Playing with fire (Amelia Shepherd) ABANDONED

Twenty two

"Mallie?!" Maya yelled into the phone the next day. "Thank god! We're all on our way over. Non negotiable. JJ bailed on Dean so he's raising his kid alone and Pruitt talked to him and now they're coming, too," Maya said.

"Can someone grab beers, please?" Mallie rubbed her face.

"We've got something even better. A shit ton of tequila, food and comfort," Maya said.

"Also, Meredith, Maggie and Jackson are with us. We don't know where Amelia is, though," Vic's voice came through the phone.

"Okay," Mallie mumbled.

"She's in surgery, apparently. She's been trolling for them all day," Meredith's voice now came over the phone.

"Mer, I'm not in the mood for you to shout at me for hurting her feelings. I don't know what the fuck I'm doing. It's not the time," Mallie snapped.

"I wasn't going to shout. I was going to offer you an ear. You're my person, idiot," Meredith snapped back.

"Sorry. Doors unlocked," Mallie mumbled, ending the call.

"Okay, so, you've got the diaper changing and the bottle technique down. You can work the crib railing and the sterilizer. You don't need to know how to assemble the bouncers or walkers for a while, but Sullivan, Jack and Ben are now working on the changing tables for you," Meredith recapped to Mallie, handing her another shot.

"And the babies?" Mallie said.

"Sleeping with Dean's baby. Maggie's with them. Pruitt is supervising Travis and Dean while they make dinner. Vic, Andy and Maya are wondering if you're going to convert the spare room to a nursery because they've already picked a theme. Zoo animals," Meredith said.

"No. It's got to be space," Mallie mumbled, rubbing her face. "Saffie loved the stars. She always said her kids would love them, too," she said.

"Did she say anything else?" Meredith asked quietly. This was the most Mallie had said about Saffie since they'd all arrived an hour ago.

"She, uh," Mallie mumbled as she tried to think. "She always said Spanish would be their first language. She wanted them to be proud of their heritage. And she always said she'd make sure they went to public school. She didn't want them to think they were better than other people because we have a bit of money," Mallie said.

"A bit is an understatement. You have a castle," Meredith chuckled, taking another shot herself.

"Yeah, I know," Mallie rolled her eyes. "I don't know the first thing about raising a kid, Mer. They're fine at this age. They don't know what the fuck is going on. It's like, med school. You practice but it's not the real thing. But then they walk and they talk and they start having sex and going to college and that's like, internship and residency. It's scary, it's new and there's a lot of bad decisions involved. How the fuck do I do this?" Mallie asked.

"You know, I still don't know what I'm doing. I take it day by day and I just do what I can. And it seems to be working. It was easier when Derek was around. He was... He was always better with them than I was. And then I didn't get to have him help me anymore and I just had to learn how to do it myself. And I ran away because it was easier than facing the fact that Derek wasn't the only person who cared about me and the kids. But I came back, because I needed the help. I really needed it. I still do. And you, Mallie," Meredith sighed.

She took another shot and handed one to Mallie. She downed it quickly.

"You came to get me after I had Ellis. You stayed with me for the month I couldn't fly and you took the day off for my first day back at work so we could go out after it and I could get drunk and cry. And I wouldn't have gotten to where I am without you, or Amelia or Maggie. All you need," Meredith grabbed Mallie's hand, "Is the people you can call your family. Maybe it's not by blood and maybe it's not always good, but they stick around because they love you and that's what makes it a family. We're here. Let us be your family, Mal," Meredith said quietly.