Reflection of Love - Chapter 21
Trying
Sarah was finally transferred to a room and Alex had just joined her
"Hey" he said kissing her cheek
"Hi" she babbled
"Mom and Joanna left to have lunch with John and David in the bar across the street. They will bring up food because you are not sick and you don't deserve to eat hospital crappy food" he said caressing his sister hair
Sarah only nodded and looked to the window she's been looking since she woke up
"I missed you, Li" he said
She nodded one more time looking to him and turning back to the window
"You don't have to talk to me about him now if you don't want but I really want you to say me what happened. He can't be unpunished for what he did to you. We need to go to the police but I will wait for you to be ready" Alex said rubbing his sister arm
One single tear slipped from her eye and she closed her eyes. She would do anything to never see that face anymore, she would give anything to forget that night.
"I have good news for you. At least I think it is good" he said trying to cheer up his sister but totally failing
"Look to me just one minute, Li" he said with sadness in his eyes for seeing her so shattered again
She slowly turned to look to her brother and opened her eyes
"You and mommy are moving to Seattle. You are going to live with me until we find a place and maybe after we find a place" he said
"W-what?" she asked not believing on what he said
"Do you remember Meredith? My girlfriend from the ICU room when you woke up?" he asked and she nodded
"She has a big house where I live and where mom and Joan are while you are here. We will live there with her until we find a place and ship mom's furniture and your stuff from Iowa City"
Sarah was speechless. She missed deeply her brother, she and her mother never let him know that after he moved to Seattle she spent almost one month barely eating and talking. She really missed him and most importantly she only felt safe with him around and moving to Seattle will bring her home again and far from the man that destroyed her life
"And you don't need to care about college. We will find a way to get you into University of Washington. You know they have one of the best architecture programs in the country and they are ranked as the 16th best university in the world?" asked him to his sister
"Lex" was all she could say with a cracking voice
"You don't need to be afraid anymore, Sarah. I'm here and we will be never be apart again" he said hugging his sister
Sarah felt like a breath of life was blew in her nostrils
"Lex, I can't talk… I don't want…he… he… I… I" she tried to say but she couldn't
"Hey, I told you, no rush, you don't need to talk about him now. You don't need to talk until you are ready and if you never be ready then we will never talk about it anymore but you know he needs to go to jail for what he done for you but it is up to you Sarah. I won't let mom and Joan know about him if you don't want me to" he said rubbing his thumb on her cheek.
"You can say them I just don't want to talk about it. Not yet and the moment I say you I will also have to talk to the police and for this I'm definitely not ready"
"Everything will be alright, sunshine, and I will be there with you all long the way" he said wrapping his arms around her and embracing her
"Hey" said Meredith entering the room a few minutes later as brother and sister were excitedly talking
"Hey Mer" greeted Sarah coolly
"How are you feeling, Sarah?" asked Meredith
Seeing Meredith was on her scrubs Sarah asked: "Are you asking as a doctor or as the woman that changed my brother's life forever?"
Meredith immediately brushed
"Hey babe" Alex stood up to embrace his girlfriend and kiss her quickly
"I'm not in your case, Sarah" Meredith said very low
"Well so I think just say I'm fine is enough to answer you" said Sarah winking to Alex
"Li, I need to talk to Meredith for awhile, can you hang there alone for a few minutes? We will just stand outside your door if you need anything just call and I will listen"
"Sure" she answered
Meredith didn't understand why Alex was so worried about Sarah. Derek said the surgery was successful and she was totally recovered. Anyway she ignored it and tried to hide her desperation from him. Meeting his family in the middle of a trauma like they met was one thing but now she will have to talk with them and his mother will certainly appraise her. She was definitely freaking out but after all concern he showed over his already healed sister she couldn't say him how she felt because he already had a lot to handle.
