Here is the next chapter sorry for the long wait. Life has just been too busy for me and I haven't had time to update. This chapter is just the normal life for the family.
Enjoy...
Meredith's phone starts ringing. She is feeding a 2 month old Kaylee. She reaches for it she sees Izzie's name across the screen of her phone.
"Hello Izzie, what's up?"
"Dress shopping. You, Cristina, Arizona, Callie and me are going dress shopping."
"Why today, we could go on Saturday."
"Well it is the middle of the day and most people are out at work, so it won't be as crowded."
"Okay fine, where are we meeting?"
"At the plaza at lunch time; we will meet in the food court."
"Okay I will see you then."
"Are you bringing Kaylee?"
"Yeah because Derek isn't home; Mark and Derek went out to the driving range."
"Okay goodie. I will see you soon."
"Yeah bye Iz."
Meredith hangs up the phone and goes back to reading the Alzheimer's information she has collected. She hasn't told the kids yet and is waiting for another phone call from Richard so she is doing her own research.
Kaylee finishes feeding.
"You finished baby girl? That was a big drink." Mer says to Kaylee.
She takes Kaylee off and starts burping her. After burping her she lays her down in front of her and starts playing with her feet and blows raspberries on her little baby feet.
"You have gotten so big Kaylee." She says.
Kaylee lets out a smile at Mer.
"And you are a very happy baby as well. Nothing could bring you down."
She leans over and kisses her cheek then brings her back into her arms.
"Let's go downstairs shall we and find something to do before we go dress shopping."
She takes her downstairs. She picks the rocker up and carries it to the laundry.
"We better put the washing out since the weather is so beautiful."
She picks the basket of washing up and carries it outside along with Kaylee and the rocker. She lays Kaylee down in the rocker out of the sun on the porch next to Juno and Bundy.
"Keep an eye on her you two." She says.
She hangs all the washing out on the line and admires the beautiful weather on the first day of December and the first day of summer.
"Do you want to go for a walk sweetie?" Mer asks.
She just kicks her legs and lets out a smile. Even the two dog's jump up excited.
"So I'm guessing a walk it is."
She takes the rocker back inside and takes Kaylee out of it to get ready for the walk when the phone rings again.
"Hello?"
"Hi Mer its Richard."
"Hi Richard." She says as she goes into the lounge room to put Kaylee into the swing. "What's up?"
"I'm guessing your mother told you about the Alzheimer's?"
"Yeah she did."
"Okay well she has decided to retire as a surgeon because once it affects her she won't be able to practice medicine anymore. So it's her last day at the hospital on Friday and then the two of us are going to go on a trip to Europe for a month. So we can spend some precious time together before the disease affects her."
"Okay, when are you leaving?"
"Sunday night. I just wanted to let you know just in case you try to contact me."
"Sure okay thanks for that. Do you need anything else?"
"No I just wanted to let you know."
"Okay, do you need anything else?"
"Have you told Charlie and Jackson?"
"No not yet. I wanted to get my facts straight and learn more about the disease so if the kids wanted to ask me questions I was on top of my game."
"Okay that's reasonable. Do you have any idea when you were going to tell them?"
"When the time is right I will."
"You don't have to."
"No I will. They deserve to know."
"Okay then. Anyway I have to go. I will talk to you soon."
"Yeah I will. Bye."
"Bye Mer."
She hangs up and looks at the clock.
"We could head over now and have a look at some Christmas presents for the kids." She says to Kaylee.
She gets up off the lounge and takes Kaylee out of the swing and into her arms. She grabs her baby bag and the car keys and they set off for the plaza.
...
Mark and Derek are at the driving range.
"You seem less satisfied. Did you and Grey stop the sex?"
Derek hits the ball.
"Yeah we did."
"When did that happen?"
"Late Friday night."
"Why did you end it?"
"Mer wanted to, she thought that we should stop it because it wasn't really comfort sex anymore and we had abused the title, we were just doing it for the sake of doing it."
"So you still were getting laid."
"I know that but I left it down to Mer and she wanted to end it. She said that we could maybe start dating soon once she sorts everything out. She is a bit of a mess after this whole year."
"Who wouldn't be? She has been through stuff that some people don't deal with until they are older it all came to her plate in like a whole week. Finding out she was pregnant, getting called a whore, being shot at, being kicked out of home."
"They were all handed to her in a week. You are still missing all the other stuff, being knocked out, getting called ordinary for the thousandth time, fighting with her mum and Richard, having to put up with me when dad died, looking after Jackson and Charlie, witnessing the murder, her mum getting sick, having Kaylee and trying to stay sane at the whole time."
