Disclaimer: I Don't Own GA or any characters, so… don't sue.

Chapter 19: Don't Save It All For Christmas Day

VO: I never believed in Santa Claus, my mother did try to make me believe, but I just didn't. I mean how could he come through our chimney if we didn't even have one and the handwriting from Santa Claus was suspiciously similar of my mums, but I still loved Christmas, it was the one time my mum took a day off and we could finally enjoy each other, enjoy our family.

"I can't do this, I just can't. God, I must be stupid." Meredith was trying to bake cookies for Christmas, that night. "Auw, auw, auw!"

Suddenly the door opened. "Mere, is that you?"

"Izzie" She came running towards Izzie, still with her oven gloves on. She hugged her. "Merry Christmas. I'm so glad you're back, how was it?"

"It was great, it was kind of nice to see my mom again. How about you, how were things here?"

"Pretty hectic." She sighed. "We got a new family member, well, for a while."

"Really, anything good?"

"Izzie! It's a child. I meant in Derek, Sara and my family, not the intern family"

"Oh, who is it"

"It's Adrienne, you know, his 'daughter'"

"Oh, I remember"

"Yeah, she doesn't talk" Meredith turned around again. "Can you help me with the cookies?"

"She doesn't talk? And wasn't she with Addison."

"Yeah, Addison kind of dumped her with us, and yes again, she doesn't talk."

"Oh god, what are you going to do?"

"I'm just, not pushing her, she will talk eventually"

"Mere, you do know, that she is not your responsibility, right?"

"Yes, but she's still a child and as long as Addison isn't picking her up she will be living here" she said half yelling.

"Okay, jeez Mere, didn't sleep well?"

"No, I'm sorry, it's just, well, Derek, he's still mad at Addison and wont really try, for Adrienne."

"I guess he's just confused, Mere, give him time."

"Okay, I will try, thanks Iz."

"Oh, no thanks, that's where I'm here for, right?" She looked around the room. "Mere, where is the Christmas tree?"

"What, oh yeah, I thought it would be better if we didn't took one this year."

"Oh my god, Mere, we have to have a Christmas tree. I'm going to get one right away." She hurried out of the house.

"Christmas tree, check" Meredith said to herself with a grin. "Oh I'm so evil."

20 minutes later Izzie came back dragging a Christmas tree in the house.

"This was all they had left."

"Oh, good enough"

"Okay"

"I already put down all the decorations."

"Thanks."

"Oh, I'm helping, and so are Sara and Adrienne, I just need to get them first." She walked towards the stairs. "Adreinne! Sara!" she called.

Sara ran down the stairs. "Is it Christmas tree time?"

Meredith smiled. "Yes it is."

"Where is daddy?"

"Daddy had to go work, but he will be home in about an hour."

"Okay" Sara walked towards Izzie to help her.

Adrienne came walking down the stairs.

"Adrienne, Izzie just brought the Christmas tree, do you want to help?"

Adrienne didn't respond, but she walked towards Izzie.

"Why can she help, she doesn't even live here." Sara said as she saw Adrienne walking towards her.

"Sara, be nice, and she does live here, for a while."

"Adrienne was looking at her feet."

"I'm sorry" Sara said.

Adrienne raised her head and forced a smile, but she was still standing on the same spot.

"It's okay Adrienne, you can help." Meredith said as she was checking on her cookies.

Adrienne started to help.

"I never had a Christmas tree before." Sara said to Adrienne.

Adrienne smiled.

"Why don't you talk? Can you even talk?"

"Sara, she can talk, but… now she doesn't"

"Okay"

"Auw" Meredith burned herself, again. "Izzie, come over here and help me" She was now trying to make a cake.

"I can't" Izzie was struggling to find a way to keep the Christmas tree standing.

Suddenly Adrienne came walking to Meredith and took over the cake.

"Oh, you can bake."

Adrienne smiled and continued with baking.

"Oh, now I have a bake buddy" Izzie said enthusiastic.

"Calm Izzie" Meredith laughed. "You're good in baking Adrienne"

Adrienne smiled again. She was improving, she still didn't talk but she showed more emotions, at least she smiled once in a while.

