A/N: thanks everyone for waiting patiently for this chapter. here it is.

(insert witty disclaimer here)

Lesson 2: Kathleen and the Importance of Communication

Everyone always loved Kathleen. You couldn't help but not love her, she was just that likeable. Whenever we were together, I always new she cared about me, maybe even more than my other sisters, I felt it. Whenever you were around Kathleen, you felt so vibrant, so cared about, so full of self-worth.

Out of all of us, Kathleen had the best judgment. She always knew how to differentiate between right and wrong and how to keep everyone in check. Her decisions were always right and firm and the only person who could ever influence her was Nancy.

I think what I've always loved most about Kathleen was that feeling that I could truly trust her and I could come to her about anything. She gave the best advice. She still does, I just think I've stopped asking for it.

----GAGAGA----

"Coffee would really hit the spot right about now."

That was the line I used when Meredith finally agreed to give me a chance and go out with me. It was difficult to get her to do so once she found out that I was her boss at her new job.

Using my own words didn't necessarily mean that I found myself only that I was not completely lost.

Working with Meredith for two weeks gave us more of a chance to talk. I wish that meant I could say that I knew all about her but I didn't, not yet… that's why this breakfast date meant a great deal to me. I'd soon get to see what was really behind those puzzling eyes and ineffectual fists. That gave me a good feeling.

If you ask me, I don't think Meredith remembers everything that went on that went on the night we met; the way I fell in love with those little things about her almost instinctively.

I'm not sure she'll ever remember. I'm not sure she'll ever really get what I feel when I look at her everyday in the halls of that hospital.

There's always that fear after being broken, that things will never be okay again. It leads to a decline in trying. But when it came to Meredith I was fine, because I could tell when I saw her… she was broken too.

Tormenting thoughts ran over and over in my head to the point where I almost left the café before she even showed up, but right as I rose, she arrived. She had shown, just as she had agreed to. She didn't look frightened at all and suddenly I didn't either. It seemed as if that priceless smile on her face had dismissed my fear too.

I remained rising and I seated her, like any gentleman would.

"You made it," I said trying not to seem overexcited.

"You made it too,"

"Wouldn't miss it," I replied. Apparently smiles were contagious; for the past few weeks, including this very moment, I couldn't help but smile.

Without further discussion, we both silently glanced at the café menu, though truthfully, I couldn't really concentrate on what to order. All I could think about was Meredith, and what to say to her; how to make her get it.

-----

In the few minutes it took Kathleen to arrive into the room, I had basically given up. I was their captive; I belonged to the girls, even at four years old I knew that. I stopped screaming, I stopped kicking, I stopped fighting back altogether and began to somehow accept it.

Kathleen strode in to the playroom, grabbed a chair that she was undoubtedly oversized for and sat across from me several seconds before beginning to speak.

I looked straight at her. The fact that we were face to face with each other made me feel a little calmer, perhaps it even made it easier to identify with her.

Kathleen had this look about her, like she had gone through more in the last thirteen years than most people do in a lifetime… but nobody really knew for sure.

At last, she opened her mouth to lecture, "Derek do you know what girls like to do?" she said to me not at me, "they like to talk, a lot." She paused, "take Nancy for instance," we both giggled. Nancy was definitely something we could both relate to; when she began to chatter there was no putting an end to it.

"Why?" I asked simply to be an annoyance.

She ignored me, stood up and became serious, "and a gentleman's job is to listen."

With that, I stopped looking at her. I now focused my gaze on my feet, which I swung back and forth inches above the wooden floor.

She continued but I didn't want to hear it. It wasn't fun anymore, "Listen to her, and hear her out, give eye contact,"she clapped loudly and I broke out of my distraction, "let her know you are giving full attention. However, you also need to open up and tell her your thoughts, opinions and problems. The communication must be mutual, not one-sided."

Hell if I knew what 'mutual' meant at the time. "Why?" I asked over. Now I was not only annoying but clever too. Surely being an annoying brat would get me out of this chair, no violence required.

Ignored yet again, "Don't push her, don't boss her around, and don't try to make her do anything she does not want to do. Ask her for advice and for her opinions. Let her talk. Do not stop her while she is speaking, just listen to her."

