Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy or I would have been all busy writing the actual show instead of this story. I won't own the show for the rest of this story, I think that's crystal clear, right? I only own the children and all the other characters that will come along.
Finally, I decided to start the sequel of Soft Shock. It's not actually a proper sequel in the real sense of the world as it's set 17, yes seventeen, years later than the end of SS. Grace, who was barely a few hours old is now 17, thinking about college. Meredith and Derek are still married and they have two other kids, Kieran, who's 14 and Nathan who is 6, almost 7. They have a house in the woods, they both fix brains for a living and everything it's like it should be. Sounds boring, I know, but bear with me. I'm not going to do something as fluffy as Soft Shock but I hope you'll appreciate in the long run. I like writing it so far...
I told you before the sequel would be a bit different from the main idea of a sequel, but I'm trying to do this anyway. I hope you all won't run away after this huge babble here.
For all the new readers, reading Soft Shock it's not really necessary, I might throw a few references here and there but I'll explain them properly as we go on with the story. If you'll read it I'll be happier though ;)
I decided to do a prologue because the time span was huge so I gave you a glimpse of MerDer with Grace only, just to let you reacquainted with the story. I used Coldplay - 'Til Kingdom Come, for this beginning, because it's X&Y bonus track and it comes as a surprise, like how this idea popped into my head after I finished the original story.
The overall title, Thank You, could by a song by either Dido (as I originally planned) or Alainis Morissette. Choose whatever you like best, or both, I don't care.
I'll go mostly with Meredith's PoV, unlike before where I switched. If I decide to give voice to other characters it will be specified.
Okay, that's enough rambling for this story, just enjoy this prologue and I'll try to update before I'll leave for my holidays at the end of the month.
Prologue – I Wouldn't Change A Single Thing
I was used to night time storms, hearing the rain tick heavily on the window panes, watching the lightnings flash in the sky, immediately followed by thunders. Storms were almost relaxing sometimes, a mixture of expectation and unwillingness to go out of the warm bed and just snuggle in the rest of the day, preferably in Derek's arms.
Grace was in bed from a couple of hours, knocked out right after dinner. She had a busy day playing at the daycare and sleep couldn't refill her better. She was a bright, active three-year-older and she fascinated me everyday more. I had a pretty long day too, performing my first start-to-finish craniotomy entirely on my own as a Neuro resident, Derek simply observing silently over my shoulder. I held a stupid, happy grin on my face all day long, almost making Cristina jealous. Almost.
When I entered in our bedroom that same night, Derek began chuckling, leaving on his nightstand the medical magazine he was reading, forgotten.
"Wipe that grin out of your face, it's boring already" he mocked. His eyes though were shining with happiness and I could tell he was proud.
"Thank you for the surgery" I grinned sheepishly, slowly stripping out of my clothes while he kept watching me with an adoring gaze. I felt loved even when he simply stared. I blushed slightly at his scrutiny.
"It was the least I could do before our anniversary. That's part of the gift" he smirked. I pretended I had forgot what date was going to be the following day every time we met at the hospital, but it was hard, even if I wanted to. Our wedding day had been one of the best days of my life. "Will you need a gift every year?" he continued, faking annoyance while I knew he was the one who was going to spoil me every year. We weren't currently planning to eat somewhere fancy only because I had finished a forty-eight hours shift yesterday and a twelve-hours today and I was beyond tired.
"It's tomorrow anyway" I grinned. I liked the early present, though. More early presents, I'd say. "You know, maybe we should come up with something nice next year, I'm too tired to even think about tomorrow at this point" I slumped on the bed, rolling closer to him and seeking comfort in his heat.
"We should do something nice for each other" he suggested, his hand finding my favorite spots on my back and drawing small circles, relaxing my muscles.
"Like? Giving away surgeries?" I joked, but I could see the twinkle in his eyes to reassure me that I would have one of his surgeries with my name on the board every year from now on.
"Have dinner together, spend some time with each other, see a movie, walk in a park, the kind of stuff you hated when we were dating, you know, before everything happened" he trailed off, and I knew that his 'everything' meant Addison; he wasn't bothered by our past anymore though.
"I still hate some of them" I leaned my head on his chest, a smile curling up my lips immediately.
