All I Want Is This

18

"Meredith has something interesting to share with us," Izzie threw her tray filled with food on table, sitting down at the table where Meredith, Cristina and George were eating.

Cristina looked questioningly at Meredith, while George looked back and forth between Izzie and Meredith thoroughly confused.

"Nothing interesting to share," Meredith replied, ignoring their stares and continuing to eat her apple.

"Ask her when was the last time she slept at home," Izzie nudged Cristina, smirking.

"Where did you spend last night, Meredith?" Cristina asked her, with a straight face. Meredith bit from her apple and kept reading from her magazine, ignoring her friend's curious stares. "I thought you didn't like him," Cristina continued.

"I don't," Meredith replied simply, not looking away from the magazine.

"Then why has your bed been untouched for the last two days?" Izzie asked hungry for some good gossip.

Meredith glanced at Izzie, glaring and then she looked back down to her magazine without answering.

"You like him," It was Cristina's conclusion.

"I don't like him!" Meredith spat, throwing her magazine on table. Her friends stared at her suspiciously. "Ally invited me to dinner last night." She muttered and picked up the magazine again, though this time she was no longer reading it.

"I thought he didn't like you." Cristina said, now referring to Mark.

"He doesn't." Meredith replied simply.

"You started liking each other." Cristina chuckled.

Izzie leaned over the table, towards Meredith, smiling. "Is he good?" She asked in whisper.

"That's none of your business!" Meredith spat again. Her reaction confirmed Cristina's latest statement. She saw the grins from Izzie and Cristina's faces and George's embarrassed smile and became suddenly calm. "Alicia is a very sweet girl and I really enjoy spending the time with her."

"She definitely is a sweet girl," Izzie chuckled. "But her daddy doesn't stand to see women around her."

"Besides," Cristina cut it. "No matter how sweet this girl is, you are not that motherly, Meredith."

Meredith didn't appreciate Cristina's words. "Maybe I am." She stood up, nervous and took her apple and her magazine, turning to leave. As she did that, Meredith bumped into Mark.

Mark took a step back; his posture was the glaring one that everyone knew. "Grey, I need to talk to you." He said dryly.

Meredith looked back at her friends and saw Izzie and Cristina smirking discreetly. "I need to finish my lunch." She said, though she was already standing ready to leave and she was only eating an apple.

"You can finish it at that table over there." Mark replied, gesturing with his head towards a free table in a corner of the patio. He turned on his heels and walked towards that table, without waiting for Meredith's consent of going with him. Despite that, Meredith followed him.

They sat across from each other, Meredith taking a bite from her apple and Mark staring inexpressively at her. "I need a favor." He sighed and leaned back in his chair. Meredith stared at him, chewing the apple and waiting to hear what was that favor about. "I have two surgeries re-scheduled for this afternoon and I'd appreciate if you'll pick up Alicia from kindergarten."

"Will you appreciate? Really?" Meredith giggled.

"Will you pick her up?" He asked her.

Meredith put the apple down and leaned in her chair, folding her arms across her chest. "Did you buy her the kitten?" She asked him, glaring.

"Yes." Mark answered. Meredith narrowed her eyes, staring at him with suspicion. She knew he was lying. "Do you want me to show you the receipt?" He asked her, reading the distrust from her eyes.

"Yes. I want to see the receipt." Meredith answered.

Mark glared at her, but he took out his wallet and pulled out a white small receipt. He put it on table and pushed it towards Meredith.

Meredith took it and looked over it. Immediately she noticed the Toys "R" Us label on it. It was a 46,78 receipt for a kitten stuffed toy. Meredith looked up at Mark and stared at him wordlessly. She sighed and smiled. "Ok." She agreed.

"Aren't you going to say anything about this?" Mark raised his eyebrows, suspicious.

"No." Meredith answered and smiled amused.

It was now Mark's turn to narrow his eyes and stare at her with distrust. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to pick Ally up from kindergarten," Meredith shrugged, sounding casually. "You're a total ass though." She added.

Mark chuckled. He had started to regret that he had shown the receipt to Meredith when she seemed fine with picking up Alicia from kindergarten, though she was going to be the one dealing with Alicia's disappointment, but Meredith took care to reassure him. "There's one thing I need to tell you first," He was determined to tell Meredith about Alicia's lie. "But I don't want to hear any judgment from you. I'm handling the things the best way I can." He was serious as he said that and Meredith could see it. "Apparently..." He started hesitantly. "People from kindergarten think that you're Alicia's mother."

"Why?" Meredith asked, confused. "I swear I didn't register there with my name." She said defensively.

"I know," Mark sighed and looked away, staring in blank. "Alicia registered herself." He muttered.

"What? What are you talking about?" Meredith asked.

Mark looked at her and sighed. "Alicia told everyone there that you're her mother."

"But Mrs. Kendrick knows I'm not."

"Mrs. Kendrick might have believed her." He muttered.

"And did you let her believe her?" Meredith asked him reproachfully.

"I didn't!" Mark spat. "I'm not even sure what Mrs. Kendrick knows about Alicia's mother. I just wanted to warn you in case that she says something weird to you."

"Did you talk to Alicia about this? Do you agree with her lie?" Meredith asked him, irritated. She didn't know if she should feel wheedled about it or nervous. Mark's lack of reaction to Alicia's lie was the most irritating.

"I tried," Mark sighed. "I can't handle everything, ok?"

"And do you want me to handle all these?" She asked him with the same irritation in her voice. "Do you want me to handle your daughter's problems?" Mark stared at her without saying anything in return. "I'm not good at this ... motherly thing."

"Just try. See what you can do to clarify this situation," He didn't say it in words, but the tone of his voice and look from his eyes were pleading. Meredith hesitated in giving him an answer. Mark leaned over the table towards her and whispered. "You're better at these things than you give yourself credit. Then he leaned back to his chair, watching a dazed Meredith and smiled. "You're good at just about everything."

Meredith glared as she got the dirty hint from his compliment. "I'll see what I can do to help." She grumbled and stood up.

Mark stood up as well and grabbed her wrist. He threw a set of keys in her hand. "You'll need these." Meredith nodded and tried to pull her hand back, but Mark held it back in a strong grip. He leaned in to her and whispered. "You didn't page me. I'm disappointed."

Meredith jerked her wrist from his grip and rubbed it, smiling at him. "I'm more disappointed than you are."

"What's that suppose to mean?" He narrowed his eyes, offended.

"You said it... I'm good at about everything," Meredith chuckled. "Unfortunately, I can't say the same thing about you." It was her turn to make a dirty compliment.