Title: Loud And Clear
Authors: Sara And Lizzie
Rating: T for language, mild sex
Disclaimer: we don't own grey's anatomy, or any anatomies but our own at that.
Summary: Sequel to One Hell Of a Racket. Babies, weddings, and rain. Seattle at it's finest. Babysitting for the ex wife, meeting the family, planning the wedding and fending off the intern. All in a day's work.
Author's Note: The final story in our trilogy. We're staring two days from where 'Racket' left off. Also, we made up all the names and details of Derek's family, save for Nancy, who we adore, by the way.
WOW. Amazing response so far. You guys are AWESOME. Seriously, we wouldn't be able to do this if it weren't for all of your support and sometimes criticisms. We're just grateful that you share your opinions of our writing.
So this chapter is a little shorter than anticipated, but we felt like it had to end there. And yes, Mer finally let them have it. You didnt think she'd just lie back and take it, did you?
COMING UP: The new residents get interns, two of whom make plays for taken men (Derek and someone else), Addison has baby complications, wedding plans, etc.
Enjoy. REVIEW.
Four exceptionally awkward meals, one exceptionally awkward night, and many exceptionally awkward hours had passed since Nancy had announced to Derek's mother, that yes, Meredith was just as slutty as they'd thought, and yes, they did have sex on the plane.
Meredith had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She didn't fit in with this family. This mother talked to her daughters. She was involved, she was intertwined with their lives. And God, these women. They were all well groomed and well dressed and perfect. They coordinated, they matched, they were put together.
She was willing to bet that they never ran around in scrubs and converse sneakers with dirty hair, covered in vomit or something. Granted they weren't surgical interns, but she thought that if they were, they'd wear salmon colored scrubs and maintain manicures throughout the whole time. She felt so out of place in this impeccable world of decoration schemes and designer sportswear and old money. Was this Derek's life? For the thousandth time she found herself wondering who Derek was before he had moved to Seattle and picked her up in a bar.
"Are you going to be okay with them all afternoon?" he asked, leaning down to whisper in her ear. He was supposed to be going out to see some old friends from New York, and she was to accompany the Shepherd women shopping and then to cocktails before they met Derek for dinner. She wanted to tell him that no, thanks for asking but she was not going to be okay with them all afternoon because they hated her. And they didn't even bother to hide it. They just hated her with open and snarky abandon, making it quite clear at every turn they wished she was Addison.
But Derek looked so hopeful, so excited at the prospect of his fiancée bonding with his family that she didn't have the heart to voice any of her concerns. She just tucked a strand of her behind her ears and smiled. She nodded with what she hoped looked like enthusiasm. "Yea, we'll be fine." She assured him. "Izzie called by the way. Mr. Hildon, your patient? They found someone to do the surgery, but he wants you to make sure they didn't remove any brain parts he'll be needing." Derek winked at her.
"That's what happens when you're the best, Mer." He said his usual arrogant smirk on his face. Meredith arched an eyebrow; they were alone in the study, surrounded by nothing but books. She raised her lips to his and slipped her tongue into his mouth, something she hadn't done since the plane ride. She could feel his mouth turn up into a grin against her lips as he deepened the kiss and slid his hand up into her hair. She was moving to straddle him, when she heard a cough at the door. Diane and Elizabeth. Wonderful.
"The boys are in a cab downstairs, Derek." Diane said, looking at them disdainfully. Derek shot her a warning look and kissed Meredith's cheek.
"I'll see you for dinner." He said, smiling. Meredith nodded and tried to return his grin. Derek hoisted himself off of the couch and walked past his mother, kissing her and his sister on their cheeks. "Make her feel welcome." He hissed to them as he slid past out strode out the front door. His mother patted her hair and smiled.
"Well, Meredith, if you're ready, Barney's awaits."
Meredith followed Diane and Elizabeth in Barney's one terrifying ride in the Land Rover later. Standing there waiting for them, were Michelle, Jenna and Nancy, each one looking impeccable in their own way. Michelle arched an eyebrow at Meredith. "Do you always dress like that?" she asked. Meredith looked down at her flats, jeans and cable knit sweater.
"Yes." She said tentatively. "Is it…?" she trailed off.
"It's just not very put together, is it? Nancy asked. Meredith fought the urge to roll her eyes, knowing where this conversation was going.
"Addison would die." Elizabeth put in.
"She was always so stylish." Diane commented. Meredith dug her nails into her palm and smiled thinly. They all started walking towards the women's department, and she had no choice but to follow them. Two hours and countless overpriced French shoes and sweaters later, she pulled out her phone and texted Cristina as they walked to Bendel's. After firing off a few ranting messages to her friend, she had no choice but to continue making her effort to get them to stop hating her. So she smiled and nodded and made noises at all the clothes in order to not look like she was slowly descending into hell, but they didn't seem to care.