"Where is your mother and Joanna?" Meredith asked trying to avoid any conversation he might want. He will probably say a lot of things about his mother and how she reacts when his son has a girlfriend and how she will hate Meredith. But at least she will back to Iowa in a few days and it will be only me and Alex again, she thought
"They are having lunch at Joe's with John and David" he said
"I completely forgot about them, they still have a band?" Meredith asked
"Yeah, but why are you asking?" he asked confused
"Nothing. I just wanted to know" she tried to be nonchalant
He shrugged his shoulders. He definitely gave up trying to understand women especially Meredith. He walked till the door and waved to Sarah inside and turned back to Meredith
"Sarah is very special to me and to my family, Meredith. She had been through a lot in the last years and she needs me" he said
Meredith nodded
"In the last two weeks she had been in shock and she wouldn't talk to anyone but me. I really need to be close to her. Last year was the first year I was apart of her and I don't want it anymore" he said looking very serious
Meredith lost her balance and Alex had to quickly grab her and don't let her fall
"Hey, what was that? Are you feeling okay?" he asked concerned
"Yeah, just a little dizziness" she said pale
"Meredith you look like a paper sheet, what are you feeling?" he asked desperately still on the effects of handling a trauma just hours ago and not ready for another
"It is nothing, maybe it is because I didn't eat anything since we got breakfast, I was feeling a little sick earlier and I didn't eat anything" she said
Alex blood drained out of his face and he was now pale "Are… are… you… pregnant?" he babbled
"No!! No Alex, of course not. God, no." cried Meredith
"Your period should be in this weekend, shouldn't?" he asked unsure
"It will be this weekend, Alex, I'm not pregnant. I am just dizzy because I didn't eat and I'm sick because I eat a lot of crap and yesterday was hard. You can go away quietly, I'm not pregnant. I'm totally sure" she said with tears in her eyes
"What are you talking about, Mer?" he asked
"I'm saying you don't need to worry, I won't destroy your life with a child"
"Who said you would destroy my life?" he asked
"I know you don't want to have kids" said Meredith. It was hard for her to handle his family but now that he was choosing his family over her she just didn't know what she was talking anymore
"I don't and neither do you but if you are sure you are not pregnant so what's the big deal?" he asked
"There is no big deal, we don't want kids and I'm not pregnant. Look I just came to check on Sarah. I thought you would be in the cafeteria." She said turning to walk away
"What the hell, Meredith?" he cried out grabbing her arm and attracting people's attention "Didn't I have enough with my family in the last two days? Do you really think that I need you avoiding me and saying me to go away? So let me clarify it to you, I don't. In fact some support would be good" he said turning to walk away
"Do you want me to support you to move back to Iowa, you really do? Don't you think it will hurt, Alex? I know she needs you for any reason and I know they are more important than me but can I be at least hurt? Sorry if I can't be the perfect freaking Christian that waves goodbye to the one she loves and just support him to abandon me for the sake of his family!" she said with tears now flooding her eyes and falling down her face
"Damn, Alex, PMS! Mer, honey, come here" he said wrapping her in his arms "I'm not going to Iowa, I'm not leaving you, you are not less important to me than my family is. What else? If you were pregnant we would figure out something I never wanted to be a father because I don't think I'm father material but we would figure it out together, okay?" he said caressing her hair
"So what is this conversation about? You can't live away from them, I got it, so if you are not moving to Iowa, what are you doing?" asked Meredith wiping her tears. Just as she finished saying she realized what it would be
"Oh God, are you mother and Sarah moving to Seattle?" she asked with terror
"Is that a matter for you, babe? Because in fact I was going to ask you if they can be with us until we find a place" he asked concerned
"Live with us in the house?" rambled Meredith
"Just for a few weeks or less" he said
"I have to go, Alex, I will be late. Sorry for freaking out, PMS sucks. We talk about it later and we will set things up" she said leaving
"Can I say them you agreed?" he cried out, although he had already said because he never doubt for one second Meredith would opposite
"Yeah" was all Meredith could say before leaving
Lexie and George were having lunch alone. Izzie was probably hidden elsewhere and Cristina must have been on surgery. Izzie didn't take very well Lexie and George's relationship and she barely talked to him in their apartment. She was a mess and she knew it.
