A/N Thank you readers for all your support! Happy belated Grey's Day!
Anyway, please enjoy this final instalment of The Call.
Jesse found Malaya on the roof. "Shouldn't you be in bed?" he asked. She didn't answer as he approached. He simply smiled and looked onto the horizon with her. "Best part of the day... when the sun rises, it's a new day Dr. Pineda. Fresh start."
Malaya turned her head a quarter turn to him, and he could see in that instant, a mark of maturity in her he hadn't seen before. They both turned back to the sun and smiled.
xxx
Christa was cleaning up Dr. Grey's bed when something clattered on the floor. A toy car. It must have been Bailey's. She picked it up, but was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. Her son had a car just like this. He had a whole collection of about twenty. They used to sit on the floor and race them. It was his favorite thing to do. She swallowed and blinked back the tears. The car tumbled into the pocket of her scubs as she finished her work.
Half an hour later she was changing in the locker room. Leanne just entered and was collecting her things for the day, when there was a clatter. Christa looked down, the car had fallen out of her pocket when she changed her shirt. Before she could pick it up, Leanne reached down, "What's this?. Oh." Leanne's expression changed from mild curiosity to pain. "Christa, where did you find this?"
"Dr. Grey's room, I think it was Bailey's."
"Oh."
"My son had a car just like that," Christa blurted. For some reason, she didn't want to give it up.
Leanne placed the car in Christa's locker. "Mine too," she said softly.
xxx
The buzz of people in the airport was a good distraction from Amelia's dark thoughts as she walked beside Meredith toward their boarding gates. "Zola, stay with Mommy!" Meredith called as her puffy haired daughter escaped from her grasp and skipped ahead.
"I got her." Amelia bolted ahead, grabbing Zola's wrist. Zola giggled and squirmed, like they were playing a game. Amelia smiled a bittersweet smile. She would miss this. She looked up at the sign. "Well, I guess this is where we part ways. This is my stop."
"Yeah," Meredith hitched Bailey on her hip as she stopped. "My flight leaves in an hour...Are you gonna be okay Amelia?"
"I'll be... I'll manage, don't worry." It was her usual automatic reply.
Meredith moved beside her and sat down, Amelia joined her, Zola in her lap. They both stared ahead. "You know I kinda had a near death whatever once?"
"The plane crash?"
"No before that. There was an accident, I fell in the water and for a second I just... I thought, what's the point? I stopped swimming. I drowned."
"Oh." Amelia took in this new information. She had always thought Meredith was the strong one who kept it all together, now that perception was changing as Meredith opened up to her.
Meredith pressed her lips together, "It's hard to explain and a long story, but basically I died. And while I was... uh, dead I had this dream or something. I realized that I couldn't give up." Meredith smiled, "I wanted to live, I wanted to be with the people that I loved.
"Meredith, what are you saying?"
"Amelia, you need people. You need to let people in. I don't know how things are between you and Owen... I don't know who you consider your friends...maybe Addison or even Richard, but I know they care about you, and you need to let someone in."
Amelia started to consider it, but she couldn't get past Meredith's hypocrisy. "What about you Meredith, it seems like you're running away from your 'people.'
Meredith sighed. "It's... It's not like that, it's different for me..."
"How?" Amelia asked.
"I do have people, I can call Alex, or Richard... even Callie and they'll be there for me in a heartbeat. They are only a phone call away."
"But you left."
Meredith's voice caught. "When Derek died, I felt like I'd been ripped in half. He was my world. He was everything. Seattle, the hospital, our house... Derek's there. And I was just flailing... I couldn't function there. I have to find out who I am...without him."
"So do I."
Meredith turned, now looking her in the eye. "Amelia, you are strong... you are an excellent surgeon, and a good friend. It's time for you to come out from under his shadow. He's...gone and it's sad and hard and... it doesn't have to be this hard. Zola gets me through. Bailey gets me through. You need people to get you through, okay?
"Okay"
"We have to get to our plane, Zozo, Bay... Give Auntie Amy a kiss and hug."
After Amelia was smothered in hugs and kisses, Meredith squeezed Amelia's hand and carted her kids off to the San Francisco gate. She watched them go for a moment, her heart heavy with thoughts of being left again. Then she pulled out the ultrasound picture Keep it, Meredith had said something to hold on to. Deep down, under all her walls, Amelia knew she couldn't make it alone. She needed somebody. She pulled out her phone and tapped on her contact list. Maybe she could call someone...
xxx
Some time later.
The car was quiet. Bailey stopped fussing an hour ago and Zola succumbed to sleep after Alex enticed her into playing the 'Quiet' game. Baby Ellis was fast asleep in her car seat in the back.
Meredith was grateful for Alex's company as he drove them. Except for the occasional glance of concern, he didn't needle her with questions or shower her with attention. She didn't know what she would feel when she got home. Her time away had been... challenging. She wasn't healed yet, she would never be completely healed, she knew, but she started to build back the other half of herself. Meredith Grey. Widow. Mother. Friend.
Alex reached over and touched her arm and she looked up. Seattle city limits.
She was ready to try again, get on the carousel.
xxx
Amelia drove up the winding road to Derek's house. She had been at the hospital for a week now and Owen had ordered her home for a couple days off. Whatever. She didn't care anyway. As she rounded up the hill to the house, she noticed there was another vehicle in the driveway and a light was on. Was that Meredith's car?
Her breath caught in her throat. She pulled up behind and jumped out. The keys shook in her hand as she tried to unlock the door. Finally it clicked and she walked in. She nearly cried when she saw Alex sleeping on the sofa with Zola on top of him.. the TV playing children's sleepytime songs. She walked down the hall to Merideth's room and saw bumps in the bed. Bailey and Meredith. They were back.
Amelia's legs felt weak. She didn't want to wake anyone up so she started to tip toe to her room. They would talk in the morning.
"Amelia." Meredith whispered.
Amelia froze. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."
"Come here." Meredith said softly. Amelia turned and walked back to Meredith's room and hovered in the doorway. Meredith turned a lamp on and waved her over to the crib.
The crib. Amelia stepped softly into the room. Meredith reached down and picked up the blanket wrapped bundle. "I did it, Amelia. I had this baby. Meet Ellis Amelia Shepherd." Meredith handed Amelia the bundle.
She just stared at Ellis, taking her all shifted in her blankets, her tiny hand reaching for her thumb. "You- you came back."
"Yeah, Well I need my family."
"Yeah." Amelia stared at Ellis, her tiny body, that little black curl on the top of her head, she looked like Derek.
"Can you see him?"
"What?"
"Just watch her for a minute."
Ellis fussed and Amelia cooed. Finally Ellis opened her eyes and stared at her at with Derek's perfect blue eyes. Amelia stared back, getting lost in the depths of them. Then Ellis yawned, and seemed to look right back at Amelia and closed one eye in a perfect little wink. Like Derek was there, like everything would be... alright.
A/N Well, that's a wrap, thanks for sticking with it! The very last scene was Inspired by a scene I saw in 11x22 I think where Meredith is finally home and Bailey and Zola are playing. Meredith is in the kitchen and Amelia comes out with baby Ellis. There's this look between them. Actually this whole story was inspired by that scene.
Who do you think Amelia called? I left that open to interpretation, so you fans can choose for yourselves. Let me know what you think.
ANNND Check out Ferry Boats and Scrub Caps, my next story!