Anna played outside in the yard most of the day. Meredith felt comfortable with her playing alone, as long as she could see her out the window. Her only fear was the water. Anna seemed to have a fascination with it. Derek had taken her on a ferry boat ride awhile back, and she had stood on the rail, looking over. She wasn't afraid of the water at all, and that worried both Meredith and Derek. When it came time for bed, she fell right asleep from exhaustion. Meredith and Derek were half expecting her to show up in their room afraid. It never happened.
Meredith spent most of the night moving things into just the right place. Derek did do pretty well with the planning, which was a huge relief. She would have died if she came into a poorly decorated house, and wouldn't have been able to say anything because she didn't want to hurt his feelings. She had her suspicions that he had hired an interior decorator, but she wasn't going to say anything. Finally around one a.m., she made it to their bed, happy to be home.
Meredith rolled over in the empty bed. She squinted hers eyes. The sun poured in through the windows. She was definitely going to have to do something about that. She laid there, happy to be home. Home in their house. The house that they built together. She rolled over and covered her head. Then she heard the voices. Anna and Derek were awake. Most likely cooking breakfast. She decided to roll herself out of bed and check things out. It wasn't often that they got to spend time together.
She slowly walked down the stairs. She liked her new stairs, they weren't as steep as in the old house. She felt the cold wood on her bare feet. It was a warm morning, and it felt good. She rounded the corner and made her way into the kitchen. Her eyes got wide as she walked in.
"Good morning!" Addison said as she looked at Meredith.
Meredith was in shock. Not only was Addison there, but so was everyone else. Stan, Izzie, George, Alex, and Cristina. Derek gave Meredith an apologetic look. There she stood in her plaid pajama pants and a tee shirt. Her hair was a complete mess and she hadn't even brushed her teeth.
"Good morning, everyone." She said as she looked around. What to do? What to do? Leave them all, or stand here looking like an idiot.
"Wow. You look rough." Cristina said with a chuckle.
"That's how Grey always looks in the morning." Alex pointed out.
"We thought we'd stop and see the new house." George said happily. He could tell she was embarrassed. It was his feeble attempt at fixing the situation.
"All of you? At random?" Meredith asked as she looked around.
"Well, not really. We all talked about it at the hospital yesterday. And then Derek said something about breakfast." Izzie explained. "I brought your favorite...chocolate chip muffins." She said as she handed the basket to her. "They're fresh. I baked them this morning." Meredith leaned down at took a whiff. Generally that smell was wonderful. Not today. She quickly wheeled around and ran to the bathroom. Izzie looked slightly offended as she grabbed placed the basket on the counter top.
"It's not the muffins, Izzie. It's the stress." Derek said as he walked out of the room. "I forgot to tell her that you guys were coming. And she was sleeping so deep this morning...I'll be right back. Anna, you stir." Anna quickly climbed up on her stool and began stirring. She looked happy to have a job, and responsibility.
"Maybe we should go..." George said as he looked around.
Meredith sat on the floor. She couldn't believe it. Derek had obviously known they were coming. She felt like she had been sabotaged. And now she had embarrassed herself further by running out. They are all her friends, why should she care? She could hear him walking towards the bathroom. She watched at the doorknob turned. She heard the heavy wooden door open. Derek looked down at her.
"Mer, I'm sorry. I completely forgot. You were outside with Anna when they called. And then I fell asleep. And I remembered when I heard a car door close this morning. I had to throw clothes on and rush down here. I didn't have time to get you up." Derek said as he rubbed her back.
"It's okay." She said as she stood up and turned the water on in the sink. She splashed her face and rinsed her mouth. "I'm going to run upstairs and change clothes. I'll be down in a few minutes." She said as she exited the bathroom and slinked down along the wall.
"Mer will be out in a minute." Derek said as he walked back into the kitchen.
"Should we go?" Stan asked quickly.
"No. She's fine." Derek said as he walked to the refrigerator. "I hope you're all hungry." He said as he pulled out bacon, eggs, sausage, potatoes and every other breakfast ingredient.
They all made small talk while Derek prepared the food. Izzie and Addison joined in and threw on aprons. Meredith rushed around, making beds. She knew that everyone would want a tour of their new home. She walked back into the kitchen looking more presentable.
"Hey guys. Sorry for earlier." She said as she walked up and looked at them all.
"No big deal." George said as he walked up and patted her on the back.
"Do you need any help?" Meredith asked as she watched them cooking.
"No!" Everyone shouted as they looked at her. Meredith stepped back.
"Mommy, you're not very good at this." Anna said sympathetically. "Sorry." Everyone chuckled.
"It's true." Meredith said with a shrug.
