Is Forever Enough?

Chapter 40

"Dr. Sloan, do you know where my husband is?" Asked Meredith before continuing in her pursuit to the nurses station. Mark smirked at her before turning to an older doctor and signing one of his papers.

"Oh...so it's Dr. Sloan now?" He chuckled, looking around before lowering his voice so only she could hear. "Funny...usually who've seen me naked call me Mark.."

His leer earned him a slap in the chest. "Mark! That's the last thing I need going around. I don't need rumors about the paternity of my children thanks."

"Oh...please. My sperm is extraordinary, there's no way I'd have twin girls. Not when the Sloan men are so attractive." He puffed out his chest to prove his point.

"You have a daughter Mark."

"She was a fluke!" He joked and then stopped at seeing her glare.

"Derek had car trouble apparently. He said he'd be in soon though." Mark didn't really buy the story. Derek's BMW was only a year old and he figured if it was a real problem he would have been in touch with Meredith about it.

Eying him suspiciously, she turned towards him. "You're lying."

"I am not!" Defended mark. "That's the story I got. What he does isn't my concern, I'm not his babysitter."

Meredith thought about it, not really worried, but pretty sure the car trouble was a lie.
"Sorry Meredith, I've got a hospital to run but he'll turn up. He's probably off buying baby bottles...or pink paint...or whatever you two mushy people do in your free time.."

He walked away before Meredith could throw back a remark.

"Dr...Shepherd...Meredith?" Someone stuttered behind her and she turned at the semi familiar voice.

She was met with her sisters nervous brown eyes and fought the urge to avert them.

"Oh...Dr...Gr...Lexie.." Meredith stuttered in return still not used to how weird the name Grey sounded.

They had obviously seen each other around the hospital. Though they rarely talked in length, they were civil, uttering polite hello's and goodbye's more than once a day. Derek felt comfortable talking to her. She was ok with that, it was just still too weird for her to actually do it.

"I'm sorry to bother you, I know you're probably busy..." Meredith couldn't help but wonder if she sounded that way when she rambled off nervously. She felt older, and the girl made her feel instantly more confident. 'Is this what it feels like to be an older sister?' She didn't know...and still wasn't sure if she wanted to find out.

Still, she felt for the fear written all over the young woman's face and asked her nicely if there was anything she needed.

"Well...I was wondering...actually...you remember Laura, younger sister Molly's daughter..."

Lexie was staring at her, though Meredith could tell by her anxious fumbling with her hands that she wanted to look away as much as Meredith. It was too weird staring into each other's eyes...though they were different colored...their was no doubt their shapes were the same as their fathers.

"Yeah, Ava wont stop talking about her actually. Almost like she knows...well, that they're related."

"Oh...Molly said the same thing about Laura. I know Derek mentioned that Ava doesn't know...and Laura doesn't either...it's too confusing...but...that's why I want to talk to you actually.."

Meredith looked a little confused, trying to take in what she was saying but finding it hard.

"Oh...ok.." She said with less confidence. Seeing Laura had been odd when she was born and it was even weirder at the mall. She tried to look past the fact that Lexie and Molly were her replacements. It was also hard to think that her whole life...while she had sat at home longing for a family...her parents had kept her from one that was right under her fingertips.

She could have been a good big sister...and good aunt...a good daughter...but it all faded into the past disappointments of what could have been.

"Laura got Hannah Montana concert tickets for her birthday and ever since she met Ava she's been begging to ask her to go. I know it's silly...they only met for a minute...but...she's taken with her. Me and Molly are going to take her tomorrow...I know it's a long shot...and you probably don't want her to go...I understand...I just...had to ask..."

Lexie stopped talking out of breath from her extra long ramble and Meredith's head spun trying to get it all together. Lexie and Molly wanted to take Ava....to a concert. Ava was going to be hanging out with Thatcher's real family. For a bitter moment she wanted to snap out a 'no!' and walk away. She had tried to let Thatcher back in...and he had betrayed and humiliated her the day Susan died. That was the last straw. She cut him out once and for all.

At the same time, the calmer side of her thought that Ava should have the chance to have a family that wasn't 3,000 miles away. A family she got to see more than twice a year. What she didn't want was for her daughter to grow up resenting her mother for keeping her away from her family.

"A concert?"

"Yeah well....it's a kid concert...mostly young girls and their parents. Molly and I would be by their side the whole time...I'm sorry...I shouldn't have asked..."

"No...it's ok. I um..." She didn't know what to do. But she felt bad about how quickly she let her emotions rule her decision in the mall. "Ava would love that. She really would....I...let me talk to Derek about it. She's never been to anything like that..."

Lexie seemed surprised by Meredith's acceptance.

"Oh, Ok, that's....good." She shook her head noticeably perkier.

"I've got to get going, but I'll talk to him later and let you know. I don't think he'll have a problem with it."

The girls parted ways, both still feeing awkward, but a little more comfortable at the same time.