The Littlest Shepherd

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A/N: So my major exams week just ended... Which is bad cos' I wouldn't be 'inspired' to write fics... Oh well... till' my next major exams then... ha-ha. But of course, I'd still update as much as I could.

Thanks to those who found the cuteness of this fic and of course, the happiness and the none-angst of this one. I'm happy to make you guys go 'awww' and smile. ::: Zappy92 asked how Braeden's name is pronounced. It's like Jaden with a Br instead of a J.

Enjoy!

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Mischief # 3 - Braeden's Dolly

Derek grabbed his laptop bag before getting out of his small BMW car, he barely had the chance to use the car because they always needed the car seat for Braeden which was in their SUV. Today was Meredith's day-off so she used the SUV to take Braeden to the mall for some Mom and son alone time. Derek pressed the small remote and waited for the car alarm to activate before he was satisfied to go inside. He placed his coat on the rack and he placed his laptop bag on top of the round table in the hallway.

"Mer! Are you home?" Derek called out as he walked up the stairs.

"In here!" Meredith replied from inside the bathroom. Derek entered the room and found her giving their son a bath.

"Dada!" Braeden splashed around in the tub excitedly.

"Baby, stay still!" Meredith wiped her face where all the water from the tub found its way to.

"Messy day?" Derek placed a kiss on top of her head and affectionately patted Braeden's wet head.

"Yeah," Meredith nodded. "He had a fight with the ice cream cone."

"Who won?" Derek smiled amusedly as he watched his son play with the toy boat he bought for him a few weeks ago.

"Ice cream."

"I'd better leave you two alone," Derek left the room to change.

"Remember what Mommy told you a while ago, Braeden?" Meredith asked his son as soon as she knew Derek was out of earshot.

"Uh-huh," Braeden nodded and recited what Meredith told him a while ago. "No dollies when Dada's around!"

"Good," Meredith nodded satisfactorilly. "Cos' Dada's gonna be mad at Mommy if he finds out she gave in to your quivering lip and bought you a doll."

Braeden giggled loudly and splashed some water around.

"I think you're done," Meredith announced and picked him up and wrapped his towel around him.


"Did you get his stuff?" Derek asked Meredith before they headed out. It was barely 5 AM and he was carrying Braeden who was still in his pajamas and a thick hooded-jacket. Braeden was fast asleep, his steady breathing matched by Derek's.

"Yeah," Meredith nodded, pointing to the bag in her hands.

"What's in there?" Derek noticed the bulkiness of the bag as he placed Braeden on his car seat. "It looks bigger than usual."

"His change of clothes," Meredith told him as she placed the bag on the seat and double checked Braeden's car seat. She closed the door and walked to the other side of the car. As soon as Meredith buckled up, Derek started the engine and they drove off. They reached Seattle Grace half an hour later. Meredith immediately took Braeden to the on-call room and placed him on one of the beds, propping a pillow on the side to prevent him from falling. She'll change his clothes as soon as she gets changed herself and later, once rounds starts, Derek will check on him and take him to the day care as soon at it opens. That was their usual arrangement.

At noon, Derek would pick him up from the daycare and take him to lunch and that was he was about to do just now. He entered the daycare and he signed Braeden out. He scanned the room for his son's light blond hair and found him on one of the corners by himself. Derek walked over to him and peered over to see what was keeping his son busy. His eyes went wide in horror as he sees the doll his son was holding and apparently, feeding with a small baby bottle.

"Braeden!" Derek called out, startling the little boy.

Braeden turned around and his small eyes went wide in shock and guilt. "Uh-oh. No dollies when Dada's around."

"No dollies at ALL!" Derek told him as he picked him up and pried the doll away from him.

"No! Dolly! Dolly!" Braeden reached down to the doll which Derek held on his other hand.

"We are going to have a little man to man talk over lunch, young man," Derek clenched his teeth as he walked out of the daycare. "But first... I need to have a little talk with your Mommy."

"Dolly! Dolly!" Braeden kept on trying to reach out for the doll.

Derek found Meredith with her interns near the nurses counter and he cleared his throat for her to recognize his presence. "Dr. Shepherd, a word with you please?"

"Mommy!!!" Braeden reached out towards Meredith.

