"Ian, what's wrong?" Meredith said in a panic. Derek looked over at her in confusion.
"Ian? Why is Ian calling?" Derek snapped. Jealously washed over him as he looked at the concern on her face.
"Ian! What is wrong?" She insisted again, ignoring Derek.
"Dad- It's dad. He's-- He's dead." Ian said quickly before the sobs began again.
"What? Oh no..." Meredith said sadly as her eyes teared up. "Why? What- What happened?" She asked compassionately. She and Ethan were close he was the closest to a father that she had ever had before Richard.
"It was an aneurysm. Brain aneurysm." He spat out as he continued to cry. "They're both gone. My mum and dad are both gone..." He trailed off.
"Ian. It's okay, you're okay." Meredith said softly as she wiped her tears. "Everything will be fine."
"Meredith, I'm so sorry." Ian said apologetically.
"For what?" She asked with a bit of confusion. Now what was he going to tell her?
"I never realized. You don't have a dad. You don't have a mum. He was your dad too. I'm so sorry..." Ian said sadly. "You never know what it's like until you lose them."
"I have a mom and dad, they're not dead. They're just not present. It's different." Meredith explained. "His dad died." Meredith muttered to Derek as she covered the phone.
"Goodnight." Derek muttered as he laid his head down and rolled over.
"He loved you like a daughter. He was so upset that you didn't come back with me. He said he just wanted to see his Meredith again. And now that's never going to happen..." He explained.
"Ian..." Meredith said as she began to cry harder. She looked over at Derek and crawled out of the bed, heading downstairs.
"I'm sorry I called...I didn't have anyone else." He told her softly. Meredith opened the front door and walked out to the hammock.
"I'm glad you called. You can always call." Meredith said as she rolled herself onto the hammock.
"Do you remember how bloody pissed my mum was when I brought you home?" Ian asked with a laugh.
"She hated me. She was so mad." Meredith laughed, thinking back.
"Dad wasn't. He loved you from the second he saw you. He would fight her to the death over you." Ian explained happily.
"He was my dad..." Meredith muttered as the tears began to fall again. "He was proud of you. He complained, but he did love, you Ian."
"I was a disappointment." Ian stated quickly.
"No. He didn't feel that way. You were his son." Meredith told him compassionately.
"You think?" Ian asked hopefully.
"I know." Meredith answered as she wiped her tears again. "When is the funeral?" Meredith asked.
"Next Tuesday." Ian told her.
"I'll be there." Meredith said sure of herself.
"Mer...you don't have to..." Ian said quickly. "It's far away...You don't-"
"I'm coming. I need to get a flight. But he was my dad. I am coming." She told him firmly.
"I appreciate that." He said with a smile. "I have to go make some arrangements. Call me when you find out when you're coming."
"Okay. And Ian, it will never go away, but it will get easier." She said softly.
"Thank you. Thanks, Mer." He said as he hung up the phone. Meredith flipped her phone shut and put her hands over her head. She never thought it would hurt so bad.
Meredith fell asleep in the hammock. She finally cried herself to sleep hours after she had gotten off of the phone. It had come to a complete shock. When she had left, she was never planning on going back. She had cut herself off from everyone. She was leaving it behind. The anger had been eating her alive for so many years. But now, she realized she couldn't do that. Derek brought her back. Derek had changed her.
"Meredith." Drew said as he shook her softly. "Meredith..." Drew muttered. He watched her begin to stir.
"Hmm?" She asked as she rubbed her face.
"Why are you sleeping in the hammock?" He asked as he stared at her.
"Hammock?" She said as she flashed her eyes open. "Crap!" She said as she threw her legs over, causing the hammock to flip around and her to land in the dirt. She quickly stood and dusted the dirt off of herself.
"Why did you sleep in the hammock?" He asked again.
"Ethan, Ian's dad died last night." Meredith explained sadly as her eyes teared up.
"I'm sorry." Drew said as he hugged her softly.
"Thanks." Meredith said with a faint smile as she began walking to the house. She quickly grabbed her laptop and a glass of orange juice and sat at the table.
"You didn't come to bed." Derek said as he looked at her.
"You noticed..." Meredith muttered as she kept typing.
"Of course I noticed." Derek stated as he grabbed a cup of coffee.
"You noticed, but you didn't bother to see where I was. You didn't bother to make sure I was okay." She snapped as she continued to stare at the screen.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Derek said loudly as he approached the table.
