A week later Meredith woke up to her bed rumbling and shaking she smiled opened her eyes and saw two little pair of legs jumping in the middle before she reached up and pull Noah and Ally down for a hug and a kiss, "are you two trying to make the house shake."
Noah and Ally laughed some more and even more when Meredith's fingers gently tickled their tummies, "yes mommy" Noah giggled.
"No" Ally said with a grin.
"Are you sure" Meredith smiled as Ally laughed loudly when Meredith's fingers tickled her legs, "yes Meredith."
"Morning sweethearts" Meredith kissed the kids cheeks before she looked past Noah and sighed before she put a cold hand on Derek's bare shoulder as Derek shot up with a start, Derek."
"Ah" Derek rubbed his eyes as he blinked and looked around, "ah hi."
"Were you not woken up by the earthquake?"
"Ah" Derek rubbed his face with his hand, "yeah."
Meredith smirked and Derek said, "okay fine I wasn't woken up by the tiny human tremors, did I ever tell you as a kid I slept through a rockslide when I was on a school camp and I was the only one in my class who managed it."
"Yet one hand on my shoulder was enough to get you to wake up?"
"Well it felt like a gunshot" Derek chuckled, "plus the touch of your hand is enough to make me shoot up."
"You've chosen some very romantic words" Meredith smiled as she chuckled.
Derek smiled back as he kissed Meredith's lips, "well I try."
"Morning Derek" Noah climbed across the bed to sit cross legged on Derek's stomach as Ally crawled across to wrap her arms around Derek's neck, "hi daddy."
"Hey dude" Derek's hands ruffled Noah's and Ally's hair, Noah started to giggle as Derek gently bounced him on his stomach, "and dudette, I better make breakfast."
Meredith looked at the doorway and saw her other young charge emerging from the bathroom, "Mia."
Mia walked through the hallway with a electric toothbrush in her mouth, "Mia" Meredith called out again.
"Yo" Mia said as she popped the toothbrush from her lips.
"Cristina will be running a bit late picking the kids up this afternoon, when you finish school could you please go and wait with Ally and Noah after school today?"
Mia gave Meredith a sneering face, "you want me to travel on the bus after school to stand in the middle of tiny tot town with tweedlebee and tweeldebum and wait for the help to pick them up?"
"Mia" Meredith got out of bed and walked over to Mia, "Cristina is not the help, please don't call her that, its very condescening and-"
"Well if she can't do it" Mia pointed at Derek, "why doesn't hairy chest over here do it."
"I'm working this afternoon Mia" Derek said.
"I don't know why you still bother working Derek, your finance is loaded and its not like your making big bucks. You might as well be a stay at home husband."
Derek sighed, "someone needs to look after the gardens Mia."
"Yeah whatever" Mia said as she turned her back.
"Mia" Meredith said.
"You know" Mia turned around, "I do actually have a social life doc."
"Mia come here" Meredith said softly.
"What" Mia said irritably.
"Sweetheart, is something bothering you?"
"Oh stop asking me that every time I don't do what you want me to do, i'm fucking sick of it."
"Mia" Meredith said as she looked at the kids.
"Oh dear I swore" Mia made a dramatic hand gesture, "its terrible its outrageous, i'm going to go and get breakfast on the way to school, see ya citizens."
"Mia" Meredith called after her but Mia had ran down the stairs and a few seconds Meredith heard a door open and close loudly before she let out a defeated sigh.
"Mia is grumpy" Ally said.
"I know honey" Meredith walked back over to the bed and put a hand on her cheek, "there's just something that's bothering her and she's not wanting to tell us what is it right now. A lot of kids her age do that sometimes."
Noah shook his head, "I don't want to do that when i'm a big kid."
"Well you might not want to but" Meredith lifted her son onto her lap, "don't worry honey its ok, its normal to be a bit grumpy sometimes."
"Not me" Ally shook her head, "i'm not going to be a big grump like my big sister is."
"Ally cat its ok" Derek said, "everyone gets grumpy sometimes that's what we're saying, when we get grumpy we take a bit of time and then we're not grumpy anymore."
"Ok" Ally said, "so Mia won't be grumpy forever."
"That's it in a nutshell" Derek said.
Ally shook her head, "you say that a lot daddy, I still don't know what that means."
"It means, ah" Derek looked to Meredith for support, "Meredith help me out here."
"It means" Meredith finished Derek's sentence, "Mia won't be grumpy forever, just a little while."
"Mia is still cool" Noah said.
"Yeah still cool" Ally said as she nodded.
"Yeah she is, alright" Derek reached for a shirt, "why don't you two get dressed and I will make some pancakes."
"What kind" Noah asked.
"The best kind little buddy" Derek said as Noah grinned, "chocolate chip."
"Thanks daddy" Ally said as she and Noah ran to their bedroom to get dressed, Derek turned to Meredith, "i'll try and get off work early."
"Thank you" Meredith whispered as she kissed Derek before she exchanged a troubled look with her finance.
"Is it just me" Derek said, "or is Mia's attitude getting worse."
