Better late than never & no, we're not discussing that finale until I've had more time to process my hurt feelings.
Meredith's eyes opened just as the clock hit four. She really could have slept longer, really wanted to sleep longer, something that never changed. The feel of Nathan's arm around her felt good. It wasn't like it was with Thorpe where it just felt wrong and too soon. She liked that he was there. She didn't mind that her kids were in the very same house with him. She trusted him. That was the biggest thing...she could trust him without worrying. Not something she could say for many people.
Carefully, she removed herself from his grasp and quickly checked her phone. The only thing on there was a few texts from Amelia checking on her but assuming the no replies meant she was okay. She was right, she was okay. She slipped out of the room carefully and went to check on the kids who all remained sleeping in their bed, and assumed Maggie and Alex were asleep. She went downstairs and grabbed some water, passing a sleeping Amelia. Her house was nearly overflowing with everyone inside of it but it felt good. Outside of when Derek actually died she liked having people around. Even if things were still uncertain with Maggie. They both needed to talk to her properly, give her an explanation, a way to bring them to something more normal. Having the people who meant the most to her under one roof meant something. Seemed silly almost.
Rather than remaining lost in thought in the kitchen she grabbed two water bottles and snuck herself back inside of her room. Nathan, much to her surprise, was still asleep in the bed. He looked peaceful. Only when she walked past her dresser did something shift inside of her, pulling from the thoughts of Nathan, and to thoughts of Derek. She hadn't forgotten the post it not was there. She was used to it. It hadn't moved since she moved back into that house.
Her mind briefly shifted to Thorpe and how awful that had went. Nothing she liked to think about often. Setting the water bottles down on the top of the dresser she picked up the post it note in her hand. Moments with Nathan flashed in her mind. She held no regret for moving on. Probably could have moved the post it before she dropped to her knees for him. The symbol of her marriage to Derek and the love she held for him was nothing but a little post it Derek had in his pocket at the time.
She moved on.
She didn't really know what to think about that. He would want that for her. He would move on if she was the one who had died. He would find some nice girl who would love their children and be happy. That was what she was doing. She found a nice guy who...well, she wouldn't use the word love, but it was good. He was good. He would like her kids. She was far more concerned about how the kids would warm up to him than him warming up to her.
"What are you doing?" Nathan asked softly from the bed.
"Nothing." Meredith said and put the post it note face down. At least that way it wasn't staring at her. "Go back to bed."
"You should come back to bed."
Meredith grabbed the two bottles and walked back over to the bed, sitting down next to him. Her eyes lingered on her dresser for a moment before focusing on him. She wanted him there. No questions. She liked him when he was there.
"Thanks." Nathan sat up as he took the bottle from her.
"This won't be a regular occurrence."
"Meredith, you can just enjoy things for what they are. I'm here. You're here. You don't always need to push me away the second you bring me closer."
"I'm not pushing you away." Meredith couldn't help how easily the denial came from her.
"Whatever you say."
"You're here, aren't you?"
"Do you want me to be here?"
"Yes." The answer was immediate. "I don't want to talk about it right now."
"I can think of something better to do." Nathan put the water bottle on the bed he didn't even bother to open on the nightstand and leaned into kiss her, pushing her back against the mattress.
Meredith giggled into the kiss and pulled him closer. "You're insatiable."
"You called me here. I remember the night very well and I think it was you who was too horny to spend the night alone."
Meredith raised her eyebrow at him. "Who was the one who said "I need to fuck you right now"?"
"I don't think you understand what you look like on your knees."
"No, I don't think I do." She ran her fingers through his hair, only able to silently admit she was insatiable as he was. "Next time it can be you on your knees."
"I have no objections."
"Mama. Mama. Mama." The sound of Ellis' voice came through the baby monitor.
A soft groan came from Meredith. If only her daughter had better timing. "Put a shirt on." Meredith ordered as she pushed him off of her.
"I can go."
"Put a shirt on." She repeated as she walked down the hall to find her daughter awake in her crib.
"Mama." Ellis said with glee at the sight of her mother. "Up."
