Meredith's eyes fluttered open as she heard the sound of water she didn't know where it was coming from, she was to tired to think and she didn't care, she closed her eyes drifted back to sleep and the next thing she felt was something strange against her foot and she suddenly woke up squealing and flailing her legs around. She looked widely around and saw a chuckling Mia with a hairbrush in one hand trying to grab Meredith's ankles with the other hand. Meredith felt the hairbrush again and laughing louder than she had ever done pulled her feet away from Mia's grip and drew her knees to her chest under the blanket. Mia climbed on to the bed peeled up the blanket and Meredith pulled it back down, "Mia what on earth" she stammered.
"Morning doc" Mia said cheerfully.
"What are you doing here?"
"I came to say hello."
Mia screwed up her face, "by torturing me with a hairbrush?"
"Well" Mia lied down next to Meredith on the bed wearing a grin, "I had a shower and I thought you might want to know that I was here."
"Mia" Meredith said trying to get rid of her shock, "I don't recall asking you to babysit today."
"Oh i'm not babysitting doc, just here on a social casual visit."
"Well" Meredith rubbed her hair out of her face, "a social casual visit usually requires a phone call and a person's permission in this case my permission."
Mia whistled, "okay doctor grump i'll just say hello to littlefoot and then i'll leave." Mia hopped up and Meredith felt a twinge of guilt, "Mia wait... look your here now so you might as well stay for breakfast."
Mia flashed Meredith a smile, "thanks doctor g."
"If you promise to never use a hairbrush on my feet again."
"But it was funny" Mia imitated Meredith flailing about squealing and Meredith smiled and shook her head, "can you let this flailing squealing person get dressed."
"Okay doke" a loud gasp was heard and Mia turned around, "hey buddy."
"Mia" Noah ran into Mia's arms, "are you babysitting me today?"
"Nah mate just here to say hello why don't we get breakfast."
"Yeah" Noah waved at Meredith, "morning mommy."
"I'll be up soon honey."
Meredith wandered downstairs to find Mia and Noah joking and laughing while eating bowls of cereal, "mommy" Noah said as she ran to Meredith, "hey" Meredith gave Noah a kiss and a cuddle as Mia watched the interaction.
"Can Mia come with us to the fair?"
"Ah" Meredith had been planning on taking Noah to the fair by herself she had been looking forward to this day for weeks, a rare chance for just her and Noah to spend the day together, "I don't think Mia's free dear."
"I'm free" Mia piped up from her bowl of cereal.
"You don't have any plans?"
"Nope."
Meredith tried to hide her disappointment, "no friends you want to see, nothing else you rather do?"
"Nope" Mia said with a grin.
"You know i'm not going to pay you to volunteer to come out with us."
"That's cool."
"Then" Meredith masked her disappointment with a cheerful expression, "I think Mia is coming with us."
Two hours later when the fairgrounds was so busy with people that walking was barely possible Meredith was wandering behind Mia and Noah carrying show bags. This wasn't the day she had been hoping for they had been on rides but the whole time Noah had wanted to sit with Mia, do the activities with Mia, have fun with Mia while Meredith was constantly behind them carrying whatever Noah had wanted to get from the booths and the prizes that Mia had won for Noah. Meredith felt like she had just two purposes being there, one was to be a bank card and the second was to carry packages they reached another rollercoaster and Meredith smiled at Noah, "honey do you want to ride with me this time?"
"No thank you" Noah said as he looked excitedly up at Mia.
Mia turned around grinning and stopped as she looked at Meredith, "doc are you okay?"
"I'm fine" Meredith lied as she tried to fish out her wallet with two fingers to pay for the tickets. After the coaster the three of them walked on and with a excited shrill from Noah Meredith realised they had arrived at Noah's favourite ride the dodgem cars, "Mia lets go."
"Okay" Mia grinned.
"You and me vs mommy."
"But that's to easy" Mia smiled at Meredith, "I think it should be you and your mommy vs me, your mommy needs you to protect her."
"Okay."
"And i'm going to whoop your little tushy."
Noah grinned, "i'm gonna whoop your big tushy."
