Grey's Anatomy

Chapter 18

...a few years later

Adira carried in the left over taco meat and started putting it in a plastic container when she noticed Jeremiah kneeling on the floor. She put a hand on her hip with a smile on her lips as she watched Joshua stand on his back to put back one of the dishes. He hopped off him and Adira laughed. Jeremiah shrugged his shoulders, “You were busy,” he explained.

Adira smiled. “Go put on your pajamas and then we can watch a movie.”

“Yes mom!” They hollered as they raced upstairs. She watched as the nine year olds shoved each other, trying to get the upper hand. Next in the kitchen was James, who was now almost seven and a half. He put the two salad dressings he was carrying in the fridge and looked at his mother quizzically.

“Yes?” She questioned.

“Whose turn is it to pick the movie?”

She turned back to the taco meat. “It should be on the fridge!” He nodded and turned back to the fridge. His dreadlocks swayed before he collected them in a low ponytail. “Ah, man, it’s JC’s turn again.”

Adira chuckled, “JC?”

“That’s what Josh wants to go by now.” Adira laughed out right.

“Oh, does he? Now go get your pajamas on.”

…

Derek parked his car in the driveway and let himself in through the front door, with the spare key Adira had given him the day she had signed the papers for the house. He walked into the house, talking off his shoes on the black carpet that greeted him before stepping on to the brand new wooden floors. He disregarded his light fleece jacket on the couch to his left before heading to the kitchen to find Adira. He didn’t see her so he continued on to the dining room. Still, no sign of Adira. He jogged upstairs and stopped in the first room on the right, the twins. They were fast asleep as he smirked. Jeremiah was sprawled on the top bunk, laying horizontal, so his feet hung off the side and Joshua was on the floor with his blankets surrounding him. Derek bent and scooped up Joshua, returning him to his bed before heading across the hallway to Justice’s room. She had recently moved to a big girl bed as opposed to the crib that had been lowered and without a side for a bed. She was sleeping peacefully to he left her alone. He went quietly closed the door and went to the next room on the right, James’s room. The door was open and Derek found James’s lamp light on with a chapter book scanning the page faster than Derek thought a seven year old could. “Whatcha reading?” questioned Derek as he sat down and James snuggled into his size.

“Well, I started this book this morning. I think that is a library book Momma got me. It says it’s for middle schoolers but I don’t think it’s too hard. There are a few words that I don’t know but it is really good. It’s the first one in the Harry Potter series.”

“Ah,” replied Derek as he looked at the front cover. “I read those. The movies are really good too. One of the few movies based off a book that I liked.”

James’s eyes got wide. “There’s a movie?”

“A movie for every book. There’s either seven or eight books, if I’m not mistaken.” He shrugged and pressed a light kiss to the side of James’s forehead. “Tell you what, after each book, we’ll watch the movie together. How does that sound?” James nodded enthusiastically. “Okay, now, it’s time for bed. It is almost eleven pm. You should be asleep by now.” Derek stood and waited till James’s put his bookmark in before accepting the book and putting it on the book shelf. He turned off the lamp and headed out.

“Goodnight, Uncle Derek!”

Derek smiled to himself as he headed to Jedidiah’s room next. He was fast asleep on his back and Derek carefully untwisted the blanket from the two year olds legs before tucking him back in. “Goodnight,” Derek whispered to the sleeping form. He kissed his head and walked out. He went into Adira’s room and found nothing.

Derek went back downstairs and finally found her. She was lying on the large hammock outside on the patio with the baby monitor blinking on the ground next to her. She was on the phone and didn’t notice him till he tipped the hammock towards him. She looked up to him and he saw the tear stains on her cheeks. He became instantly worried. She shook her head at him and rolled back over, lowering her tone. He took the hint and went over to the minibar and pulled out a bottle of his favorite beer. He sat at the table that was within a few feet of Adira and pulled out his phone. His wife was out of town with the kids to go visit one of his sisters, who had just had a baby. He was supposed to go with but ended up having an emergency surgery all day and one tomorrow morning. He had decided to crash at Adira’s house so he didn’t have to go home alone. She finally finished her call and got up. She walked passed him to the mini bar and pulled out a bottle of vodka and returned back to him with two glasses in her hand. “Vodka?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Vodka,” she confirmed. “It’s a vodka kind of night.”

“Something pretty serious must have happened for you to end the night with vodka in your hand.”

She nodded, looking into the night sky. Derek studied her: hair running free, almost done to her waist; a faraway look in her beautiful eyes; a large sweat was draped over her sports bra, and a pair of grey cloth shorts. She looked tired and lonely. And, there was something else in her eyes that he couldn’t place. Something else entirely. “That was the chief. He thinks I am doing great in my position and is happy that I love it, but he,” she stopped, her breath catching in her throat. She didn’t continue for a while, just slowly sipped at the vodka. “He wants me to come back. Like back. All the way back to the beginning. All the way back to undercover.” Derek waited, knowing there was more to come. “He says one of the gangs I used to run with is getting killed off and they are retaliating and this new gang is bad news. They are killing bystanders and robbing banks and…and, he needs someone to go back in. He needs me to back in, but I have kids. But, there are people dying. But, I need to go back in. They need someone who already has a rap sheet and the gang trusts. They know me. He said he hates having to ask me and he wouldn’t, but I am the only one left. Some kid, fresh outta the academy is deep under and they haven’t heard from him in four days and he says that the kid is a seal. They don’t miss call times; they run like clockwork. Something is wrong.”

“How long would it be?”

“A couple of weeks at most. I would need to go in and get out.”

“What does the kid have to do with it?”

Adira finally met his eyes. “They have classified him as missing. No one’s Intel can confirm he’s even alive. I am going to check with my people tomorrow.” She stopped and sighed. “Can you take the kids tomorrow? When does Meredith get home?”

“Not for a couple of days. I am sure someone could take the kids.”

She waved her hand, “I’ll ask Candy to do it. I’ll drop them off at school then head out. It looks like I am going clubbing. I am going to go undercover for a night.”

“What tattoo are you gonna come home with?” He chuckled at her face. “Don’t even pretend like I am wrong. Every time you go back under, you resurface with another tattoo on your body. Don’t give me that look!” He poured them both more vodka.

“So, are you going back under?” He finally questioned after almost ten minutes of silence and two more glasses of vodka.

Adira stood and pulled her sweater around her tighter. “I made your bed.” She walked back into the house and Derek smiled to himself. The bottom guest bed room had turned into his personal room, and it was even a queen sized bed because Adira knew Meredith would join him eventually. Derek leaned back in his chair and looked at Adira’s figure standing at the dining room table, staring down at her phone.

Oh, the war that must be going on in her head, he thought to himself.