smile. He was a lucky man.
"Charlotte Paige Sloan. Get out of the bathtub." He could tell she was startled but she was great at hiding it.
"But daddy I can hold my breath for a whole minute."
"That's great baby, but get out of the tub."
"Do I have to?"
"Yes" He grabbed a towel and carefully lifted her up out of the water. Her long dark curly hair was soaking wet. He sat her down and grabbed another towel to dry her hair with. It amazed him how his children could get into so much trouble so quickly. Cristina only had to watch them for two hours. The only reason Izzie had caved was because she was at a conference with Meredith and Addison, Callie was working late, her mom was out of pocket, Derek was with the boys, and the nanny was out of town. He was certain nothing could happen in two hours. How wrong he was. He led Charlotte into her room and left her with instruction to get into her pj's and leave her bathing suit on the dryer downstairs. When he reach the kitchen again Cristina was cleaning up the mess the kids had made.
"Elizabeth I want you to go put up all the toys you got out right now and when you finish that meet me in the bathroom upstairs."
"Ok." She hopped down and ran up stairs. Elizabeth never walked anywhere. She was so full of energy, but she was the sweet one. She looked just like her mother. Acted like her too. It helped him not to miss Izzie so much if Elizabeth was with him. He picked James up.
"Cristina you don't have to clean all of this up."
"I know, but I feel bad. I had no idea what you and Izzie dealt with."
"They're not so bad. You just have to keep an eye on them. I'm going to give him a bath and then put them all to bed. Thanks for watching them." He meant it. Even if Elizabeth's wall was covered in crayon and Charlotte had decided to swim in his bathroom Cristina had still done them a favor.
"It put things in perspective."
"I bet. Thanks again."
"No problem." He climbed back up stairs to give his son a bath.
An hour later, James was asleep, and the girls were all tucked in bed. He knew that even though she was in bed Amelia was reading. She had always been the perfect child. She made good grades, did her homework, and helped out with her siblings. Tomorrow was her day. Izzie and Mark had made a schedule to spend one on one time with each child once a week so they didn't feel overlooked or left out. With four kids it was hard to give equal attention when some were pulling harder than others. It worked well. He was exhausted. He laid down in his bed and it felt very lonely. Izzie was gone. Even though she would be back in the afternoon she was gone at the moment and he felt very lost with out her. He closed his eyes and tried to get comfortable.
He was almost asleep when he heard the door open to his room. He expected it to be James. He didn't always sleep well in his new bed. James was very much like Mark. He didn't like to admit when he was scared and he missed his mom terribly. Mark rolled over to comfort his son, but it wasn't James it was a tall beautiful woman.
"I took an earlier flight. I couldn't be away from home any longer."
He got out of bed and quickly gathered her up in his arms and kissed her with all the pent up passion of the three days she had been gone.
"If that's the kind of welcome I get, I'm going to go away more often."
"Don't you dare."
"I missed you." She kissed him softly.
"I missed you. So have the kids."
"I missed them too. How did Cristina do?"
"Well nothing permanent unless you count crayon on the wall permanent."
"Elizabeth?"
"Who else?"
"Are they all asleep?"
"Yes."
"Good. I'm going to change and then we can sleep."
"And by sleep you mean?"
"Sleep."
"I was afraid you might."
Izzie changed and climbed into bed with her hunky husband. He wrapped his arms around her and breathed her in. It was heavenly. She missed her life. They all had. It's why they had decided to come home early. Now she was where she belonged. She edged closer to sleep until she heard...
"Mommy?" It was Amelia.
"Baby why aren't you in bed?"
"I thought I heard you. Why did you come back early?"
"I missed you guys."
"Mommy?"
"Yes baby?"
"Can I sleep with you and daddy tonight? I missed you."
"Of course." She pulled back the covers and the little girl climbed into her embrace. Amelia would always be her first baby. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.
"Daddy...Daddy." Mark woke up to James talking in his ear.
"What is it son?"
"Bad dweam."
"You had a bad dream?"
"Uh huh."
"Ok well lay down." Mark reluctantly let go of Izzie and rolled onto his back so James could cuddle in next to him.
"Charlotte. Mommy's home."
"She doesn't come home till tomorrow Elizabeth. Go back to bed."
"I saw her."
"Where?"
"In bed with daddy, Amelia, and James."
"Ok come on then."
Izzie opened her eyes. She felt oddly weighed down. She looked around. All four of her children were in bed with them. She smiled. Her life was perfect. She felt Mark stirring beside her.
"They are all in here?"
"Yep, and I couldn't be happier."
"We could always have one more."
"No more. Four is good. We're perfect."
"Whatever you say beautiful, whatever you say."
Now it's complete. Tell me what you think.