"Oh it on, how about we go right now" Mia picked Noah up lifted him and gave him a big bear hug while making deep noises while Noah laughed and Meredith gratefully smiled, "thank you."
"Your welcome" Mia replied, "i'm sorry if I ruined the day out."
"Mia, Noah is having a great time you made the day better."
They went on a few more rides and watched several shows and when Noah started to doze off Mia carried him to the car and Meredith was driving back home with Noah asleep in his chair and Mia listening to music on her phone, Noah stirred and Meredith turned her head, "did you have a good day?"
"I had a really good day."
"I'm glad you did, Mia was fun wasn't she."
"Yeah" Noah nodded, "what are we doing now?"
"Well... Mia."
Mia took her headphones out of her ears, "what's up doc?"
"We're wondering if you wanted to come and have dinner with us?"
Mia's face lit up, "really I could?"
"Yeah" Noah said.
Meredith grinned at her son, "we both would like it if you did."
Mia grinned back, "i'm game."
They drove back silently and when they arrived Meredith walked into the kitchen to get down some ingrediants from the cupboard she started peeling vegetables and chopping bread, a minute later Mia came rushing in and grabbed a potato and a knife, "what are you doing?" Meredith asked with a gentile smile.
Mia shrugged, "what its look like i'm doing."
"Mia i've got this."
"I still want to help."
"Mia" Meredith put down her knife as Mia protested, "come on doc you've been great to me today I want to say thanks."
"You've already thanked me enough, Noah had a great day because of you."
"Doc come on I spoiled the day out between you and Noah let me make it up."
"Mia you didn't-"
"Yeah I did" Mia said as she peeled potatoes, "I get it you work most of the time and you got the chance to spend time with Noah and I ruined it."
"Mia" Meredith chuckled, "they'll be plenty more days for me to spend with Noah but he's had only day to spend with his mum and favourite babysitter that's a very special day for him."
Mia smiled, "can I still help?"
"Okay I can see your never going to give up, you know you remind me of Ally."
Mia's eyes lit up, "really I do?"
"She never gives up either until she gets what she wants and what she usually wants is to help others, she's been trying to get me and Derek married ever since we met to help her daddy live happily ever after or something like that."
Mia raised an eyebrow, "if you don't mind me asking why don't you get married?"
"Mia we're a long way off getting married, we haven't even known each other for that long we're just not at that place."
"But Ally would really love it and I think Noah would to so" Mia slapped Meredith's shoulder with spirit, "do it for the kids I mean you and d man are not getting any younger."
"Mia" Meredith coughed, "we're not getting married just to make the kids happy and me and Derek are not that old, besides all the big changes would be a shock to the children. They would have to live together, they would fight over toys, the television and they would have to deal with the fact that both me and Derek would be in their lives twenty four seven and they would have to share their parents. If me and Derek moved in together they would have to experience that and they might not even want us to get married."
"So" Mia said looking a bit muddled, "your kind of easing them into it."
"Yes that's kind of it when your older and you meet someone you'll understand."
"Yeah maybe" Mia said looking doubtful.
"You don't want to get married someday and be a mom?"
"I'm not exactly mom material."
"Mia your fifteen I don't think you should think about being a mom."
"Well-"
"Mia I think you should think about being a kid and having fun."
Mia rolled her eyes and smirked, "that's valuable wisdom, thanks barney."
Meredith smiled, "what I mean is that I was surprised that today on a Saturday you wanted to hang out with a a single mother in her thirties and her five year old instead of your friends."
"Did you say thirties or sixties."
"Mia" Meredith chuckled.
"Kidding dude, I don't exactly have many friends."
"I don't believe that" Meredith said, "i'm sure an outgoing confident fun kid like you must have dozens of friends."
"Yeah" Mia smiled at the compliment, "well my friends are losers."
"What do you mean losers."
"Criminals" Mia muttered, "thieves, bullies that sort of thing."
"I see" Meredith said as she eyed Mia who let out a sigh, "I don't steal things doc."
"I never said that" Meredith replied, "you want my advice."
"Your advice" Mia grinned "you want me to be a saint."
"If you know what your friends are doing is wrong then make some new friends."