Meredith returned her smile. "Now where is George" She said annoyed. "He should be here by now."

"Yeah, he called, he would be here in half an hour."

"Okay"

"But that's was when I was at the airport, so he can be here any minute now."

"Good"

"Mere, what are we eating tonight?"

"Well, I was planning to cook, so I asked help from a professional."

"Professional?"

"Jep"

"Oh god, you didn't asked…" She got interrupted by the doorbell. "Dr Burke" she said as she opened it

"Oh thank god, you're here." Meredith said, she was just walking towards him.

"Yeah, I brought my lucky oven gloves."

"You also have lucky oven gloves." Christina asked annoyed. She appeared behind him.

"Hey, Christina."

"HI, Mere, do you have liquor this time?"

"Last time was thanksgiving, not Christmas, and nobody is getting drunk this time."

"Mere, where is the liquor?"

"The cupboard next to the fridge" she let Christina and Burke inside.

"Okay, where is all the food?"

"Well, I didn't exactly know what you would need, so I didn't shop yet."

"You didn't shop yet? Mere, in six hours it has to be done" Izzie said.

"I know, I know, I can call Derek, he should be on his way here anyway."

"Okay"

Meredith grabbed her phone and dialled Derek's number.

"Hello"

"Hi, Derek"

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Every time I call, you think something is wrong, maybe sometimes I just like to call"

"Meredith you just saw me this morning, what's wrong?"

"Okay, I need you to go grocery shopping for me."

"Well, right now, I'm already standing on front of your house, so…"

"You're already here? Well, I just as well can go with you"

"Okay, I'll be waiting outside."

"Okay" She hung up her phone. "Guys, I'm going with Derek, he's already standing outside."

"Okay, see you later."

"And hurry" Burke called after her.

"I will" She hurried out of the house. She walked outside to Derek's car. "Hey honey" She kissed him lightly on the mouth.

"Hey"

"How was the hospital?" she walked to the other side of the car, to get in the passengers seat.

"It was full, lot's of accidents with Christmas, you know, but I got myself out of there."

"Good, cause now we desperately need to do some shopping or else Burke is going to go mental."

"Yeah, which makes Christina go mental…"

"Which makes me go mental… Which makes you go mental"

"Okay, okay, I get the point" He laughed. "Let's… get some food"

Ten minutes late they were standing in the supermarket.

"No, I don't need fat free milk." Meredith said.

"No you don't, but it is healthier." Derek responded

"I don't want cereal with fat free milk."

"It tastes the same."

"No it doesn't"

"Mere"

"Der" She said just as teasingly as he had.

Derek laughed. "Okay, we'll just take two"

"Okay" Meredith grabbed the two cartons of milk and put it in the basket.

It took them half an hour to get all that they would need and they went straight back home, before Burke would be getting a heart attack.

When they got there George was already there, they greeted him and started helping Burke with the dinner.

One hour before dinner everybody started to make themselves ready. Meredith went to take a shower first after her Sara and Adrienne went. She helped Sara with dressing and she helped Adrienne with her hair and she applied a little bit of make up, not much because she was only twelve. They all looked beautiful.

Derek was already downstairs waiting for his girls to come. Sara came running down first.

"Daddy, don't I look beautiful?"

"Yeah you do" he said with a smile.

After that Adrienne came walking down, with a smile.

"Hey Adrienne, you look beautiful."

Adrienne answered with another smile.

Suddenly Meredith came running down. "Is everything done? Is it finished?"

"Calm Mere" He kissed her lightly. "Burke is already done."

"Good"

Derek smiled. "You look… breath taking."

"So do you" She pulled him into a kiss.

"I love you"

"Love you too"

15 minutes later everyone was downstairs they all sat down at the table, Burke served the food.

"It smells great, Preston" Meredith said as he put down all the food.

"Well thank you Meredith."

"Preston?" Christina said shooting Meredith a dirty look.

"What? It's his name right?"

"Right" She returned.

Meredith laughed. "Well, I think it's time to eat."

"Let's toast first." Derek suggested.

"Good idea" Everyone raised their glasses.

"To our entire family" Derek said. "To us."

"To us" Everyone returned.