Meredith walked over and picked her little girl up out of her crib. "You're supposed to be sleeping."
"No."
"You're my little night owl." Meredith smiled at her daughter in her arms.
"Owl."
"Yeah, owl."
"This is probably a bad idea," Meredith was speaking more to herself than her youngest, "but you're going to meet mama's friend."
"Mama fren."
"Yes." She took a deep breath before walking into her room and sitting down on the bed. She could feel Nathan's eyes on them both and guessed he was surprised. She was kind of surprised herself. It wasn't a step she was certain she was entirely ready to make but she lept anyway. "Ellis, this is Nathan, and Nathan this is Ellis."
"Hi." Ellis spoke the singular word and widened her eyes at the sight of him. It was only a moment before she wiggled free from the grasp of her mother, finding herself more in the center of the bed.
"Hi." Nathan smiled.
Ellis only remained still for a moment before she made her way over to Nathan, using her little hands on his knees to push herself up so she was standing, inspecting him. She was young enough that this wouldn't be something that scarred her for life, but old enough to know people. Alex had been in her bed before with Ellis. She would hardly connect anything. Wasn't sure her daughter even could. Ellis reached and touched his face, patting against it while giggling. A happy baby. She'd always been a happy baby. Even when sick and screaming nearly all the time, she would laugh the instant she felt better.
"Mama fren."
"Friend." Nathan nodded and looked over to Meredith for a brief moment before turning his attention back to Ellis. "You're up late."
"No tired." She beamed. "Up."
Meredith nodded when Nathan looked over at her for permission. With that he picked her up and Ellis managed to stand herself up in his lap. Her little hands went to his hair and tugged on it, earning a few winces from Nathan who didn't say anything else as she took him in.
After a few more moments Ellis plopped herself down on Nathan's lap and reached for the bottle Meredith left behind on the bed. Nathan picked it up and offered it to her, continuing to hold it as she picked at the label.
"She likes you." Meredith wasn't even a little surprised.
"Not everyone is as difficult as you."
"Funny." Meredith rolled her eyes but smiled anyway. "It'll be more difficult for Zola. She knows Derek. Bailey did, too, but he was around her age when Derek died I don't know…"
"Whenever you're comfortable, Mer. They're your kids and Derek was their father."
Sometimes she admired just how laid back he was, how he just took everything with ease, and so very little seemed to bother him. He could just sit there and let Ellis rip apart the paper into a million little pieces while she sat on his lap, and it was fine. Nothing about him looked like he was going to run for the hills.
"Megan and I thought about having kids. Talked about it." Nathan started as he kept his eyes on Ellis. "It'd of been nice, I think."
"Meg." Ellis repeated as the paper on the bottle became uninteresting and started clapping her hands together.
"But," he said, looking down at the blonde little girl in his lap, "wasn't meant to be, I guess."
"Meg. Meg. Meg."
"She picked the worst word to repeat." Nathan said softly but smiled as Ellis looked up at him.
"Hi." She repeated again.
"Hi."
"I think hi is her favorite word." Meredith smiled, "She'll just say hi forever."
"What was her first word?"
"I'm going to be cool and say 'mama'"
"Mama." Ellis repeated and looked over at Meredith.
"So, what was it?"
"It was "no."" Nathan tried to keep the smile and amusement from his face but she could see right through it. "Shut up."
"Mama, no." Ellis giggled.
"Yeah, Mama. No."
"Five minutes and you are partners in crime."
"Her mother has me wrapped around her finger, too."
Meredith rolled her eyes and reached for Ellis' favorite book to distract her and hopefully make her fall asleep. She really didn't want her day to start at 4am, knowing she wouldn't get to sleep until well into the night...and that was if everything with her patients went smooth that day.
Ellis held the book up to Nathan with her bright blue eyes looking wide at him.
"You want to show me your book?"
"Book."
"Yeah, book." Nathan smiled as Ellis opened the first page of the book and sat in his lap.
"Dog." Ellis said as she tapped on the page with the dog on it.
"You like dogs? They're cute."
"Dog." She smiled happily.
