It's been a while, I know, I came back yesterday and I was busy unpacking so I didn't have much time to update this story as well. I'm sorry, I know random updates are frustrating.
Anyway, after 4 chapters of Meredith, I decided to get into Derek's head and just add some fluff. Here we go, Safe at Home by The Constantines, a beautiful lullaby-like song. Enjoy the song and the chapter!
Chapter 5 – Safe At Home
I entered in our bedroom after putting an exhausted Nathan into bed, only to find Meredith asleep as well. A book was laying on her lap, her head tilted to the side, her lips curled up in a secret smile. The more I looked at her, the better she looked. And sometimes I still marveled that she was my wife.
Probably sensing my eyes on her, she stirred and with a goofy smile woke up.
"I can't believe I still fall asleep so easily" she mumbled something that resembled a groan.
"It's been a long day" I smiled softly, laying next to her and kissing her temple, then pulling away a strand of hair from her face.
"I hate it" she spat, then she realized that the hormones were running freely once again and she groaned a second time.
I just leaned in and kissed her lips softly, not wanting to initiate anything, just grateful to have her there, in our bed, after eighteen years, a baby on our way while our three other children slept soundly in their bedrooms. Okay, maybe Grace was still up but she was seventeen after all.
I had missed her in the past four days, missing her smell, her lovely way in which she woke up in the morning, her secret glances while we met in the hospital and we still pretended we weren't married, how good her kisses tasted and simply her and all the things that were Meredith. I had missed my children too, obviously aching to have missed such a big day for Nathan still haunted me, but being away from Meredith made me work a little less happier than usual. And people noticed it, unfortunately.
"How did it go on the East Coast?" Meredith asked quietly, and I couldn't help but smile at the thought because overall, the trip had been worth every single second away from Meredith.
The consult I had made and the consequent surgery hadn't been easy, the guy was still touch and go, but I ringed happily the doorbell of my childhood home. My mother still lived there and each time I got in, a series of mixed emotions overwhelmed me, from the ones of my childhood to the last Christmas spent there with the kids.
The door was opened by a tall, still slender woman after her six kids, her hair a dark shade, but the both of us knew she dyed them.
"Kathleen!" I smiled happily and it sounded like thirty or more years before, when I opened that same door after school, except that the greeting would have been a lot less happier than that.
Kathleen jumped at my neck and hugged me tightly. It had been almost two years after our last meeting and I had missed my oldest sister. Her father-in-law had had some health problems and she and her husband had needed to keep an eye on him a tad more often than before, so we never had matching schedules when we came visiting.
"Oh Derek, it's been so long" she said, releasing me from her arms.
"Yeah. How's Hank?"
"He finally decided to go to a facility, but he's still the same old stubborn man" she grinned, clearly relieved by the new accommodation for the man but at the same time, missing him.
"Oh, that's good"
"What are you doing here?"
"Consult in Philly, Meredith forced me to come and visit Mom. The troop is still back in Seattle, don't go ahead of yourself" I concluded, before she could ask and I could see her smirk.
"I bet Nathan is five inches taller than how I remember him"
"I'm gonna lose his first soccer game tomorrow" I swallowed and she looked at me sympathetically, she had been through the same after all.
"I'm so sorry Derek" she said, putting her hand on my shoulder, then pulling me in the house "Come on in, it's not nice to keep your brother out in the rain" she said, finally noticing the heavy raindrops that had begun to fall after a whole afternoon with dark clouds.
As soon as she closed the door, my mother appeared from the kitchen with her warm smile, the short white hair and the crinkles around her eyes.
"Hello sweetheart" she grinned
"Hi Mom" I replied, walking closer to her and following her in the kitchen when she disappeared. I kissed her cheek while she stirred something that smelled really good in a pot.
"I wish Meredith and the kids were her too, but I can't complain"
"I can leave, you know" I chuckled, knowing my mother too well to take it personally.
"I'm glad you took a detour and you caught a glimpse of your sister. She's staying for lunch too"
"I actually missed my older sister" I said, my voice raising a bit and Kathleen immediately appeared in the kitchen.