After dinner, everyone moved to the couch, they started to play games. Hints…Of course Christina won and she kept rubbing it in everybody's face the whole evening. Meredith thought it was very funny. Around eleven it was time to put Sara in bed. She showered and went straight to bed. Adrienne could stay up some longer because she was older and she was very good in playing hints because she didn't talk anyway. Meredith already found a way to see her emotions but the others still found the not talking thing quite annoying. They didn't know what to say to her, or act around her. Meredith thought it would just pass, some day.

Around twelve Adrienne went to bed too and only the grown ups were left. Christina and Izzie were drunk and so were Alex and Preston and of course Derek and Meredith

"You're drunk" Derek said to Meredith as they broke apart from a furious kiss.

"No not drunk just… tipsy"

"Nope, you're drunk."

"So are you"

"Jep." He pulled her into a kiss again.

"God get a room" Izzie said as she walked by, she tripped over Alex's feet.

"Izzie you're drunk." Alex pulled her on his lap. They had been dating for a while now.

"Yeah I am, are we going to imitate them" She pointed to Meredith end Derek who were al over each other.

"We might" He said a she pulled her into a kiss.

Christina and Burke were kissing too. Only George was feeling a little alone, Callie had to go to her parents for Christmas and there he was sitting on the edge of the couch looking at couples who were making out…

Around 4AM Burke and Christina left, they called a cap. Alex was staying there for the night and he and Izzie went to bed, so did George, only Derek and Meredith were still sitting downstairs cleaning a little.

"It was fun" Meredith picking up some plates.

"Yes it was." Derek helped her.

"Adrienne was good today."

"Yes she was, still not talking though."

"Yeah, well, she will get better."

"Yeah. Do you think we should call Addison? It's morning there anyway"

"Yeah I think we should."

Derek picked up the phone and dialled Addison's number. After a few seconds she answered.

"Hello?"

"Addison, this is Derek"

"Oh, hi"

"Addison how could you do this, you just dump her and for Christmas too"

"I'm sorry, Derek I really can but I just couldn't handle it."

"But Addison…"

"No Derek, you are a better parent then I am, I have seen you with Sara."

"Addison you can't just dump her with us"

"I'm sorry, I want the best for her…"

"So take care of her yourself."

"I can't Derek, don't you get it? I can't"

"Addison you can, you're a great parent"

"Derek listen to me" She gasped. "I can't and you can, I also could just put her in an orphanage…"

"Addison!"

"Listen to me, I could just put her in an orphanage but I wont, I only thrust her with you and Meredith. I think you can handle her, you can make her speak again and love her, I think you can be her parents."

"Addison I don't think…"

"Derek, give me Meredith for a sec."

"Okay" He passed the phone to Meredith.

"Hello"

"Mere, I'm sorry I had to do this that way, I don't know what I was thinking, I just I was going crazy" She sighed. "I just couldn't do it anymore, and you can, you and Derek"

"Addison are you sure?"

"I am Mere, I'm really sure."

"Okay, okay"

"Okay?"

"Yeah, if you want it. I think we can handle this." She sighed too. "And I don't blame you for anything"

"Thanks Meredith, really, this is not just a thing I ask you" She started crying. "I'm begging you"

"It's okay Addison, we will take good care of her."

"What?" Derek interrupted.

Meredith shushed him. "I promise."

"Thanks Mere, really you don't know how much"

"I do know, it's a big thing to ask."

"Yes"

"Well, uuhm… Merry Christmas."

"Thanks, you too"

"Okay, well, bye"

"Bye"

Meredith hung up the phone. "I think it's Adrienne Shepard now"

"What?"

"We are going to take care of her Derek"

"What, and just without asking me?"

"I'm sorry" She walked towards him and wrapped her arms around him and buried her head in his chest, she started to cry.

Derek wrapped around her too. "Ssh" He patted her back. "It's going to be fine."

Meredith gasped. "Typical Christmas for Meredith Grey."

"Merry Christmas"

"Merry Christmas."

VO: Sometimes the family brings just a little to much joy and Santa Claus sounds very hard to believe. But family is important, it should always stand by your side and so should you at theirs.

So… took me a long time to update but here it is… Reviews will make e update sooner!