Meredith watched as they sat together and read through the book. She was nervous about how he was going to be around the kids. She didn't really know what to expect. Not when he didn't have any children of his own and the children he did spend time around were patients. Ellis was usually happy with anyone. Alex, Amelia, Maggie, Owen all took their turns in reading to her and playing with her. Nathan was different. She wanted him in her life and eventually he would be something more than one the many extended members that were in and out.
By the time Nathan closed to the book Ellis had nodded back off to sleep against him. Peaceful. Meredith carefully got up and walked around the bed and picked her up, giving him a quick kiss.
"What was that for?"
"Nothing."
Meredith went and put Ellis back down in her crib. If they were lucky they could sleep for another hour or so before she had to get up, sneak him out of the house, and get to work. Or maybe Ellis would sleep longer. With her kids still on break from school and Amelia ignoring her job for the time being things were calm and mornings weren't nearly as chaotic, as long as someone wasn't asking her to stay. Usually Bailey. She had the last few days off and was actually ready to get out of the house for a few hours. Do something other than deal with her sisters and her kids, no matter how awful that sounded. Being around adults and doing her job was something she craved.
She went back to her room and laid down next to Nathan on the bed, resting her head on his chest. "Where did you get good with kids?"
"I'm a doctor."
"In the Army."
"I've seen kids. Dealt with kids. People actually like me."
She could accept that answer. "I guess so."
"i don't need to be around your kids if it's too much."
"No, I want you. You're important. Ellis likes you. She sat in your lap, fell asleep in your lap even."
"Did you think I'd be horrible?"
"No, I just...don't know. When we first got Zola it was a learning curve."
"I don't think 20 minutes makes me an expert." Nathan smiled, kissed the top of her head. "You're a good mother. I mean that. Watching a kid for a bit is a lot different than being with them all the time."
"Go to sleep, Nathan."
Getting Nathan out of her house that morning was a lot easier than she thought. As it turned out Ellis slept longer than normal because she had been up in the middle of the night, and her other two kids were happy to eat their breakfast together in the kitchen that Amelia made them. She kissed him goodbye at the door before walking into the kitchen and grabbing some coffee.
"He stayed all night." Amelia said casually as she cleaned up the mess from the night before.
Meredith had a little smile on her face as she walked to leave the kitchen. "He stayed all night."
Her day was filled with patients and surgeries she was too tired to deal with. Coffee became her lifeblood for the day while she had a few too many inappropriate thoughts about Nathan, along with thoughts of how he would react around her other too children. It'd been too long since a man consumed her thoughts like that. So long she almost didn't know what to do with herself.
She just let it happen.
"You haven't left yet." Meredith said as she walked through the lobby trying to catch Nathan before he left.
"I'm on my way out."
"You should come over Saturday."
"That's New Years Eve."
"Yes." She nodded. "Me, the kids, Amelia. Maybe Alex and Maggie."
"The kids?"
"Casual, they can meet you and we can hang until they fall asleep. They never make it to midnight." It was as good of a night as any for him to come over. They would all be around and that way she didn't have to deal with the pressure of the three of them just being alone.
"I'll be there."
"You invited him over?" Amelia asked as she sat in the kitchen while Meredith folded laundry.
"Yes."
"With the kids, while they were still awake?"
"Yes."
"Is the sex that good?"
Meredith gave her a look but it wasn't a denial.
"I did hear a bang against the wall."
"That wasn't me." Meredith shook her head and walked up the stairs with the laundry basket.
"It was him." Amelia smiled. "So, the sex is good and you're keeping him around?"
"I'm not keeping him around just because the sex."
"I didn't think you'd have a guy you actually liked. The way you kicked the last guy out of here."
"You have a husband you can go back to." She said as she put the clothes for kids in the appropriate drawers.
"We're not talking about me. We're talking about you and your new boyfriend. He is your boyfriend?"
"Yes."
"Meredith Grey has a boyfriend."
Meredith rolled her eyes and put the basket down in the room before walking towards her own and tidying up the mess of kids toys that always ended up there.
"Does Maggie know?"