"Hey guys" said Meredith with a tray on her hands
"Hi" said George coolly
"H-hey" said Lexie nervously
"Lexie I'm okay with you and George, in fact I think it is cute, don't worry I already have lot in my mind to bother about you" Meredith said as she sat
"Thanks, I think" said Lexie
"Thank you, Mer" said George relieved that at least one of his friend supported him but inside he never doubt Meredith would because she was never judgmental over any of their decisions
"You look pale" said Lexie
"That's why I'm eating although I'm sure I will empty my stomach soon" Meredith said not willing to eat but knowing she needed to be on surgery in one hour
Lexie and George were silent for some minutes. They didn't know what to say to Meredith and she didn't seem very interested to start any conversation and it would be impolite if they just resumed the conversation they were having when she joined
"How are Molly and Laura?" asked Meredith knowing she was creating an awkward situation
"They are good. By the way it will be her birthday in 3 weeks and Molly mentioned she would be very happy if you show up" Lexie said leading Meredith to choke
"Honey, you really to work your timing" said George giving her a look to avoid the subject
"Three weeks are plenty of time. I don't even know if I will survive three weeks living with my boyfriend's mother" said Meredith
"What?" George cried out shocked
"Alex wants his family to move to Seattle and he asked me for them to be in the house until they find a place" said Meredith not able to eat anything else
"It can't be that bad, Meredith" Lexie said trying to fix their lunch environment "I met her and she seems nice"
"She will hate me. Every mother would hate someone like me dating their sons. Ask George's mother" Meredith said
"Di-did you two… ever dated?" rambled Lexie
"No, just one night of bad sex because I had just met your father after 20 years" said Meredith
"George!" yelled Lexie leaving the two friends in the table
"Lexie!" he called as he ran after her
"Great, now I destroy others relationships either" said Meredith playing with the food on her plate and thinking how could she avoid Alice living in the same house with her
"Trouble in paradise, Grey?" asked Mark sitting with her
"No, just my in laws moving in my house" said her sarcastically
"That's not good. That can't be good. Nooo, not good at all" said Sloan before bite his sandwich
"It can't be, right? I'm screwed, I'm so screwed. She will hate me, she will probably take her son away and ensure he never meets me anymore" Meredith said pushing the tray away from her and laying her head in the table
"You are hard to be hated, Grey" said Mark trying to help his friend
"I'm dark, I'm twisted, I have daddy issues, mother issues, abandonment issues, niece issues, commitment issues, I'm wreck" she said
"Niece issues? This is new" said Sloan chewing his food
"Yeah because if I survive the next few weeks I may have to go to the birthday party of hell" she said
"Isn't your niece a child? I mean she can't cause you bigger issue than stinky diapers" said Mark confused by the whole niece issue
"Did you forget who her grandpa is? Do you think he won't be in his only grandchild birthday? Don't you remember Susan death?" asked Meredith
"So technically it is not a niece issue it is daddy issue, reloaded" said him smirking
"You are just an ass" said Meredith smirking and hitting his arm
"Ouch, Grey. I have faces to fix I can't be injured" said him rubbing his arm
"Is there a way I can say no?" asked Meredith trying to hold on some hope
"Unless you want her to really hate you, I don't think so" said Mark
"I should have listened to you and let it all about the sex and non-exclusive sex" groaned Meredith
"You are not like me, Grey, I'm not like Alex" Mark said
"Yeah but why rush things? If we were just handy sex I wouldn't freak out" she said
"You two were never only sex, if I'm not wrong the first sex you had was a few days ago. Look Meredith, you don't need to be afraid, this is what you always wanted, a relationship, a steady relationship with someone that would be there for you. I can listen to the bells ringing and babies crying" said Mark teasing her.