Meredith nodded, "its gotten a lot worse over the last week, I don't know what's bothering her."
"You think something's going on at school, is she having trouble with those girls again do you think?"
"I don't know why she isn't talking to us about it, she usually does when she is feeling like this."
"Well Mia does hide things sometimes."
"Derek" Meredith put her hand on his forearm and looked into his eyes, "she didn't tell us about being Ally's sister while she was our babysitter in order to kidnap Ally when we first met her because she didn't want us to say to her you can't see Ally ever again. I think its understandable why she was hiding that particular secret from us."
"Okay" Derek nodded, "that's fair enough, you don't think her being grumpy at the moment, this isn't something that could be as bad as that?"
"I don't know if it is something as bad as that but you know I was talking to a social worker who said to me that when foster kids are in their placement for a certain amount of time they feel settled and they start displaying their comfortable behaviours."
"So" Derek sighed, "we're going to start seeing more of this, or worse?"
"It could just mean" Meredith said with a calm smile, "that she's settling into the house and feeling like she's part of the family, if that's it, I think its a good thing."
"Meredith be that as it may, maybe she's not ready for us to have the talk with her about us wanting to adopt her."
"No" Meredith's heart sank as she realised Derek was right although she was looking forward to seeing how Mia would react when Meredith and Derek told her about their wish to adopt her, she also wanted to do it when the time was right that suited Mia and Derek as well and not just herself, "perhaps not, maybe in a few weeks."
"In the meantime maybe a counsellor might be a better option?"
"She hated the last counselling session she went to" Meredith said, "and she also said after the session and I quote I am not doing that swear word which rhymes with brit ever again."
"We could try a different counsellor?"
"Maybe that might work, the first counsellor she went to was a man, she might feel better opening up to a female counsellor."
"Well a mate of mine has had a lot experience with his teenage daughter running away from home, throwing parties when he's out working at night and breaking into places to steal grog, maybe he could give us some advice?"
"Honey" Meredith chuckled, "if his daughter is still doing this, maybe he isn't the best person to be given us advice about handling a rebellious youth."
"Well" Derek shrugged with a smirk, "he hasn't gone insane yet, he could at least give us pointers on how we can keep our sanity intact."
"Derek" Meredith put both of her hands on his forearms, "on all accounts Mia's behaviour isn't that bad, I think she's just bothered by something and eventually it will come out and then she'll feel better again."
Derek kissed Meredith, "i'll talk to the foster carer support group, they might have some ideas as well."
Later that morning at the hospital Meredith was in her office working through her notes when a knock on the door made her look up and Callie and Arizona came into the room, "hey babe."
"Hey" Meredith said as she put down her laptop.
"How are the wedding plans coming along?" Arizona said.
"Honey" Callie said and Arizona got the hint, "ah I mean if you would rather talk about something else its um."
"Its ok, it is occupying my mind but i'm not at the point where I am feeling so overwhelmed that I refuse to talk about it, well what can I say" Meredith twiddled her fingers, "we're meeting Derek's friend who is going to be our best man at the wedding in a few days."
"That's a good thing" Callie said.
"I know" Meredith said quietly.
"Well" Arizona said, "I may be wrong but you don't look like you think its a good thing, maybe you are feeling overwhelmed."
"Its just" Meredith sighed, "its just dawning on me as we get closer and all these things are getting organised the thought of getting married again, tying the knot everything is starting to become really real in my head and its no longer feeling like a dream."
"Is that college talk for your feeling excited and nervous?"
"Yeah" Meredith nodded at Callie, "I think that's it."
"I think that's normal" Arizona said, "for people to feel like this."
"Yeah I know it is."
"Meredith" Arizona took Meredith's hand, Meredith looked up, "its ok your about to say to me you've been married before and you know what to expect."
"I was thinking about asking you that question" Arizona admitted "but if you don't think me asking it is going to help your nerves."
Meredith closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "did I ever tell you" Meredith said, "that my husband was cheating on me when we were married."
"I didn't know that" Callie whispered.
"And I only found out after he had passed away."
"Oh honey" Callie went round the desk and gave Meredith a hug, Meredith closed her eyes while the news that Finn had a affair with Meredith's best friend at the time while they were married still haunted her, what was affecting her more was the fear that Derek as ridiculous as it sounded to her would do the same thing when they got married. "I know" Meredith continued, "that Derek is a good man and I know he wouldn't do that with me but still there is a worm of fear in my mind that has me worried something bad is going to happen again when I get married to Derek and that includes affairs. I never thought Finn would do that to me and I was wrong and Derek..."
"Meredith" Callie smiled at her, "when we look at you and Derek we see two of the happiest people we have ever known, you make your relationship work, you make your family life work and your going to make marriage work as well."
"Besides" Arizona said, "anyone who cheats on you has to be the biggest fool alive, Derek is probably saying to himself every night how did I get to be so lucky."
Meredith smiled, "he's says that to me a fair bit and I say to him i'm lucky to have him as a future husband and I am going to say how lucky I am to have you two as my friends."
"Well" Callie shrugged with a bashful expression, "you would be having the talk with us if we were feeling anxious."