"Okay" Mia clicked her fingers, "and i'm going to give you advice."
"Okay lets hear it."
"Ally deserves a mom and your a good mom" Meredith smiled warmly hearing those words, "so please" Mia continued "get married to Derek I know he's a dork but hes a good dork."
"What happened to the moody teenager who didn't want to talk to me the other night."
"I'm still the same moody teenager" Mia threw a potato into a bowl of water, "i'm done, i'm going to entertain mr itchy but."
Meredith nodded and continued her work until she heard loud laughter and stopping her cooking she peeked into the living room and watched the show of Mia walking after Noah in a circle as Noah ran and then picking him up before gently putting him on the carpet, "belly farts" she said in a deep voice and buried her face in Noah's chest. Meredith smiled as she saw Noah squealing as Mia blew ticklish farts into his bare abdamon she watched the pair of them for a long moment as she wondered to herself. On a few days in her life she had sometimes wondered what life would have been like if Noah had a big sister or a big brother in his life, someone who would be there for him, play with him and help Meredith look after him watching Mia and Noah now she knew what that life would have been like and it gave her another reason to wish that Amber was still alive.
Meredith turned off the television as the movie finished and smiling with her son looked at her guest passed out on the opposite coach.
"Mia's asleep" Noah whispered.
"Yes she is, she's out like a light."
Noah looked excited, "is she going to sleep here tonight?"
"Sweetheart" Meredith whispered, "Mia has her own family and her own mommy they'll be missing her."
"Oh, can I go have a sleepover at Mia's house tonight."
"Then i'll be missing you."
"Oh, you could come to."
"Noah" Meredith's hand patted Noah's knee, "I know you like Mia and I like her to, but she needs to go home."
"But she's asleep" Noah protested.
"Well" Meredith gently lifted Noah on to the carpet, "we're just going to have to wake her up."
"Are we going to use a bucket of water?"
"No I have a better idea" Meredith said as she saw a large hole in Mia's left sock exposing several bare toes "watch this" Meredith's nails started to gently tickle and Mia woke up laughing kicking her feet in the air she jumped back on the floor as Noah laughed and Meredith smiled, "what the heck."
Meredith chuckled, "now you know how I felt this morning."
Mia raised her hands in a defensive motion, "please don't do that again."
"I won't as long as you don't do it to me."
"Revenge doesn't solve anything doc."
"No" Meredith agreed, "but it sure is sweet"
"Do that again mommy" Noah said as he grinned.
"No no get away from me" Mia quickly grabbed her shoes from the floor and ran to the nearby bathroom as Meredith chuckled, "I don't think Mia likes being tickled" as she picked up Noah, "its time for bed superman."
Twenty minutes later after reading Noah a story Meredith had wandered downstairs to find Mia rummaging through cupboards and putting food in a big plastic bag, "Mia what is this a supermarket?"
Mia's eyes flashed from Meredith to the bag, "I was just getting a snack for the trip home."
"One snack or twenty?"
"I'm a growing kid doc I got to have my nutrients."
Meredith smiled, "if your that hungry i'll make you a sandwich, so when are your parents coming?"
"Ah they told me to get the bus home."
"Mia" Meredith got out some cheese and ham, "the last bus went an hour ago."
"Okay" Mia muttered, "I guess i'm walking home."
Meredith handed the sandwich to Mia and watched her hungrily taking bites she looked over her and at the rain outside and feeling her conscious in full force she said, "Mia why don't you stay the night."
Mia looked up, "really I can."
"As long as you don't wake me up tomorrow morning."
Mia looked very happy, "okay deal thanks ms grey, i'm really tired could I go to bed now?"
"Sure and call me doc."
"Okay doc."
Meredith rolled over the next morning and feeling a hand brush her face smiled, "Noah honey its very early" she whispered as she opened her eyes and screamed as she saw a scary face at the side of the bed. Meredith stumbled back with a beating heart as the figure crawled up on the bed and then she realised that the skinny figure was her guest wearing a horror mask, "Mia."
"Raaahhhh" the girl said.
"Mia" Meredith said with a grumble, "I told you not to wake me up this morning."