"Nothing." Meredith said as she grabbed her wallet.
"It doesn't sound like nothing. It sounds like you're pissed off." Derek said loudly.
"I am! I am pissed off!" Meredith shouted as she began typing in her credit card number. Derek was getting mad. She wasn't even looking at him.
"Mer-" He started.
"Don't bother." She said loudly.
"Is this hormones or are you really being--" He started.
"A bitch?" She yelled as she glared at him.
"No. I didn't say that. Damn-it, Mer! Look at me!" He said as he got closer.
"I am busy." She seethed. Derek quickly unplugged her laptop and shut the screen.
"Now you're not." He said with a chuckle.
"Damn-it Derek!" She shouted as she flipped the laptop open. Her smug smile, changed as she looked in the side of laptop, seeing that the battery was missing. "What the hell happened to the battery?" She shouted. "Crap!"
"Are you ready to talk now?" He asked as he sat next to her.
"It's you. Not me!" She whined as she plugged it back in. He pulled the plug back out.
"Meredith!" He said as he grabbed her shoulders.
"You went to bed! I needed you and you just rolled over and went to bed!" She said as the tears began to flow.
"You didn't--- It's Ian's dad." He said dumbly. "Not yours..."
"She's right. You really are brainless." Drew said as he walked in and grabbed a muffin.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Derek replied quickly.
"Geez, Der. She was married to Ian for ten years!" Drew spat. "That man was like her dad." He said as he turned on his heel and walked out. "Way to let her sleep in the hammock!" He shouted as he walked out the door.
"Oh...Mer. I'm so sorry." He said as he pulled her close. He kissed her softly on the head.
"He was my dad..." Meredith explained through the tears.
"I didn't know... I wasn't thinking." Derek said as he stroked her back.
"I have to go." Meredith said as she pulled away softly. "I have to go to the funeral."
"Mer--" Derek said disapprovingly.
"No, Derek. We're not arguing about this. I want to go. I need to go. I have to go, Derek." Meredith argued as she looked into his eyes.
"Mommy...are you okay?" Anna said as she walked up to Meredith. "You're crying..." She said as she pulled her mom into a hug.
"Mommy's sad. A friend died." Derek explained. Anna's eyes immediately teared up.
"Mommy..." She said softly.
"It's okay, Anna." Meredith said as she stroked her back. "I'm going, Derek." Meredith frowned. "I. Am. Going."
"You could go into premature labor. You are at an increased risk for DVT. This is-- You can't risk it." Derek said loudly. "I will not let you risk the health of our children."
"I don't want to risk the health of our children." Meredith said softly. "I would never do that...What if we talk to Addison. If Addison gives me the okay?" She asked. Derek sighed heavily.
"If Addison gives you the real okay. Not a Meredith-is-pushing-me-so-I'll-say-yes, okay." He said firmly. "And Anna and I go. We make this into a much needed mini vacation." He told her with the look. She shook her head in agreement. "Okay, then. We need to call Addison."
-----------------
Meredith sat on the table waiting for Addison. She knew this would ba a fight. A big fight. Addison was going to be very weary about Meredith flying to another continent with two children inside of her. But deep in her heart, she knew she would be fine. She knew her body, and besides the soreness, there were no twins on their way anytime soon.
"Where are you going?" Meredith asked as Derek stood up and walked to the door.
"Um..." Derek started as he looked at her.
"You're going to intercept, aren't you?" She said, shaking her head in disbelief.
"No. Of course not." He lied his best lie.
"Bullshit. Derek... Sit down." Meredith said as she gave him a glare.
"So..." He said as he walked over. "We are alone..."
"Not for long." Meredith said quickly. "And it takes too long."
"I do not take to long!" He said defensively.
"Not you. The process. I'm bigger than a freaking house. I can hardly move. It just..." She explained.
"You're not in the mood. Meredith Grey...not in the mood." He said with disappointment as he sat down and pouted.
"Quit pouting!" She said as she looked at him in disgust.
"Six weeks. No sex for six weeks after the babies are born." Derek whined as he looked up at her.
"Life isn't sex." She said with a smirk. "And you can't always get what you want."
"I want sex with my wife." He returned. "And we need to start saving up for the dry spell. I just want sex..." He said as he cocked his head.
"Don't do the head tilt." He warned. "Besides, you have a hand." She said with a smirk.