"Babe" Arizona said.
"You know what I mean honey" Callie whispered to her girlfriend who smirked and Callie kissed her with a chuckle.
Meredith chuckled herself then she heard her personal phone ringing in her bag and picking it up, "hello doctor Grey speaking."
Callie played with Arizona's fingers then stopped as she heard a loud "what" from Meredith and a "okay i'll be right there." Meredith got up from her desk, grabbed her coat and her handbag as Arizona looked at her concerned, "what's happened?"
"Noah" Meredith as she put on her coat, "he's been sent to the principal's office at school, for swearing in class."
"Your Noah" Arizona said in shock.
"He's been saying a very rude word over and over."
"Again, your Noah?"
"Remember how you said, it seems we make our family life work, well looks can be deceiving."
"I'm sure" Callie said, "it isn't that bad, maybe one of the older kids at school has been teaching him swear words, it doesn't mean he's going to turn into full on problem child."
"Well i'll find out when I get there, i'm heading out" Meredith said as she walked out of her office, "i'll be back."
Meredith drove to the school, dashed to the principal's office and opened the door, she looked at Noah who was sobbing quietly in a chair and the principal Mrs Kins looking very sympathetic, "doctor Grey."
Meredith feeling her heart ache walked over and put an arm around Noah who hugged his mum tightly in response. Meredith kissed his forehead and rubbed his back with his hand, "yes i'm doctor Grey, i'm Noah's mum."
"Were you informed of the reason why you were asked to come down here?"
"The school admin filled me in, this is about Noah's language in class."
"Yes that's it in a nutshell, Noah and I have already had a talk and I think he knows he did the wrong thing?"
Meredith turned to Noah, "honey what happened?"
"I said bad words" Noah sobbed.
"He said the f word and the c word in class several times" Mrs Kins said, "and his teacher sent him up to me, I think she was quite shocked when he started swearing."
"Noah" Meredith whispered in Noah's ear, "why did you say those words?"
"I didn't know they were bad" Noah said before he coughed as Meredith's hand rubbed his head, "i'm very sorry for this, he's never used this kind of language before at home, at least not that I am aware of."
"Its surprising to us to" Mrs Kins with a warm smile at Noah, "Noah has always been a very polite and very well behaved student apart from this incident. Is there any frequent place that Noah goes to where people swear outside of school?"
Meredith thought hard and sighed, "I can think of something, Noah have you heard Mia using these words?" Noah nodded and Meredith looked up, "Mia is my foster child and she has a passion for swearing, i'll talk to her about this." Meredith turned her gaze back to her son, "Noah you must not use those bad words ever again do you understand?"
"Yes mom" Noah whispered.
"Are there any other words you have heard Mia say which you think are bad?"
"Don't know" Noah whispered.
"I'll let Noah go back to class" Mrs Kins said, "but if he starts swearing again then the school will have to contact you and ask you to take him home."
"Ok" Meredith leaned forward and kissed Noah's cheek, "are you ok sweetheart?"
Noah nodded.
"You know what you did was wrong?"
"Yes" Noah said.
"And you know that you must not ever say those words?"
"Yes mom."
"Okay, now I want you to apologise to Mrs Kins."
"Sorry Mrs Kins" Noah said who just smiled in response.
"Okay" Meredith gave Noah her warmest smile, "do you want me to walk with you back to class?"
"Yes please" Noah took Meredith hand and the pair left the office and walked down the hallway to Noah's classroom, "what are you learning about in class today?"
"Shapes, lots of shapes and we're learning a song about them."
"That sounds fun" Meredith said.
"Mommy" Noah looked up, "are you angry with me?"
"Well" Meredith bent down, "you made a mistake and you did do the wrong thing but your sorry you did the wrong thing and for that i'm very proud of you."
Noah smiled a bit, "just remember" Meredith said, "not to say those bad words."
"I won't" Noah said with a firm nod.
"Okay, have a good day."
"Sorry mom."
Meredith kissed Noah's forehead and gave him a gentile hug, "we'll talk about it more at home, go have fun."
After Meredith walked out of the school she heard her phone buzzing and seeing Derek's number on her screen she pushed a button and placed her phone to her ear, "hey I hope your having a better day than I am having."
"Well" Derek muttered, "I can't exactly say its been perfect."
"What's happened?"
"I've had a call from the school, Ally has been teaching the other kids about fashion."
"Fashion" Meredith said feeling a bit confused, "Ally was wearing appropriate clothes this morning, did she have a change of clothes in her bag that she brought with her. Wait all the shirts we have for her are age appropriate aren't they?"
"They are age appropriate" Derek said "and apparently you can also lift and tie the shirts up to show off your midriff and then belly dance with your arms flailing about all over the place. Or that's what her teacher thinks that's what Ally was doing this morning. Her teacher has asked me to have a talk with Ally after school, about this behaviour. My guess is she has seen some popstar on television doing this."
"Or" Meredith put her head in her free hand, "it could be our popstar at home who is showing her this."
"Right" Derek said with heavy breath, "you know that makes a lot more sense."