"She knows we're together. She seems fine. She knows he's coming over."
"Oh, this will be entertaining."
"I'll tell him to bring Owen."
"Fine." Amelia surrendered, "I'll be nice."
When Saturday night actually managed to actually roll around Meredith was in the kitchen making her kids food. More like plating the food that was already made when Zola did her best to not act like her cooking wasn't something she wanted to eat.
She couldn't really blame her kids.
"Your boyfriend is a jackass." Alex said as he dropped his stuff down on the table.
"What happened?"
"They had a disagreement over a patient." Maggie trailed in behind him. "They were both being childish."
"I was not." Alex rolled his eyes as he rummaged through the fridge.
"You called me."
"I knew what I was doing."
Meredith managed to catch a few of the details as she heard the back and forth between Alex and Maggie. She didn't really need to know the rest and when Bailey whined louder that he was hungry she didn't bother tuning in for the rest. Just as she set the plates down in front of her kids the knock at the door could be heard in the kitchen, causing Meredith to excuse herself.
"I heard you're getting into trouble." Meredith smirked at Nathan when she opened the door..
"He told on me?"
"He did."
Nathan rolled his eyes as he walked through the front door. "I saved a sick baby and that's what is important."
"You saved a sick baby? My hero."
"That sounds so fake."
We have five minutes to make out like teenagers." Meredith didn't bother waiting for his answer before grabbing him and yanking him so the two were out of sight.
She probably should have cared more about what actually happened between him and Alex but she didn't. She wanted to makeout with her boyfriend like she was some kind of teenager before they spent the night with her kids and she didn't get to touch him. She had some self control, or at least she could when the kids were around.
"Get a room." Alex said as he interrupted them just as Nathan's hand slipped beneath her shirt.
"It's my house."
Alex rolled his eyes at them both before walking up the stairs, leaving them both alone as Meredith fixed her shirt. Her hair also needed to be fixed. One thing at a time.
"How long is he going to be mad?"
"Probably until he gets laid." Meredith dismissed. "Okay, they're done eating. We're friends. Nothing more. They'll probably ask you a few questions then go back to playing. They're kids."
"Okay."
"Okay." Meredith nodded, taking a deep breath. "If you're nervous they'll know."
"I'm not nervous. You're nervous."
"I'm fine." Okay, fine she was a little nervous but Nathan was important to her and her kids were...everything. She wanted the two worlds to mix.
Meredith took a few more breaths before allowing them both to walk in the living room.
"This is my friend...Nathan."
"Hi." Zola said and smiled. "Are you a doctor too?"
"I am. I fix hearts."
"Like Aunt Maggie."
"Yeah, exactly." Nathan smiled and looked over at Bailey. "Your mom says you don't like to talk a lot. Neither do I. Girls like to talk."
"They do."
"You like trains?" Nathan asked.
Bailey nodded and handed him a train and effortlessly the two played together. Meredith didn't expect that one. She noticed the way Zola was looking over at him and made a mental note to talk to her later. She didn't want Zola to pick up on it being something more, though guessed the way Alex came into the kitchen using the word 'boyfriend' she was going to have to have that conversation sooner rather than later.
Bailey continued to smile and laugh as he got lost in a conversation about trains with Nathan. She really didn't know much about trains like he seemed to do so she considered it a win. A part of her was still waiting for the other shoe to drop. It was too smooth and too calm. Nothing in her life was like that.
Nathan stood up just for Amelia to follow a running, a loose term, Ellis through the living room. She looked up at Nathan. "Up."
"Go ahead." Meredith said.
Nathan picked her up as she wore her purple princess dress. "You look like a little princess."
Ellis' little hands grabbed for the toy on the table, letting out a series of whining noises that was near something of a cry.
Nathan leaned down and grabbed the small bear. "Princess with a bear."
"Bear." Ellis smiled and played with it in her hands as he held her.
"I'll be in the kitchen." Meredith ruffled Bailey's hair which got a laugh before she walked and nudged for Nathan to come with her.
"You can put her down. She'll be fine."
"I don't mind holding her. She's not that heavy."
