EVERYTHING I OWN
This is third in a series.
1. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
2. Driving Sideways
AU Mer Der
This fic takes place about 15 years after Driving Sideways (enjoy... and don't forget that I like comments ;) )
The blue-silver corvette sped effortlessly down the wet street, the salt and water from the road splashing up onto the sides as the driver made his way to his destination. There was no hurry, but there was a schedule to keep if he wanted to make it to his grandmother's house around the same time as his parents. He slowed his speed as he entered the town, the small town where his brother's private school was located, a junior in high school, it seemed like it was only yesterday that he and his brother were running through his grandmother's hospital causing trouble and raising a ruckus.
He pulled into the long driveway of the school, down the tree lined street as he made his way toward the square where his brother would be waiting. He rolled his eyes as he approached the throng of people walking and talking, hanging out on the sidewalk as he watched a dirty blonde headed young man shoving a laughing red-headed girl as she and tried to push him back as she laughed harder. His feet were sliding across the ground as he reached out and grabbed a handful of snow.
"No!" She screamed as she ducked. "Greyson! Don't you dare!" She squealed as he grabbed hold of her coat with his free hand and swung his other hand around, dropping the ball of snow onto her head as she shouted at him playfully. "I'm going to kill you!" She screamed as he turned and ran for his bags as she ran after him.
"There's my brother! Gotta go!" He exclaimed as she tried to catch up with him as he swung his backpack onto his back and grabbed his suitcase as he practically slid into Richie's car, slamming into the side of it as she ran into him.
"Hey! Watch the car!" Richie exclaimed as he rolled down the window and watched his brother wrap his arms around the girl for a moment as he talked to her. "Grey… let's go!" Richie called him again.
"Okay." Greyson said as he smiled at the girl as she stopped hugging him as he picked the snow crystals from her hair.
"Alright…" She said with a smile. "Have a nice Christmas with your family."
"I will…" Greyson said as he opened the door and ignored his brother's impatient expression. He pushed the seat forward and tossed his suitcase and bag in the back. "Say hey to your folks for me." He said as she peeked in the window at Richie and smiled.
"I will." She said as he climbed in the car and closed the door. He stuck his head out of the open window as he leaned forward. She smiled and kissed his cheek. "Say hi to yours… Hey, Richie…"
"Hey, Ange." Richie said as he started to close the window on his brother.
"Hey, hey hey!" Greyson exclaimed as he sat back hard in the car as he smiled at his girlfriend as she giggled.
"Shut up… we have to go…" Richie said as they waved one more time as she stepped backwards onto the curb, and the two brothers were on their way, driving slowly down the long driveway once again, as a light snowfall began.
"Into the car, into the car… come on, let's go…" Derek said as he ushered his daughter and wife out the door and toward the waiting car.
"Dad, stop being so pushy…" Mariellis sighed as she shook her head and leaned up to kiss his cheek as he accepted the kiss and ushered her further down the sidewalk.
"I'm not being pushy… I'm trying to keep things moving… we have to pick up GG and Mark and Cris and Mik…"
"He just doesn't want your brothers to get there first, sweetheart." Meredith said with a laugh as she passed her husband on the sidewalk and kissed him on the cheek as he reached out around her and opened the door for her.
"Hush, you…" Derek said with a sly smile as Meredith kissed his cheek one more time before climbing into the car. He closed the door and opened it for his daughter, who climbed into the back seat.
"How are you going to fit everyone in here?" She asked her mother as she looked into the seat farthest back in the SUV to see several gifts on the seat.
"We'll all squeeze in…" Meredith said as Derek got into the car and started it up. He pulled slowly out of the driveway as he looked behind him, his daughter glancing behind them as they rolled.
"Daddy, be careful!" She exclaimed as a car swerved around the corner nearly slamming into the back end of their car as it stuck out of the driveway, tires squealing as they fishtailed down the road. Derek slammed on his brakes hard, the car stopping abruptly as he sighed and closed his eyes for a second as Meredith reached her hand to touch his leg.
