Chapter Three It's Your Love
Meredith woke up early the next morning. Her eyes blinked several times as she glanced around the room, quickly scanning it for any sign of Derek. When she found the room empty, she sighed with relief, pushing back the covers and slowly stretching. When she swung her legs over the side of the bed and put her feet down, she felt something soft beneath her feet…a t-shirt. She picked it up and lifted it to her face, breathing in deeply. Almost immediately, she recognized the scent of Derek's cologne. Meredith sat back down on the bed and for a moment, she let her mind drift back to the previous night. Making love to Derek had felt so good, she wanted to revel in the sensation just a minute longer but her pleasant daydream was rudely interrupted when the door to her bedroom flew open and a blond, little whirlwind rushed inside.
"Mommy…mommy…uncle Marc is making pancakes…come...you have to come, mommy!" Laura's little face was thrilled with enthusiasm.
"Good morning hon," Meredith smiled, hugging Laura before she stood and slid into her bathrobe. "You go ahead…I'll be right down, sweetie." Meredith hurried to the bathroom and splashed some water in her face. She shot into her clothes and opened the bedroom door. A sweet aroma wafted through the hallway and the lovely smell caused Meredith's mouth to water and her stomach to rumble. She entered the kitchen to find Lexie sitting beside Laura while Marc stood behind the stove.
"Morning," she smiled as she stepped inside and sat opposite Lexie and her daughter. The three people in the kitchen looked up and let out smiles of their own when they saw Meredith. "Morning to you too Meredith…you must be starving after all that hard "work" from last night," Marc said in a playful tone as he placed a pancake on Meredith's plate. Meredith blushed but Lexie placed a hand on her arm. "It's OK Mere…I know someone who got an appetite too…and I don't mean for food!" she added with a naughty smile. Now it was Marc's time to blush.
"Just teasing you sweet sister-in-law," Marc said playfully as he leaned closer to Meredith. He laid a quick kiss on her cheek and softly whispered. "It was about time you two found your way back together!" Meredith said nothing but smiled mysteriously, digging her fork into the pancake.
"What are your plans for today sis? Lexie asked as she scooted closer to Laura to watch her drawings. Meredith cleared her throat and glanced at Marc. "I thought I would show Laura my old house…I heard Alex and Izzie have plans of building their own house. I'm not quite sure if I should keep my mom's place or sell it?" Marc let out a small laugh and shook his head. "Maybe Derek wants to buy the place."
Meredith frowned. "Why?"
Marc walked over to the fridge and opened the door to grab some eggs. "Well…Derek has been living in the house too. After you left, he sold his land…including your dream house."
Before Meredith could say anything else, the phone rang in the living room. Lexie moved around the counter to retrieve the phone but Laura jumped up before she could get far enough. "I'll get it, aunt Lexie!" she yelled before running out of the kitchen to go pick up the phone. The three adults watched the little girl run out of the room with a huge smile. Being only four years old, she was probably the smartest kid ever.
"She's getting so big," Lexie smiled as she took over the spoon Marc held before her mouth with a large, red strawberry.
"I know. It feels like just like a day ago when she came into my life." Meredith nodded in agreement as she looked at Laura. It amazed her sometimes how much Laura meant to her. She'd never been selfish but if you would have asked her during her internship what she would be doing in four years, her answer would have been: becoming an excellent surgeon. And if you would have told her she would be a mom with a four-year old daughter, she would have probably laughed. But now Laura was her everything and she wouldn't change anything about her life…well maybe one thing…she would have never left Derek!
"Mommy! It's for you!" Laura yelled as she came running into the kitchen with the cordless phone in her hand. Meredith looked at Lexie confused for a moment before taking the phone from Laura's hand. Lexie rolled her eyes and smiled at Marc before glancing over at Meredith.
….
"Hey…how are you?" Meredith asked gently.
….
"That's OK. I was planning to show Laura my mom's house anyway so I'll see you later, OK?" Meredith said softly as she rested her hand on top of Laura's head and let out a small smile.
