The door to Meredith's hospital room opened loudly the next day and Meredith couldn't hide the disappointment as she watched Cristina walk in with a wheel chair. Meredith was sitting on the edge of her bed, a small bag at her side, more than ready to get out of the hospital.
Shotting Cristina a confused look she got off the bed and stretched her still tired muscles. "Where's Derek?" She asked trying to hide the hint of disappointment. "Oh, he got tied up in surgery so he asked me to bring you home." Cristina said matter of factly, not really pausing to let Meredith respond she heaved the small bag over her shoulder and pointed to the wheel chair.
"Cristina...I'm not letting you push me in that..I can walk..I'm not dying." Meredith said in disbelief. Knowing it was going to be a struggle Cristina had come prepared and looked at Meredith sharply.
"You know it's hospital rules, I need to be back here in an hour so get your ass into this chair!" She almost yelled..and Meredith was a little stunned with her reaction. After much debate, she finally gave in and sat down in the chair.
Making their way through the hospital Meredith tried to avoid the sympathetic stairs passer by's were shooting her way. She felt pathetic...being pushed around like an invalid.
"I'll remember this next time you're hospitalized!" She joked as her friend pushed her out into the rare sunshine of Seattle. Her thoughts turned to Derek, and she stopped listening to Cristina's description of the surgery she had done earlier.
He was supposed to pick her up, she didn't want to admit it to him, but she was excited for the chance to talk one on one with her husband. They had talked a little the day before, but it really didn't even scratch the surface of the things that needed t be delved into.
He seemed eager to pick her up, and be home with her, even though she hated the meddling and hovering, in the past year he hadn't hovered at all...and she missed it. Hell she just missed him, if hovering meant she got to see the man she loved she would let him hover all he wanted.
The ride home was uneventful and Cristina began to notice the silence awkward silence coming from the passenger side of the car. "What's wrong with you, I thought you'd be thrilled to be home?" Cristina asked while focusing her attention on the traffic in front of her.
Sighing she let her fingers fiddle with her shirt before looking over and answering, "I thought Derek was coming to get me? What case was he working on..he said he would be done for the day?" Meredith was growing annoyed with her husband and the familiar hurt had crept back into her chest.
She had heard his excuses many times before, and most times, he seemed only half apologetic. Meredith thought things had changed...she was sure he was really going to make an effort, had she been wrong?
Instead of throwing at her usual sarcastic remark about her wanting Mcdreamy more than her, Cristina just shrugged and cursed at the car in front of her. "He said something about an emergency, I wasn't really paying attention...er..you know how he gets when he's in the surgery zone." She seemed a little nervous as she drummed her fingers impatiently on the steering wheel. Meredith however, didn't notice as she was too busy staring at the side of the road endlessly lost in depressing thoughts.
The two didn't really speak as they drove onto the land and Meredith couldn't help but smile at the sight of her house. They had built their dream house almost a full year after they had been married. They had always planned to build it, but the upcoming birth of Ava speed up the process and 450,000 dollars and 5 months later they had their home.
Meredith had never really thought about her own house, in face when Derek brought her ideas for the floor plan she shrugged and said "surprise me." But once building began, it was hard for her to not add her own touches. Balancing planning, work, and being pregnant was grueling, but planning at the same time.
It was a Victorian style house, with yellow siding and white trim. It had 5 bedrooms..which she insisted were too many, but Derek was always in love with the idea of a big family. The back of the house faced the lake which was still a good distance away. The view of the early morning sun glistening off the lake was one neither Meredith or Derek wanted to part with. The house was neither huge, nor tiny, and though Addison felt it was a bit too countryish for her taste, the Shepherds thought it was perfect.
Cristina looked around, her eyes scanning back and forth from the house to driveway as if she were looking for something. Meredith caught her odd behavior this time and went to say something, but was too preoccupied with the thought of being back in her house.
Walking into the foyer was like heaven to her. The warm, comforting smell filled her nostrils and her first thought was to just walk through every room. In the kitchen she noticed everything was cleaned to perfection and not a dish lay out of place. She was never horribly messy, but it was always the long running joke that Meredith was definetly not the clean freak in the marriage.
With Ava acting up, and Derek gone, she had definetly let the house get out of order. Remembering the unorganized state it was in when she left she found it hard to believe the immaculate condition of it now. Cristina followed her not amazed, and typed frantically away on her cell phone.
Meredith found the living room in the same condition and sighed seeing non of Ava's toys out wondering how the girl was making out at school that day. Derek had been canceling surgery after surgery, bringing the girl home, to school, and back home again. She knew it must have been rough on him with her in the hospital and she suddenly felt bad for being upset at him.
"Thanks for bringing me home, do you want something to eat before you go?" Meredith asked Cristina finally remembering her friend was there at all. Cristina looked around the house again with a puzzled look on her face. "Oh no, no I need to get going, I'll call you later!" Meredith opened her mouth to ask why she was acting so weird but Cristina had fled nervously out of the house before Meredith could get a word in.
Not understanding what was going on with her friend, Meredith trudged up the stairs eager to change out of her hospital smelling clothes. Opening her door she stopped dead in her tracks at her bedroom. Loosing her breath she looked around in wonder, still confused, not really understanding.
The room had been cleaned as well and the usual stacks of medical journals and discarded clothes were no where to be seen. A pile purple rose petals replaced the usual burgundy bedspread and she noticed that the trail led all the way to her master bathroom.
She could hear the water running, and an eerie feeling washed over her. She didn't know what to think. Her first thought was fear, checking her pocket to be sure she had her cell phone on her, she stepped lightly into the bathroom trying her best not to make any noise.
The sight in front of her took her breath away once again and she had to almost brace herself to keep from falling over. The room was slightly dark, the shades had been drawn. More purple petals were freely strewn until the trail led to a huge mound at the edge of her large corner jacuzzi tub.
The water was still running and she could see the purple petals floating just on top of the water. Candles of every shape and size littered the ground casting off a romantic glow. Their scent let off a flowery scent filling her nostrils and calming her and she breathed it in.
Soft ocean sounds were coming from the stereo in the corner and Meredith was confused again wondering who had done all this. She heard a noise behind her and jumped scared out of her mind.
Turning around she almost ran once again into her husband who's blue eye's met hers as he leaned against the door jam.