For the second time she slapped his arm "You are such violent these days, I may not be close to you' said Mark rubbing his arm again
"And you are such an ass these days, the difference between us? You are an ass all others days also" she said smirking
"But in both cases I said the truth" he shrugged
She didn't say a word and get back her plate to play with the rest of her lunch
"Right, now go there and reassure you will be such a great daughter in law, you can do this Grey, you will do this" he said reassuring the unsure woman in front of him
"Right, thanks Mark, give Callie a hug for me" she said
"I will give her more than this" he smirked. Meredith smirked back as she left the table while he attacked his lunch
Meredith walked back to Sarah room and Joanna and Alice were already there along with Alex
"Hey guys" said Meredith standing in the door, still nervous about his family
"Hey, sis" said Joanna heading to Meredith and hitting her arm
"She doesn't do hugs either" said Alex also walking in his girlfriend direction and kissing her cheek
"Did you have lunch?" asked Meredith. The moment the words came out her mouth she regretted it. How corny was she checking if her boyfriend had lunch?
"Yeah, mom brought me and Sarah food" he said wrapping his arm around her waist
"This is my address Alice" said Meredith giving the old lady a piece of paper "And these are the keys" also handling her the spare keys she had since Izzie moved out "If you want to go home and take a shower or just be outside the hospital"
"Thanks, Meredith. Are you sure we won't disturb you guys?" asked Alice
"No, of course not, we live more as roommates than anything else. You can sleep on the room you did last night and tomorrow when Sarah is home I think two can sleep on Izzie's old bed and the other in Alex's room" Meredith said
"I just got some newspapers to look for a house or an apartment I think it won't be hard to find out. These days there are more houses to sell and rent than fishes on sea" said Alice
"Take your time, Alex and I will be fine" said Meredith
"I think we should do a party or something" said Joanna excited out of blue
"What is it for?" asked Alice
"Well Sarah is fine, you both are moving to Seattle and my visits will become more interesting than ever. I'm tired of Iowa boys and this hospital has just hot guys. And last but not least, Alex has a girlfriend. Oh my God I never thought I would say those words altogether, so we definitely need to celebrate" said Joanna
"Joanna! This is not your house and Meredith just looks tired, we don't want to give her any further inconvenience" said Alice
"In fact I think Joan is right mom, we need to celebrate. Maybe we could have a dinner tomorrow, what do you think babe?" said Alex kissing Meredith's cheek and pulling her close
"You know I can't cook, Alex" said blushed
"Don't worry about it, Meredith, mom cooks, I bet Alex misses eating mom's food. It has been more than one year" said Sarah with bright in her eyes
Everybody in the room melt with the joy in the little young woman eyes and Alex immediately crossed the room to kiss his sister in the cheek
"Of course I do, especially sitting next to you" he said
"You can invite your family too, Meredith. They all seem so nice" said Alice
"Except for the one Alex didn't make happier, she definitely doesn't look nice" said Joanna smirking
"Cristina is nice" said Meredith "She is just… Cristina" said Meredith not finding a better word to define her person
"So what do you think, Mer, is it too much?" asked Sarah with pleading eyes
"No, Sarah, in fact it will be nice to have the guys reunited again, it has been a while" said Meredith honestly
"Could you make sure you have Sarah's doctor invited?" asked Joanna "He is just hot" she completed
Meredith and Alex exchanged looks; they didn't know what to say
"Sure, Dr Shepherd is quite busy, maybe he can find a spot on his schedule" said Alex uncomfortable
"I will invite Mark and Callie either, I'm not sure if you had a chance to meet them" said Meredith
"I don't think so. I remember Cristina, Izzie, George, Dr Webber and your half sister" said Alice
"Lexie" said Meredith
"Oh yes, that's her name" said Alice
"What about your friends from Iowa?" asked Meredith
"John and David are on their way back to Iowa" said Alice
"Okay, so it will be us and Izzie, George, Lexie, Cristina, Mark and Callie" said Meredith
"And Dr Shepherd" said Joanna
"Sure, Dr Shepherd" said Meredith uncomfortable.
Alice noticed how both Alex and Meredith reacted at the name of the elder doctor but she wouldn't ask anything about it. It must had something behind it and eventually she would know
"Party!!" said Joanna running to her sister bed
"Yes, party!" said Sarah giggling
Finally some shine was reflected in the Karev's family faces and though Meredith was happy because they were fine, deep inside she was just afraid of what was coming
Trying is a Lifehouse song