Meredith moved around to clean the kitchen and watched as the pair sat at the table, Ellis propped on Nathan's lap, playing with the bear at the table. It was weird and she hated how normal it felt. That seemed to be at the root of everything. It was all so normal and he fit. She wanted him to fit but was scared if he did...what would happen? She couldn't even delude herself into thinking it would last forever. It wouldn't. Nothing ever did.
"The kids don't seem to hate you."
Nathan smiled as he made the bear talk with Ellis. "This little one likes me."
"Yeah, we'll have to get her checked out."
"Get you checked out, too."
Meredith rolled her eyes. "Are you hungry?"
"I'm good."
Meredith took a seat opposite him at the table. She didn't speak and watched as she bonded with Ellis. Her daughter would never know Derek but took to Nathan immediately. She liked being held by him and liked the voices he made as he read and played with her.
A part of her ached because of it. It should have been Derek. It wasn't. It would never be. Instead it was Nathan who had no reason to care about any of her kids, but for some reason, did.
"I'm gonna put her to bed and send you into the lion's den"
"Kids or sisters?"
Meredith smiled with a mischievous look on her face as she picked up Ellis. "I'll let you figure that one out. Say bye to Nathan."
"Bye." Ellis followed her mother's direction.
Meredith walked up the stairs and put Ellis down for the night. She wouldn't remember New Years Eve and could tell the way she was behaving bed was in her near future anyway. Better to get it out of the way. She grabbed the monitor before walking down the stairs and finding everyone in the living room.
Bailey and Zola were happily playing together and Meredith sat down next to Nathan on the couch, tucking one of her legs underneath herself and watched them play. She had an urge to lean her head on his shoulder or grab his hand but she didn't. Not when she knew her kids would see and wanted to see what they thought of Nathan being around more before she broke the news that she was seeing him. She was still worried about how they would react to him essentially taking Derek's place. Alex was around and she thought that was why they took it with ease. Owen had been around. He didn't act any differently than any of the others did. Except Owen had his moments of affection with Amelia. Amelia wasn't their mother though, she was.
Zola once asked her why Amelia wasn't with Owen and the conversation that took place was one she didn't really want to have again. She wanted to stop having the conversations of why people were in and out seemingly all of the time. They did need some stability and given she was sure both Amelia and Alex would move themselves back out she didn't want to make them think Nathan was just as unstable. He wasn't a fleeting moment but someone she expected to have around for as long as she could, as long as they could.
"Go put your pjs on with Aunt Amy and you can come back downstairs."
Zola and Bailey followed their mother's reaction as Amelia took them up the stairs. Meredith probably should have let another moment pass so she looked like she had some kind of self control before putting her head on his shoulder. She didn't care.
"Do you want kids of your own?"
Nathan glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. "Are you asking because you're pregnant? Or are you just asking?"
"I'm not pregnant."
"I don't need my own but if it happened I'd be happy. If these kids are it then it's fine."
"Okay." Meredith didn't really know what compelled her to ask or what she wanted the answer to be.
"Do you want more kids?"
"I didn't think I'd find anyone after Derek so I never thought about it." She paused for a brief moment. "I come with these kids and I don't want you to think in a couple of weeks it's too much."
"I won't, Meredith." Nathan looked over at her, stroking her cheek. "I told you I'm in this and I don't think you'd let me around your kids if you really thought I was going somewhere."
Meredith nodded, "You can come around a little more often when they're awake as a friend."
"Okay."
"Okay."
The kids ended up lasting about an hour longer than she thought they would. Alex and Maggie had joined them and there was some light conversation. Nothing major as she could see the way Alex was irritated. He'd be over it by the next day she was sure but she'd let him have the night to be irritated over a case that didn't go his way. The kids ended up nodding off and she couldn't bring herself to care more about the tension in the room. Maggie was being supportive and she couldn't expect more than that.
"Can you grab Zola?" Meredith asked Nathan as she got up off of the couch. "I'll get Bailey." Meredith picked up her younger son who was getting too big to carry as easily as she carried Ellis. Nathan trailed behind her holding Zola. Neither of them bothered to wake up or even stir as they were put in their beds.