Meredith quickly gave out her orders and as soon as her interns were out of sight, she reached out and took Braeden from Derek. She looked at Derek and waited for him to speak. He raised the doll right in front of her and she knew she was in big trouble.

"Care to explain?" Derek raised his eyebrow at her.

"It's just a doll, Der," she told him.

"Just a doll? Just a doll!?" Derek could feel his pressure rising. "It's a doll, Mer! A doll! What is our son doing with a doll!?"

"There's nothing wrong with playing with a doll, Derek. Studies show that..."

"I don't care what studies show or say, Mer! My son is not playing with dolls!"

"You are such a close-minded person, Derek Shepherd," Meredith shook her head as she looked at her husband. She handed him Braeden despite the boy's protests and took the doll from Derek. "Here, take your son to lunch."

She walked away with the doll in hand.

"Get rid of that thing, Mer!" Derek called out after her. "Burn it if you will!"


"Where have you been?" Meredith placed a kiss on his cheek. Her eyes traveled down to the shopping bags he was carrying. "What's that?"

"Just some stuff for Braeden," Derek simply said. "Where is he?"

"Living room," Meredith told him as she headed for the kitchen.

Derek walked into the living room and found his son in front of the television.

"Braeden, you're too close to the set, buddy," Derek told his son as he sat down on the carpet. "And c'mere, Dada's got something for you."

Braeden immediately turned his attention from the television to Derek and crawled over to him. Derek stopped himself from loosing his cool once he saw what his son was once again dragging around.

"I thought Mommy threw away the dolly?" Derek asked him.

Braeden shook his head and showed the doll to Derek. "Nooooo."

"Can Dada borrow the dolly?"

"No," Braeden shook his head and hid the doll behind him. Derek knew he had to bargain with his son so he brought out what he bought from the toy store earlier. A big blue monster truck, a kiddie baseball set, and a big superman action figure. He knew it was already working when Braeden crawled closer and began to look at the toys Derek brought out. Derek opened all of them and handed it to him. Once Braeden's attention was on the other toys, Derek grabbed the doll and threw it behind the couch, planning on taking it out to the trash bin later.

"Boys! Dinner!" Meredith appeared in the doorway and she shook her head in amusement. She raised her eyebrow as she looked at Derek with a smirk on her face.

"What?" Derek innocently asked her.

"Bribing your son to let go of the D-O-L-L?"

"He's already forgotten all about it, see?" Derek watched as his son played with the big truck.

"I somehow doubt that," Meredith told him. "He's attached to the thing."

"With you to thank, by the way."

"What! You know how hard it is to say no to him when he's making that quivering lip thing he does," she shrugged. "I bet you would have bought it for him if you were the one with him."

"I somehow doubt that."

"C'mon, baby, dinner," Meredith called out to her son. Braeden dropped the toy truck and stood up. He looked around and wonder adorned his face. "What is it, Brae?"

"Dolly?" Braeden looked at Meredith.

"Ask your Dada," Meredith laughed.

"Dada?" Braeden looked at Derek.

"He's doing that quivering lip thing, Mer," Derek spoke to Meredith but his eyes were fixed on his son's face.

"And in a few seconds... You're about to give him back his dolly..."

"Dada?" Braeden asked Derek again, in the verge of tears.

"Arrgh," Derek mumbled and grumbled as he stood up and reached behind the couch. His hands went around the dolly's neck and strangled it a bit before facing his son and handing it to him. Braeden took it with a big smile on his face and gave it a brief hug before turning around and skipping towards Meredith. Meredith gave Derek a knowing smile. "I hate that you're always right, Mer. But I hate you for buying that doll for our son more."

"You don't hate me, Der," Meredith smiled at him as she turned around and led Braeden to the kitchen

"That's right!" Derek called out. "I don't hate you! That doesn't mean I'm not angry with you!" Derek looked down at the toys he bought for his son and gave out a disappointed sigh. He needed to think of a way to get rid of that doll...

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Braeden's goal in life? Give his father a heart attack. HA-HA-HA.

What'd you guys think:D

And I want to know what you guys think of boys playing with dolls. Cos' I think it's just hilarious when fathers react in a bad way... It's just a doll, anyway... Right?


Mischief # 4 - Big Fish