Never grow up [1/2]

6

"Mommy?" Zola asked as they all were laying on the couch "Are you crying?" She asked

Bailey and Ellis immediately turned their heads towards their mother to check on her

"Don't worry guys, I'm fine" Meredith tried to put on a smile

Zola frowned a bit but decided to drop it and grabbed Meredith's hand

"M-ommy kay?" Ellis asked as she wrapped her arms around Meredith's waist

"Mommy is okay, Ellie" Meredith placed her arm around the little girl

"P-op-orn!" Ellis yelled as they were halfway through the movie

"Zo, Bails, is popcorn okay for you?" Meredith asked and they both nodded "I'll be right back" She said and stood up to go to the kitchen and grabbed the corn to pop in the microwave

"Mommy! Mommy!" She heard Bailey yell as she started to put sugar on the popcorn

"What's wrong?!" She asked as she ran back in the living room

"Ellie's seizing!" Zola told her as she was sitting in front of the little girl that was laying down in the couch

"I got it" Meredith calmly said and helped her daughter through this seizure

"Ellie, are you okay, baby?" Meredith asked once the girl was limp in her arms

She nodded a bit and rested her head on Meredith's chest, being exhausted after the seizure

"Shall we go get the popcorn?" She asked the little girl who nodded again

Meredith got up, still carrying Ellis while Zola and Bailey were watching the movie. She finished making the popcorn and placed it in a big bowl and returned to the living room, falling back in her seat and repositioning Ellis op her chest

"M-ommy" Ellis groaned as she started to overstretch her back again

"It's okay" Meredith said and gently rubbed the little girl's back "You want some popcorn?"

"Kay" Ellis replied and took the popcorn Meredith handed her

"Don't forget to chew on it" Meredith reminded her

The rest of the evening went smoothly and Derek was about to call them soon

"Can we sleep in the big bed with you?" Bailey asked her with an innocent smile on his face

"Of course, I would love to have my babies in the bed with me" Meredith smiled back at them

When they were talking, Meredith's phone went off.

"It's daddy" She announced and picked up the phone, immediately putting him on speaker

"Hey guys!" Derek's exhausted voice was heard through the phone

"Daddy!" The kids exclaimed, with Ellis yelling "D-addy" with a bit of delay.

"How have you been?" Derek asked them

"Good, daddy! We've been watching Frozen and mommy made popcorn!" Bailey told him

"Els-a! We -atched Els-a!" Ellis started explaining to Derek

"Again?" He laughed "Poor mommy"

"Yeah" Meredith sighed, almost tearing up now

"Mer? Are you okay?" Derek asked her, noticing that she was on the edge of tears

"I'm okay, Der. We just need to have a talk tomorrow" She told him a bit whispery

"Okay and please call me again before you're heading to bed" He told her

"The kids are gonna sleep with me tonight" She told him

"Then text me, please" Derek almost begged her

"I will" She promised him

"D-addy, -agna! We a-te -agna!" Ellis told him

"Aunt Maggie made us lasagne!" Zola added

"Oh, and did you guys like it?" Derek asked them

"Yes!" Bailey was the first to tell him when Zola and Ellis agreed a bit later

"And mommy didn't burn it?" Derek asked with a chuckle

"I what?" Meredith asked as she didn't listen because she was distracted by her thoughts

"I asked if you didn't burn the food" Derek asked, a bit of concern in his voice

"Oh, no I- no" She quickly replied

"Mer, it was a joke" Derek whispered

"Oh- I- I knew" She said as she started fidgeting her hands

"Doctor Shepherd?" Catherine's voice was heard in the distance

"I have to go. We'll talk later. Love you all and see you tomorrow" Derek said before he hung up the phone after the kids and Mer said love you back

"Okay guys. Let's watch the movie then we can go to bed" Meredith told them "I'm gonna go to the bathroom, I'll be right back" She smiled at them before walking out of the room

She collapsed on the ground and burst into tears. She finally could let all of it sink in, all the things Bailey said, the not working for two weeks and all the emotions that they went through today

Meredith had no clue how long she was in there but not more than 10 minutes. She couldn't leave the kids alone for so long after this day. She was splashing some water in her face as the door opened

"M-ommy!" Ellis stumbled inside, her feet pointed inwards, even more than usual "M-is y-ou" She said as she walked towards Meredith

"You missed me?" Meredith asked with a little chuckle, picking up the tiny girl

Ellis nodded and wrapped her arms around Meredith's neck

"M-ommy? Me w-eird?" Ellis asked with a frown

"Of course not, baby! Why are you asking?" Meredith asked with concern

"T-oby.. Ell-ie fr-eak boo boo" Ellis told Meredith

"Toby hurt you?" Meredith asked, knowing the answer already

"Ell-ie fr-eak" Ellis' frown deepened

"Because he thinks you're a freak?" Meredith questioned

The little girl nodded her head and a tear escaped her eye

"Ellie, you're not a freak. We told you about your brain, right?" Meredith asked and Ellis nodded in response.

"B-ain!" Ellis replied

"Your brain works a bit different than Mommy, Daddy, Bailey and Zola but that makes you unique! You're our little baby and we love you so so much.." Meredith was talking to the little girl

"Me luf? Y-ou me luf? D-addy, Zo, Bay me luf?" Ellis asked, showing her vunerable side that was barely noticeable otherwise

"Of course baby, we all love you so so much. To us, you're our little Ellie and we don't mind about your dissability

"Al-ways?" Ellis asked more questions

"Always" Meredith confirmed

"Luf t-oo" Ellis said as she placed a kiss on Meredith's cheek

"Let's go back to Zola and Bailey so we can get y'all ready for bed, then we can cuddle some more" Meredith smiled as she and Ellis made their way back to the living room