"Who was that mommy?" Laura asked after Meredith had ended the call.
Meredith knelt down so she was eye level with her daughter. "That…," she said softly "…was Derek, you know the doctor who brought you back to mommy yesterday? He's a real good friend of mommy's and he lives in your grandmother's house!"
"Are we going to the house?" Laura asked excitedly. "The house with the swing?"
Meredith smiled and kissed Laura's forehead than she patted her little behind. "Yeah…the house with the swing…now let's get you dressed so we can go!"
* * *
The summer heat wrapped around Meredith like a warm blanket when she stepped outside. She lifted Laura into the car and strapped her in her car seat. "Ready to go?" she smiled to the little girl. Laura nodded and Meredith got behind the steering wheel. She clicked on the air conditioner and pulled slowly away from Marc and Lexie's driveway, making sure she had clear view. As she drove south, she felt how her heart began to beat faster. The closer she came to her mom's house, the more excited she got. Without noticing, she pushed on the accelerator, picking up speed, almost running a stop sign. When the house came into view, she relaxed and smiled. She pulled up the driveway and sat there for a minute, watching her mom's house. The morning sun made its way over the garden and onto her old porch…the porch with the wooden, rocking bench. Meredith opened her car door, letting in the smell of roses. She took in a deep breath and hurried to unstrap Laura from her car seat.
"The swing! Quick mommy…I want to swing!" Laura wormed her way out of the car seat and ran up the porch. Almost at the same time, the front door of the house swung open and Izzie stormed outside. "Meredith…finally!"
"Hey Iz," Meredith smiled while Izzie wrapped her arms around her. When Izzie let go of Meredith she got onto her knees in front of Laura. "Hi Laura…I can't believe how you've grown!"
"Yes…I'm almost this tall!" Laura stretched out her hand above her head. Izzie laughed and rose to her feet. "You want to swing?"
"Yes…can I?"
"Sure." Izzie lifted Laura and together they sat down on the wooden bench. "Isn't Alex around?" Meredith asked while she glanced through the windows.
"No…he had to work…but Derek's here. He's up in his room…your old bedroom!" Izzie smiled while she shielded her eyes from the sun.
"Look mommy…I'm swinging," Laura breathed excitedly while she lifted her arms into the air.
"Yeah…I can see. Is it OK if mommy takes a look inside while you stay here with aunt Izzie?" Laura nodded firmly and Meredith gave a nod towards Izzie to make sure she was alright with the arrangement. "Go ahead Mere…I'll watch her." Izzie said with a warm smile while she pulled Laura onto her lap.
"Wheew…Laura squealed while Izzie swung the rocking bench even faster. Meredith smiled but then turned to enter her old house. The living room was much lighter and the furniture had been rearranged in a modern fashion with more space between items. The fireplace looked really good in its original stone colour and some of her mom's old paintings had been replaced with modern ones. Meredith closed her eyes and listened. The house was quiet except for the dishwasher that was running smoothly in the kitchen. When she opened her eyes again, she turned and slowly went upstairs. The door at the end of the hallway on the left was her old bedroom. Fiddling nervously with her hands, she bit her bottom lip, hesitating if she should go there. Summoning all her courage, she softly knocked on the bedroom door. "Derek?" She whispered softly.
There was no answer so Meredith took in a deep breath and slowly pushed the bedroom door open.
The room was dark but she could make out the shapes of things. She could see the pillows on the bed, the paintings above the bed and the patted headboard. Derek was in bed, sleeping flat on his back. His breath softly surfed over the ripples of the dark sheets that lay on him. Meredith tiptoed to the bed and leaned slightly closer to get a better look at him. He was as handsome as ever, from his strong jaw to his perfect hair. The day's stubble on his cheeks only enhanced his good looks. Meredith smiled but jumped back with a startled squeak when Derek's hand suddenly shot out, wrapping around her wrist. "What are you doing in my bedroom, Iz?" he growled, blinking his eyes, looking up.
