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. Our Internet wasn't working for two freaking weeks. But here's the update. This is when the story starts getting good. Coming up, we have Mer and Addison dealing, Mark and Derek in Africa, and then the result of the feeling.
This is complete filler. Next chapter we'll find out what Mer's feeling was all about. Stay tuned.
REVIEW.
Sleeps not coming easy for awhile.
"Addison!" Meredith shouted. She sighed and stood in the middle of the kitchen, covered in macaroni and cheese from Ryan's decision to fling a spoonful across the kitchen. She had ketchup in her hair and Cameron wouldn't put on her shoes.
"Cameron Addison Shepherd!" Meredith shouted. "If you don't put your shoes on right now, you can kiss your princess coat goodbye." Cameron looked up at her with wide eyes and fled the room. "Well that was effective." Meredith muttered to herself.
"Girl after my own heart." Addison commented, walking into the room. "You bellowed, Dr. Shepherd?" Meredith looked at her; her perfect hair, her immaculate makeup and felt irritation tug at her.
"It doesn't really matter." She snapped. "We can leave as soon as Cristina gets here to pick them up." She and Addison were both on call overnight, and it was only through promising Cristina twenty drinks at Joe's Meredith got her to agree to watch the kids.
Addison arched an eyebrow at the chaos, as she had taken to doing throughout the last three weeks. Meredith sighed, feeling close to tears. "Derek usually cooks. Or we handle them together." She said, feeling the need to justify herself to Addison.
"Meredith… it's okay. I can't imagine having kids and doing the work you do." Addison said gently. Meredith smiled at her, the moment of tension passing, like they always did.
"Well, hey there McMommy." Cristina said, barging into the kitchen. "Jesus, I'm not interrupting, like, a bonding moment am I?" she asked, picking up Jack's half full bowl of macaroni and spooning some into her mouth.
Meredith rolled her eyes. "Thank you." She said. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."
Cristina shrugged. "Well you have to work. And you know Burke loves your kids." She blinked at Meredith. "Mer, you've got ketchup in your hair."
Meredith sighed. "Yeah, I know." She said, sounding defeated. Cameron came back into the kitchen, wearing her shoes this time. Meredith looked at the clock. "We've got to go." She told Addison.
Cristina shook her head. "Don't worry. I'll get the Shepherds cubed all bundled up."
"Thank you." Meredith said.
"Shepherds cubed?" Addison asked. "You use mathematical equations to round up the children I delivered?"
"She does." Meredith said, pointing at Cristina. "She uses mathematical equations to round up the children you delivered."
When Cristina had packed the kids into Meredith's Range Rover and driven off into the night, Meredith and Addison, the odd couple, as Alex called them, bundled into jackets and set out themselves.
Addison drove her sporty, leased, Lexus to the hospital. Meredith sat in the passenger seat and stared out the window. "Meredith, it's going to be okay." She said, sighing.
"Addison?" Meredith snapped. "Please shut up." The drove in silence for a few minutes, until Addison took a deep breath.
"That was uncalled for." She said. Meredith's head turned sharply towards her. "I'm trying to help you, Meredith. You don't need to be cold."
Meredith closed her eyes for a few seconds. "I'm sorry," she said opening. "I can't even control my own children. I can't… it's been two weeks, Addie. We're not even at the halfway point yet, and I get into that bed every night, and I feel so empty."
"All we can do is wait." Addison said softly.
Under the hot African sun, Mark eyed Derek. "Okay, what's wrong with you?" he demanded.
Derek shook his head and took a drink from his water bottle. "Nothing." He said.
"That is so not nothing." Mark shot back. "Come on Shep, I know you. Don't lie to me. You suck at it."
"Shut up." Derek said. He surveyed the land around them and sighed. "I miss her." He admitted. "I miss her more than I miss my kids."
"It's always been like that." Mark said. "You know your kids are having way too much fun with your friends. You know she's just trying to keep her head above water."
Derek shot Mark a look, and mumbled something about how he wasn't helping. Mark shrugged. "It's true. You know it's true. But she's got a support system. Hell, she's got Addison, and we both know she's efficient."
Derek raised an eyebrow and tried not to laugh. Mark shrugged again, having the decency to look slightly sheepish. "That came out wrong." He said. He shivered a little. Derek blinked at him.
"Cold?"
"Just caught a chill or something."
Derek grinned. "It's ninety five degrees out. Stop thinking about Addison's efficiency."
"Derek, shut up."
"You brought it up."
"I wasn't asking you to make fun of me."
"You should have known I would."