"I've just a trip to the school principal's office, Noah has been swearing in class and I bet my bottom dollar he's either picked it up from Mia or Mia is teaching him these words."
"Right" Derek said firmly, "we're going to have a nice long conversation with her tonight about this new attitude she's developed."
"We sure are" Meredith agreed.
In spite of being sidetracked from her trip to school Meredith had finished her scheduled paperwork early and hadn't been called in for any emergencies. As a result she had gotten off work earlier than usual and was planning on making a nice treat for the kids after the events of today. Meredith walked to the front door and hearing loud obnoxious music playing inside the house she shook her head realising that Mia must be home and looked at her watch. Derek wouldn't be home with the kids for another half hour at least depending on the traffic. Meredith heard loud laughter she wasn't familiar with and saw something slimy splattering on her window and feeling her firmness giving in she opened the door, walked to the living room and with wide eyes saw several teenagers making out with each other on her couches while other teenagers were dancing to loud music and drinking what smelled strongly like alcohol. Meredith feeling her hair standing on edge saw smoke in the kitchen and walked to the kitchen to find Mia dancing widly amongst smoke with a frying pan in one hand and a plastic cup in the other.
"Mia" Meredith coughed as she waved a hand through the smoke, Mia just continued to dance and Meredith with hot blood went to the living room and turned off the music as kids stopped and spun around.
"Who turned off the music?"
"Is this Mia's mum" a boy called out, "she's hot."
"Party is over" Meredith called, "all of you have ten seconds to leave this house."
"Yeah hot" another boy said "but still old."
Mia came in, "hey doc what's up?"
"I should be asking you that question, what the hell is this?"
"Its a party" Mia said with a look on her face that said duh, "what's it look like?"
"Mia" Meredith said loudly, "you can't throw a party without my permission and" Meredith took the cup from Mia's hand and smelled it, "you are far to young to be drinking alcohol young lady and all of you" Meredith looked around, "all of you are to young to be drinking alcohol, this stuff will make you sick, it will kill your brain cells and damage your organs."
A girl laughed, "Mia your mum talks like the school vice principal."
"Yeah" Mia chuckled, "just a heads up she's actually my foster carer."
"Oh, right."
"And I am responsible for you" Meredith put the cup of alcohol in the bin, "Mia you know better than to do something like this."
"You said I could have a party" Mia replied, "to make up for that singing pirates crap you put me through."
"Not without permission, certainly not with alcohol, Mia" Meredith stammered, "what if Noah and Ally had seen this?"
"Its just a preview of the future, they'll be doing this when their older. If they can get away from your goody two shoes influence."
A kid turned on the stereo again and Meredith went to turn off the stereo and looked around, "what are all you still doing here, I said you had ten seconds to leave not ten minutes."
"Come on lets go" a girl said.
"Your carer is like a natzi bitch" another girl said.
"Yeah that's the doc" Mia said.
"She's still hot though like a milf."
"To bad she's not our age" and a few kids laughed.
Meredith bent over to pick up a persons jacket "hey check this out" the kids laughed and Meredith spun around and a teenage boy standing directly behind her backside dropped his arms to the side and stopped moving his pelvis, Meredith narrowed her eyes, "young man is this your jacket?"
"Young man" the boy laughed, "she talks like Mrs Gladstone, I mean she's ancient, hey don't worry your still hot."
Meredith frowned, "get out."
"Hey, I didn't really dry hump you that was just pretend."
"Get out" Meredith said in her firmest voice.
"Okay lets roll, you coming Mia?"
"Yeah" Mia stretched, "i'll catch up in a minute."
"No you will not" Meredith said loudly.
"Okay the doc wants to communicate, i'll see you later" Mia said as she did a fist bump to her kids who smirked at Meredith and walked out the door. Meredith scowled and walked to the kitchen, "Mia what the heck are you cooking?"
"Some shit recpie I found on the internet" Mia brought something out of the oven which made Meredith want to cough, "kind of looks like a baby's diaper doesn't it, I figured my guests would like something to eat but it smells like shit and it probably tastes like shit to."
"Turn off the stove" Meredith coughed loudly as she waved her hand through the smoke, "open the window."
"The smoke's not that bad" Mia said as she complied.
"Your going to end up with damaged lungs if your breathing in that."
"What" Mia said loudly, 'its just a bit of smoke."
"Its much more than a bit of smoke, what the blazes are you doing, throwing a party at this time of day you should be at school."
"I had a free period" Mia muttered.
"Since when?"
"Since always."
"Did you ditch school today?"
"Well its history today, its boring, its pointless, we're all falling asleep anyway might as well skip it. If we were studying something interesting like drugs it would be more worthwhile"
"Jesus" Meredith coughed.
"Fuck doc" Mia rolled her eyes, "its just smoke, get over it and why are you making a big deal, its just a party."
"Mia there were kids", Meredith coughed and continued, "there were kids making out all over the place they, wait they're aren't kids upstairs right now in the bedrooms are there."
"Well" Mia smirked, "go and check if you like."
Meredith walked to the stairs, "look out" Mia called out loudly, "here comes peeping doc."