"Are you alright?" She whispered as she glanced back to Mariellis, whose eyes were still wide with surprise.
"I'm alright…" She nodded. "Daddy?"
"I'll be alright." Derek said softly as he swallowed and looked in the rear view mirror. "Just as soon as my heart starts beating again…" He said as he paused for a moment longer, and then continued to back out of the driveway, as the family began their Christmas trip. "Almost had a mommy moment there…" Derek said as he recovered enough to crack a joke, laughing as Meredith smacked his leg lightly as he let out a relieved laugh.
Greyson and Richie remained quiet as their ride started. It wasn't an awkward silence, but one filled with thought and unspoken greetings. There wasn't much to say right away, and neither one wanted to be the one to start the conversation. As the silence between them grew to be slightly uncomfortable, Greyson's eyes passed to his brother. Richie's dark hair was growing long, his blue eyes were piercing and determined as he maneuvered the car over the road which was slowly covering with snow.
"Why did you take this car?" Greyson asked, staring at the worn dashboard of his brother's corvette that he had been driving since he bought it a few years earlier with their father's help, and rebuilt it with Mark's aid.
"It's my car." Richard replied as he glared at his brother, knowing that Grey enjoyed a good argument, and driving the corvette in the snow was always an arguing point with his mother, so he knew he could get on his brother's nerve if he just mentioned it. "Don't start, Greyson."
"Don't start what? It was a simple question." He shrugged.
"This ride is going to be long enough, I don't need you starting with me." Richie said as Greyson smirked and glanced out of the window.
"How is mom and dad?" Greyson asked as he tried to tread lightly.
"They're fine." Richie replied.
"Mari?"
"She's fine too… you act like you don't call home three or four times a week." Richie said as he watched Greyson roll his eyes as he turned slightly sullen. "Sorry…" Richie said softly as he sighed.
"Still taking it pretty hard, huh?" Greyson asked immediately as he looked to his brother and watched his jaw clench. He ran his hand through his thick dark curls and sighed.
"Yes." He said softly and definitively. It was obvious he didn't want to talk about it, but Greyson couldn't help but want to know more.
"Come on, man… we can talk about this…"
"I don't want to talk about it. It's done, it's over with… and there's nothing left to discuss." Richie said angrily as he glared at his brother.
"Listen… you don't have to get angry with me about it… I wasn't the one boning your girlfriend."
"Greyson, that's disgusting… would you please just… you're disgusting." Richie scoffed at his brother who was smirking at him.
"Is it the idea of me boning your girlfriend, or the idea of someone else boning your girlfriend that bothers you more?"
"Greyson! Stop it!"
"I was just wondering…" He shrugged.
They fell silent for a moment as Richie continued to drive. "I think it's the idea of you boning anything that grosses me out most." Richie quipped as he laughed, feeling his brother punch him in the shoulder. "Hey! I'm trying to drive here… you want to send us into a ditch or something? Dumbass…"
"You're disgusting…" Greyson muttered to his brother as they continued on their way.
Derek pulled up to Ellis' house and put the car into park. "Where is she? She's usually sitting on the porch waiting for us…" He muttered as he pulled his seatbelt off.
"I'll go get GG!" Mariellis exclaimed as she flung her seatbelt off and jumped out of the car, running quickly down the pathway to the front door of her grandmother's house.
Derek looked to Meredith and they exchanged a look. "That was weird." He said as he watched her swing open the door and go inside quickly.
"Yeah it was…" Meredith replied as they watched the front door. After a moment, the door opened again and Mariellis stepped out holding Ellis' bag as she talked quickly. Ellis nodded her head and talked back as they Mari held her arm out for her grandmother and helped her down the steps as they walked down the pathway. "What on earth are they talking about?"