"What? Too many boys at home that you miss girls?" she smirked and my mother giggled at our antics.
"I live with the two most beautiful women on Earth, I can't complain. And maybe the score will tie, who knows" I smirked, knowing that nosy as they were, they couldn't help but ask questions.
I knew I had just arrived, but I needed to share the news with anyone. We had decided to wait to spread the news of the pregnancy in case things didn't go as planned, considering the age and out busy jobs, but at this point we felt comfortable enough to shoot it from the rooftops.
"What are you plotting Derek?" my mother understood immediately that I said that on purpose to heat the conversation.
"Oh well, I don't think I can tell you without Meredith here" I faked
"We can call her. Skype her. What about teleport?"
"As much as technology has improved, she's still in Seattle and she'll remain there, but I guess I can work out something, let me just call her"
I went out of the room and I could hear both of them mumbling and sharing thoughts about my statement while I faked a phone call and I simply went upstairs to settle my bag.
When I came downstairs, Kathleen was laying the table so I helped her. She was looking up a me every five seconds and I knew she was eager to ask, but she kept quiet, knowing that it would have been pointless. When Mom came in with the soup and we sat, I finally decided to talk but Mom preceded me.
"So Derek, how are things back home?"
The perfect question to introduce the news "Well, Grace is almost in college, she'll probably decide for premed and I still can't grasp the concept. Kieran is doing great, both in school and at practice, his games will start next week, Nathan is a perfect second grader, he began playing soccer and as I said, I'm gonna miss his game tomorrow because I'm here."
"Oh Derek" my mother reacted, resting her rough hand on my forearm. Since I could remember, she had always had rough hands for all the work she did at home and outside and it was weird how they never changed.
"I asked Meredith to tape it, then I'll watch it again with him when I come home" I said proudly, finally able to figure out something on the ride here to make it up to him for the lost game.
"That's a good idea. How's Meredith anyway?" Kathleen asked "Always the children first" she mumbled to herself and I couldn't help to chuckle.
"Meredith, well, she's doing great" I smiled widely. She was indeed feeling a lot better than the past weeks, the morning sickness slowly fading away day to day.
"Okay, that sick puppy face means that you miss her more than usual. What's going on? Are you two having a romantic getaway after this, did you had one? Do you miss the sex? Does she-"
Kathleen spilled things until I blurted "She's pregnant" and the table fell silent, before both of the women cheered happily. I could see something different in my mother's eyes, like she had wanted this little miracle for us, her twinkle of happiness contagious.
"That's wonderful, Derek." she said then before Kathleen could add "As long as it's a girl"
"Why everybody keeps saying that?" I wondered, faking clueless.
"I don't know how that woman puts up with all three of you" smirked my mother "Knowing that my grandchildren are your carbon-copy and you were an handful alone"
"It wasn't me, it was Mark" I said, once again feeling like I was six and Mom found a frog in the microwave.
"I see that some things never change" she smirked.
"It was good to be home" I summarized
"You said there was Kathleen there, how is she doing?"
"They put Hank in a home and she looked a lot better than two years ago"
"Heck, I still can't believe it's been two years"
"Me neither. She said that she wants to see our baby girl growing through Skype" I referred and Meredith giggle happily.
"You know, if we'll have another boy I bet someone will switch bassinets just to make us have a girl"
At this point I laughed really hard, considering that half of my family was sleeping already, but Meredith joined me happily. When she finally calmed down, she leaned on my chest and my hand immediately went to rest on her slightly rounder stomach.
"You won't mind that I'll get ridiculously fat, right?" she said in a small, sleepy voice after a few minutes, sleep claiming her once again.
"Have I minded it the last three times?" I smiled, kissing the top of her head just to notice that she was already out as a light.
I listened to her even breaths become soft snores, then I feel asleep holding her, never a better place invented to rest after four days apart.
AN: There was a huge flashback that practically became the biggest part of this chapter. I hope you didn't mind much.
Anyway, this is it for now, it's on the short side, I know.
I will be back soon, my few readers!