"Mia" Meredith stormed up the stairs, "if I find what I dread to find up there."
"Its just human nature doc making babies that's what you and Derek do."
Meredith ran up the stairs to look in the bedrooms and came down a moment later to find Mia laughing loudly.
"This is not funny Mia, if there had been kids upstairs right now having having, having..."
"What, sex" Mia said.
"Mia, its, you" Mia took deep breaths trying to control herself, "thin ice, this is not funny."
Mia smirked and sniggered, "its funny to watch you like this."
"Mia" Meredith picked something up, "what the hell is this?"
"Its a condom what does it look like."
Meredith took deep huffed breaths and Mia laughed loudly, "dude its ok its mine."
"What" Meredith said loudly.
"Its not open, jeez, I was going to hook up with this hot guy at the party but you kind of ruined it."
"Mia."
"Let me guess" Mia said, "your stepping on mighty thin ice?"
"Its" Meredith tried to take a deep breath, "Mia."
"Okay" Mia said, "well why your trying to figure out the right words to say i'm going to head out."
"Mia" Meredith said.
"What?"
"Mia come back here please?"
"What now?"
"Don't what now me young lady" Meredith pointed to a chair, "we need to talk."
"You want to talk, or do you just want to scream and carry on like a nazi bitch."
"Don't call me nazi bitch."
"Okay" Mia sat on a chair and put her shoes on the table, "what's up?"
Meredith pointed at her shoes, "get your feet off the table."
"Well come on" Mia said as she complied, "I haven't got all day."
"Mia" Meredith said slowly while taking deep breaths trying to calm her anger, "I received a phone call from Noah's school today."
"And your pissed with me because?"
"He was called to the principal office for swearing."
"Wow" Mia said loudly, "that is crazy, so who is going to play him in the movie."
"Mia this isn't like Noah, he's never been in trouble at school before."
"And let me guess, you think that's my fault?"
"Mia" Meredith sat down at the table, "you're the only person in this house who uses the f word and the c word."
"You mean fuck and cunt" Mia said bluntly.
"Mia, please don't use those words."
"Hey" Mia made an innocent gesture with her hands, "mankind invented those words for a reason."
"Don't get smart with me Mia, Noah was in tears and he nearly got sent home from school."
"Oh no" Mia said dramatically, "he got in trouble at school, lets ring Hollywood and get them to start filming we'll make a fortune."
"Mia its not just that, Derek got called by the school today because Ally keeps pulling and tying her shirt up exposing her bellybutton saying that's its fashion. Now its been confirmed that Ally said to her classmates, my big sister told me that. She also was dancing in a inappropriate way."
"Well it is fashion" Mia muttered, "don't you watch tv, plus I taught your dumb finance to dance, i'm just teaching my little sis to dance to."
"Mia, what's with the attitude?"
"What attitude?"
Meredith looked into Mia's eyes, "you've been treating everyone around here like crap lately and I want to know why?"
"Hey" Mia smirked and pointed at Meredith, "don't swear doc."
"Mia yesterday when Noah asked you to play with him you told him to go play with a snake in the backyard."
"It was a joke" Mia shrugged.
"That was very serious Mia, if Noah had found a snake he could have been bitten."
"There aren't any snakes in your backyard so what's the big deal, besides i'm sick of playing with the ankle biters all the time why don't you just hire a clown or something to entertain them."
"Mia" Meredith tried to take Mia's hand in her own, Mia just pulled her hand away with a sneer and Meredith continued, "if you get tired of playing with Ally and Noah you just need to let us know and we can talk with them."
"What its easy as that, i'm free entertainment before long you'll be nagging me again to look after the squirts."
"Can you refer to them by their real names please."
"Why are you making such a big deal about my behaviour around Noah and Ally?"
"Mia the big deal is your being a bad influence on the little ones."
"The little ones have real names doc."
"Mia, you need to stop teaching them inappropriate behaviour."
"Well maybe I'm just teaching them not to take crap from their parents."
"Mia."
"Hey you said crap" Mia stretched her arms, "can't tell me off for swearing anymore your being a bad influence on me." Mia got up, "okay are we done because i'm going to resume cooking dinner."
"What is going on?"
"Well" Mia said as she took out a big packet of chips from the freezer, "i'm trying to cook chips and your telling me off for saying rude words and teaching the kids the importance of fashion."
"Why are you acting like this?"
"Because I'm sixteen" Mia said as she switched on the oven, "and i'm normal don't you watch cabel tv?"
"Mia" Meredith huffed, "ok that's it."
"What your grounded?"
"Yes" Meredith said, "you are grounded."
"Like that's going to stop me" Mia said as she made her way to the front door.
"Mia where are you going, your grounded, your not supposed to go places without permission when your grounded."
"I'm getting some fresh air" Mia said as she stretched her arms, "then I am going to my mates bungalow to get stoned and then i'll steal bacon to go with my chips to cook dinner, you know the usual stuff."
"I" Meredith stammered.
"You'll what call the cops, better turn off that stove before your house fills up with smoke again, see that is me being nice" Mia said with a smile as she closed the door.