"I have no idea." Derek said as they approached the car and Derek got out, Ellis' eyes looking up to meet his as he walked around the car. "Mom…"
"Doctor Shepherd." Ellis said with a slight smirk as he opened the door for the two of them, taking the bag from Mariellis. "You two are having quite the conversation…" He said as Mari slid into the car.
Ellis stopped for a moment and looked Derek in the eyes. She raised her eyebrows for a moment and lifted her hand to his cheek. "It kind of feels a little bit awful not being the center of attention, doesn't it, Derek?" She asked as she laughed at his eyes as they narrowed in a suspicious glance. "Don't you worry… you'll find out what Mari and I have planned soon enough." She said as Derek shook his head and held the door as Ellis turned and climbed into the seat, reaching out to close the door herself as Derek stood for a moment staring in at her as she said hello to Meredith, and she and Mariellis continued their whispered conversation.
Derek pulled the car to Cristina and Mark's house, and waited patiently. "They know we're coming to get them, right?" Derek asked.
"Geez, Derek… give them a minute." Meredith replied as she rolled her eyes and laughed slightly.
"Derek, patience is a…"
"Virtue… yes, I know… thank you, Ellis." Derek interrupted as he turned his head toward Ellis as she raised her eyebrows at him. "I'm sorry." He muttered as he watched Mari giggle.
"I was going to say…" Ellis said with an irritated growl. "Patience is as a rarity with you… you should relax more, lower your blood pressure…"
"Yeah, Daddy… take a chill pill…"
"Oh dear, I forgot my prescription pad…" Ellis nodded, listening to her granddaughter's giggle as Derek glared at Ellis in the rearview mirror.
"Remind me again why we keep you around?" Derek playfully joked as he raised his eyebrows and smirked.
"Because I'm the boss…"
"And don't you forget it!" Mari chimed in. Her head turned toward the door on the house as it opened and Mikala stepped out onto the porch and waved.
Mariellis waved back and smiled. "HEY MIK!" She exclaimed as she waved her toward the car. She was about to step off the porch when an arm reached out and grabbed her suddenly as Cristina turned her around sharply and started talking to her quickly. She handed her a couple gifts and nodded toward the car as she waved.
"She didn't have to bring gifts…" Derek said softly.
"Oh, you have no idea…" She said as Mari opened the car door for Mikala. Their eyes went back to the door as Mark stepped out, his arms full of gifts, his face hidden by the brightly wrapped packages as Cristina directed him down the steps, her hands empty but for her purse. Their bags slung over Mark's shoulder.
"I should help…" Derek said as he started to get out of the car.
"No!" Mikala said with a laugh. "Mommy said she is trying to teach him a lesson…" She said as Ellis and Mariellis took the packages from Mikala and they all watched as Mark and Cristina approached the car.
"Alright… put them in the back." Cristina said as she climbed into the car, leaving Mark on the curb.
"Cristina!" He exclaimed. "Cristina, come on… help me, please? I'm sorry… please?" Mark begged as he tried to balance the gifts. "They're going to fall!"
"Don't drop any of them Mark!" Cristina exclaimed as she sat in her seat and sighed. "Hey guys." She said with a grin.
"What are you teaching him now?" Derek asked as he reached for the latch for the back hatch as he watched Mark fumble with the gifts.
"He didn't wrap any of those gifts."
"I wrapped the gifts, Mom." Mikala said as she looked up from her conversation with Mariellis.
"See… my poor baby had to wrap all of those gifts… all by herself."
"It wasn't difficult, Mom…" Mikala said as she watched her father balancing the gifts as he tried to reach the latch. "He's going to drop them…"
"If he drops them, I am going to drop him!" Cristina exclaimed as Mark looked around the gifts and glared at her.
"I can't take it anymore…" Derek said as he climbed out of the car and ran around the back.
"What crawled up his ass and died?" Cristina asked as she glanced to the two girls as they giggled.
"He just wants to get there…" Meredith shrugged as she watched the hatch open as Derek helped Mark pack the car with the gifts and their bags.