"I don't know how she does it. She is like superwoman and putting up with all that crap as well. She is definitely someone to look up too."
"Yeah I know she is an amazing girl."
"When do you think you will get back together?"
"No idea, I'm letting her go at her own pace."
"That could be a year."
"Or it could be a week it's all up to her."
They hit a few more balls.
"You wouldn't guess how many condoms we went through."
"10."
"Higher."
"20."
"Still higher."
"40."
"No lower.
"30."
"Yeah about that many. She found 4 empty boxes in our suitcase."
"God how did you find the time with three kids in the same room."
"We did it's something you learn to do."
"I despise you so much I wish I got laid that many times in a week."
Derek just chuckles.
...
Meredith takes Kaylee out of the car seat and lays her down in the pram. She fell asleep on the trip there. She shuts the doors and heads inside. She is an hour early and decided to go have a look at Christmas presents for the kids. She heads down to the toy store to see what is there for Charlie.
She walks down the aisle that is all pink, the Barbie aisle.
"I don't know what I should get her, there is too many." She says searching the selves.
Her phone then starts ringing. She fumbles around and pulls it out and answers it.
"Hi Derek, what Barbie should I get Charlie for Christmas?"
"She said that she wouldn't mind the pool party set."
She searches the selves and spots it.
"What are you doing now?"
"Why?"
"I was just wondering."
"I'm Christmas browsing about to go and meet the girls for lunch and go dress shopping."
"Okay well I just remembered that Jackson has the orthodontist appointment at 10 past 1 and it is now 12.30."
"Crap, can you pick him up?"
"No because the car has a flat tire and it will take us at least half an hour to change it then the extra twenty minutes into town."
"Okay I'll go can you just call them and let them know we might be 5 minutes late."
"Sure thing."
"Okay I'll see you later this afternoon." She says.
"Bye Mer."
She hangs up and starts to leave the store. She walks as fast as she can to the car while she is calling Izzie. She reaches message bank.
"Hi Iz its Mer, I can't make dress shopping, Jackson has an orthodontist appointment soon. Sorry I missed it. Talk later."
She reaches the car and takes Kaylee out of the pram and into the car seat. She jumps into the car and heads to the school.
She gets out of the car, takes Kaylee out and heads to the office.
"Hi I need to take my brother to the orthodontist." Mer says.
"What's his name?" The office lady asks.
"Jackson Webber."
"Okay we will send someone over, can we just get you to fill this sheet out to say why you have to take him, then sign there and he is good to go."
Mer starts filling the sheet out. She signs her name just as he walks into the office.
"Thank you. Will you be bringing him back?"
"I don't think I will he is having the braces put on today."
"Okay that's fine."
"Let's go." Mer says to Jackson.
They walk down to the car. Mer straps Kaylee into her car seat and Jackson jumps into the front.
Meredith drives as fast as she can to the orthodontist.
"I forgot all about your appointment today."
"Me too, how did you remember?"
"Derek."
"Oh he always remembers stuff like that."
"He sure does."
Mer's phone starts ringing.
"Can you answer that for me please Jacko."
Jackson answers the phone.
"Hello?"
"Where's Mer cause we are supposed to be dress shopping?" Cristina asks.
"I have an orthodontist appointment now so she is driving me there."
"Oh now I have to put up with the all the girly girls. She needs to come a rescue me."
Jackson has a smile on his face and Meredith knows that he is talking to Cristina and she knows what he is going to do.
"I'm sorry but you are going to have to put up with the girly girls. Mer is on the other side of town and if she goes to pick you up then I will be late for the appointment."
"I know you are lying she is driving by the plaza right now."
"No were not." They drive right pass the plaza and Jackson is trying to hold his laugh. "Sorry we have to go, we're at the orthodontist now."
"Don't you hang up on me Jackson, put Mer on."
"I can't sorry. Bye Cristina."
He hangs the phone up on her.
"Oh that was mean." Mer says. "But so good." Mer lets out a laugh.
"Yeah I know. She is going to have to get used to it. You won't be her rescuer all the time you do have a life."
"I know but she is Cristina and she hates being in those situations."
They arrive at the orthodontist with 5 minutes to spare.
"Just go inside and let them know that you are here. I'll get Kaylee out."
Jackson gets out of the car and goes inside. Meredith takes Kaylee out of the car seat. Grabs the baby bag and the carrier and heads inside.
She sits down next to Jackson.
"Can you hold her for a second?"
She passes Kaylee to Jackson and puts the carrier on. Jackson helps her sit Kaylee in the carrier. Just as the dental nurse walks out.
"Jackson Webber." She says.