Jenna walked out of the dressing room wearing some silver Dolce and Gabbana dress. Meredith tried to think of something nice to say, even though it didn't suit her at all, but Nancy beat her to it. "You need more color. Only Addie could pull off that dress."
Meredith sank down a little lower in her seat and examined her nails. "Don't you agree Meredith?" Diane asked. "That would be fabulous on Addison?"
Meredith forced a smile and nodded. "It would be just great." She said through gritted teeth. It was almost seven when they finally made their way towards the St. Regis and the King Cole Bar. Meredith had endured hours of comments about her personality, her style, her habits, and her lack of being Addison. Her nerves and her patience were in shreds. They sat around a table, looking at the drink menu, and the jarring ring of her cell phone broke into Meredith's fantasy of ordering a bottle of tequila and downing the whole thing.
"Hello?"
"It's me." Addison said on the other line. "How are you holding up?" Meredith practically jumped out of her chair and hovered a few feet away from the table so as not to be overheard.
"They hate me." She said flatly. "And I'm not being dramatic. It's been nothing but the constant highlighting of my numerous inadequacies." Addison sighed on the other end of the airwaves. "Everything is about you." Meredith said quietly.
Addison shook her head, even though she knew the girl couldn't see her. "Meredith, don't." she said forcefully. "For them, it's about me, because they just aren't used to any of this yet, but for Derek, it's about you, okay?"
Meredith drew in a shaky breath. "I'm trying so hard, Addison." She said. "They just… have something against me. It's like all my efforts make them like me less." Addison didn't say anything for awhile, she just breathed into the other line, lost in thought.
"Have you defended yourself?" she asked.
"No." Meredith said, sounding very much like a kid on the playground. Addison bit back laughter at her pouty, six year old inspired tone.
"Try that." She instructed. "Good luck. See you soon."
"Not soon enough." Meredith grumbled into her phone. She made her way back to the table wondering when the hell her life had changed so much that she actually wanted to see Addison. She sat down and smiled apologetically. "I'm so sorry." She said. "It was Addison."
Five pairs of perfectly plucked eyebrows rose at her. "She talks to you?" Nancy asked. Meredith nodded. "That's very surprising, considering what you did to her." And that was the last straw. Something inside of Meredith snapped. The anger, the frustration and the fear she had been harboring all weekend were unleashed.
"Well you know what?" she snapped. "She forgave me. Just like you forgave her and Mark for doing the exact same thing I did."
"They sleepy together once." Elizabeth said. "You were sneaking around for weeks."
Meredith's eyes narrowed into slits. "Seriously?" she asked. "Do you even know what happened? I fell in love with your brother after about five minutes. Really in love. And it was going great, and then one day, his wife just showed up. Like walks into the hospital and asked me if I was the one screwing her husband. Real funny, considering I didn't know he was married!" she took a breath. Derek's family sat in there seats, rigid, staring at her. She couldn't read any of their faces yet, so she just kept talking.
"I begged him to stay with me, but he went back to Addison. And then we got shot and he chose to save me, and it was this big, crushing realization for the both of us, and I don't for a second excuse myself for sleeping with him while he was married, but he loves me. And I love him. And if I have to listen to you criticize me for one more freaking minute, I'm actually going to start to miss my own mother, which is about the equivalent of hell freezing over. You might actually like me, you know. Addison does." She slumped back in her seat, breathless, and suddenly terrified.
She watched as Diane's mouth twitched, Jenna smirked, and Elizabeth, Michelle and Nancy gaped at her, open mouthed. A well dressed waiter swished over to their table as they sat in silence and stared at each other. "What can I get for you darlings?" he asked with a flamboyant flourish of his pen.
Diane blinked and gestured to Meredith. "Get this lady a Grey Goose Martini, straight up." Meredith cocked her head and blinked. "She's a Shepherd now." Diane concluded. In spite of all the anger and hatred she'd been feeling not five minutes ago, Meredith smiled as the rest of them ordered their drinks. As the waiter sashayed to the bar, Diane cocked an eyebrow at her. "You are a firecracker, aren't you?" she asked.
Meredith blushed and shrugged, not sure if this was good or bad. To her left, Jenna snorted and started laughing. Diane began to chuckle, followed by Michelle, and eventually, even Nancy was laughing so hard she had tears running down her face. Meredith wasn't sure what was funny, but she laughed with them, feeling like she had finally cracked them.