"Oh really? Well you have a mouth. Maybe you can just blow me?" He said quickly. Her face dropped.
"You ass." She spat as she threw her purse at him hard. "Now you can suffer!"
"I sense hostility in this room..." Addison joked as she walked in.
"Apparently Derek never wants sex again." Meredith said quickly.
"I don't even want to know what you did." Addison said as she shook her head.
"No, you don't..." He said with a sigh.
"So what's this I hear? You want to fly across the ocean?" Addison asked.
"You told her?" Meredith asked. Derek just smirked. "Dry spell...dry year."
"Well, I can't say yes or no until I check you out. But it's close. Most airlines are 32 weeks. You are at 30." Addison said, giving her a disapproving look.
"Addison...I have to go. He's my dad..." Meredith said as she began to tear up.
"I'm not saying no..." She said with a smile. "Lean back."
Addison began giving Meredith a complete work over. Meredith looked at Derek every once and a while. When she did, it was a glare. She was praying Addison would say yes. She needed to go. She needed to say goodbye to Ethan. And she had to be there for Ian.
"Well, as far as I can tell, everything is on schedule. You don't appear to be at risk for premature labor." Addison said as she looked up at her. "I'll do it. I'll give you the note. But Meredith, don't you dare make me regret it!"
----------------
Meredith finished setting the table for dinner. She was wondering if Derek was going to be home when he said he would be. He had waited until the middle of the afternoon to do his rounds and she knew he would pay for it. She pulled the pan of hamburger casserole out of the oven and sat it on the counter.
Meredith was still surprised that Addison was allowing her to go. She had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that she would say no. And quite honestly if she was Addison and the tables were turned, she wouldn't allow herself to go. She hadn't felt anything. No braxton hicks, no contractions. Nothing. It was just getting close. She was only six weeks from her due date.
"Anna!" Meredith shouted. "It's time for dinner." She heard Anna run down the stairs.
"But daddy isn't here." She whined as she looked around.
"Well, we can't wait forever." Meredith muttered as she sat the food on the table.
"I don't want to eat until daddy gets home!" Anna said as she sat down.
"You may be waiting a long time." Meredith said in a huff.
"I don't care. We're supposed to eat together." Anna said as she looked up at Meredith.
"I know, baby. But daddy is busy. And we both need to eat." Meredith said as she piled food on their plates.
"Okay mommy." She finally caved. She stuck her fork in her casserole. "Mommy, what's it like where we're going?" Anna asked softly.
"Well, kind of like her. But they talk like this..." Meredith said using her best british accent.
"Really?" Anna giggled. "That's funny!"
"Yep, I guess it is." Meredith agreed.
"Will we see the Clash?" Anna asked with a smile.
"Seriously? The Clash, seriously?" Meredith asked in shock.
"That's where daddy says their from. Can we see them?" Anna asked.
"Probably not. No. They're very busy." Meredith said with a chuckle. They heard the garage door open.
"Daddy's here!" Anna said happily.
"Sounds like he is." Meredith said with an agreeing nod.
"Hey." Derek said with a smile as he walked in.
"How were the patients?" Meredith asked as he walked over.
"Good." He said as he kissed her softly. "I see you started without me."
"I didn't know when you would be home." Meredith said regrettedly.
"It's okay. I'm hungrey, and it looks like you guys just started." He said as he washed his hands and returned to the table.
"So, I purchased the tickets today. Four." Meredith told him.
"About that." Derek said with a frown.
"What?" She said as he face dropped.
"I can't go. There is too much going on at the practice." Derek said sadly. "Jack really needs me there." He told her.
"That's fine." Meredith said sadly. "I'm sure we'll be okay."
"Mer..." Derek said with a frown.
"No, Derek. I was supposed to go by myself. It's not like I've never been alone. It's not like I didn't live there for ten years. It's fine." She said honestly. "Anna and I will have a good time."
"You're sure?" He asked. "Maybe Jane can go..."
"No. Anna and I will have a girls only vacation. It will be fun." Meredith said as she looked at an agreeing Anna.
"Okay..." Derek responded. "Who was number four? You said four tickets."
"Oh, Drew's going home. We were all going to fly to New York and leave for England from there. So it looks like you'll be all alone." Meredith said with a grin.
"I'm sure I will be able to handle it..." Derek said with a faint smile. He knew he would suffer the whole time. Tome away from Meredith and Anna was indeed painful.