The volume in the car had increased exponentially as Mariellis and Mikala chattered back and forth and Mark and Derek discussed this and that. Meredith remained fairly quiet, occasionally chiming in on the conversation as she kept a close eye on the road, nervously watching the snow fall as they drove. She sighed softly and stared out her window, catching the view of Derek glancing over at her.
"They're going to be fine." Derek said as he watched her turn her head slowly to meet his, tipping her head back, she gave him a slight smile.
"How do you know what I'm thinking?" She asked as she watched him give her a supportive smile.
"Because you're always thinking about two things… surgery, and the kids…" Derek teased as she gave him a half smile, and put his hand on her hand, feeling her cool fingertips on his skin, he smiled a little wider.
"And you… sometimes I think about you." She replied.
"Only on occasion." Derek winked as she laughed, bringing her hand to his lips as she smirked. The phone in her coat pocket began to ring.
"Oh! The boys!" She exclaimed with a smile as she grabbed for the phone. "Hello?" She said with a grin as she glanced back to everyone else as their conversations quieted as Meredith talked on the phone.
"Mom?" Richie said, his voice loud and projected as he tried to hear over his brother tapping on the dashboard.
"Richard?" She said loudly as she projected her voice as well. "Did you get your brother?"
"I did." Richie replied as he smiled at the sound of his mother's voice. "He's in one piece… so far…"
"Good…" Meredith laughed. "We're on our way too…" She said with a smile.
"Tell everyone we said hi…" Richie replied.
"Richie and Greyson say hi!" Meredith exclaimed to everyone else.
"HI RICHIE AND GREYSON!" Everyone in the car exclaimed as Meredith laughed and listened to Richie laugh. "How is he doing?" Meredith asked softly as she swallowed, glancing to Derek as he gave her another supportive smile.
"Looks good." Richie replied.
"Does he look like he's been eating?"
"Yes." Richie said as he tried not to look at his brother, who was staring at him as he talked to his mother.
"Richie, are you going to talk to him?" Meredith asked softly. "I think he'll talk to you… he won't talk to us about it."
"I'll do that. I'll try." He said with a sad smile.
"I'm fine, Mom!" Greyson exclaimed from beside Richie as he threw him a glare.
"Let me talk to him, please." Meredith said as Richie sighed over the line. She listened as the phone exchanged hands.
"I am fine, Mom." Greyson said into the line as he listened to his mother pause. "I am fine, I promise."
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm good… I'm doing well."
"How is Angie?"
"She's fine." Greyson sighed. "Stop worrying."
"How is the snow? Is it snowing there?"
"It's snowing here…"
"Will it be alright? You're not going to have to stop, are you? Is Richie okay driving in the snow?"
"Mom… we'll be fine… he's twenty years old and has been driving forever… the most worries you should have shouldn't be the snow… it should be the heat in this car breaking down and a rolling icicle pulling into Granny's driveway. How is everyone there?"
"Everyone is good." She said with a smile. "We're looking forward to seeing you."
"I'm looking forward to seeing you… if the snow gets bad… I promise, we'll stop somewhere, okay? Please don't worry."
"I will try not to." Meredith said with a smile as she listened to Greyson try to sound positive. "I love you, baby." She said as she swallowed hard.
"I love you, Mom…" He said softly. "We'll talk to you soon."
"See you soon." Meredith said softly as she closed the phone, and listened to the sound of everyone in the car talking swell slightly. She then realized that she had a vice grip on Derek's hand, and released it quickly as she gave him an apologetic look.
"I told you they were fine." He said as he lifted his hand to the back of her neck and rubbed it softly.
"You did." She said as she leaned into his hand. "I love you, Derek." She said softly as she leaned in to his arm and felt his arm wrap around her tightly.
"I love you too, baby…" He whispered as he kissed her head and held her as he drove through the snowy morning streets as their family and friends talked to one another behind them.
