"Ava sweetie...you're pinching my shoulder." Meredith kissed her little girl's cheek as she carried Ava on one hip, putting the placemats on the table with her other hand. "Ava had come home the night before and it had been great. Sleeping in a comfy bed with their little girl between them, they finally felt normal. Even if it was just a few days. They were being protective, so they carried her around as much as possible. Arizona had stressed that if she wanted to come home, they were going to have to do everything in their power to keep her calm, relaxed and eating. So far it was going well but Meredith and Derek were not going to chance it and ruin Ava, Hunter or Zola's Thanksgiving now that their sick child was home. "Aves..."
"I want to get down." Ava squirmed. She had a white facemask over her mouth to keep try to keep her from too much contact with the germs in the house.
"We'll go sit in a minute baby girl."
"We can watch the parade Ava." Hunter came out of the kitchen with a stack of silverware to put on the table.
"Hunter where is your Dad?" Meredith asked.
"In the living room."
"Could you tell him to come here Buddy?"
"Sure." Hunter nodded, leaving the living room to get Derek. A few minutes, later Derek came into the dining room behind his son.
"Do you need help?" Derek asked.
"Did you ever get to Zola's diaper or did your mom?"
"Mom took her upstairs."
"Okay." Meredith put the last fork on the table.
"The table looks great."
"Thanks." Meredith smiled proudly. "Ava helped me decide how to do the centerpiece for your Mom...Hunter helped too."
"I wanna play!" Ava shouted.
"Why don't we go into the living room and you can see all the big balloons in the parade?" Derek took Ava from Meredith.
"Big floats?" Ava giggled.
"Huge ones."
"Ava...make sure you lay with Daddy." Meredith said, sounding to much like a worried mother.
"Dad can I go get my game?" Hunter asked.
"Sure bud."
"I want to go!" Ava shouted, squirming as Hunter left the room.
"Go where?" Derek laughed, carrying her into the living room. "We're going to watch the parade."
"I wanna play!" Ava shouted.
"I know pumpkin."
"Alright...Zola is all changed and a happy girl again." His mother walked in, holding the baby towards Meredith. "I need to go check on the stuffing."
"Thank you." Meredith smiled sincerely, taking Zola into her arms.
"See...Mommy and Zo are going to lie with us too."
"Okay." Ava sighed, pulling her mask off.
"Ava..." Derek frowned.
"In the trash." Ava giggled.
"No silly girl." Meredith reached for the mask.
"You have to keep that on." Derek took the mask from Meredith.
"Why?" Ava asked, trying to climb over the back of the couch.
"Remember what Arizona told you...you have to keep it on so you don't get any bad germs."
"Yeah." Ava climbed before Meredith lifted her with her free arm. "Hey!"
"Ava you have to settle down."
"I don't wanna."
"Ava." Meredith sighed as Zola tried to climb too, pulling on Ava's dress. "Zola..."
"Here...I'll take Zola." Derek chuckled. "Oh hello little girl."
"Ba da!" Zola screamed.
"Oooh..." He smiled, lifting Zola above his head.
"Bouncy...bounce..." Ava started to jump again.
"Ava Sophia." Meredith groaned.
"Come lie down with your sister." Derek sat on the sofa holding Zola.
"Ava..." Meredith stood, lifting Ava into her arms.
"I brought my video games." Hunter came running back into the living room. "I brought one for Ava too."
"Thank you Hunter." Meredith smiled.
"Ava do you want to come sit down here with me?" He sat down on the floor.
"Yeah."
"Okay...be careful." Meredith sat Ava on the floor, leaning back onto the couch.
"Good girl." Derek smiled.
"I swear she is all over the place." Meredith laughed, taking Zola from Derek. "Hi baby."
"Nana!" Zola screamed.
"Nana is in the kitchen...I'm Mama."
"Nana!"
"Muah." Meredith kissed the baby's cheeks. "Derek look at her hair...it's growing so much."
"It might be time for her first haircut."
"Is it time for your first hair cut? Do you want your hair cut?" Meredith giggled, kissing Zola's nose. "Zo...you're getting too big to quick. Be a little baby again please."
"Da!"
"Hunter you gotta catch me!" They heard Ava shout as she took off.
"Dad...Ava's running...stop her!" Hunter stood, pointing towards the other room.
"Oh gosh." Derek sighed, running after Ava and picking her up. "Ava Sophia."
"Hi Daddy." Ava grinned.
"Ava we told you no running."
"But I wanna."
"But you can't."
"Oh." Ava pouted her lips, as she messed with the button on her dress.
"I don't want to make you stay upstairs pumpkin but if you keep running, you'll have to."
"Daddy." Ava groaned as Derek carried her back to the couch.
"What?"
"I wanna feel better."
"You will if you come lie down with me."
"Fine."
"Hi Miss Ava." Meredith whispered as she played with Zola on her lap.
"Can I still play video games?" Ava asked.
"If you sit down and play quietly." Meredith replied.
"I promise."
"Good." Derek sighed. "You have to sit or else you'll miss seeing Santa in the parade."
"Santa." Ava giggled.
"You can't miss Santa."
"I gotta see Santa...Dora!" Ava clapped as Hunter played his video game.
"Look at them." Derek laughed, sitting down on the sofa next to Meredith, watching Ava and Hunter.
"It feels...almost normal." Meredith breathed, cuddling Zola on her chest.
"Normal..."
"Nana!" Zola shouted as Derek's mother walked in the room.
"Hi Zola." Mrs. Shepherd laughed.
"Na!" Zola reached her hands out for his mother.
"Okay come here." Mrs. Shepherd took Zola from Meredith. "You are getting so big!"
"She loves you." Meredith giggled.
"Well I love her too. But I have to go back and check on the turkey. I just wanted to see if you guys wanted a snack."
