Chapter 4: Who Says You Can't Go Home
A/N: I know. Trust me, I know. It has been an awfully long time since I have updated, and I am so sorry about that :( I have been so busy lately, and I have had absolutely no time to write! I hope this update is worth it, and I will try to update more frequently! Thanks for reading x
Meredith woke up the next morning after their fight a little dazed. She looked around her, and before coherent thoughts could form in her mind, she wondered why she was in her bed, not Derek's. Quickly the events of last night started to come back to her, and her eyes filled with tears. She quickly shook her head and wiped her eyes, embarrassed even though she was the only one in the room.
She sat up abruptly and felt a little dizzy before standing up and walking over to her closet. Still dazed from sleep (or lack of sleep) she grabbed the pair of jeans and top that were closest to her, and threw them on, grabbing her hair brush as she walked out the door. She had to take a second to search her fuzzy mind to see if she had any classes or appointments today. She finally concluded that she didn't and made her way down the stairs. She passed her mothers den that was still filled with her and Thatchers miscellaneous stuff, and she made a mental note to start to tidy some of the old junk up. She walked into the kitchen to find Alex sitting at the table eating cereal out of the box and reading the newspaper.
"Hey, Mer." Alex mumbled in between gulping from the milk container and stuffing cereal in his mouth. Meredith rolled her eyes and greeted him. Alex swiveled on his chair turned towards her, watching her open a box of Captain Crunch.
"Can I ask you a question?" Alex said cautiously.
"Well, that was technically a question anyway so...ask away."
"Why were you up at 4am this morning having a shower and then watching TV?"
"What? Oh. Um...I couldn't sleep. Lot's of...things on my mind. I was thinking about...things...and I couldn't...um...stop. Thinking, I mean. I couldn't stop thinking." Meredith said lamely. When Alex raised his eyebrows at her, she turned away from him to the fridge to get some milk.
"Okay. Now tell me why you were really up at 4am this morning having a shower and watching TV." Alex smirked.
"I just told you! I was thinking. I couldn't stop thinking."
"Right. What were you thinking about?"
"It's nothing..." Meredith avoided, and poured the milk into her cereal. Alex shrugged and was about to turn back to his newspaper when Meredith turned to look at him.
"It's just...his eyes. And his hair. And the things he says...Damn. I'm so falling for him! Stupid, stupid Meredith. I can't believe this. I'm that girl, aren't I? I'm the girl who swoons, and says cheesy things, and calls him first, and...Oh God, my life is becoming a soap opera. I can't believe this! Stupid McDreamy with his eyes, stupid boy penises..." Meredith ranted.
"Wait, what? Who are we talking about?" Alex asked, confused.
"Derek, goddamnit! Derek Christopher Shepherd."
Alex still looked at her quizzically, so she clarified it by reminding him about the $150.00 anatomy book.
"Ahhh, that Derek! Right, I'm with you now. Kind of..."
"And then theres the Mark thing. Why can't Mark be a normal brother? Not an overprotective idiot who thinks I have to have his permission before I can date anyone? He is so cautious when it comes to who I sleep with, but he is sleeping with anyone with a pulse! And then there's the fact that I have these stupid rules. The rules that I promised I wouldn't break, and he's almost convincing me to break them? Ugh, what is wrong with me? Alex, seriously, I need you to answer me..."
"Answer you...How am I supposed to do that? I'm not a chick, I don't speak your language. Hell, I'm not sure if half of what you just said was english..."
"Will you just get over yourself for one second and help me out here? Come on, just...I don't know, be Cristina for me or something!"
"Um...okay. I'm channeling Cristina...so...I think that she would say...a man does not define who you are?" Alex said, looking like he was concentrating really hard.
"She would so not say that, but that helps, thank you. You're right. I did the right thing. A man does not define who I am...I am my own person."
"Well, you're gonna be a hungry person if you don't eat the soggy cereal you've been holding for the last ten minutes. I have to go. I have to meet up with my first year." Alex rolled his eyes.
"So you didn't get a hot chick?" Meredith smirked, calming down a little.
"Well, yeah, she's hot, but I have no idea how she got into UW, she has no brains. I bet if I asked her what specialist you would need for a brain aneurysm, it would take her half an hour to come up with 'neurosurgeon'."
Meredith laughed, her mood lightening. "I really should call Lexie...if I find her number. I wrote it down somewhere..."
"You wrote it down somewhere that's helpful..."
They talked a bit more before Alex had to rush out the door, because he was already ten minutes late. Meredith liked Alex, he was fun to talk to and when he wasn't being an ass or a perve, he was a great friend.
Meredith started to clean the dishes when she heard a knock on the door. She walked over to the door and wiped her wet hands on her jeans. She didn't look up to see who it was, and instantly regretted opening the door as soon as she saw who it was.
"Dad." Meredith said in a deflated tone. Just as her day was getting a bit better, Thatcher had to turn up.
"Meredith...Hi sweetie. How are you darling?" He said, smiling a little to widely.
Meredith looked him up and down. Drunk. He was definitely drunk. The tone of his voice was to happy for him to be sober. As she stood there staring at him, she contemplated calling Mark. She knew he said that whenever she needed him, he'd be there, but she didn't want to disturb him at the hospital, she knew how hard he worked. Anyway, he's 'happy drunk' not 'hit-everything-within-reach drunk'. She could handle this. She stepped aside and he walked in. She realised suddenly that she hadn't answered his question.
"I'm fine Dad. What are you doing here?" She said in a careful tone, knowing all too well how easily his 'happy drunk' can turn into something much more violent, and he was set off by the slightest things.
"You know...I was just...in the neighborhood."
"But, Dad, you live in Atlanta..."
"I know that!" He said in a harsh voice, and Meredith took an instinctive step back. Thatchers face softened, as if realising that he was scaring her.
"I know, sweetie, I was just in town and I thought I'd come see my Meri..." He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. She grimaced, and she wasn't sure if it was because of the fact that the man who had caused her so much pain in childhood had just hugged her, or the fact that that same man had used his pet name for her, as if no time had passed, as if she still...loved him.
When he released her her mind told her that something was different, but before she could think more about it, she saw a figure through the screen door. He was just standing there, watching them, his mouth slightly open and his hand stretched forward, as if he was considering coming inside but thought against it. She made eye contact with him and slightly shook her head and put her hand on Thatchers shoulder.
"Would you like go into the kitchen? I was just about to start some coffee." When Thatcher nodded his head, Meredith smiled.
"You go ahead, I'll be there in a moment." She said, and walked around him to the staircase. She watched him go inside the kitchen and close the door before she walked back towards the screen door and opened it quietly. "Derek, what are you doing here?"
I'm sorry for the small cliffhanger at the end, it just seemed like the best place to leave off. I'll try to update soon/more. Please let me know what you think x
