Merder: Different Circumstances

Chapter Twenty Six

After spending the whole morning helping Carolyn to prepare the buffet, and by help she just did the bare minimum to avoid causing chaos, Meredith was getting ready for the evening. A call to Cristina and Lexie had been both unhelpful and helpful, as Cristina filled dreadful ideas into her head and Lexie assured her she would be popular amongst the sisters.

"Mer?" Derek asked as he came into the room.

Meredith turned around from the mirror, applying the last touch her makeup and tossing the lipstick into her suitcase. Derek's breath was took away as she stood in front of him in a red, sleeveless dress which came down to just below her knees. A grin formed on his face as he walked towards her, and Meredith couldn't help but roll her eyes at him.

"Wow. You look..."

"Too slutty? Too dressed up?" Meredith asked. "I don't know what they're expecting of me and I have Addison's expectations to live up to. I haven't tried to hard right? But I haven't not tried hard enough?"

To stop her unnecessary rambling, Derek placed a quick kiss to her lips, which Meredith pushed away quickly, both wanting answers and, for the first time for Derek to witness, not wanting her make ruined.

"I promise you, they will love you." He reassured. "And even if they don't, we can sneak off up here and ring in the New Year by ourselves."

In answer to his suggestion, Meredith playfully swatted his arms, before resting her head onto his chest and taking a deep breath. From downstairs the doorbell rang and the two of them took each others hand as they went to walk down the stairs, Ashley coming rushing past them before they could even leave the room.

"Amy is coming earlier, she's the easiest sister to like, and quite clearly she's Ashley's favourite." Derek explained as they walked downstairs.

"And I'm your favourite too DerBear." Amelia said as she walked through the door.

The two siblings exchanged a long hug, before Ashley practically attached herself to her Aunt's hip and refused to sit anywhere but next to her. Carolyn made them all a non-alcoholic drink and joined them in the family room.

"So Meredith, it's nice to finally meet you. My brother's been hiding you away like his favourite chew toy." Amelia started the conversation.

Their conversation was easy and flowed with no issue. It didn't take long for Meredith to realise that Amelia clearly accepted of her and quite possibly she could have a good friendship with her future sister-in-law. After a half hour conversation with everyone, Amelia dragged Meredith through to the other room, to spend some time alone with her.

"Addie's like a big sister to me, but she has her life far too put together for me. From what Ashley told me, you're more like me, a little... what's the word?" Amelia said.

"Dark and twisty?"

"Dark and twisty. I like that, yes. When it comes to my sisters don't worry. Nancy is a bitch, simple as that. Liz is lovely, but a lot to handle at times. Kathleen, she's a psychiatrist so don't let her diagnose you with a load of mental issues, she's tried it with me a couple times."

Meredith laughed at the way Amelia was talking about her sisters and smiled as she realised that this friendship would be going a long way. Their conversation continued and was only eventually ended when the doorbell rang and feet came running into the house.

"Uncle Derek!" What seemed to be herd of children screamed as they ran towards him.

Meredith watched from the side at how her fiancé managed all of his nieces and nephews, saying hello to each of them individually and acting interested in their stories. Following behind them, Nancy, Liz and Kathleen all walked in with their husbands close behind. The house soon came alive with noise and Meredith felt overwhelmed by it all, until Amelia pushed her gently towards everyone.

"Meredith, lovely to meet you." Liz said walking over to her.

"Hi, Liz right? You too."

"Oooh, it's the slutty attending." Nancy announced as she walked over, with Kathleen following closely behind. 

"Nancy Shepherd, inappropriate." Carolyn scolded next to her. 

"What, I'm just saying. She keeps our brother, not to mention our niece, hidden away in Seattle for six months. 

"Nancy not now." Liz whispered.

"I'm just saying, what does Seattle have that New York doesn't besides, her." 

"Really, interrogating my fiancée the second you step into the room, very classy Nancy." Derek said as he wrapped an arm around Meredith's waist. "Besides, Seattle not only has Mer, it doesn't have you."

The squabble between the sibling continued under hushed but butter voices, with the older cousins and partners distracting the children. Throughout the whole conversation, Meredith stayed stood next to Derek, as he defended her the whole time with no hesitation.

"Nancy this ends right now." Carolyn demanded as she stepped in between her two children, before turning to all of her family. "Now that everyone is here, how does everyone feel about some drinks?"

"Oh, not everyone is here yet." Nancy spoke up.

"I think they all are, my son, my four daughters, my five grandsons, my ten granddaughters, my two son-in-laws and my future daughter-in-law." Carolyn clarified. 

"My plus-one is just parking our car, in fact, he's just walked through the door now." Nancy said, to which everyone turned around.

"Hi."