"Grandma can I have some fruit snacks?" Hunter asked, walking up to his grandma.
"Of course you can."
"Can I help you cook?"
"I would love that." Mrs. Shepherd smiled, giving Zola back to Meredith.
"Hunter wash your hands before you help your Grandma." Meredith reminded her son as they left the room.
"I will." Hunter disappeared into the kitchen with his grandmother.
"Daddy?" Ava turned around, pulling at her mask again.
"What pumpkin?"
"I don't like this." Ava pointed.
"I know you don't." He stood up and picked her up.
"Take the sticky off." Ava pulled at the tape on her cheek.
"Ava...Ava no."
"Hey Ava..." Meredith said quickly, trying to distract her child from pulling at the tube. "Look at Zo...her hair is growing."
"It's funny." Ava giggled.
"Yeah?" Meredith giggled, holding Ava's baby sister up. "Isn't she cute?"
"Yeah." Ava smiled, patting Zola's head.
"Look." Derek pointed to the television where they were announcing that Santa was coming in the parade
"Santa!" Ava clapped.
"Ah!" Zola shouted.
"Look Zo." Derek laughed.
"Santa!" Ava jumped.
"Ava..."
"Ba!" Zola shouted.
"Zola! It's Santa!" Ava clapped before pulling off her mask again.
"Ava...mask."
"No." She tossed it onto the floor.
"Ava Sophia!" Meredith groaned.
"Ava...put that back on right now." Derek told her.
"I don't want it!" Ava's bottom lip quivered.
"Ava."
"It itches." Ava whined.
"You have to keep it on." Derek picked up the mask and put it back on Ava.
"Daddy you gotta get a clean one!" Ava tore it off again.
"Yeah Dr. Daddy." Meredith giggled, pulling Ava into the couch.
"I'll go get you a new one." He laughed.
"Da!" Zola lifted her hands as Derek stood.
"You want to come?" Derek picked Zola up.
"Ava and I will wait here." Meredith giggled.
"Bye bye." Ava giggled, waving her hand.
"Ava...why are you so cranky today?" Meredith whispered, holding Ava close.
"I'm not cranky."
"You're not happy right now."
"I don't like that mask."
"I know." Meredith sighed, running a hand over Ava's cold head. "Sweetie...why don't you put a hat on."
"No."
"Why?" Meredith pulled Ava to lay down next to her.
"I don't want to." Ava whispered.
"Not even the one with the really big zebra bow?"
"No."
"What did you think of Santa?"
"He's going to bring me lots of presents."
"You're a good girl."
"Mommy?"
"Hmm?" Meredith cuddled Ava closer.
"What if Santa can't find me in the hospital?"
"Oh Aves...he will. He knows where to find you always."
"No..." Ava shook her head.
"Yes he can...and you might not be in the hospital."
"Really?"
"And if we do spend Christmas in the hospital...we'll leave Santa a note on where to find you...just to make sure."
"Okay." Ava sighed.
"You know...there is a hat on the coffee table."
"I don't wanna wear one."
"Please." Meredith sighed, more worried about Ava catching something.
"Okay...I have a new mask." Derek walked back into the living room with Zola in his arms.
"You got it Daddy?" Ava looked up.
"I got it Aves."
"Der will you grab her hat?"
"I don't want to wear it!"
"Well you're going to wear it." Meredith sighed.
"No!"
"You're going to get cold if you don't wear it." Derek pulled the hat onto Ava's hea.
"No." Ava groaned, pulling it off.
"Ava Sophia...put it on now." Meredith groaned.
"Ava if you don't wear this, then you're going to have to sit upstairs." Derek told her.
"If you don't wear it...then you have to be covered up Ava. You have to cuddle up in blankets with Mommy and Daddy." Meredith tried to explain. For her little girl who had been battling pneumonia, it wasn't an option to get cold.
"That's not fair!" Ava shouted.
"Ava...mask and hat." Derek told her sternly.
"I wanna lay with Mommy." Ava wiped at her eyes as Derek put the mask on her.
"You can lay with Mommy but you have to wear your hat."
"No..." Ava cried.
"Okay...then you're going upstairs." He picked her up.
"Derek she needs to be with us like Arizona said so lets just grab the blanket over there and I'll cuddle her up."
"Ava..." Derek whispered. "Look at me."
"What?" Ava whimpered, her voice nasaly from the line.
"Daddy needs you to put the hat on okay? You have to wear it so that you don't get sick again."
"Fine." Ava whimpered, putting her head on Meredith's chest.
"Thank you." Derek sighed.
"Good girl." Meredith breathed.
"When's Uncle Mark gonna be here?" Ava asked quietly.
"In a little bit." Meredith replied.
"Oh."
"I'm going to go see how Grandma and Hunter are doing." Derek sighed.
"We'll be here." Meredith stroked Ava's back.
"Mommy..." Ava whispered as Derek walked away.
"Yes?"
"Daddy's bein' mean."
"No sweetie." Meredith sat Ava up as she looked at her. "He's not mean it just seems that way because he's so worried about you. We're both worried about you because you've been sick."
"But I'm better."
"I...but you're still sick. You don't have pneumonia but you still have...we just want to get you better."
"Can I take a nap?" Ava looked up at Meredith.
"Yeah...since Daddy has Zola you can lay with me."
"Kay." Her little girl laid her head down and closed her eyes.
"You're sleepy."
"Yeah."
"You have to rest up to eat yummy food."
"Okay. Night night Mommy."
"Good night Ava." Meredith took a deep breath, stroking her little girl's back. The fight to get Ava better had never been easy, but it was clear how much the battle was starting to weigh on their sweet child. All Meredith could do right now, was hold her and let her know they wouldn't give up.