Once again I am so sorry for delay in updating, time is just flying soooo fast...

Just a reminder of where we are in the story... Meredith was in a car accident and was left in a critical condition. As Derek and Meredith are not married Ellis had to be called as she is now Meredith's medical proxy following the death of her husband, something which Meredith had obviously overlooked. Ellis was given the option to have Meredith's babies delivered or risk the required surgery with them still inside of her. I think Ellis surprised everyone by instructing for the surgery to be performed without the babies being delivered.

Hope you enjoy the update...

Chapter 50 - Holding on

"Ok, we are all set to go on my end, " Erica Hahn announced as she entered the OR fully scrubbed. She frowned though as she glanced at Meredith's monitors, she really did not like what she was seeing. The surgery ahead of her was going to be tough and that was without the knowledge of whose daughter she had on her table, she said a quick prayer, there was no way she could become known as the surgeon who had the Ellis Greys daughter die on her table.

"Doctor Robins you need to get those babies sedated and fast, her blood pressure is rising which is going to cause the tear to grow. How much longer?"

"Twin A is sedated, I just need a few more minutes to get twin B under. "

"Well let's just hope we have a few minutes…"

"Dr. Hahn, with all due respect, you really are not helping here, I don't need the added pressure." Arizona bit back as she continued to work, locating twin B's umbilical cord.

"Are you saying you can't hack the pressure? If that's the case then you should not be in my OR. Push some more Diltiazem to assist in lowering that BP," Erica directed the last sentence to one of the residents.

"I am done," Arizona announced, ignoring Dr. Hahn's remark.

"And in less than one minute, it seems you work extremely well under pressure after all Dr. Robbins." Erica said as her eyes locked with Arizona's, if the situation wasn't so serious it would have passed as flirting. "Come on people let's get the show on the road. You, what's your name?" Erica demanded as she nodded to a resident.

"I am Dr. Avery," Jackson answered excitedly, thinking he was going to have a shot at doing a procedure during the surgery.

"Right Dr. Avery it is going to be your task during this surgery to give Dr. Grey regular updates." Erica stated as she began to open Meredith's chest.

"Excuse me?"

"I am sure I spoke clearly enough. Do you have a problem?"

"No, no problem. Give Dr. Grey updates…"

"Well done! You earn a gold star, now move it. Go give the first update now. Let them know that Dr. Robins has successfully sedated the fetuses and they are showing no signs of distress. Meredith's blood pressure was giving some cause for alarm but it is starting to come down now with the fetuses being sedated and with the administration of beta blockers. Also tell them that I have begun."

"Yes Mam." Jackson quipped as he rushed out of the OR in search of Dr. Grey and he couldn't help but feel even more nervous.


"Derek," Amelia called to her brother as she approached him at the nurse's station. She had left home immediately the second she had received the call. "Oh Derek," She said his name again as she embraced him, pulling him into a hug. She couldn't believe how much older her brother looked since she last saw him, only hours earlier at the school, when they were collecting the kids. "How is she?"

"She is in surgery now. We just got an update. Dr. Hahn has started the surgery and Arizona sedated the twins." Derek told Amelia as he pulled out of her embrace.

"How could this happen? It's just so unfair, after everything you guys have gone through. Der, Mer and the twins they have to be ok…."

"Ames, I keep asking myself the same thing. I can't lose her Amy. Any of them."

"I know Der," Amelia placed her hand on Derek's arm and rubbed it. "Mer is a fighter, she is strong. If anyone can come through this, it's her."

"I know but Amy there is a strong possibility that in order to save her life they are going to have to deliver the babies. They won't stand a chance if delivered now… and then Mer, if she survives…"

"Derek don't! You can't think like that, you need to hope for the best."

"I can't help it Amy; she is everything to me."

"I know Der, and you are everything to her. If the worst happens and you lose the twins, the two of you will get through it Derek. The love you two have can survive anything Derek, as long as you are together you will be ok."

"Your Mother could really give Opera a run for her money with all this love conquers all nonsense she instilled in all her children." Ellis commented as she exited the relative's room and overheard the tail end of Derek and Amelia's conversation.

"Oh my god…" Amelia exclaimed in shock as she turned around and took in the appearance of her best friend's mother as she stood in front of her. In 20 years she had hardly changed a bit and still looked as every bit intimidating as she ever did.

"Well not quite, but I do believe I am close," Ellis retorted. "Amelia, it's good to see that your mouth still engages before your brain. It's so comforting that some things never change."

"Well I really would like to say that it's nice to see that you are still the ogre you always were, but for Meredith's sake I cant. What are you even doing here?"

"Well I would have thought that was obvious, I am here for my daughter."

'Like you have ever even really cared about Meredith…" Amelia argued back.

"How dare you? Just who do you think you are? I don't have to put up with your attitude…"

"Dr. Grey, please…" Derek began, only to be interrupted by Amelia.

"Derek, what are you doing? You don't have to be nice to her or ask her for anything. You and Meredith are both adults now and she no longer has any hold over either of you."

"You are wrong Amy. Until Meredith wakes up she holds all the cards."

"What are you talking about Derek?" Amelia questioned.

"He is talking about the fact that as Meredith's husband died and she and your brother are not married, I am her medical proxy." Ellis answered for Derek. "And as I was saying, you continue with your attitude young lady and I will see to it that neither you nor any member of your family including your brother gets anywhere near my daughter."

Amelia glanced at her brother taking in his beaten down appearance, she was shocked that he was not fighting back but she gathered from previous experience he had probably learned that there was no point in fighting Ellis when she held all the control. She may have won the battle for now but she certainly had not won the war. The war would be won when Meredith was out of danger and was able to tell her to go back and to crawl under the rock she came out of. For Derek's sake she would swallow her pride. "I apologize Ellis, look it is an extremely stressful time, don't take this out on my brother. No matter how much you don't want to hear it, he loves Meredith and she loves him. He is the father of her unborn babies and he has been like a father to Lia since her own father died. If you are hoping for any kind of reconciliation with Meredith I guarantee that should you cut Derek out now, you can kiss any chance of that reunion goodbye."

"Geez aren't we dramatic. You keep your attitude under control and remember just who you are talking to and I won't keep any of you away."

"Thank you Dr. Grey. Amelia will keep out of your way." Derek told Ellis at the same time he gave his sister a warning look as Ellis silently accepted the truce.

"Come on Der, let's go and grab a coffee, we won't be away long and I doubt there will be another update yet." Amelia tugged on Derek's arm.

"Hold on a second," Ellis stopped them from leaving. "Where is my granddaughter?"

'Ex- excuse me," Derek stuttered.

"I said, where is my granddaughter?" Ellis repeated.

"Dr. Grey, I am sorry I can't let you see her, Meredith…" Derek begun.

"Is currently in a critical condition in an OR," Ellis interrupted. "And in case it has slipped your mind I am Meredith's next of kin which means that I am my granddaughter's legal guardian. And there is nothing you can do to prevent me from seeing and taking guardianship of my granddaughter."

Derek suddenly felt his chest get even tighter than it already was. He knew that Meredith would not want Ellis to have anything to do with Lia. She never even knew that she existed. He suddenly let out a panicked gasp as a thought hit him. What if Meredith never survived, he had no legal claim to the little girl he had been raising and had come to love as if she was his own. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that Ellis would take her away from him and never let him have anything to do with her and he would be powerless to stop her from doing so. He quickly said yet another prayer, praying that it didn't come to that as he thought of ways that he could protect his little girl, his princess from the woman who stood in front of him and honour her mother's wishes at the same time.

Sooo anxious for your thoughts on this...

Thanks

Jen xx