Off the Carousel

No Running

To Love each other even when we hate each other.

No running.

Take care when old, senile, and smelly.

And it's forever,

Meredith Grey.

Derek Shepherd.

The photo frame the post-it rested in was broken, but when she looked around for shards of glass she saw none. She realized it must have broken before the accident. Cassie put it back in the bag and brought it and the suitcase to Meredith's room. Thinking carefully, she put the bag on Meredith's bed where she would see it before heading back downstairs.

xxx

Meredith sat on the couch, unable to concentrate. She hadn't heard from him all day... something was wrong, really really wrong. She looked at the clock. Four-fifty. Ten more minutes. Ten minutes and then she could freak out, ten minutes...

She gasped and clutched at her chest when there was a knock at the door. Oh God, who could it be? she wondered as she padded to the door. Without even looking out the window she yanked the door open. Her breath caught in her throat. "Derek!" she choked.

"Hey," he said, with a stupid grin. "Sorry I was gone so long... I forgot my keys." He gazed at her apologetically before stroking her cheek and drawing her close to him for a deep kiss. "I'm here. I'm okay." He reassured, and he pulled her in tighter to him. Oh, she was so glad... she smiled and wrapped her arms around his solid body, breathing in the faint masculine scent of him.

"Oh thank God, I was worried sick... " she murmured into his neck.

Meredith woke slowly, like coming through a fog. Something warm and wet slid down her cheeks and she sniffed. She realized she was crying. She sniffed again and wiped her face before opening her eyes.

The first thing she saw was Zola and Bailey sitting on the floor, coloring with the crayons and paper she'd picked up at the dollar store. They didn't know she was awake yet, so she watched them quietly.

"Lellow," Bailey was saying, holding up a green crayon.

"That's not yellow, that's green," Zola said. She fished through the pile of crayons and pulled out a yellow one. "This is yellow," she offered it to him.

Bailey considered the crayon Zola held before picking up a blue crayon. "Lellow," he said.

"No, this is yellow!" Zola exclaimed, dangling the yellow crayon in front of his face.

Bailey pushed the blue crayon in front of his sister's face. "Lellow!" he said defiantly.

"No... aw Bailey, you're so silly!" Zola slapped her forehead in an exaggerrated fashion, causing Meredith to giggle.

"Mommy!" Zola grinned, "You're awake!" she stood up and dashed toward her.

"I am," Meredith said, smiling. She uncurled her stiff limbs to embrace her daughter. "Come here, lovebug."

"Momma!" Bailey dropped his crayons and clambered onto the couch to get a piece of her too.

"We drawded pictures mommy," Zola said, pointing to the floor.

"I see that," Meredith said, glancing at the mess of scribbled-on papers. When she looked up, she saw Cassie in the chaise lounge, looking at her from over her book.

"They were very good kids," she said. "I didn't want to wake you, it seemed like you needed the rest."

"Thanks. They are good kids. They-" They were everything. They held her together. She was growing one inside her right now. She sighed, "They're good kids."