"I know. Now that Grace is still little we can't go very far, but maybe in a few years we could even spend a weekend together or have a short trip" his voice was full of excitement at the mere idea.
"We work like crazy, Derek" I sighed, really needing some time off. I felt like I had been working for three weeks straight, instead of three days, every bone in my body was aching and I was so tired that even sleeping seemed an effort. And I felt a bit queasy the whole time in the past few days.
"So?" he smiled and I was whipped.
"So it's nice, you're right" I smiled, because things were easy from the moment he began being next to me.
His hands sneaked around my waist and under the t-shirt I was wearing and he immediately noticed that it was one of his.
"Why you always wear my t-shirts in bed?" he smirked.
"I like them" I smiled innocently.
"See, that's unfair. If you wear my t-shirts you look gorgeous, if I just try to wear one of yours I could look only ridiculous" he faked an adorable pout.
"Never try that, please" we giggled together, then I kissed him softly, running my hand on his chest.
"Your night shift is in two days, right?" he asked, reminding that the hellish week was far from over. The good thing was that I had two whole days to spend with Grace. She was such a wonderful three-year-old girl and I couldn't help but enjoy every single second spent with her. I never thought being a mother could be this fun.
"Yeah, you'll be home for dinner tomorrow, right?"
"I'm not sure" he sighed, knowing far too well how much he wanted to do something special on our anniversary.
"I'll bring Grace with me when I'll go in tomorrow then, so you can take her home when you're done. I really don't like night shifts lately"
"Good plan. I'll try not to wake you up tomorrow morning, okay?" he smirked, turning to his side to the nightstand to switch off the light.
"Wait" I grinned widely, leaning closer and I kissed him softly, our lips savoring lazily the taste of each other after a long day.
"Can I switch off the light now?" he smirked, something different already shining in his eyes.
"No, I think it's your turn for a gift" our lips locked again, but this time when we pulled away we were both breathless.
"That's not a proper gift, we have sex all the time" he smirked, his eyes twinkling in anticipation, the small chuckle he tried to hide echoing in his chest.
"My gift it's not dirty!" I pouted just like him. He laughed, clearly mocking me.
"So what is it?" he leaned closer, his lips teasing mine
"Mommy!" a sad moan arrived from the other room, interrupting the moment before it even started.
"Her timing is just perfect" I said smiling while Derek groaned loudly, then I stood up, put on some old sweatpants and I walked out.
I switched on the light in the corridor to see why Grace was awake. I stepped in her dim-lighted room and I saw her curled in a ball under the covers, her dark curls all messy on the pillow and her back facing me, silent sniffles filling the room while she kept her gaze fixed to the window.
"Hey, what's wrong?" I walked closer and I put a soothing hand on her side, letting her know that I was there, running my fingers tenderly in her dark curls
She turned her face to me and with teary eyes and a grave voice said "I peed in my pants" she sniffled, rubbing her tired eyes with the back of her hand, the guiltiest expression on her sleepy face. When I looked closely I could see a darker spot on the sheets and I smiled sweetly, sitting on the bed next to her. She immediately snuggled closer.
"It's okay, sweetie. We can change the pants and we put some dry sheets on, it happens sometimes" I kissed her forehead, shuffling away a lock of her dark curls, sticky with sweat "Were you having nightmares?"
"No, the boom is scary" she whispered, her voice suddenly small and scared, her whole body snuggling closer to mine.
"Oh, the thunder. You don't like storms, don't you?" she shook her head while I smiled understandingly. I never liked storms either, especially when I had to listen to them all alone. I scooped her up in my arms from the bed, not caring about the fact that all her butt was wet, and she locked her arms to my neck, almost chocking me. I never thought she was that strong. She was practically trembling in my arms, but the more I held her, the more her muscles relaxed. I picked out a clean pair of pants from the drawer and we went to the bathroom to change.
"You want to pee again?" she nodded, slightly lifting her head up from my shoulder, so I let her sit on her potty.
"Can I wear nappy tonight?" she glanced up with her big blue eyes, almost pleading me. She looked so small and fragile in that moment that I almost gave in
"There's nothing wrong in wetting the bed at night, you can wear panties" I said softly instead, trying to reassure her.
