And here is chapter eleven. Thanks again for all of the reviews! They mean a lot :) and to tayababy, I hope Addison's return was enough of a scandal for you at the moment :). We'll definitely be seeing more of her in future chapters. Hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's... although I did watch this week's episode twice. Yes, I am an addict!
Her body felt like lead. Meredith sighed as she sank into the pillow and curled up against Derek. He slid his arm around her waist, "She sleeping?" he mumbled.
"Mmhmm…" Meredith closed her eyes.
"'Bout time. I thought I'd never get any sleep."
"So stop talking. Go to sleep." Derek kissed the back of her neck.
"Night."
Baby Kamila had been home a week. Meredith had not slept more than two consecutive hours in that week. This was hell. She had no idea how she was going to be able to go back to work in two weeks if she didn't get some more sleep. Just as she closed her eyes and succumbed to sleep, a wail split the night silence.
Meredith stood over the bassinet, watching Kamila cry. She had a brief moment of insight, as to why mothers kill their babies. Suddenly struck by guilt, she picked up her daughter and held her to her chest, walking back and forth across the room.
"Meredith, go get some sleep," Derek said, holding his arms out for Kamila. Meredith handed her to him with a grateful sigh, and shuffled back to their bedroom. Before she shut the door, however, she heard Derek softly singing (and very badly at that!) an old Billy Joel song.
"Goodnight, my angel Goodnight, my angel
Time to close your eyes
And save these questions for another day
I think I know what you've been asking me
I think you know what I've been trying to say
I promised I would never leave you
And you should always know
Wherever you may go
No matter where you are
I never will be far away
Now it's time to dream
And dream how wonderful your life will be
Someday your child may cry
And if you sing this lullabye
Then in your heart
There will always be a part of me."
Meredith smiled to herself as she shut the door. He was a great father.
---
"I can't leave her," Meredith said to Derek, "She's so tiny, and perfect, and…"
"Well, you most certainly can't take her with you to work," Derek put his arm around his Meredith, "She's in good hands. This is supposed to be the best daycare centre in Seattle."
"I know… it's just… I don't want to go back to work."
"What!" Derek feigned shock, "You don't want to work?! Are you ill, Meredith?"
"Come off it," Meredith waved him off laughing.
"Let's go. You'll get to see her in just over twelve hours. I'm going to pick her up in eight. She'll be fine!" he said in response to the oh so sad look on Meredith's face.
---
"Welcome back, Dr. Grey," Bailey said, a crooked smile on her face, "I have a treat for you today. Seeing as you are now officially a surgical resident here, I think you need an intern. Just one, mind; she's a leftover. Four each have been assigned to the other residents, and you are my only first year resident to get one. I believe you can handle her."
"I'm honoured," Meredith rolled her eyes.
"I see you understand what a pain you were this past year," Miranda said typically, "This, is Dr. Melia Williams. She will be your intern for the year. Melia, this is Dr. Meredith Grey. Enjoy each other," she waved as she walked off. As she was starting her fellowship within the month, Bailey was enjoying having no interns this year. And now, Meredith Grey had to suffer with one of her own.
"I heard your mum is Ellis Grey; THE Ellis Grey. Is that true? Because she's like, my hero. I can't wait until I get to do my first surgery. This is so cool. I'm a doctor now. Did you hear Dr. Bailey say my name? Dr. Melia Williams. It sounds so cool –"
"Here's your pager," Meredith cut off the rambling intern. "This is your trauma protocol book. Answer every page you receive immediately. Don't dawdle. I made that mistake on my first shift and nearly lost a patient because of it." Meredith was shocked at how much she sounded like Miranda Bailey had sounded just over a year ago on Meredith's very first shift.
"Am I going to get to help you with a surgery? I'm really hoping. I heard that on the first shift one of the interns always get to do a surgery. Maybe because I'm the only intern with you, I'll be the one. Maybe –"
"Please, Dr. Williams. I had a baby three weeks ago. I'm sleep deprived, I've got a headache, and I have never had an intern before, as you heard Dr. Bailey say. So please, please don't talk so much," she pleaded.