"Meredith?" Derek quickly released her wrist when he recognised her in the dim light.
"I'm so sorry Derek…I didn't mean to wake you," she stammered. "I'm only here to visit my old house…I heard Izzie and Alex are planning to move out so I wanted to see it for myself. I'm thinking of selling…" Derek smiled. Meredith hadn't changed a bit. She still started rambling when she was nervous.
"It's OK Mere," he said softly. "I don't mind you coming in here…it is your old bedroom!" Meredith nodded and wrapped her arms across her chest to bolster her courage. "What time is it?" Derek asked while he sat up and ran a hand through his sleep-tousled hair. Meredith wasn't wearing a watch and stepped closer to the bed to view the alarm. Unfortunately her foot got caught in a heap of clothes next to the bed and she stumbled forward, landing on top of Derek. He couldn't suppress a grin when he caught Meredith, wrapping his arms around her.
"Are you OK?" he asked softly, his warm breath tickling her neck.
"Mmm," Meredith nodded, trying to get away from Derek's tight embrace. At first she was caught off guard but now she was highly aware of his body spooning hers. The bells going off in her head got even louder when she realised he wasn't wearing any clothes. Before she realised what happened, Derek rolled on top of her and started passionately kissing her. In the back of her mind, Meredith heard warning bells sounding louder however their kissing totally overrode any concerns she had and she closed her eyes. Derek placed tender kisses softly against her lips as he held her close. Meredith moaned lightly into the kiss, her tongue slowly dancing with Derek's. His tongue slid gently over hers, circling it slowly, his fingers stroking back through her hair. Meredith became lost in the moment and began to slide her hands up his bare back as Derek deepened the kiss even more and the rest of the world disappeared. Meredith trembled as Derek cupped her cheek softly in his hand, rolling his tongue over hers. She pressed her body against Derek's, her breasts against his chest, her hands softly caressing his back. A few minutes later, Meredith expected Derek to let them catch their breath, but he didn't. In fact, he didn't seem to show any signs of wanting to stop or even slow down. He was definitely showing signs of wanting, from the quick breathing, the restless hands on her body and…the hard proof of his excitement against her lower body. Meredith started to struggle to think straight and not just be overwhelmed by the incredible feelings of wanting him. We have to stop, she thought to herself. Laura is downstairs…I can't do this…we can't do this. After a few more minutes, Meredith realised it was going to be up to her to put a halt to their actions, especially when Derek's hands had begun to wander under her top. A gentle nudge to his shoulder seemed to have no effect though so Meredith placed her hands against Derek's chest pushing him away. Derek pulled away and stared down on Meredith with glazed eyes, breathing heavily. He rested his head on her shoulder and desperately attempted to catch his breath.
"God, Mere…," he finally breathed.
"Er…Derek, we can't...Laura's downstairs with Iz…we," Meredith slowly shook her head.
Derek took in a deep breath as he rolled off Meredith onto his back. He sighed heavily. "I'm sorry Mere…I guess I got carried away…it's just…you smell so good and I've missed you so much!" Meredith smiled and for a moment she rested her head on his chest. "Well, at least one of us is in control," she said softly…"and I've missed you too!"
Derek stared at Meredith, then threaded his hand through her hair and pulled her to him for a soft, tender kiss. When he withdrew, he caressed her cheek and sat up. "You'd better leave now …I'm in need of a shower…a cold one," he added with a grin.
Meredith giggled and rose from the bed. "OK…I'm leaving," she said firmly. With one last glance back, she quietly opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. Derek stared at the closed door for a while and then finally flopped back on the bed, staring at the ceiling as he replayed everything that had happened between them. He smiled to himself as he realised she had missed him just as much as he'd missed her. And that was, he realised, a damned, good feeling.
