Here's another chapter. Thank you to everyone who has commented! It makes me hppy to see people enjoying the story i'm telling. Hope you enjoy this next chapter!
"I'm stuffed!" Bailey said as he finished his third helping of pancakes. Everyone laughed marvelling at how much he could eat.
Meredith reached across the bed to take his plate and put it with the rest before taking them to the kitchen, smiling at her family as she left. Amelia took the serving bowls and the rest of the fruit salad into the kitchen to help Meredith clean up.
Seeing Amelia come in, Meredith gave her a tired smile.
"It's a little overwhelming, isn't it?" Amelia said. Both women were adjusting to major changes in their lives.
"I had just gotten comfortable in a world with no Derek and had figured out this almost single parent thing with the help of our entire hospital family. I love having Derek back, don't get me wrong, its just, I don't want the debating and arguing that comes with a relationship. I really want this time to be different." Meredith said, speaking freely to the only other person who could understand what this was like.
At this point both women were standing at the sink, washing and drying the dishes. As Meredith finished speaking, Amelia reached across giving hr a half hug with her free arm.
"remember the day he died, the voicemail he left? You two were wanting to start living differently. Now you aren't coming out the back of a messy and trying year apart, you are able to truly shape your relationship and lives how you want. You have been through something no one would wish on you, but it has given you the opportunity to start again with the man you love."
Meredith chuckled at Amelia's statement "Did Amelia Shepherd just willingly talk about a silver lining? Mark the day." They smiled at each other, knowing that in the coming months of readjustments they would be there to understand and support each other.
"That goes for you too, Amelia. I know your relationship with Derek hasn't been the best, and before you left there was tension around your work. Now you get to start again as equals, not an older brother acting like a father to his little sister, or two neurosurgeons competing for greatness. You are an incredible surgeon, he sees that, now you can just be family."
"What happened to dark and twisty?" Amelia said smirking.
"A miracle happened. I'm still dark and twisty at heart, but for now, a miracle happened so I'm bright and shiny" Meredith finished drying the last plate then turned to give Amelia a hug before they returned to their families.
Walking into the room, they paused seeing Ellis and Bailey snuggled up on either side of Derek, his arms around them while Zola sat at the end of the bed talking animatedly and Link sat in the chair beside the bed rocking a sleeping Scout.
The two women entered the room together, Amelia going to pile onto the chair with Link and Scout while Meredith sat on the bed behind Zola, pulling her oldest daughter onto her lap.
Zola leaned back onto her mother's arms continuing telling the story of how her class went to the Zoo and she saw a zebra. When Zola finished her story and after Derek showed satisfactory appreciation, Meredith spoke up. "How about a game of Go Fish? Ellis and I can be a team. We should have enough cards for everyone to play"
Derek smiled agreeing "that sounds like a lovely idea Mer." Zola scurried off Meredith's lap, going to the hallway cupboard in search of a deck of cards. Finding what she was looking for she excitedly returned to the room and showed Derek how she could shuffle and deal the cards for everyone. Meredith moved Ellis to her lap so they could team up, while Derek and Bailey decided to work together. Amelia and Link moved the chair closer to the bed so everyone could play in a circle. Once Zola finished dealing the game began.
Being a family of highly competitive people, there was much whispering between the parent child teams as the game progressed. About halfway through the second game, there was a highly animated game of rock paper scissors between Derek and Bailey to decide their next move. At the end of three games, Zola had won the first and third and Ellis and Meredith had won the second. This next game, both Derek and Bailey and Amelia and Scout were in it to win it. Link laughed as Derek made Amelia re deal the cards saying she didn't shuffle well enough. As the game began, the room was silent.