Some days her favorite parts were where they went to bed.
"Come to bed?" Meredith asked as she grabbed his hand and tugged him down the hall.
"Didn't even make it to midnight."
"It's midnight everywhere else." That was her excuse and she was sticking to it.
"I think we should start a New Year's Eve tradition."
"And what is that?"
Nathan couldn't keep the smirk on his face or the twinkle in his eye as he found himself on top of her, dangerously close to kissing her. "Orgasms."
It wasn't until the kids went back to school that the sense of normalcy returned. It was just easier when things were on a schedule and she didn't have to account for keeping them occupied all day when she was at work. She felt bad when they were home with her nanny and she had to be somewhere else. It was good for them to see her work but still, sometimes she knew that they would probably be way better off if she was around.
She tried not to think about it too much as she went through her day. After a long surgery she found herself getting ready to go home and grabbing her stuff.
"Do you have plans?" Meredith asked as she put her case files in her bag.
"I was gonna grab a drink with Hunt and Robbins. I think Avery mentioned he'd go." He informed her. "Kind of an odd combination but Owen won't stop sulking around the hospital over Shepherd."
"Did you tell him?"
"No," Nathan walked over to her, looking down at her. "I told you I wouldn't. Do you want to come?"
"No, have fun." She leaned up and gave him a quick kiss. "I'm not really interested in how the four of you will make conversation since you seem to have nothing in common."
"I know how to make friends. Do you want to go out Saturday?"
"Finally taking me out on a date?"
"Not my fault you prefer when we have no clothes on."
"Just me?"
"Just you." Nathan smiled, kissing her. "Sorry, Grey. You'll just have to live without me for a night."
Meredith smacked him on the ass as he left the room. It wasn't as if they were spending every single night together but the nights that he was around were the nights she decided were better. Everything was better. She had her friends, ones that all lived in her house, and he needed his own.
She finished up some paperwork before she found herself back at her house. The kids were fed, bathed, and put to bed at a decent hour. She had the whole night to herself. Only she didn't really know what to do with herself. It was too early to go to bed. She could have showered but spent the last half hour checking her phone and pretending to read the book she'd been pretending to read for months.
As it turned out having Nathan around sucked up a lot of her time when she spent the majority of it dealing with her kids and herself.
"Your door is open. He's not gonna walk ot of the bathroom and blind me with his ass or something?" Alex asked as he plopped down on the bed.
"He's not coming over tonight." Meredith put down the book, happy to get a break from it. "You two should get along."
"He's an ass and you don't even like Jo."
"I like Jo." That was such a lie and she couldn't even fake her voice to make it sound more sincere.
"I like Riggs."
"Fine." Meredith conceded and figured they could bond over something stupid one night. All would be well. "How is that going?"
Alex shrugged. "It's going. We're talking. It's fine."
"Believable."
"Her husband is...she won't tell me a lot but she has told me kind of makes it willing to go down for something."
"That bad?"
"That bad."
Meredith knew that tone of voice and knew the way he could act around women he cared about. The whole mess with DeLuca proved how much Alex loved Jo. "Don't do anything stupid."
"You'll be fine."
"I know." Meredith felt like that was true more that time than any other. "I have Nathan. Wilson needs you though. Alive and out here."
"Yeah, I learned that lesson."
"I have a 'one bail a lifetime' rule and you broke it."
"Shut up."
Aside from the quickie in the all call room Meredith didn't see much of Nathan at work. There was a crash that caused them to be filled with more patients than they actually had hands for. By the time she was free Nathan was lost in a surgery that would take most of the night and she found herself back at her house.
Amelia was quiet the whole way home and she didn't understand it. She didn't really pry too much about what happened with Owen but for someone who liked to talk a lot she said absolutely nothing. She fed the kids, spent time, went over homework and found herself upstairs in Ellis' room with Amelia trailing behind.
"She's growing out of this stuff. I think I have some of Zola's stuff around here somewhere." Her body was exhausted and wasn't really sure why she was bothering to do anything but sleep.