They all sat around their generous sized kitchen table. The view was spectacular. There were windows on all three side, showing a nice view of the property. Everyone sat around, making small talk. After they ate, they all brought in house warming gifts. Izzie and George gave them a huge flower basket they was in an antique wash basin. It looked perfect on the front porch. Alex just gave them a hug. Meredith laughed. She knew Alex was only there for the free breakfast, and that was fine. Cristina gave them a bottle of scotch and tequila, respectively, causing everyone to chuckle. She said they would need it. Addison and Stan gave them a huge throw that had a picture of Meredith, Anna and Derek, that they had taken at the park, on it. Everyone toured the house, and was impressed. Even if the morning had started rough, in the end, Meredith was glad they all came.
"Having company is tiring..." Meredith moaned as she laid back on the sofa.
"No kidding." Derek said as he joined her.
"Can I play in my room?" Anna asked as she came from watching everyone leave through the window.
"Of course you can. It's your room." Derek said with a smile. She happily bounced up the stairs and disappeared. "So you're happy with the house?" Derek asked as he stroked her hair.
"Of course I am. But I'm even more happy that we are all in it, together." She said with a smile as she looked up at him.
"Oh, I almost forgot!" Derek said as he sat up. "Come on..." He said as he grabbed her arm.
"What?" She said with a smile on her face.
"I have a surprise." He said as he pulled her along. "Close your eyes." He told her as they stood in front of the garage door. She did, but a smile crept up. She heard the door click. "Okay." Derek said. She quickly opened them. There sat the jeep.
"Oh my god, Derek." She said as she walked into the garage and looked at it.
"I know how I felt about my first car. When I smashed it, it killed me. I was going to get rid of the jeep, but I couldn't. So I took it to the body shop. They re-painted it, fixed the interior, and it was detailed. It was completely tuned up. It's safe, sound and clean." He said with a smile.
"Thank you, Derek." She said as she gave him a kiss. "And I will still drive the BMW."
"I figured we have the extra space. We might as well keep it around. Maybe Anna can drive it." He said with a chuckle.
"In ten years." Meredith added.
"Of course. Wow, that's scary." He muttered.
"No kidding." Meredith agreed as she thought about Anna's first driving experience. "Thank you. Not only for saving Billie, but for knowing how much it meant to me."
"I love you, Mer." He said as he pulled her into a soft kiss.
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"Finally my nephew finds the time to see his aunt." Evelyn Shepherd says as Drew walks up to the table in their favorite restaurant. She looked around at the familiar restaurant with it's white linen table cloths.
"I know, Aunt Evelyn. I've been really busy." He said apologetically as she have him a hug.
"Well, at least you came." She said with a smile. She grabbed her glass of wine and took a sip. "So has has work been treating you?"
"Good. I swear this is rhinoplasty season. I have been doing them non stop!" Drew said as he grabbed his wine. "It comes in seasons. Boob jobs in the spring..."
"Drew, you are terrible!" Evelyn said as she shook her head. She quickly looked at the menu. She knew it by heart.
"So how is Kathleen?" Drew asked as he studied his own menu.
"Busy. You know how she is. Nancy has been really busy with babies. Diana had a really important case last week. A senator, I think. And of course Gina has been on maternity leave." Evelyn said happily. "And Derek. I have not talked to him in I don't know how long. It's actually gotten ridiculous. I have tried calling him a number of times, always voicemail." Evelyn complained. The waitress came and took their orders. "Have you talked to my son?" She asked. She studied his face. She could read him better than any of her children.
"Um-- Well-- He's been, um, busy." Drew said as he looked off into the distance, avoiding eye contact.
"Andrew, what do you know?" Evelyn asked as she stared at him. "Look at me." He quickly did.
"Nothing..." Drew said guiltily. She was the human lie detector.
"Andrew Finnius Monahan! Don't you lie to me. You tell me what you know, and you tell me now!" She said as she glared at him. When she used his middle name, she meant business. That was his weakness, he couldn't lie to her. None of the kids could. "I mean it!"
"Um. Well, he kind of has temporary custody of a child." He cringed. "He and Meredith. Oh, and they got married." He said as he scrunched his face.
"WHAT?" She shouted loudly, spiting out her wine. Everyone to look at their table. "My son got married? Derek got married. He didn't tell me? When?"
"Last week." He said quickly, and painfully.
"I hope you are kidding..." She said as she studied his face. "You're not! How do you know this?"
"I was there." Drew said almost inaudibly. He was praying that he would evanesce.
"And you didn't tell me. Oh my god." She said in a fluster. She quickly opened her cell phone. "Nancy, it's mom. You will never guess what that brother of yours did." Evelyn said as she stood up and started to walk out.
"I take it you're not staying for dinner?" Drew asked loudly. Everyone looked at them.
"No. And I am not done with you, Andrew Finnius!" She spat as she walked out. He dropped his head. He may not be a child anymore, but she had a way of making him feel like she was. She was a force to be reckoned with, and he was in trouble.
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Meredith, Derek and Anna were settling into their new house quite well. They were all completely content. Their own little family. Anna loved to play outside in the yard. She was always begging them to go on nature walks where she would collect a bunch of rubbish. Derek was perfectly happy to sit and fish. And Anna was beginning to enjoy it too. Derek and Anna were out fishing when a car slowly pulled up the drive. Derek was surprised at who it was.