Meredith stood in shock for a second then she collapsed back on the chair and took deep breaths trying to let out the mountain of frustration she was feeling, a few minutes later the door opened and her family came through the door, Ally came in first looking very guilty, "hi sweetheart."
"Hi Meredith" Ally said softly.
Meredith put a hand on Ally's cheek, "did your dad talk to you about your behaviour today?"
Ally nodded, "I did the wrong thing, sorry."
"Its ok, do you know now that you shouldn't be lifting up your shirt showing off your belly and then dancing."
"Yes Meredith."
"Okay" Meredith kissed her cheek before she smiled at Noah, "good girl, hi sweetie."
"Hi mom" Noah said softly.
"Are you feeling better?"
"A bit."
"Why don't you two get changed and then we'll make something nice to eat in the kitchen."
Noah and Ally went to their bedroom while Derek took off his bag from his shoulders, "I just saw a bunch of kids walking down the steet who weren't carrying schoolbags, then I saw our young charge whistling down the road after them. I called out to Mia to get in the car and she told me no f word way then she flipped me the bird while I was telling our littles ones to not watch her. I got out of the car and then she bolted with her buddies before I could shout at her to come back. Did she have a party here?"
"You guessed it, I came here early to make a treat for the kids to cheer them up and I instead found a full on teenager makeout session complete with alcohol, dancing, loud dreadful music and Mia burning food on the stove."
"Well" Derek rubbed his hands on Meredith's forearms, "you got the kids out of the house, it was more than what I achieved."
Meredith sighed with frustration, "I didn't have any luck with trying to get through to Mia. She just blatantly ignored my attempts to talk with her and in the end I lost my cool and grounded her and Mia just walked off. Derek i'm sorry I should have waited for you to come home."
"And then what, I would have gotten very angry with her and all those kids in front of Ally and Noah, not to mention they would have seen things no kid their age should be seeing. Well you know when she comes home both of us can really let loose with her."
"Derek" Meredith said, "I don't think letting loose as you put it is going to work, she's just going to yell back and walk off again. Maybe we should try something else, if your going to get angry and if she is going to be swearing I would rather the kids not see this. They're already picking up her behaviour issues. I think maybe this is one of those calm woman to girl talks that me and Mia need to be having together. I think I need to be less frustrated myself and try and use a more gentile approach to talk with her."
Derek closed his eyes, "we should be doing this together honey."
"I know" Meredith said softly, "I might be wrong but I think this is one of those mother daughter talks that me and Mia need to have, it might be a woman issue she is having and having both of us coming at her will more than likely just make her flip the bird and storm out."
"Meredith" Derek said with a sigh.
"Besides we can't put the kids into a day care just so that both of us can talk with Mia."
"What if we ask her to stay home from school so that we can both talk with her?"
"I think that would give her the incentive that if I misbehave I can stay home from school."
"Meredith she's not a little kid, she knows better."
"Just" Meredith raised a index finger, "give me one more chance to get through to her on my own, if I can't do it then we'll both try together."
"Okay" Derek said giving in "but I don't like letting you face the jaws of doom by yourself."
"Jaws of doom?" Meredith said with a chuckle.
"Okay" Derek shrugged, "the trialls of parenthood."
Meredith smiled, "that sounds like a better metaphor, maybe we should talk to the children." Meredith and Derek walked into the living room and she saw the kids sitting quietly on the carpet they went over to sit down next to them, "okay kids" Derek said, "its time to stop feeling guilty."
"Listen" Meredith whispered, "you both made mistakes today but that's ok its part of being a kid making mistakes, we learn how to do the right thing by making mistakes."
"I was swearing" Noah whispered.
"You know mate" Derek said with a grin, "when you swear you get a dirty mouth and the best cure for it is putting some soap in your mouth to clean it."
"I'll get the soap" Noah said as he got up and made his way to the bathroom.
"Hey hey" Derek stopped Noah as Meredith gave Derek raised eyebrows, "i'm joking don't put soap in your mouth, it doesn't taste good trust me."
Meredith bent down to Allie's height and put a hand on her cheek until Ally looked up at her, "do you remember I told you the story of the tickle monster."
"Ah" Ally said as she started to laugh.
"How it attacks when it sees little girl bellies" Ally laughed as Meredith tickled her, "that's why you shouldn't be showing people your belly, you never know when the tickle monster will strike."
"I won't, I won't" Ally said with a grin.
"Mom" Noah picked up a beer bottle, "what is this?"
"Ah" Derek said as he took the bottle from Noah, "Noah listen that is very bad stuff you shouldn't ever touch, Mia's friends were drinking it."
"If its bad" Ally asked, "why were they drinking it?"
"Well" Derek replied, "because they're silly, Ally you don't touch this stuff either I will put it all in the bin."
Ten minutes later Cristina came in carrying a handbag and a sympathetic smile from the moment she saw the slump in Meredith's shoulders, "hey hows the lady of the house?"
"Exhausted" Meredith admitted.
"Ah, yes and I think I know why."