"I want nappy" she stood her ground, stubborn as always, her eyes filling with tears.
"All right, just for tonight" a tiny smile curled up my lips. I couldn't resist her "But tomorrow won't be stormy, so you can wear panties" I added, hoping that the following day things would be easier. I know that she probably did that for some attention, considering that I spent the past three nights away and I couldn't blame her. It broke my heart knowing that she had needed me and I wasn't there.
"Okay" she agreed, attempting a smile.
I cleaned her up and I put her in a diaper again. She seemed so little now, all scared and tucked in that old pyjama with a diaper. When I took her back in my arms she clung to my neck again with her soft little arms. She never wanted to let go and I knew the feeling. She missed me.
"Are you still scared of the storm?" I continued and she nodded "I can stay next to you until you fall asleep, if you need. I can tell you a story and take away all the nightmares with a secret trick Nana Carolyn told me" I smiled widely, trying to comfort her on the fact that I wasn't going anywhere. She went to bed when I wasn't even home and she missed me. God, I hated when it happened.
"Can I sleep in the big bed with you Mommy?" she whispered, almost afraid that I was going to be angry if she asked. She knew we weren't very keen on sharing a bed, but sometimes our rules could be bent.
"We should ask Daddy"
Her face was almost pleading me again, so after I put away the dirty sheets, we went back to my room to ask Derek. She was leaning against me heavily, her eyes almost giving in to fall asleep again once that she was clean and in my arms.
He had took back the magazine he was reading, probably engrossed in a new medical technique, but he noticed immediately when we crossed the doorframe.
"Hey little girl" he greeted her with a soft smile, laying the magazine back on the nightstand.
"Can I sleep with you tonight?" she immediately asked, lifting up her head just the necessary to look at him in the eyes and mesmerize him. She was able to trick us already and I wouldn't want to think what we were going to do when she was going to be older. Derek nodded simply, even smiling widely.
"Nightmares?" he whispered in my ear when I laid beside him.
"Storms" I whispered back and his arm sneaked around my waist to wrap us in his strong hold
"You know, I didn't liked storms either but then Mommy told me how beautiful they are and they don't scare me anymore" he smiled softly. He was so good in the comfort thing.
"Storms are scary, not beautiful" Grace frowned, snuggling closer to me between Derek's chest and my side, her arms never leaving my neck.
"I know, but when there's a lightning, it's so powerful it can light up the whole sky and it seems day even in the darkest night. And then, after you see a lightening you're sure a thunder will come after, like it's warning you of the boom. The closest comes the thunder, the shorter the storm will last. And storms are quick, then there's just rain, hear now" he suggested. She was already snuggled between us, but she held out her ear to listen to the sound of the rain, the slightly panicked expression though wouldn't leave her face.
"Now close your eyes and remember that it's just heavy rain. You like to watch the raindrops from the big window downstairs, just think about that and that me and Mommy will be right next to you"
"Mommy, can you hold me just like when I was little?" she whispered, almost afraid to ask. She clearly missed me and I felt tears in my eyes.
"You're still little, Berry" I said, sitting on the bed and cradling her in my arms, kissing softly her forehead and rocking her gently back and forth. Her grip on my -Derek's- t-shirt loosened as soon as her eyes closed and in a few moments she was sleeping again, a relaxed expression on her face. "I love you Grace" I whispered, kissing sweetly her forehead
"What was that about?" whispered Derek while I kept holding her tightly. I missed her even breaths while she slept, her hair falling graciously down her shoulders, her perfect baby face becoming every day a little more grown up.
"Wet bed. She's not very happy about her potty training as we are. She thought I could be mad for it" I sighed "Oh and she missed me" I added in a small voice, trying to keep my voice the steadiest possible. Derek's arm squeezed me closer and I knew he understood, he always did.
"You want me to take her back to bed?"
"No, I'm fine" I sighed, trying to ease the guilt watching her sleep in my arms. She unconsciously nuzzled her face on my chest and she kept sleeping peacefully. I could watch her sleep forever.
"I think our after-gift plans have just blown" I broke the silence between us, Derek's fingers rubbing the small of my back in circles in the most relaxing way. He knows I love him a little more when he does that.