Mia pulled back her mask to reveal her grinning face, "sorry I couldn't resist."
Meredith smiled and reached out her hands as Mia screamed, "no no, no tickles" Mia stumbled off the bed as Meredith chuckled, "dude i'm totally kidding."
Mia smirked, "your not so uptight after all."
"Mia" Meredith shook her head, "I am not uptight."
"Yes you are."
"No i'm not."
"Yeah you are."
"No i'm" Meredith got up and put on a robe, "okay I can be a bit uptight at times I admit."
"That's okay doc your a grownup its expected."
Mia smiled, "so does that mean when your a grownup you'll be uptight."
"Nah dude I won't." Mia turned her head as a doorknob sounded, "i'll get it."
Derek lifted Ally down on the steps and saw the door open a crack he smiled until he saw Mia grinning at him, "hey d man what's up."
"Um hey" Derek said feeling taken aback, "Mia what brings you here?"
"I crashed for the night you want to come in?"
"Sure we" Ally darted in first and Mia gave her a hug, "hey bumblebee."
"Hey rock and roll" Ally replied as Mia twirled her around in her arms, "you coming in or what d man."
Derek nodded opened the door wider and gasped as the next few seconds yellow liquid had drenched him from head to toe Ally laughed as Mia let out a woo and Meredith coming down the stairs put a hand to her mouth to stop herself from laughing as she looked at Derek, "Mia" Derek said with quiet anger.
"Sorry dude" Mia said as Ally continued to laugh, "it was an opportune moment couldn't pass it up."
"Where's the bathroom" Derek said.
Meredith smiled, "its through there honey." Derek wandered to the bathroom and Mia put Ally down, "now for phase 2."
Derek was struggling to turn the taps feeling more and more frustrated when a knock on the door and a cheerful giggle caused him to sigh, "what Mia."
Mia smiled, "you can't get the water running."
"Is this another one of your jokes?"
"Yeah its very hot in here I might turn on the fan."
"What are you" Mia turned on a switch and in the next minute Derek was yelling as hundreds of feathers came flying down and landing on the stickest thing in the bathroom, Derek. Derek came out a minute later panting covered in feathers Meredith was laughing unable to hold it in along with Noah and Ally kids as Derek sighed in annoyance, Mia took a photo on her phone and then grinned, "i'll turn on the water d man."
"No no i'll do it myself."
Derek wandered off as Mia turned around, "there he goes the abdominable chicken man."
"That was funny" Ally giggled, "daddy is a big chicken."
"Yeah except he doesn't lay any eggs."
"Mia" Meredith started.
"Don't tell me that was wrong doc you were laughing."
"Well okay that was funny but it wasn't nice."
"It was just a bit of fun doc."
"Well I don't think Derek thought it was fun" Meredith pointed to the yellow liquid on the tiles, "and there's now a big mess to clean up."
"No sweat" Mia dashed to the cupboard, "i'll get on it."
Derek came in soaking wet and Meredith passed him a towel, "your a bit wet honey."
Derek dried himself off, "so why was Mia staying here last night."
"Well she fell asleep and it was late so I offered."
"Could you do me a favour next time she sleeps over let me know so I can bring an umbrella."
"I'm sure when you see the photos you'll laugh to."
"Yeah she has probably put those on facebook."
Meredith gave him a deep kiss, "do you want me to book you a hotel."
Meredith turned around with a smirk, "I think the bus is coming soon Mia."
Mia sighed, "okay i'm going."
"Unless you want to go to the movies with us."
Derek let out a small cough and Meredith made a shushing noise as Mia grinned, "that be cool can we get popcorn."
"Sure."
"Could we see a good movie not a kids one."
"The kids will be with us" Derek muttered.
"Dude kidding, i'll get changed" Mia ran off to the guest room and Derek grumbled, "don't be a old grump."
"I'm guessing she'll be asking for sweets to."
"Derek she's only a kid."
"That's what the parents said of that horror movie we saw the other night."
"Derek why are you mean to Mia I don't understand it?"
Derek sighed, "I just get a bad feeling when i'm around her."
"Your imagining things" Meredith said with a smile and a kiss, "i'm going to have a shower."