"I'm sorry you've had to see this" Meredith said as she put another beer bottle in the thrash, "listen your already helping us a lot and now your putting up with Mia's antics as well, i'll add some-"
"Meredith" Cristina stopped her, "listen that's very nice of you but you've already given me two payrises in the last month, i'm not superhousekeeper you know."
"Okay" Meredith said as she put away the last of the beer bottles, "a year ago I never imagined I would be cleaning up after a wild party like this and yet here I am."
"Well I bought you something that my cousin and uncle said was very useful when my cousin was going through his teenage years and my uncle was reaching out to him when he was in a bad mood."
Meredith looked at a large therapeutic book in Cristina's hands and she gently took it, "this looks interesting."
"Oh yeah" Cristina said with a nod and a lop sided grin, "it helped a lot every time there was attitude from my cousin."
"Thank you" Meredith said softly, "i'll have a good read through it."
"So where is the princess now?"
"Who knows, i'll have a read through this book and I hope i'll be able to try out some of these techniques on her before I get called into the police station and find her behind the bars of a cell."
Later that night when Derek, Ally and Noah had all gone to bed Meredith was in the kitchen reading the book, drinking tea and making herself ready when the door finally opened and Mia came in whistling until she saw Meredith, "doc your still awake?"
"Hi Mia" Meredith said gently.
"Hi" Mia said as she walked to the kitchen opened the fridge, "boy that was some good weed, my friend calls his bungalow the bongalow which is a really fitting name, all of us smoked some real shit, got really stoned."
"Mia" Meredith pointed to a chair, "why don't you come and sit down?"
"Why" Mia said suspiciously.
"Just because" Meredith said softly, "it would be good if we could have a chat."
"You want to yell at me some more?"
"No I don't want to yell, I just want us to have a nice chat, we can talk about what you have been up to."
"What's going on" Mia said slowly, "your acting all different, this is the part where your supposed to be grumpy and are carrying on at me?"
"Well" Meredith said with a warm smile, "I have been having a long hard think this afternoon and I think me being grumpy and yelling isn't working for me and its not helping you either."
Mia looked around and at the kitchen bench she walked over and picked up the book that Meredith had been reading, "a guide to talking with teenagers about their troubles, seriously" Mia raised the book in the air and gave Meredith a perplexed look, "you bought a book?"
Meredith tried to hide her own annoyance for not hiding the book and her worry that she was going to lose this opportunity to help Mia, "come and sit down."
"Is this Chapter 1 sitting down on a chair?"
"Just take a deep breath" Meredith said calmly, "I know there are things going on that might be frustrating you and that's ok, its ok for us to feel frustrated sometimes."
"Hows this" Mia said as she took really loud deep breaths.
"Just-"
"Seriously" Mia muttered, "is that all you got from this piece of crap book, breathing and its ok if there are things that frustrate you, news flash doc life's a bitch everything is frustrating."
"Mia" Meredith said firmly.
"Woo hoo" Mia chuckled, "are we getting back to grumpy mode, come on" Mia leaned in close with a smirk, "i'm breaking you your gonna snap any second I can sense it."
"If there is something" Meredith said slowly and calmly, "that is frustrating you its good to talk to the people who are around to get it off your chest."
"Seriously" Mia said slowly, "I am going to barf all over this table because this is so nauseating."
Meredith quickly picked up the book went to the kitchen bench to open the book again and Mia snorted, "you haven't even memorised the book yet, look your trying to find some magic formula in the index."
"Mia" Meredith whispered.
"And that's game set match" Mia stretched, "i'm going to bed one hell of a hangover you know."
"Mia your not stoned, don't talk like that."
"What" Mia shrugged her shoulders, "you can tell that just by looking at me?"
"Come back here."
"What now" Mia moaned dramatically, "isn't it bed time in the looney house, are you going to let me go to bed or what?"
"Mia" Meredith was using all the will she could muster to stay compused, "have a seat just take some deep breaths."
"That book you got is shit or maybe your just shit at doing what it says to do in the book."
"Ok" Meredith said in a desperate voice, "something is bothering you and I want you to tell me what it is."
"Do you want me to write it down, make a poem, do some drawings is that what it says in chapter 9?"
"Mia please, tell me what is bothering you, we want to help you, I want to help you please."
Mia turned around slowly, "you want to know what's pissing me off?"
"Yes Mia" Meredith said feeling hope rising in her chest, "I do want to know, please tell me what is bothering you?"
Mia scrunched up her face, "you and Derek's secret plot to adopt me that's what."
Meredith looked at Mia's angry face in stunned silence feeling emotion washing through her, "Mia how do you know?"
"Noah" Mia said, "he heard you talking about it and he told me."
"Mia" Meredith walked over with her arms out and Mia just took steps back, "look we can talk about this."
"Oh now you want to talk" Mia said loudly, "when were you going to tell me about this, were you going to trick me into coming to a courtroom and then say oh by the way we're going to be your new mommy and daddy. Then drag me in and settle things with a judge and the judge would be like, hi Mia do you want doc and d man to be your parents and I would be like ah, well um, ah shit. Most humiliating shit ever."