"I'll have my gift tomorrow" he smirked, not really bothered. He knew I needed this moment to feel a little bit better with myself and he wasn't going to take it away from me. In those times I knew I had married the perfect man.
"You can have your gift now, it's the after part that it's not possible. I told you that's not the gift" I smiled widely again, he was just as stubborn as I was sometimes and it was funny to play along with him.
"I thought you were just messing with me" he chuckled, brushing away some hair from my forehead and kissing it softly
"No, I wasn't messing with you. I'm messing now, but not before. I love to make you wait" I grinned devilishly and he groaned in response when my free hand went to caress his toned abdomen.
"Do I have to guess?" he tried to keep his mind busy while we teased each other.
"If you want to. You'll never nail it" I smirked, because I knew it was a perfect surprise. It had been a surprise even for me.
"It's something concrete?" he began a sort of twenty-question game and I giggled.
"Hmm, yes, but untouchable for now" I played along.
"Immediate or long-lasting?"
"Life long" that was a good question indeed.
"Something that has to be built or assembled?"
"Somehow built, yeah" I got away easily with this
"The new table" he guessed
"Nope" I laughed. We needed a new table for the garden, but apparently it was the only thing that needed building in his head at the moment. He was deep in thought and I just stared at him and Grace alternatively, enjoying to see his mind racing. He looked like he had an open brain in front of him and not a simple gift to guess.
"Pleasant?"
"Not every day, but can be an amazing gift" my smile softened at the mere idea
"There's something that could be similar to it in this room?" bold question.
"One thing, very very similar" I tangled my fingers in Grace's hair, brushing them while she kept sleeping peacefully, trying to give him a hint. I saw Derek looking frantically around him, frowning and considering every little thing that was in our messy room, even dust.
"Okay, I give up" he sighed, lifting up his hands in defeat. I smiled, then I looked back at Grace asleep in my arms, then I looked at Derek again, the temptation to simply blurt it out too much to bear.
"Well, I'll tell you, then" I grinned, waiting for the suspense to kick in. He stared me down, trying to read me, but I was careful to look away and keep him in the dark a little bit more.
"Mer" he hurried, impatiently
"We did it" I smiled but he just looked even more frustrated and confused
"We did what?"
"I'm pregnant, Derek" I finally blurted it out and I couldn't help the wide smile that spread on my lips. We decided to start trying a few months before but neither of us expected a baby so soon.
"You're pregnant?" his face lightened up, his mouth hanging open and for a second I could only see the excitement in his eyes and everything just faded away. He was there, looking at me almost like I gave him the whole world in a word. Or a plus sign on a test.
"Happy anniversary Derek!" I whispered and at some point he began to silently laugh as hard as he could, almost in tears while he did his best to not wake up Grace.
"We're having a baby and I came up with furniture!" I laughed with him too and, unable to control my shaking, I put Grace between us to avoid waking her up. He tenderly kissed me after all the laughing, the wide smile never leaving his lips even while we kissed, then he sneaked a hand under the t-shirt above my belly and caressed my skin tenderly, beaming at the simple idea of a new life there.
"I'll have to come up with something great next year" he chuckled and I kissed him again, then I put my hand over his and another on Grace's sleepy head, brushing some hair away from her face and imaging what it would be like for her to be a big sister.
Then Grace became a big sister. Twice, -actually, three times if we want to be really accurate- and we are loving every single second of our lives, even after seventeen, eventful years of marriage.
AN: I know it's fuzzy yet, that's just the beginning.
Apart from the last two lines (which is the important part hehe), it's all a huge flashback. Next chapter will pick up a while later and from those last two lines. I'll try to post it before I'll leave, since I'm not sure I'll have an internet connection before mid August so...I know, unhappy time to post a new fanfiction but if I don't post it now I wouldn't have never posted anything. I hope you'll understand. I promised a summer sequel, after all.
Let me know what you think, it makes me feel better knowing that people like this story just as much as they like my other ones -hopefully more, it's never too much appreciation!-.
Bear with me for typos or other language-related mistakes, I'm Italian. You can suggest me where to correct and I'll repost the chapter. Criticize as well, but with a basic explanation, everybody is able to say 'it sucks', saying why it's a bit more complicated than that, right?