Meredith fell into routine at ABT fairly quickly, becoming disillusioned with the big names all around her. They were just men and women she danced with who happened to have reached a higher level of fame than she had.
She had a routine of waking up, having coffee and something light to eat, taking a pilates class, and heading to ballet class, which consisted of technique, pas de deux, and then hours of rehearsals. She had been placed in the role of Hermia in A Midsummer's Night Dream, a corps role, and therefore several roles in Coppelia, Interplay, where she was one of eight dancers handpicked, and Emeralds in Jewels in a soloist role, her first at ABT. Lexie had landed a soloist role in the pas de trois in Emeralds along with another soloist girl, with Mark as the male. Gillian Murphy was the principal lead and Meredith tried to contain the stars in her eyes as they went through rehearsals, Derek peeking in. They had a short Pas de Deux second to the main principal Pas but she loved having her own solo role, and it was an intense one at that.
The first time she was called to dance her solo in front of everyone else she was nervous beyond belief. The entire company had piled into the studio to watch her – they all wanted to see the girl that Kevin McKenzie had moved mountains for and she wanted to live up to their crazy hype. She smoothed down her long, floaty tutu and closed her eyes, waiting for the music to start. When it did, the studio walls melted away and suddenly it was just her and the music. Her eyes opened but gone were the people around her and she was sailing through the air, her legs up to her ears, executing turn after turn, jump after jump, leap after leap. The piece was around 5 minutes and she was out of breath as she struck her final pose, but the room clapped loudly for her and she smiled brightly. Meredith Grey had certainly arrived at ABT.
After tireless rehearsals, the season opened up with Coppelia. Meredith was actually grateful she didn't have a major part in the ballet; she filled the many corps and a few soloist roles but other than that she was grateful to hide in the back. She wasn't quite ready to step into the spotlight like she had at PNB; here there were so many senior ballerinas despite her being a principal and she had so much room to grow.
Coppelia was great, and the next night they performed Interplay along with a few other Balanchine ballets, including Serenade. She was so comfortable with her role in Serenade by now, she could dance it in her sleep. The only thing she missed was having Cristina in the triangle opposite her, the two women cursing about the movements and the high intensity of the ballet. It made her smile that night however, that Lexie was next to her and Maggie was opposite her as the ballet took off and she had a reason to smile, especially as Derek lifted her high above his head and she took a deep backbend, her blue costume shining under the bright stage lights. It was another night where she got to hide among other dancers before Jewels premiered that season.
Thursday night she stood in her dressing room with Amelia and Lizzie in her velvet and tulle Emeralds costume, makeup done and pinning her gold and emerald jeweled tiara onto her head. Amelia was in Diamonds in a soloist role, while Lizzie had the principal role in Rubies; Maggie was in the corps of Diamonds. She was excited for her solo as well as getting to dance with Derek in their first Pas for ABT.
Emeralds started all of Jewels, and she danced the opening song with the rest of the Emeralds cast, before running offstage while Gillian danced the pas and mentally preparing herself. Her first solo for ABT. She took a few deep breaths and Derek handed her some water which she sipped, trying not to get it down her costume before she heard the beginning cue to her music and she walked daintily onto the stage and posed, before dancing her heart out.
Her part was around five minutes long and she let herself get lost in the music, something she hadn't done on stage in awhile. She could see Derek out of the corner of her eye, she could see Kevin McKenzie out of her other eye, but this time she was dancing for herself. When her music was finished, she rushed to the front of the stage and curtsied, before running off gracefully. Next was the Pas de Trois that Lexie and Mark were in and she watched from the wing, Derek holding onto her. They were up next in their short Pas; it was short but complicated, with Meredith walking on pointe for so many counts of eight that for the first time in her life her toes were in excruciating pain. They ran off stage and tried to catch their breath before they
"You were amazing, and I'm not just saying that because you're my wife," he whispered, and she laughed, swatting his hand away from her. She was dripping with sweat but she was happy with both of them, twirling around in the wing with him. Derek ran out to dance the coda, after which the corps girls ran off, Meredith running on after only to be caught in Derek's arms, the pair dancing between the corps girls before running offstage, followed by the Pas de Trois, and ending with Gillian and the principal guy Meredith hadn't figured the name of yet, before Meredith and Derek ran back on, dancing opposite Gillian and her partner briefly before the ballet ended.