Meredith quietly conversed with Ellis before they played their first move. Derek stared at her, in awe at how alike Ellis and Meredith were both in looks and mannerisms. The way then both wrinkled their nose when they were thinking hard about something, or how they fiddled with their hands when they were anxious or nervous. He was snapped out of his thoughts by Bailey insistently poking his arm to tell him it was their move. Seeing the serious look on his son's face, he leant down so they could discuss strategy. Agreeing on the best next play the continued. As the game came to a finish, Derek and Amelia were staring at each other, trying to figure out if the other had won. After the last move, Link's face broke into a grin as he played his winning move. Derek and Amelia stared indignantly, shocked that the chilled link had managed to win the final game. Meredith and Link shared a look, laughing at the competitive streak in the Shepherds, "I think it is genetic" Meredith said with a laugh as Zola excitedly reminded everyone of her overall win.
It was nearing lunchtime when they finished the final game and the kids were getting a little antsy being inside all day, so Meredith suggested they go for a walk through the park and get some burritos to bring home for lunch, leaving Derek to rest. This suggestion was met with vigorous head nodding from the three children.
Zola put away the cards while Amelia went to get Scout's diaper bag and stroller. They met in the lobby and set out.
As they walked through the park, Bailey and Zola excitedly ran to the park to play on the slide while they walked past. Ellis was feeling tired and tugged on Meredith's arm asking to be picked up. They continued through the park after letting the kids play for a few minutes, Zola and Bailey running ahead while Meredith carried Ellis and Amelia pushed a sleeping Scout in the stroller, Link walking along beside.
"Maybe I should have brought Ellis's stroller, she just had so much energy when we left and doesn't like to be put in it when her siblings are running ahead" Meredith said as Ellis fell asleep her head on her shoulder.
As they reached the shop, Meredith and Amelia stayed outside with their sleeping children while Link took the older kids inside to order food.
"Just a black bean burrito for me, a mild chicken burrito for Ellis and a spicy cauliflower burrito for Derek. Let the older kids choose what they want, within reason" Meredith said to Link.
"And a pulled pork burrito for me" Amelia added as Link walked inside and she and Meredith moved to the bench outside to wait.
While waiting they quietly chatted, so as not to wake the kids. After a few minutes Amelia's phone rang so she parked the stroller leaving it with Meredith so she could take the call.
As she picked up the phone she looked at the caller ID answering "Addison?"
"I'm stuffed!" Bailey said as he finished his third helping of pancakes. Everyone laughed marvelling at how much he could eat.
Meredith reached across the bed to take his plate and put it with the rest before taking them to the kitchen, smiling at her family as she left. Amelia took the serving bowls and the rest of the fruit salad into the kitchen to help Meredith clean up.
Seeing Amelia come in, Meredith gave her a tired smile.
"It's a little overwhelming, isn't it?" Amelia said. Both women were adjusting to major changes in their lives.
"I had just gotten comfortable in a world with no Derek and had figured out this almost single parent thing with the help of our entire hospital family. I love having Derek back, don't get me wrong, its just, I don't want the debating and arguing that comes with a relationship. I really want this time to be different." Meredith said, speaking freely to the only other person who could understand what this was like.
At this point both women were standing at the sink, washing and drying the dishes. As Meredith finished speaking, Amelia reached across giving hr a half hug with her free arm.
"remember the day he died, the voicemail he left? You two were wanting to start living differently. Now you aren't coming out the back of a messy and trying year apart, you are able to truly shape your relationship and lives how you want. You have been through something no one would wish on you, but it has given you the opportunity to start again with the man you love."
Meredith chuckled at Amelia's statement "Did Amelia Shepherd just willingly talk about a silver lining? Mark the day." They smiled at each other, knowing that in the coming months of readjustments they would be there to understand and support each other.
"That goes for you too, Amelia. I know your relationship with Derek hasn't been the best, and before you left there was tension around your work. Now you get to start again as equals, not an older brother acting like a father to his little sister, or two neurosurgeons competing for greatness. You are an incredible surgeon, he sees that, now you can just be family."
"What happened to dark and twisty?" Amelia said smirking.
"A miracle happened. I'm still dark and twisty at heart, but for now, a miracle happened so I'm bright and shiny" Meredith finished drying the last plate then turned to give Amelia a hug before they returned to their families.
