NEVER LEAVING YOUR HEART ALONE

ADJUSTMENTS

Meredith opened her eyes. Not that she had closed them very much through the night. They hurt. Her eyes hurt. Her head hurt. She looked over at Derek, who moaned. She winced as she listened to their loud cries. They had separated them. The twins were now sleeping in their own cribs again. It was a split decision. One side of the fence said it was a good thing for them to have the companionship. The other side said that it was bad, that they needed to learn self contentment. So they suffered. The whole house suffered.

"Fuck." Derek said as he covered his head with the pillow.

"No kidding." She said as she looked over at him. "This is bad."

"Bad? More like hell. No sex. No sleep. Hell." Derek said with a frown.

"This was a bad idea." She muttered as she covered her head.

"I'll go." Derek said with a frown.

"No. I will, I guess. Everyone says to let them go..." She moaned. They both looked up when they heard the door open.

"You have to make them stop." Anna said with a clenched jaw and her hands on her hips.

"Anna..." Derek said softly as he looked up at her.

"No. I have a test tomorrow. I have to sleep. My teacher said to make sure we got sleep. I ain't got no sleep." She whined with her lip stuck out.

"You haven't gotten any sleep." He corrected tiredly as he rubbed his face.

"No. And I'm tired daddy...so tired." She moaned with exaggeration as she walked over and collapsed on the bed.

"It's not any quieter in here." Derek said with a sigh.

"I'm going. I can't let them cry." Meredith said as she climbed out of her warm bed. She gasped as her feet hit the cold hardwood floor.

"Thank God!" Anna said loudly as she covered her head with her pillow.

"No kidding." Derek whispered into Anna's ear. They both put their heads down and closed her eyes.

"Guys..." Meredith moaned as she walked into the nursery. "You're not supposed to do this. Dev, you're my big man, and Lilah, you're my brave girl." Meredith said as she picked her up. Devlin quieted down and looked up at his mom.

"Lilah... Are you hungry?" She whispered as she kissed her on the head. She walked over and sat in the rocking chair. Devlin immediately started wailing at her absence.

"Shit... Er, shoot." Meredith said as she stood back up. "Hmm..." Meredith muttered as she walked to the crib and looked around. She grabbed their carriers and placed them in them. She picked them up and walked downstairs. She made a bottle and fed Devlin with her free hand while Delilah nursed.

"Come on..." She muttered as he spit the bottle out of his mouth. "Okay." She said as she switched them around. Devlin quickly began eating and Delilah happily took the bottle. "You're as bad as your dad..." Meredith said with a giggle as she looked at him nursing.

"All done?" Meredith asked as Delilah spit out the bottle and closed her eyes. "Dev..." She said as she stroked his head. He pulled away and started crying. "Oh no..." Meredith muttered as she stood up with him.

"Sissy and Daddy are tired. You have to be quiet..." She said as she patted him on the back and walked around. He looked around the house with wide eyes as she showed him the pictures on the wall.

"Are you suffering from insomnia?" She asked as she looked at his bright eyes. "You have to sleep..." She said as she rocked him gently. "Let's take your sister back to bed." She said as she placed him in the carrier. He immediately started crying. She quickly grabbed the other carrier and started up the stairs. Delilah opened her eyes and looked around.