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: Sorry it's been so long. Basically we have the arrival of Addison and Mark, who stay with the Shepherds, and everyone gets along fine, save for Meredith, who's silently freaking out from the Africa/Addison combination. Enjoy. Review.
I think this cycle never ends, we slide from top to bottom, then we turn and climb again.
Derek watched as the rented BMW swung into their driveway. The car parked and Mark climbed out of the driver's seat, leather jacket on, aviators blocking the sunlight. Out of the passenger side came Addison, shaking out her red hair, and lifting her over size Chanel sunglasses onto her forehead, and adjusting her Mulberry bag on her right shoulder.
From the window of the master bedroom, Meredith watched, awestruck as they climbed out of the car. "Oh my God." She breathed into her cell phone. "Cristina, they look like a freaking Calvin Klein ad, with the trench coats and sunglasses. McSteamy is wearing freaking aviators." She said. "This is a disaster and they're still outside the house."
"Mer, suck it up." Cristina said. "You knew this was going to happen. So, suck it up."
Meredith sighed and looked out the window. Derek had exited the house and embraced Mark, clapping him on the back. He hugged Addison gently, and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Meredith watched as Addison crouched down as her kids tore out of the house. Cameron barreled into Addison's arms, wearing her birthday coat. Addison picked her up and spun her around. Meredith turned away.
"I know Burke is on call tonight. Will you come for dinner? You and everyone? I can't do an intimate double date."
"Mer…" Cristina said warningly.
"Cristina, I can't do this. Not only is my husband going wandering off to Africa, I have to spend my last two weeks with him with his ex-wife buzzing around."
In the apartment she was alone in, since Burke was still on call, Cristina rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll be there. I'll even rally the troops."
Meredith sighed again, this time, a sigh of gratitude. "Thank you." She breathed in obvious relief. She said her goodbyes and told Cristina to show up at eight thirty. She took a few deep breaths and headed downstairs.
"There's my favorite dirty mistress!" Mark exclaimed, picking her up off of the last step and hugging her, setting her down on the floor. She smiled and kissed his cheek. Addison smiled at her and opened her arms, but Meredith sidestepped her hug and scooped Jack up off the floor and into her arms.
"Hi Addison." She whispered shyly. Addison smiled, looking a little hurt, and maybe defeated, and Derek looked down at Meredith with concern. Meredith carried Jack into the living room and put him down in front of his toys. She smiled tightly at the three other adults who watched her and suddenly felt very young. She could practically see them with the New York skyline in the back round, the three of them sipping coffee on Fifth Avenue, outside their brownstones and classic six co-ops. In comparison, she felt silly and young, like she didn't fit here at all. She checked her watch and felt relief wash over her body. Seven thirty. "I should put the boys and Cam to bed." She said.
"I'll help you, babe." Derek offered. She flashed another tight smile and shook her head.
"Catch up. I've got it." She disappeared, carrying Ryan, and leading Jack and Cameron behind her. She listened to the laughter of Derek and his friends as she put her kids to bed. It was surreal. A few years ago, she never would have imagined that Derek would reconcile with Mark. Or Addison. But he had, somehow. But there was something about Addison that made Meredith feel so uneasy, she didn't know if she could ever have a normal relationship with her.
She paused at the top of the stairs before going down. "The house looks gorgeous, Derek." She heard Addison say.
"That's Meredith." He said proudly. "She has a knack for that stuff."
"How's her fellowship going?" Mark asked. She bit her lip, wondering what Derek would say about her fellowship.
"She's amazing." Derek said proudly. "She's going to give me a run for my money. You watch her." Meredith smiled to herself in the darkness and clamored down the stairs, taking a seat next to Derek without meeting Addison's eyes. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. She snuggled into him and their over stuffed sofa and felt a little better. "I was just singing your praises." Derek said. She smiled at him and he kissed her nose. She turned to the smaller love seat where Mark and Addison sat.
"How's New York?" she asked pasting another fake smile on her face. Addison and Mark exchanged a look.
"It's great." Mark said, looping an arm around Addison's waist. "Things are changing at the hospital, but the city is fantastic."
Addison nodded. "Especially at this time of year." She said wistfully. Meredith bit her lip to fight back something like you could have stayed there to enjoy it, and instead went with another fake smile. "The kids are adorable, Meredith." Addison said. Meredith fought the urge to roll her eyes. Why did she have to be so nice?
"Thank you." She said, a long, dead silence hanging in the air. The doorbell rang and Meredith hopped up to answer it. "I'll get it." She sang, vacating the living room. She flung open the door. "Oh, thank God." She muttered under her breath at the sight of Cristina standing there, a bottle of Cuervo in hand, and George, Izzie, Callie and Alex in tow behind her. She grabbed the bottle from Cristina, unscrewed the cap and took a swallow from it right there in her foyer.
"Well some things never change." Izzie remarked. "Where are your children?" Meredith wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and took another long swallow.
"Sleeping." She muttered, handing the bottle back to Cristina. "Keep that near me at all times." She said lowly, leading them into the living room. "Dinner guests." She said to Derek, Mark and Addison, all smiles. She plucked the bottle from Cristina's hand and headed to the kitchen. Derek frowned and followed her.
"Mer, I kind of thought it would just be the four of us tonight." He said gently. She turned to him with the same smile that didn't quite reach her eyes she had been using all evening.
"Sorry?" she tried. He sighed in frustration.
"What's going on with you?" he asked. She rolled her eyes and poured a shot's worth of tequila into a cup that had formerly held Ryan's pre bedtime apple juice and poured it down her throat. She turned back to face Derek.
"What's going on with me is that you're leaving in two weeks to go to Africa, and I have to spend those last two weeks with you trotting around with Mark and your ex wife, and that doesn't really thrill me." She hissed quietly.
"This isn't the first time we've seen them or anything." Derek said, trying to be patient.
Meredith sighed and ran a hand through her air, Callie's voice punctuating the air, hiding their disagreeing tones from everyone else. "And I have never been comfortable around her Derek. I don't know why. I just don't think I can change it. And I'm really not comfortable with having to try and be comfortable with her when I have to figure out how the hell I'm going to finish my fellowship and oh, I don't know, take care of our kids while you save the world." He blinked at her, looking hurt. She sighed again.
"I thought you were okay with this." He said.
"I want you to go, Derek, I do. I want you to do this; I want you to know that you can do this. I support it, but I'm not okay with it. There's a difference."
"So this isn't about Mark and Addison?"
"It's sort of about Addison. She makes me feel like I don't belong in your life, or whatever. But it's more about you. Leaving me." She said quietly. He closed his eyes and pulled her to his chest, kissing her head softly.
"Hey," he said. "I'm not leaving you. I'm coming back, Mer. This is not your mother. This is you and me. I could never leave you." She smiled and kissed him. He slipped his tongue into her mouth and tasted tequila. She wrapped her arms around him and deepened the kiss until a cough came from the kitchen doorway. They broke apart to see their friends standing there, watching them.
Izzie smirked. "And other things never change." She said.