* * *
Half an hour later, Derek rushed down the stairs, his hair still damp. He was tucking in his shirt when he entered the porch. "Hey ladies," he said with a smile. Laura tilted her head to the side and watched Derek intently. "You brought me back to my mommy," she said wisely. Derek sat down next to Laura on the rocking bench and extended his hand. "That's right Laura. My name is Derek…I'm a friend of mommy's,"
Laura placed her little hand in Derek's and giggled. "My name is Laura Grey…and I'm pleased to meet y'a!" Derek grinned and tilted Laura onto his lap. "You're a smart, little girl…how about if I built you a real swing…over at that big tree?" Derek pointed at a large oak tree in the back of the garden. Laura's eyes grew big. "Can you?"
"Sure I can…come with me?" Derek lifted Laura onto his hip and together they walked to his Jeep. They came back with a large tyre and some rope. Meredith smiled and watched them as Derek got onto his knees, explaining everything to Laura he was doing.
Izzie leaned back in her chair and glanced at Meredith. "You're still in love with him huh?" Meredith averted her eyes and stared at the wooden porch. She swallowed hard and then nodded. "Yes," she simply answered.
Izzie smiled and placed her hand on Meredith's. "It's OK Mere…I know a lot has happened in your life but you're doing a wonderful job with that little girl!" Meredith quickly wiped away a single tear from her cheek and took in a deep breath. "She means the world to me," she admitted softly.
"I know," Izzie said softly. "If only…"
"If only…what?" Meredith repeated while she looked up. Somehow she had a feeling Izzie was not telling everything.
Izzie rolled her eyes and sighed. "Oh…what the heck. You're gonna find out anyway. I'm pregnant…that's why Alex and I are searching a house…a bigger one…to be exact!" Meredith let out a squeal of excitement that made Derek and Laura look up. Izzie and Meredith were both laughing and crying and they rose to hug each other. Laura shrugged her shoulders and then focused her attention back to the swing. "Silly girls!" she mumbled. Derek had to suppress a grin and he continued tying the rope to the tyre. When the swing was finished he climbed the oak tree and attached it to a big branch.
* * *
Meredith sat on the porch, watching Derek while he pushed Laura on the self-made swing. The sun started to set and the long shadow of the oak tree fell upon the house and the broad grassy yard. Meredith nodded unnoticeably and rose. It was time for dinner. "Laura…are you coming sweetie. It's time to go home!"
Laura pouted a little but when Derek whispered something into her ear, a broad smile curled her lips. She let Derek take her off the swing and together they walked back to the house. Meredith leaned down and hugged Laura. "I guess you had a great time huh?" Laura nodded, enjoying her mom's hug. When Meredith let go, she frowned. "Can I swing tomorrow?"
Meredith smiled and hugged her again. "You certainly can," she agreed. "But now it's time to eat!"
Almost at the same time, Izzie appeared in the doorway. "I've ordered pizza…wanna join us?"
"Yah," Laura threw her arms around Izzie and gave her a massive hug. "Can we mommy…pleeaase…!"
"With Pepperoni?" Meredith asked.
"Sure!" Izzie nodded.
"I guess than its OK," Meredith smiled.
Half an hour later, they all sat around the dinner table, devouring large pepperoni pizzas. By the time, they had put it away, Laura had devoured three slices, licking her fingers and asking for more.
"Are you still hungry?" Meredith asked wide-eyed, not used to Laura eating that much. The little girl nodded and licked her greasy lips.
Derek placed a hand on Laura's arm and grinned. "How about strawberry milkshakes for dessert?"
Laura nodded excitedly and watched as Derek went to the fridge. Moments later, he returned with a batch of strawberries, ice-cream and whipped cream. Meredith tenderly watched Laura and Derek slice and crush the ingredients and she leaned back in her chair, thinking it had been an unexpectedly, perfect day. When she looked up, her eyes met Derek's. They looked at each other at the same time. Meredith felt the electricity in his gaze and she knew, he could feel it too. It was good to be back in Seattle!