Walking into the room, they paused seeing Ellis and Bailey snuggled up on either side of Derek, his arms around them while Zola sat at the end of the bed talking animatedly and Link sat in the chair beside the bed rocking a sleeping Scout.
The two women entered the room together, Amelia going to pile onto the chair with Link and Scout while Meredith sat on the bed behind Zola, pulling her oldest daughter onto her lap.
Zola leaned back onto her mother's arms continuing telling the story of how her class went to the Zoo and she saw a zebra. When Zola finished her story and after Derek showed satisfactory appreciation, Meredith spoke up. "How about a game of Go Fish? Ellis and I can be a team. We should have enough cards for everyone to play"
Derek smiled agreeing "that sounds like a lovely idea Mer." Zola scurried off Meredith's lap, going to the hallway cupboard in search of a deck of cards. Finding what she was looking for she excitedly returned to the room and showed Derek how she could shuffle and deal the cards for everyone. Meredith moved Ellis to her lap so they could team up, while Derek and Bailey decided to work together. Amelia and Link moved the chair closer to the bed so everyone could play in a circle. Once Zola finished dealing the game began.
Being a family of highly competitive people, there was much whispering between the parent child teams as the game progressed. About halfway through the second game, there was a highly animated game of rock paper scissors between Derek and Bailey to decide their next move. At the end of three games, Zola had won the first and third and Ellis and Meredith had won the second. This next game, both Derek and Bailey and Amelia and Scout were in it to win it. Link laughed as Derek made Amelia re deal the cards saying she didn't shuffle well enough. As the game began, the room was silent.
Meredith quietly conversed with Ellis before they played their first move. Derek stared at her, in awe at how alike Ellis and Meredith were both in looks and mannerisms. The way then both wrinkled their nose when they were thinking hard about something, or how they fiddled with their hands when they were anxious or nervous. He was snapped out of his thoughts by Bailey insistently poking his arm to tell him it was their move. Seeing the serious look on his son's face, he leant down so they could discuss strategy. Agreeing on the best next play the continued. As the game came to a finish, Derek and Amelia were staring at each other, trying to figure out if the other had won. After the last move, Link's face broke into a grin as he played his winning move. Derek and Amelia stared indignantly, shocked that the chilled link had managed to win the final game. Meredith and Link shared a look, laughing at the competitive streak in the Shepherds, "I think it is genetic" Meredith said with a laugh as Zola excitedly reminded everyone of her overall win.
It was nearing lunchtime when they finished the final game and the kids were getting a little antsy being inside all day, so Meredith suggested they go for a walk through the park and get some burritos to bring home for lunch, leaving Derek to rest. This suggestion was met with vigorous head nodding from the three children.
Zola put away the cards while Amelia went to get Scout's diaper bag and stroller. They met in the lobby and set out.
As they walked through the park, Bailey and Zola excitedly ran to the park to play on the slide while they walked past. Ellis was feeling tired and tugged on Meredith's arm asking to be picked up. They continued through the park after letting the kids play for a few minutes, Zola and Bailey running ahead while Meredith carried Ellis and Amelia pushed a sleeping Scout in the stroller, Link walking along beside.
"Maybe I should have brought Ellis's stroller, she just had so much energy when we left and doesn't like to be put in it when her siblings are running ahead" Meredith said as Ellis fell asleep her head on her shoulder.
As they reached the shop, Meredith and Amelia stayed outside with their sleeping children while Link took the older kids inside to order food.
"Just a black bean burrito for me, a mild chicken burrito for Ellis and a spicy cauliflower burrito for Derek. Let the older kids choose what they want, within reason" Meredith said to Link.
"And a pulled pork burrito for me" Amelia added as Link walked inside and she and Meredith moved to the bench outside to wait.
While waiting they quietly chatted, so as not to wake the kids. After a few minutes Amelia's phone rang so she parked the stroller leaving it with Meredith so she could take the call.
As she picked up the phone she looked at the caller ID answering "Addison?"
Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think. xx