AU Notes: Alex never sent divorce papers to Jo. Jo doesn't want a divorce till she can think straightly.
I hope you don't call
Meredith looked down at her phone. The words from Alex's note repeated in her mind. "And I really hope you don't call me, because I love my family and the second you called I would be right back there to stay. So please don't pick up that phone. I love you Mer. You will always be my person." She could hear his voice saying those words clear as the water in the bahamas. Tears rolled down Meredith's cheeks. "Mommy! Are you okay?" Zola asked her mom concerned. Meredith looked at the compassionate young woman she was raising. Choking back tears Meredith replies, " I'm okay ZoZo, Ellis is sick. We got blood tests done and she has cancer. She has mets on her right kidney and it's spreading." The tears were flowing even more now. She was then enveloped by her eldest daughter's arms. "I wish daddy was here. He would know what to do. He was so smart and silly and funny. He was the best daddy ever." Zola smiled at the times she remembered when she was with her dad. "I know ZoZo. He was an amazing person and everyone just loved him and his enthusiasm. He could light up a stormy day in Seattle with his smile." God Meredith missed his smile. Especially his smile Christina and Alex both called the McDreamy smile. She smiles. Ellis definitely had his McDreamy smile. Everyday she looked more and more like him. "You should call Uncle Alex to come and help Ellis, you know she loves him and Bailey and, I miss him so, so much. He's the best Uncle anyone could have to ask for." Meredith smiles but inside she is so conflicted. She told Zola and Bailey that Alex had moved away but he would always love them. She didn't have the heart to tell them that he was never coming back to see them again. They would never have another conversation with him. Or maybe they would if Alex ever did come back but, she doubted it. He had his own family to care for. Zola speaking pulled her from her thoughts of how her life was now. "Mommy I think I just heard Ellis crying." Meredith released her grip from her daughter and headed up the stairs to Ellis' room. A flashback of dejavu happened.
Flashback
It was 3 in the morning when Meredith was awoken from Ellis crying into the baby monitor. She had recently moved back into her old house after buying it back from Alex. As she walked in, she was saddened. This used to be Zola's old nursery. The first night being back together with Derek and having Zola was hard. She was constantly awoken by Zola because it was an unfamiliar place to her. She woke up around 7 in the morning. She and Derek had the next 2 weeks off for "maternity" leave, really Owen just gave them the time off to adjust to life with Zola and spend time as a family. She slowly opened her eyes. The light shined in her eyes through the thin curtain and the window. Today was one of those rare days when the sun was shining and the ground was dry. She rolled over to cuddle up next to Derek when she realized he wasn't there. She looked around the room. Panic setting in as she didn't see him anywhere and she noticed Zola wasn't crying at all. She shot out of the bed and down the hall to Zola's nursery. She finds the door cracked and she slowly but surely creaks it open to look inside. What she finds is the most adorable thing. Zola is asleep in Derek's arms. Derek is also asleep and is holding her in the rocking chair. A smile sweeps across her face. She is so lost in thought she doesn't even notice Derek stir. "Hey." He softly whispers. He is sporting his famous McDreamy smile. "Hi. Are you guys okay?" Meredith asks. "Yeah. Zola was being fussy and you are tired so I decided to walk around and she fell asleep and I sat down and I guess I fell asleep. You can go back to bed. I've got her. But you owe me a pizza later."
End of Flashback
Later that day Meredith walked into Miranda's office. She hadn't told Miranda about Ellis' cancer on her kidney and moving it's way throughout her body. She knocked on the door. "Come in." As Meredith walked in she saw Miranda had paperwork on her desk. Meredith was so nervous to ask Miranda for time off to be with Ellis. She didn't know how she was going to explain it either. Miranda was only 3 years older than Meredith. Miranda had become a mother to Meredith but she was also Chief of Surgery at one of the best teaching hospitals in the country.
" Grey, what can I do for you." Miranda asked with a pep in her voice. " I had some blood work done and a GI scope in the clinic on Ellis." Miranda turned around, worry apparent on her face. " Is she okay Meredith?" Meredith knew Miranda only used first names with her husband, if she was worried, or outside the hospital walls. " She has been really sick. She hasn't eaten in 4 days and is throwing up intensively. She has cancerous mets on her right kidney. It's spreading rapidly. I need your help Dr. Bailey. I need your help to save my daughter. De- Derek's daughter." By now Meredith was stumbling on her words. Her shoulders were shaking violently from her held back sobs. Miranda looked at the woman she felt was her own daughter. Miranda started tearing up. She loved Ellis like a granddaughter. " Meredith. Honey of course I will help you. We will do anything we can to help her. I'm going to need you to bring me her results from her tests. We don't have a new head of Pediatrics yet. Do you have a preference?" "Who has the best success rate with an operation like this?" Miranda started typing on her keyboard. The two surgeons made small talk till Miranda's computer popped up the results. " Dr. Alex Karev has the biggest success rate with operations like these. Do you want me to call him?" "No Miranda. I'll call him. But I have to make sure Jo is okay with this. And if she isn't I'll call Arizona Robbins. She has the second best rates I'm suspecting." "You are correct. If Wilson can't handle Karev being here then we will have Arizona come out. We both know they are each very capable surgeons. Tell me what you decide and bring Ellis in to get admitted. You are officially "Suspended" with pay" Miranda stated. Meredith scrunched her face up in confusion. "Can you even do that?" "Meredith. I'm the chief of surgery at this hospital. I can do whatever the hell I want." Meredith and Miranda both shared a giggle at that. Meredith went home to get Ellis and brought her to the hospital and registered her.