Summary

Meredith left Seattle and Derek after his kiss with Rose, she was pregnant at the time. Two and a half years later Derek had only seen his daughter a handful of times, but now Meredith is moving back to Seattle with her daughter.

Chapter 1

"Okay honey, you want to sit here with George for a little while?" Meredith asked bending down to face level with her daughter.

Abby-Gail Grey-Shepherd was a few weeks shy of her second birthday. She had her father's brilliant blue eyes and sensitive, quiet nature. She had light hair like her mother, and a cute button nose, her hair sat at her shoulders. She was a quiet but bright child, although she wasn't even two yet she had started speaking, not quite full sentences yet but she could definitely make herself understood. Derek had flown out to see her when she was born and every six months since then, in total he had visited four times for two days at a time. Abby knew who he was, she called him Daddy but didn't quite understand that he was her parent too. Abby knew her mother's friends as well, they had visited her. Her favorite were Alex and George, they always played with her as only men could. She loved Izzie as well, she always slipped her treats when her mother said she couldn't have any. Although Cristina wasn't really interested in children, Abby was fascinated by her and loved to just walk around behind her.

"Tweats?" Abby asked looking up at George.

"Blackmail before her second birthday, maybe she's not so bad," Cristina sniggered.

"It's not blackmail," said Meredith.

"She's negotiating," said George.

"Fine, she can have one treat," said Meredith sternly. "But nothing that will keep her up all night."

"Okay lets take you to the vending machine," said George picking Abby up and throwing her into the air.

"Try and bring her back in one piece," Meredith called after them.

"So…you're back here?" said Cristina.

"Yeah I'm back," said Meredith. "I have a meeting with the Chief in a few minutes about coming back…my contract in Boston was only temporary anyway."

"Did you tell McDreamy you were coming back?"

"No it was all last minute," said Meredith. She really didn't like talking to Derek, even though it was necessary because he was Abby's father. She hadn't quite forgiven him for kissing Rose. "I'll call him once I'm done with the Chief."

"He's in OR4," smirked Cristina.

"I'll tell him," snapped Meredith. "You're supposed to be my person."

"I am your person," said Cristina. "Rose is working too."

"Bitch!"

"Two and a half years, Mer," said Cristina bluntly. "They aren't even together anymore…it's time to move on."

"I have moved on," said Meredith. "It doesn't mean I want to see either of them. Unfortunately not seeing Derek is not an option."

"Because you had McBaby."

"Thank you for that," said Meredith.

"Just go and see the Chief," said Cristina. "The sooner you get back here the sooner I don't have to listen to Barbie in the morning…it's depressing. Go! The kid will be fine with Mary Poppins over there."

"Hey, you want to grab a drink at Joe's tonight?" Mark asked Derek as he peeked his head into Derek's office. Derek was sitting at his desk just staring. "What are you doing?"

"Just thinking," said Derek. He was looking at the picture of Abby he had on his desk, it was taken the last time he saw her almost 6 months ago. She would be much bigger by now, she might even be talking. Meredith had emailed him some pictures last month, but she was still a baby she was changing every day and every day he missed it.

"What? About the meaning of life? Or your date last night?"

"About Abby," said Derek. "I should book some time off and fly over to see her."

"You say that every week," sighed Mark. "How often do you actually get round to doing it?"

"What are you saying?"

"Just what I said," Mark shrugged.

"That I'm a bad father," Abby was always a touchy subject with Derek.

"No," said Mark not seeing how wound up Derek was. "You pay your share for the kid…pretty cute for a munchkin too," he said picking up the framed picture of Abby.

"I'm not in the mood for a drink," Derek grumbled. He didn't want to just pay his share for Abby, he wanted to be her Dad, circumstances just wouldn't let him. He had surgeries and a Neurosurgery department to run, he couldn't take holidays every month not even to see his own child.

"Come on, what else are you going to do? Sit around here and mope, get your coat," Mark ordered.

"Fine."

"So when are you coming back?" Izzie asked Meredith later. It was almost 8pm by the time Meredith had finished talking to Bailey and the Chief, by now Abby was asleep in her stroller. George had gone into surgery, so Izzie had been looking after Abby.

"A weeks trial period starting on Monday," said Meredith. "Then if everything is still okay, I'll take a week off to tie up loose ends in Boston then I'll be back."

"For good?"

"Five year contract," said Meredith. "Abby needs to be around my people."

"We're your people?"

"You're my people," said Meredith pushing the stroller towards the elevator. "You heading home?"

"Yeah," said Izzie. "I have Abby's room all ready for her."

"Let me guess it's pink," said Meredith rolling her eyes.

"Purple actually," said Izzie ignoring Meredith's sarcasm. "It's her favorite color."

"Her favorite color changes every half hour," said Meredith.

"She'll love it," said Izzie smugly.

"I'm sure she will," smiled Meredith. "When did she fall asleep?"

"About an hour ago," said Izzie. "So this moving back to Seattle thing?"

"What about it?"

"Doesn't have anything to with McDreamy?"

"Not for me," sighed Meredith. "But it will be good for Abby to be nearer Derek."

"So no…reconciliation…"

"No. Not a chance," said Meredith firmly as she stepped off the elevator. Right as Derek and Mark stepped off the elevator next to them.

"Meredith!" exclaimed Derek as if he was unsure that it was really her.

"Derek! Hi," said Meredith. She hadn't expected to run into his, he was supposed to have finished by now, she was not prepared to see him yet. "I was…going to call…"

"You're in Seattle?"

"Clearly," Mark muttered. "This must be the munchkin?"

"Uh yeah," said Meredith looking down at Abby who was still sound asleep. "She's asleep."

"Yeah I think they can see that," Izzie hissed at Meredith.

"How long?" asked Derek just staring at her, as if he couldn't believe she was standing in front of him.

"We uh…flew in early this morning?"

"All day? You've been here all day?" asked Derek. He could have seen Abby today, instead of just wishing he could see her.

"Uh…yeah I was talking to the Chief and you know…catching up with…I was going to call you in the morning…" said Meredith a bit pathetically.

"How long are you staying?" asked Derek his brain still having trouble processing what was in front of him.

"Just a week for now," said Meredith. She didn't want to talk about her moving back in front of Mark, Izzie and half the hospital. "I really need to get Abby home to bed, I'll call you in the morning and sort something out, okay?"

"Okay," said Derek and watched as Meredith all but ran out of hospital.

"Wow…"

"She really hates me," said Derek watching her scurry to her car. "She really hates me now."

"Looks like it," said Mark bluntly.

OOOOOOOhhhhhhhhhhhhh can anyone say awkward?