"The house is gorgeous." Richard said as he climbed out of the car.
"Thanks." Derek returned. "Do you need something?" Ellis slowly opened the door and walked up.
"Are we not allowed to visit our family?" Ellis asked as she looked him in the eyes.
"Of course. You guys are just so busy." Derek said, trying to cover up his surprise. Meredith's eyes got wide as she looked to the large window to see her mother standing there. She quickly walked out, ready for a battle.
"Mother, Richard." Meredith said as she walked up.
"Meredith..." They both said.
"How are you?" Richard asked as he gave her a hug.
"Good." She replied. Anna quickly walked up to Meredith and hid behind her. She was afraid of Ellis.
"The house is magnificent!" Richard said as he looked over.
"We'll have to give you a tour." Derek said. "After I change, of course. Mer doesn't like fishy clothes in her house." They all laugh.
"So why are you here?" Meredith asked frankly.
"Well, we wanted to see the house. But we were also wondering if Anna could go to the zoo with us." Richard suggested. Meredith watched her face light up.
"You guys? The zoo? I don't know---" Meredith said. She didn't want to expose Anna to her mother's negativity.
"Please, mommy?" Anna asked with pleading eyes. "I want to go with Mr. Richard." Meredith looked over at Derek who gave her a look of approval.
"You want to go?" Meredith asked her. She nodded. "I don't know..."
"Meredith. The child will be fine." Ellis spat as she glared at her daughter.
"We will take care of her." Richard said reassuringly.
"Fine. If you want to go, you can. But you need to change." Meredith said. Anna nodded and quickly ran in the house. "She needs to be back before dinner at four." Meredith warned them. Anna rushed back, and before Meredith knew it, they were driving away. She watched as Richard's car slowly drove off down the winding driveway.
"I think I just fed our daughter to the lion." Meredith said with a frown.
"Don't worry. She will be fine. Richard will protect her." Derek said, they both laughed. Meredith felt sick. She wasn't happy about Anna being with Ellis.
Richard, Anna and Ellis all had a good time. They bought her everything she wanted. And she really enjoyed seeing all of the animals. Ellis was different around Richard and Anna. She wasn't afraid to be human. At first, Anna was afraid of her, but she soon came out of her shell when Ellis did. Ellis spent the day telling her stories about Meredith. Anna ate it up like candy. Now she had ammo. She was really disappointed when it was time to go home, but she missed Meredith and Derek.
----------------
"Anna, pick up your toys." Meredith shouted up the stairs. "They are all over the yard!"
"I'm coming..." Anna moaned as she trudged down the stairs. She was tired from her day at the zoo.
"You can't leave a mess like that." Meredith harped as she pointed outside. "Pick up your toys, and if you want I will play a game with you before dinner."
"Okay!" Anna exclaimed exuberantly as she run outside.
"Yum, lasagna." Meredith said as she snuck behinds Derek and wrapped her arms around him. She laid her face against his back. He quickly turned around and faced her. "I love your lasagna."
"I know you do." He said as he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. She felt his tongue slide in. His hands quickly ran up her tee shirt. He ran his hands against her soft flesh. She pulled away.
"We shouldn't start something we can't finish." She said with disappointment. His face dropped.
"And why exactly did we not take advantage of this when Anna was at the zoo?" He asked with a frown.
"Um. Well, I took a nap." Meredith said apologetically.
"Oh yes. You slept. I think you would have liked sex better." He said as he pulled her close.
"Now I am definitely regretting my decision." She said with a squeal as he attacked her neck with kisses.
"Eww..." Anna shouted as she ran into the kitchen. Meredith shook her head. "I picked up my toys. Can we play now?" Anna asked.
"You go get something out, I'll be up in a minute." Meredith told her. She heard he footsteps disappear up the stairs.
"Very smart, Dr. Shepherd." He said as he put his hand on the small of her back.
"I am getting some water. Then I am going upstairs! You are a dirty man." She said with a laugh.
"You love it..." Derek said as he watched her drink her water. She quickly walked through the living room. Her eyes got wide when she looked out.
"Um, Der." She said with worry.
"What babe?" He shouted.
"I think that some of your one night stands have come back to haunt you." She said as she pointed to the door. "And it looks like one may be carrying one of your illegitimate children." She said quickly.
"What?" He said in shock. "I don't have any children.
"Either that, or you pissed of the PTA. Either way, have fun." She said with an evil laugh as she jogged up the stairs. Derek quickly walked to the door. His face dropped when he looked out. He begrudgingly opened it.
"Kathleen, Nancy, Diana, Gina." He said as he looked at his sisters. They all had sour faces. They quickly parted and Evelyn walked up. "Mother..." He muttered
"Derek Michael Shepherd!" Evelyn started. Oh shit...
Mama Shepherd is in town...oh no!