Jackson and Meredith get up and follow her into the room. He sits on the dental chair and Meredith goes and sits at the chair in the corner with Kaylee.
"Hi Jackson, how are you today?" The orthodontist asks.
"I'm good."
"That's good because we are taking the plate out today and putting the braces on the top row and on the bottom."
"Okay then."
"So you ready?"
"Sure."
"Okay I'm going to go and get the equipment and I will be back to start."
He gets up and leaves. Jackson smiles at Mer and she smiles back at him.
...
After having his plate removed then having the braces attached he is ready to go home.
The orthodontist takes them into his office for a talk.
"Okay so we have attached the braces as you can see and feel. We will keep having checkups every month and I will see if they need to be tightened and the colours can be changed. I'm giving you these elastics that you have to wear every day. Place them on 3rd top brace and the 4th bottom brace and that will help align your teeth as well."
"Okay is that all I need to know?"
"Yes. We will make an appointment for the New Year. Is Monday the 3rd of January good?"
"We won't be here then. We are going on holidays until the 16th."
"Okay what about 19th of January at 1.30pm."
"That's good."
"Okay I'll write it down for you."
He writes the date down and hands it over to Mer.
"I'll see you them Jackson."
The two get up and leave his office.
"You didn't say we were going on holidays."
"Well we are. We only made the accommodation last night when you were in bed."
"Okay when were you going to tell us?"
"Today."
They walk to the front desk and Meredith pays the fees.
They are in the car home. When Mer's phone rings again. Jackson answers it.
"Hello?"
"Hi Jackson, how close to home are you?"Derek asks.
"10 minutes why?"
"We have nothing left in the cupboards to eat."
"Okay I'll tell Mer." He turns to Mer. "There's nothing left in the cupboards to eat."
"Okay we'll go shopping then."
"Were going to go shopping now."
"Okay I will see you at home soon then."
"Bye Derek." He hangs up the phone.
Meredith pulls into the store car park. Jackson grabs the baby bag and Meredith takes Kaylee out.
They walk into the store and Jackson grabs a trolley with the baby seat on it. Meredith straps Kaylee in and they pick up the groceries.
They are looking at the veggies when a man walks past Meredith. He does a double take of her. Meredith has a double take of him as well. The man then walks away and Meredith realises who it is.
...
Meredith is sitting on the bottom of the stairs. She is only five years old. Her mum and dad are in the kitchen fighting. She is sitting there listening to the words being yelled and all the glass that is being broken on the floor or the walls.
"Leave my house now." Ellis screams. Another glass object is shattered right in front of Meredith.
Thatcher picks up his bag and Meredith helps him carry it out to the car. She passes him the bag and he puts it into the back of his car. He goes to get into the car but she grabs onto his arm.
"Do you have to go daddy?"
"Yes I do. Now let go of me."
"No daddy don't leave me." Meredith says upset.
"Meredith I have to leave now let go of me."
"Daddy don't leave, mummy doesn't mean it, just apologize and we can go back."
"I can't Meredith, it's harder than that."
"Please daddy I know she hurt you but I love you. Don't leave." She yells as he gets into the car and drives away.
She runs out to the street and watches him drive away.
"Daddy don't leave, I love you, come back please." She yells down the street.
People from nearby houses have come outside at the noise of everything going on.
She breaks down in the middle of the street.
"No daddy, come back." She yells in tears.
Ellis walks outside.
"Meredith get up off the road and stop making a fool of yourself." Ellis says to her.
"Can't you just apologize and make everything go back to normal?"
"No I don't love your father. Now get up off the road."
Meredith doesn't move so Ellis picks her up and carries her inside. Meredith is still in tears.
...
"Mer who was that?" Jackson asks.
"Someone who left me 13 years ago."
"What happened then?"
"That's when mum and Richard got together and the year my father left me."
"Was that your dad?"
"Yeah it was."
"Oh. So you haven't seen him since then?"
"Nope. But it doesn't matter because I have Charlie, Kaylee, Derek and you." She says holding onto his chin and smiling.
"Okay so it's a good thing?"
"Yes."
They finish shopping and go and pay for the items. As they are going back to the car Thatcher stops her.
"Meredith is that you?" He asks.
"Yes it is dad the daughter you abandoned all those years back."
"You have gotten so much bigger."
"Do you want anything because I have to take these two home."
"No it was just a surprise to see you that's all. Do you think maybe we could go for coffee? I want to be in your life again."
"I'm sorry I don't want to go for coffee with you, I lost respect for you after you left me 13 years ago and now you want to be a part of my life again. Sorry you are too late. Let's go Jackson."