Breathless, bows were taken before the curtain fell, and suddenly Meredith felt herself being enveloped by Lizzie, who was already dressed for Rubies.
"Damn, if I knew I had a sister in law you danced like that I would've snagged you for ABT years ago," she smirked, as Meredith blushed deeply, clutching Derek's hand.
"I barely remember dancing, I looked out into the audience and it was so huge and dizzying and I just dance on auto-pilot," she laughed as she headed backstage. She could see Kevin headed towards her and she paused, looking up at him expectantly.
"That was beautiful, perfect even. I'd like to see you out front after the show," he said with a smile, and Meredith groaned along with Lizzie as he walked away.
"I hate how that's a good thing, and yet we always see it as a bad thing," Meredith said as they all entered the dressing room. Amelia was doing her makeup and Maggie was in there stretching in her warmups still; Diamonds was last. Her hair was pulled back tight and her tiara was pinned down and Meredith smiled as she started to get undressed, looking at the black halter dress that hit the floor and the pair of heels next to it. Lizzie laughed and rolled her eyes.
"Get used to it, you'll be out there every night after you dance a juicy soloist or principal role," she smirked, hearing the announcement that it was five minutes to curtain.
"Ugh, that's my cue! Let me go find Amelia, woman needs to be on stage to make me look good," Liz smirked, fleeing from their dressing room to find her baby sister. Meredith watched the ballet from the backstage TV's as she got ready for the after-gala, Derek in his own dressing room doing the same thing, Maggie getting ready for the third ballet in her dressing room because she still didn't know the girls she shared a dressing room with. Meredith didn't mind Maggie being there, and she helped her with her makeup a bit and into her costume, feeling sisterly before sending her up to the stage.
All three ballets went wonderfully and half an hour after Diamonds, Meredith found herself milling around in the lobby of the Metropolitan Opera House, still stunned that she had performed a soloist role there earlier tonight. She was in her little magnificent seven group, with Lizzie clinging to Amelia. All together they were 8 people who were mostly related and thinking about it, it made Meredith giggle as they were approached by Kevin.
"Meredith, come here, I have some people I want you to meet!" She plastered on a smile and waved back at her family, before stepping up to Kevin.
"Oh do you?" she giggled, turning on the charm and smiling brightly, shaking hands with everyone in the small group she had been brought to.
"Everyone this is Meredith Grey, my latest talent. I snuck her away from Pacific Northwest and I'm grateful to have her here; she and her husband were the soloists in Emeralds tonight," he said proudly, and Meredith smiled; she was very proud to have danced the soloist role with Derek for one of the most famous countries in the world.
"You're such a lovely ballerina, dear," said an older lately, and Meredith gratefully smiled, drinking a sip of champagne.
"Thank you," she smiled, feeling like a champagne bubble, light and floaty, on top of the world. She always hated being shown off like a prized pet, but it wasn't so bad with Kevin. She knew he genuinely liked her and her dancing, and wasn't going to treat her like some show monkey because she was good and capable of everything.
"Meredith started with the Royal Ballet, then danced with Pacific Northwest for three years, and I hope she stays with us for awhile, she's an amazing asset," he smiled, and Meredith smiled back.
"Well if I have my way I'd never switch companies again," she promised him, eyeing Derek across the room with a small roll of her eyes. She just wanted to be back with him.
"I have big plans for Miss Grey. Big plans," Kevin smiled, touching the small of her back, and inwardly Meredith groaned.
Okay so kind of a filler chapter but I ended up liking it anyway! I hope you liked it too
I know not many people read this story but I'd love more reviews or suggestions, it would be nice. I know it's not as popular as my other ones but I wish it got more attention than it did as I enjoy writing it and it's disheartening.