"I think I saw a box in the hall closet."
Amelia returned with one of the boxes and put the clothes in the drawers. Meredith filled the box with the older clothes that Ellis was growing out of. Even though she had three kids she was always reminded how quickly they managed to grow up. When she turned around she noticed the way Amelia was lost in a trance with one of the onesies.
"Are you okay?"
Amelia didn't look up. "I'm fine."
Meredith didn't believe her nor did she take her eye sight off of her. She wouldn't have ever really called her and Amelia especially close, but she could listen. She prepared herself to listen but she was always so quiet. In a way she couldn't even pretend to guess what was on her mind.
"Owen wants kids."
"You want kids."
Amelia folded the onesie and put it in the box. "I don't want to talk about it."
Meredith didn't press knowing that Amelia would just shut her out anyway. That managed to be the only thing she knew. "Nathan and I are going on a date tomorrow night. The kids will be asleep but I can call a babysitter if you don't want to watch them."
"I'll do it." Amelia smiled and took the box back to the hallway.
Meredith felt silly for how long it actually took her to get ready. She knew Nathan didn't really care but she still wanted to look nice. Not that she knew where they were going. She didn't ask and he didn't specify, just said what time he would be there to pick her up. She finished curling her hair only to find Maggie standing in the doorway of her bathroom, holding out a different top from the one she was already wearing.
"Wear this." Maggie told her. "The stripes in the took big shirt don't flatter you as much as they could."
"Oh, thanks."
"I want you to be happy. Both of you. He makes you happy. You're my sister. It's not worth it."
"We are sorry. Truly."
"I know." Maggie smiled, a genuine one. "Plus, I can make sure you wear cute things."
"This is cute."
"It's three sizes too big, Meredith."
"It's not that big...okay." She relented when she looked at herself in the mirror and just how big the shirt was. She changed into what Maggie gave her and decided she looked better. Just then the doorbell rang and she had to rush down the stairs while trying to put her heels on. No easy task.
"You're on time."
"Was I supposed to be late?"
Meredith shook her head. "No, I just wasn't ready."
"I can wait."
"Let me just check on the kids and grab my jacket." Meredith let him into the entryway and ran back upstairs.
Frazzled was something of an understatement as she tried to piece herself back together before meeting Nathan who had been patiently waiting for at least twenty minutes.
"What did you go do?" Nathan asked when she returned.
"Nothing."
He closed the distance and unbuttoned the first two buttons of her shirt to rebutton of them. "You usually wear black. I like the red lace."
She hadn't even realized she buttoned her shirt wrong. "Don't get any ideas."
"I'm not."
"You owe me dinner."
"Okay." Nathan glanced down at her, slightly biting down into his lip.
"No, don't even look at me like that."
"Like what?"
"Like we're not going to make it to dinner."
Nathan opened the front door but the second they were outside she was pushed up against the wall. "We'll make it to dinner."
"You're lying." Meredith grabbed him by his coat and pulled him closer.
"Maybe." He whispered against her skin as he kissed down her neck. "I always feed you."
"I want food not your…"
"Believe me I would never want to interrupt this." Owen's voice made them both freeze as he stopped next to them.
"At least we're fully clothed."
"Unfortunately." Nathan smiled into the crook of her neck before looking at Owen. "Hi, mate."
"Is Amelia here?"
"I'll go get her." Meredith let out a little sigh as she pushed Nathan from her and went back inside in search of Amelia. Probably a good thing if they were ever going to make it to that dinner.
"Owen is here." Meredith said as she popped in on Amelia who was sitting in the living room.
"What? Tell him I'm not here."
"He knows you're here."
"How did he find out?" Amelia looked up at her with a surprised yet terrified look in her eyes.
"Where else would you be? Look just talk to him. You have to talk to him sometime."
Amelia let out a sigh. "Send him in."
Meredith walked back outside only to see Jo standing there. "Wilson."
"It's a party." Nathan joked.
"She's in the living room." Meredith told Owen who walked past her inside.
"Is Alex here?"