"Why?"

"Derrrek!" Kathleen gave me a stare that only she could master. I became silent and disappointedly stared downward. She gently lifted my chin up, gave me a smile and ruffled my hair, which was a little bit shaggy at the time but flawless even so.

Her tone leveled, "If she has a problem ask her if there is any way you can fix it. Then simply listen. For women in general it isn't about fixing their problems; it's about caring about how it makes them feel."

All that said, she too left the room, without even I single sign that I would be untied any time soon.

-----

We placed our orders. Meredith ordered some sort of extravagant version of the Mocha Latte (something she could have easily gotten at work) and a plain pastry while I went full out. I had a Grande something or other and put in a very special request for pancakes.

"You should know, it's on me," I informed her when the waitress arrived to take our orders, "feel free to have whatever you want." She thanked me but that didn't make her change her order.

'I'm not that hungry', was her explanation for it.

The waitress left and we began to engage in simple conversation:

"So, how does it feel being an intern?" Yes, I am clearly aware of how lame my side of this conversation was and apparently she was too.

Her eyes widened a bit, "Tiring, as I'm sure you know," she paused. There was silence. I became very anxious. I never had this much trouble impressing her at work. Suddenly now the spotlight was on me and I had no clue what to say next.

"It's not much easier on me when it comes to Izzie and George," Meredith knew what to say to keep the ball rolling. She didn't seem nervous at all. Perhaps this meant as much to her as it did to me. "See I decided to keep the house, my mother's house."

"I see"

I looked straight at her. Knowing we sat face to face calmed me down. Without further interruption I let her continue.

"And so naturally I would need roommates. I mean it's a really big house to uphold. And I really did try to refrain from choosing either of them, since I see them so often as it is but there wasn't much option, not one half-normal person responded to that ad." She took a breath.

"I'm sure that Dr. Stevens and O'Malley mean well."

"I think that's just it," she shook her head slightly, "you know what, it doesn't matter, this is probably the last thing you want to hear, let's just—" She seemed to be embarrassed or ashamed of what she was saying.

"No, it's fine," I insisted as I took her delicate hands into mine, "keep going, I'm all ears." I sat there with a smile that was nothing short of McDreamy expectations while she looked at me skeptically.

Her hands were still in mine; they were soft and warm and somehow I felt it in my heart too.

She withdrew them and continued, "I guess they're just trying to be nice and all, but they're unpacking and wound up, they want to fix things that were never even broken in the first place. It's just… different."

I nodded in understanding. "You know what I think? I think you should just go with it, let them in. Get to know them better. Show them who you really are. Believe me, internship is a very lonely year and the only way you can all get through it… is together. Try. I have faith in you and I'm never wrong about people."

Her eyes thanked me and I think she even blushed a little. I, on the other hand, spat out a little lie. I hadn't been right about a person in a while; I had completely lost faith in people. I think I was safe though, I really had faith in her and I'm sure that this time I couldn't be wrong.

Our breakfast had finally arrived. The waitress had given me a dirty stare. Clearly the cook didn't enjoy taking my special request and I'd surely be hearing about it in my bill. Right now I didn't care. I had my pancakes and a very gorgeous surgical intern accompanying me.

Meredith reached for her fork and brought it closer to my plate. "That looks good," she said with a smile.

"Oh," I chuckled, "So, I take it you're hungry now?" I pulled my plate further away from her before she could take a bite. "Before I let you have any, you must agree to something."

"What?" she inquired with a giggle.

"You must agree to spend the rest of the afternoon with me,"

She contemplated for a second, "Done," she replied.

And she did so. She took me on my first ferryboat ride in Seattle. Boy did I love ferryboats.

A/N: anyway, stuff i'd been meaning to say: I wasnt planning on this being a season 1 fic, it just worked out like that and i thinks its nice that way. you dont need much knowledge (other than the basics) to get whats going on so thats good. I'm debating where to go with this fic, so I'm asking you readers to take the extra step and REVIEW. It's the only way to keep the chapters coming people.