Love is a game

11

"Mommy, wake up. Aunt Addie's here" Ellis smiled

"Hi" Meredith opened her eyes, the pain visible on her face

"Hi Mer" Addison brushed a few hairs out of Meredith's face

"Hi. Thanks for coming over" Meredith pushed herself up, Poppy immediately walking over to help her

"Wait mommy. I have to get uncle Alex" Ellis said and ran out of the room

"She's too cute" Addison laughed, she handed Meredith the leash and helped her sit up

"I'm here" Alex smiled and helped her shuffle towards the living room as she insisted she wanted to spend some time with her company

"Hi Mer" Mark smiled as Alex helped her sit down

"Hi Mark, thanks for coming" She smiled

"No worries, Mer. We love to see you and Ellis again" He smiled and carefully hugged her "You two are matching"

"We are, aren't we Ellie" Meredith smiled

"Yes" Ellis smiled "Uncle Mark, you should check out my new swing!" Ellis gasped as she remembered her new swing

"Oh, do you wanna show me?" Mark smiled

"Yes!!" Ellis giggled

"Put on a jacket, honey. It's cold outside" Meredith pointed out

"I'll go with her" Derek said as he finally broke his own silence

"Thanks" Meredith softly smiled and rested her head on the pillow

"How have you really been doing?" Addison asked once Ellis was out of the house

"I'm fine, Addie" Meredith whispered

"Mer-" Addison sighed

"I'm just so tired. Tired of everything" Meredith's voice cracked

"I know you are, sweetie" Addison rubbed Meredith's back

"I've been thinking so much lately and all I could focus on was what happened and- Lily- I-" Meredith whimpered

"Hey, stop doing this to yourself Mer" Addison softly wrapped her arms around Meredith

"I just wished I could turn back time. Fight harder for Derek, maybe-" Meredith started but shook her head and stopped herself as memories came back

Flashback:

"Derek, you can't move to DC. You can't leave me here" Meredith looked at him in pain

"Meredith, I have to leave and you're the one who's refusing to join me. I have to go, I can't stay here. Not after all that happened!" He raised his voice which made her flinch

"Derek- You can't step away from our family" Meredith whimpered, she was completely broken on the inside

"I'm not stepping away. I need fresh air. I can't breathe around here" He looked into her eyes

"Derek, we can't let this break our family!"

"What family, Meredith? We aren't the same people as we were 5 years ago, are we?" Derek asked her

"Derek-" Her voice soft as tears streamed down her face "Lily's still part of our family even if she didn't get a chance in life" Meredith whispered

"I'm not saying she isn't. I'm saying I need space" Derek said and walked away

End of flashback

"Mer, you fought and you can't say anything else" Addison held her hand

"Maybe not enough" Meredith muttered

"Mommy, uncle Mark loves my swing!" Ellis ran inside and jumped up the couch

"Aww" Meredith wailed in pain, Poppy immediately jumping up to check on her

"Sorry mommy!" Ellis backed off again, her lower lip trembling

"Come here. It's okay" Meredith breathed heavily but reached her hand out for her daughter, with the other hand she was brushing through Poppy's fur

Derek immediately hurried his way over to Meredith and checked her out but Meredith pushed him away, she just wanted her daughter. Meanwhile Alex grabbed her some pills

Ellis slowly walked back towards her mother

"I'm sorry for scaring you, sweetie" Meredith whispered, tears in her eyes as she hugged her little girl "Mommy's so sorry"

"Sorry mommy" Ellis whimpered

"It's okay. Why don't we go lay down a bit together?" Meredith suggested and Ellis nodded her head

"Here Mer" Alex helped her take those meds and waited a bit until they started working before he helped her on her feet, Poppy close next to her as she shuffled towards bed "You'll feel much better soon" Alex placed a kiss on her head

"Hmm.. Let's hope" Meredith sat down and Alex helped her lay down "Can you take Poppy out?"

"Of course. Come on Poppy, let's go outside" Alex grabbed her leash

"Love you mommy" Ellis smiled

"Love you too, monkey" Meredith breathed and closed her eyes. She couldn't stop thinking about the joy she felt when she found out she was pregnant

Another flashback, a week after the previous one

Meredith was at home, she had called in sick at work for the past week ever since Derek said he'd leave. She was in the bathroom upstairs, not having any clue of where Derek would be

She had a pregnancy test in her hand, 10 minutes had passed since she peed on it but she didn't wanna turn it around by herself, scared for the results

She and Derek had been trying to get pregnant for the past years. Several miscarriages and a stillborn baby had left their scars. She desperately wanted a baby but now Derek was leaving she wasn't sure anymore

When she finally got the courage to turn the stick around her heart skipped a beat

She was pregnant