"I see I probably would have lost respect for myself as well. I see you have a baby."
"Yeah I do." Meredith says as she leaves him.
"Nice seeing you too." He mumbles to himself.
They reach the car.
"Are you okay Mer?"
"Yeah I will be. I just need to get out of here before he sees me crying."
He helps pack the bags into the back and Meredith puts Kaylee into the car seat as Jackson takes the trolley back.
They get in the car and leave.
As soon as they get home she turns the car off and starts crying. Jackson sees this leans over and starts hugging her. She leans her head into his shoulder. The fabric of his school shirt is soaked from the tears. He just rubs her back trying to sooth her.
Derek sees the car parked but no movement. He looks sees that Mer is upset so he heads down to the car. He opens her door and moves her into his arms.
"I've got this Jackson." He says.
Meredith wraps her arms around his neck and he wraps his arms around her body.
He stands there holding her for 10 minutes. His shirt is soaked from her tears. She moves out of his arms and looks at him.
"I'm fine." She says.
"You sure because crying for 10 minutes doesn't seem like you are fine."
"I just needed to let it all out."
He tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.
"So what has made you this upset?"
"My father."
"Okay. I don't need any more info."
She lets a small smile out.
"We better take these groceries in." She says.
"You sure your fine?"
"Yes I just needed to let it all out."
He moves from the door and lets her get out. She takes Kaylee from the car seat and takes her inside to the rocker. Derek follows in with the groceries and starts packing them away.
...
That night once Meredith had tucked Charlie in and she went across to Jackson's room. He was sitting on his bed playing the play station. She goes and sits next to him. He pauses the game and looks at her.
"I'm sorry you saw me breakdown this afternoon."
"It's fine Mer. Sometimes you need to cry to let everything out."
"I know but my little brother shouldn't be the one to see it. I'm supposed to be the strong one and not show my emotions."
"You have always been the strong one. You have never broken down in front of us. You have kept our family strong and always put us forward first before yourself. I'm sure if you got shot you would make sure we were all safe before you took care of yourself. You have never broken down in front of us and whenever you do cry it is only for a few minutes and you always lock yourself in your room. It shows us that you never cry. If you need to cry then cry in front of us it shows that you have emotions and you're not made of stone."
"Okay, next time I need to cry I'll cry in front of you if that is what you are saying."
"Yes."
"Come here." She says.
She pulls him in for a hug.
"You're the best brother."
"And you are the best sister."
"I love you, you do know that?" Mer says.
"Of course I do and I love you too."Jackson says.
"That's good because then you wouldn't be my favourite brother."
"I'm your only brother."
"I know. I was joking. You will be my favourite brother forever."
"Same you and Charlie will be my favourite sisters forever and ever."
"Jackson I have something to tell you." He moves out of her arms.
"Is there something wrong with you?"
"No not me. It's about mum."
"What's wrong with mum? Is she sick?"
"Yeah she is."
"What does she have?"
"Alzheimer's."
"Can it be cured?"
"No it can't."
"Will she die?"
"I hope not."
Jackson has tears in his eyes. She pulls him back into a hug.
"I hope not for at least another 40 years."
"But that won't happen will it. She could die in a few years couldn't she?"
"Yeah that's right." Meredith tells him. "It all depends on how advanced the disease is."
"So what will happen to her?"
"You mean the symptoms."
"Yeah."
"Confusion, irritability and aggression, mood swings, language breakdown, long-term memory loss and there are a few other symptom." She tells him. "It will be okay, we will all be okay."
"You sure?" He says looking into her eyes.
"I'm certain."
"Okay. I'm going to go to bed now." He says climbing under the covers.
"Okay." She gets up off the bed and tucks him in. She places a kiss on his forehead. "Everything will be fine alright so there is no need to worry."
"I know Mer."
"Okay get some rest. Night."
"Night."
She walks out of his room, turns the light off and shuts the door. She turns around and sees Derek standing there.
"Did you tell him?"
"Yeah I did."
"He just needs time to process so give him time." Derek says.
"I know." She takes a deep breath. "I think I'm going to go have a shower."
"Okay." He grabs onto her hand. "Mer?"
"Yeah."
"You sure you're OK?"
"I think so."
He pulls her in for a hug and kisses her temple.
"I'm here if you need me remember that."
"I know and I will."
She moves out of his embrace.
"Just breathe Mer."
"I know. Goodnight."
"Night."
She walks away with a smile on her face. Derek will always be there for her.
So what did you think? Let me know.
Next chapter will be shopping for the formal, George's birthday dinner and Meredith meets someone new.
I will update soon. Please read and review.
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