"Mia" Meredith said softly, "we were going to talk to you about this and we were going to ask you about-"
"I should have seen this coming" Mia said pointing the finger at Meredith, "cause adopting kids really is you and Derek's thing, you can't help yourself oh ah" Mia made a dramatic gesture with her hands, "there's a kid in the house we must adopt it."
"Mia its not like that."
"Bullshit doc, you know I bet if Chloe had stuck around her you would have been trying to adopt her as well."
"Mia" Meredith's voice cracked.
"I bet you do this to try and boost your numbers so you can try and get some prize from some worldwide apotion organisation."
"Mia's its not like that, please calm down and listen to me."
"Listen to this" Mia said loudly, "I don't want to be adopted."
"Mia please."
"Please what?"
"We just thought you would like it if we adopted you."
"Oh" Mia said with anger, "what you thought it was going to be like you telling me you want to adopt me and I was going be like" Mia put on a funny voice, "oh yes Meredith I would love to play mothers and daughters with you. When you adopt me we can play with dollies together, you can braid my hair, we can read bedtime stories, you can put banages and kisses on my bubbos when I fall over in the playground, maybe we can drink some beers together that would be just fucking great."
"Mia I know your very angry with me and I understand but-"
"But nothing i'm already sick of you acting like your my mom all the time, always telling me off, always trying to change my behaviour, always wanting to talk to me about my feelings, always telling me of proud you are every time I do something even remotely pleasant, why would I want you to be my mom."
"Because I thought I thought it was what you wanted, Mia listen we don't want to adopt you because of what you might be thinking right now, we want to adopt you because we-"
"Don't fucking finish that sentence" Mia said with a voice choked with tears "and you think this is what I want. You think I want to be adopted by you, why cause I grew up in an orphanage, cause my own fucking parents abandoned me and then they pick me up fifteen years later to get me to steal Ally. Or is it because you think I desperately dreamed of having a proper family my entire life well guess what I don't, I was fine before and i'll be fine long after you kick me out when you get sick of me."
"Mia we would never-"
"You would" Mia pointed her finger at Meredith, "I can see it on your face, I might pack my bags now your going to kick me out by tomorrow."
"Mia" Meredith whispered.
"I'm going to bed" Mia turned around and shouted with anger, "goodnight pretend mom."
"Mia" Meredith whispered as Mia slammed the bedroom door, she stood in shock for a moment before she walked to the living room sat down on the living room and grabbing tissues she cried, a few minutes later the light in the room came on and Meredith felt a arm around her shoulders.
"Hey" Derek said.
"Hey" Meredith whispered before she saw two little concerned faces looking up at her.
Ally saw Meredith's face and climbed on the coach to give her a hug, "are you crying?"
"I'm alright sweetheart" Meredith whispered.
"Why are you crying mom" Noah said softly as she hugged his mom from the other side of the coach.
"Its just a problem with, you know what its something that..."
"Its alright guys" Derek whispered, "I will talk with Meredith."
Noah looked at Derek before he kissed Meredith's cheek and Ally followed suit before he and Ally hopped off the coach and went out of the room.
Derek hugged Meredith gently and kissed her cheek, "it didn't go well with Mia."
"She's so angry with me" Meredith sobbed, "I don't know how to fix it."
"Why is she angry?"
"She's angry about us wanting to adopt her."
"Wow" Derek whispered, "I guess we, well we, I don't know what to say."
"Derek I really thought she would have been happy. I wish I could fix this, just tell her its ok if you don't want us to adopt you we still want you to live here. I'm really worried Derek. I think she's going to do drugs or do crime and a lot of other things and I just, just don't know how to stop it."
Derek nodded, "i'm going in to talk to her" as he got up and made his way to Mia's bedroom, "Mia, Mia can we talk?"Derek opened the door and saw an open window and he sighed before he closed it, he came back into the living room and Meredith looked up, "she's gone out?"
Derek sighed, "maybe its best we both talk to her.
"We will" Meredith said with a nod, "tomorrow we're both going to talk to Mia."
After a quick snack and glass of milk Derek lead the kids to bed to tuck them in while Meredith washed the dishes and stood in the dark alone with her thoughts. Derek came down put his gentile hands on her shoulders before Meredith gently kissed one of them, "Derek?"
"Yeah" Derek whispered.
"If we can't help Mia" Meredith whispered, "what are we going to do?"
"We're going to do everything we can to help Mia and we will help her."
"What if Ally and Noah start copying her behaviour?"
"We'll be there for them to, we're going to get through this."
"What if she doesn't want to live here anymore?"
"We'll talk with her and find out what she wants."
Meredith turned around with tear filled eyes and gave Meredith a long hug and closed her eyes unknown to them a figure was watching from a crack through the door. Mia watched Meredith and Derek holding each other and drawing back she softly walked to her bedroom to lie down on her bed and take deep breaths before she picked up a note from under her bed and read it to herself for what felt to her like the millionth time. Mia read the note once more before she brushed tears from her eyes as they came in full force, Mia cried to herself for a long time before finally falling into a painful sleep.