Melia nodded curtly, the sparkle still in her eyes, "Sorry, Dr. Grey."
"It's alright. Now, come with me, and you can follow me on my rounds. I've got a surgery later today that you can watch in the gallery. I'm off work at eight and I'll be back tomorrow morning at eight. You however, are working until eight in the morning, not tomorrow but the next day. When I'm off, you'll be with Dr. George O'Malley."
"Oh ok."
"And yes, Melia; I am Ellis Grey's daughter," Meredith received a grin from the bubbly intern.
After an hour of rounds, Meredith sent Melia to the labs with some samples, and went to meet Derek in the cafeteria for a quick cup of coffee. Caffeine still wasn't back in her diet, even though she desperately wished for it.
"How's it going, Mer?" Derek asked her, handing her some coffee.
"I miss her," she sighed. Derek wouldn't admit it, but he missed the tiny pink squalling bundle that was his daughter too, and missed her every day since she'd come home from the hospital.
"Only ten more hours," he reassured her, "I hear you've been assigned an intern," he teased, a quirky smile on his handsome face.
"She's a right bundle of excitement," Meredith rolled her eyes, "non stop chatter, this bizarre energy that I can't even believe exists on this planet."
Derek laughed, "Maybe you can feed off of this 'bizarre energy'."
"Maybe I can. Speak of the devil. There she is now," Meredith nodded towards the brunette standing at the cafeteria door.
"Go. Have fun. I'll see you in surgery later today. Brain tumour on a sixteen year old boy's optic nerve."
"Oh right! I'll see you there, bye."
"Who's the guy you were talking to?" Melia asked, chocolate eyes huge, "He's gorgeous."
"His name's Derek Shepherd. He's the neurosurgeon here. He's also my fiancé."
"You're dating an attending?" Melia asked, slightly shocked. She knew very well that interns dating attendings was against the rules, and to hear that her resident had broken the rules… well it was interesting.
"Yes I am. And don't you get any ideas."
"I won't," Melia confirmed seriously. They rounded the corner and Melia walked straight into Addison Montgomery.
"Sorry, Dr… Montgomery!" she exclaimed, reading the name off of her coat.
"It's alright. Is this your intern, Dr. Grey?" Addison asked coolly.
"Yes."
"Better make sure she doesn't go walking into people. She could cause an accident." Melia blushed furiously.
"Ignore her. She has something against me. It's got nothing to do with you," Meredith whispered to her as they continued walking.
"What is it?"
"Oh, it's not important," Meredith lied.
---
"Hey, baby!" Meredith picked up Kamila and she cooed a happy baby noise, "Mummy missed you. Yes, I missed you lots today," Meredith sat down in the rocking chair in Izzie's old room. Derek had helped her turn it into a nursery shortly after George and Izzie moved out. It was probably just an illusion, but Meredith thought she already looked bigger.
"Look at what I'm missing!" Meredith said to Derek who was leaning against the door frame. She was cradling Kamila in the crook of her arm. Derek leaned down and kissed first Kamila's forehead, and then Meredith's.
"You're not missing anything. You'll be here every night and ever morning. A couple of hours during the day where you're not here won't hurt her. It'll be ok, Mer."
"I know." Kamila had fallen asleep. Meredith reluctantly placed the sleeping infant back into the bassinet. Derek pulled her around, his arms around her waist. She laid her head against his firm chest. He ran a hand through her hair and she sighed. "I'm so tired."
"Then let's go get some sleep," he winked at her, taking her hand and smiling his famous McDreamy smile.
---
Time passes and life goes on, but never without you. Enjoy the moments you can, but don't waste time wishing that the one's you've missed could come back and collect you and let you experience them. Don't let life pass you by while you turn to watch someone else's. Dive right in to your own experiences. See the colours, hear the soundtrack, feel the sensations, smell the excitement… and taste your life.
Maybelline