"He's upstairs." Meredith told her and moved to the side to let her through. "We should go."
"We both know we're not making it off this porch."
"Amelia can handle Owen and Alex can handle Jo."
"Mhm."
Meredith looked up at him. "What?"
"You're going to be checking your phone all night long and worrying about the kids. Hey, I don't expect anything else but we don't have to go to dinner."
Meredith knew he was right and walked over to take a seat on the bench. "Just until Owen leaves."
Nathan smiled as he sat next to her. "So, are we going to take bets on when they get divorced?"
"They'll be fine."
"You actually believe that?"
No, she didn't. "She just needs to talk to him."
"Which she's not doing."
"She's trying."
"He had to show up here."
"Shut up."
"I'm right." Nathan smiled as his arm ended up around her.
"When she goes back to her own house I'll be right."
"That's not happening."
"You want them to fail."
Nathan shook his head, "I don't want them to fail."
They could probably go back and forth all night long if they wanted to. She would say she was right and he would say he was right. Probably could have been better people as to not gamble on Owen and Amelia's marriage. "Come on."
"Where are we going?"
Meredith stood up. "Inside."
Meredith peered in on Amelia and Owen who were sitting and talking together. More sitting in silence while Amelia looked upset, Owen somehow managing to look more upset. She didn't understand what could have possibly happened so fast but didn't push it. One day she'd find out the details. Instead she just walked to the kitchen with Nathan behind her, taking a seat at the counter.
She expected him to join her but he didn't. He moved around the island and started rummaging through her fridge. "What are you doing?"
"Feeding us. I expected us to have dinner and I heard from a birdy you're not the best cook."
"Hey." The word came out a sharp with her eyes narrowed over at him.
"I didn't say that."
"Who?"
"So," he carefully avoided the topic. "I'm gonna make us something to eat and you can experiment on us a different night."
"Jerk."
"I thought you two were going out." Amelia said as she wandered in the kitchen. "I can go upstairs."
"Sit down, Shepherd."
"I don't want to interrupt your date."
Nathan gave her a look. "Sit."
"You okay?" Meredith whispered once Amelia did sit.
In return Amelia only shrugged and didn't say anything else.
"Hey, what are you two doing here?" Maggie asked surprised. "You were supposed to go out and have a nice date."
"I'm making dinner."
Maggie looked over at Amelia and Meredith but when they shrugged she found herself on the other side of the island helping Nathan out.
Meredith smiled as she watched him. It was nice to see him just kind of fit in with everything. He could go with the flow, she knew that much, but Amelia and Maggie were not the easiest be around. The awkward tension with Maggie seemed to disappear and Amelia was silent. It was perfect.
The whole not having to cook made everything better.
"What are you doing here?" Alex asked, surprised by everyone in the kitchen.
"Dinner."
"I should go…" Jo said.
"Sit Wilson." Nathan ordered just as he had done with Amelia.
Jo looked over at Alex for a brief moment before taking a seat in the kitchen with everyone else.
"We're working on it." Was the only explanation Meredith got from Alex before he sat down next to Jo at the table.
"I have a surgery tomorrow, Wilson. Minnick is getting all in herself about more resident hours. If you want it."
"Yeah," Jo smiled, "thanks."
Alex and Jo ended up sitting at the table while she sat next to Amelia. She watched as Nathan moved effortlessly around the kitchen with Maggie. Her kids were asleep. It was all...fine, clam, just the way she wanted it to be. He just fit in. A thought she had a thousand different times but she couldn't believe the way he just managed to fit into her life like he was almost meant to.
Dinner went smooth. The conversations went smooth. Even Alex and Nathan managed to patch up their broken...whatever and were on friendly terms.
Once dinner passed they found themselves sitting back at the porch, leaving the mess for the others to clean up. "Where did you learn to cook?"
"You pick things up. Living in other countries, places. Megan liked to always be on an adventure. So when weren't out there it was good. Gotta eat no matter where you live."
"It was good. Better than mine."
"So, you can't cook?"
"Don't look so happy." Meredith nudged him. "You can cook for me now."
"Anytime."