Meredith opened her eyes wondering what the warmth pressed into her side was coming from, then she realised Ella was snuggled close into her chest. Meredith stroked the girl's cheek with her hand and Ella looked up, "mommy" she whispered with wide eyes.
"What is it honey?"
"Cristina told me you were sad."
Meredith tried to smile but her memories from last night came back and she found it too hard to look cheerful. Ella crawled up the bed and hugged her, "why are you sad mommy?"
"Its just something that happened last night buttercup."
"Cristina told me Derek made you sad."
Meredith blinked slowly it was true but she felt heartless thinking that way, "sweetheart listen."
"I thought Derek was good but he hurt you so he's bad, if he tries to be mean to mommy again I'll stop him."
"Ella it isn't Derek's fault."
"Did he say sorry mommy," Ella looked at Meredith expectantly.
"Ella" Meredith said weakly.
"He didn't say sorry."
"Ella it's going to be alright, mommy and Derek will talk and we'll be friends again." Meredith thought about what she said and she hoped that it would be true.
"Okay mommy" Ella kissed Meredith's forehead, "I love you mommy you're the best mommy of all the mommies in the universe."
"My wonderful girl" Meredith whispered. "The most wonderful kind beautiful smart" Ella smiled widely, "cheeky funny bubbly."
"Mommy" Ella laughed.
"Amazing and I think I said wonderful girl, I love you so much Ella Grey." Meredith hugged her kissing her cheek and she knew at the moment that no matter who was in her life as long as she had her daughter it was really all that she needed.
All morning Meredith tried her hardest to concentrate on her work and not think about Derek she didn't want to see him until she felt like herself again. She didn't want to see her friends either she had a strong hunch that Cristina had spread the news about last night like wildfire. Cristina had made her promise before Meredith could run out of her house that she would talk about it with her when she got home and she knew that she was both unprepared and unwilling to discuss it. Her lunch break finally arrived and Meredith instead of going to the cafeteria walked straight to her office pulling out the sandwiches she had hurriedly prepared in her kitchen.
"Meredith" a familiar male voice called out.
Oh no Meredith thought as she hurried towards her office.
"Meredith" Derek ran down the hall and in front of her, "hey I was wondering where you were."
"Hi Derek" Meredith said trying to stay calm.
"I'm glad I found you, hey what's that in your hand."
"That's my lunch Derek" Meredith said in a flat voice.
"Those dry mouldy things, can I buy you a pudding instead they looked great this morning when I checked."
"How dare you" Meredith whispered.
"Sorry" Derek replied.
"Your with someone and you just go around flirting with other people, messing with their feelings."
"I don't understand."
Meredith screamed in rage and started to punch Derek in the stomach, Derek stumbled back shielding his face. Meredith relentlessly kept on hitting him pushing him against the wall, "Meredith please stop" Derek wheezed clutching his chest.
Meredith stopped and glared at him, "you jerk you self-centered horrible jerk how dare you mess with people's feelings like this."
"Meredith" Derek looked at her with eyes full of worry, "please tell me what did I do?"
"You know what you did I saw you in the park yesterday hugging some woman am I the only one who you playfully banter with Derek, are there other nurses in the hospital as well that you might have one night stands with perhaps." Meredith felt tears burning in her eyes, "when I find your misses Derek i'm telling her exactly how you treat women, and don't think i'm not going to find her."
Derek stood up looked her in the eye and started to laugh. Meredith gritted her teeth wondering how she could ever have feelings for Derek, "oh you think it's funny huh" Meredith raised her fist.
"Woah Meredith" Derek raised his hands again, "please no more pain I'm not seeing anyone."
"So you think it's a good thing picking up women having your way with them and then dumping them do you jerk."
"Meredith that woman you saw me with was my sister."
Shock struck Meredith like she had placed her hand on an electric fence, "what?" she cried.
"Amelia she's my sister she came to visit me from New York."
"You" Meredith struggled for words, "Derek."
"Meredith please" Derek put his hand on her shoulder, "I don't treat women badly I wouldn't want anyone to think that especially you."
"Me?" Meredith whispered.
"Look can I see you after work today I need to talk to you about something important."
"Okay yeah sure."
"I'll wait for you" Derek walked off leaving Meredith frozen on the spot, "Derek" Meredith called to him "i'm really sorry."
Derek grinned, "just don't tell Amelia or anyone I work with that you squished me like a bug they would never let me forget it."
The rest of the shift flew by and Meredith taking deep breaths looked herself in the mirror wishing she had brought makeup and she thought of what might happen after tonight she was afraid of how Derek would respond and afraid of what might change in her life if she did reveal her feelings. "I don't care" she said to her reflection, "i'm going to talk to Derek I'm going to tell him how I feel and no matter what he says you just got to live with it, you've made up your mind Meredith." She hurried outside the hospital and saw Derek standing by a lamppost waiting for her.
"Hi" Meredith whispered feeling butterflies in her stomach.
"Hey" Derek smiled softly, "can we walk over there."
"Okay" Meredith wandered with Derek to the pier, "this is the first time I saw you."
"When I was hurrying to the hospital."
"Yeah I couldn't stop staring at you how pretty you looked."
Meredith beamed, "you're a sweet talker."
"Yeah well I should be serious" Derek stopped and stepped closer to Meredith, "Meredith what I wanted to ask you is."
"Yes Derek" Meredith said softly.
"I was wondering" Meredith anxiously waited for him to speak watching Derek's facial expression change from confident to paralysed.
"Derek" Meredith said.
"When my parents come they're going to want to meet my friends so I was hoping you could see them, and you know tell them that I'm happy here so they're not worried that I'm like unhappy here or something."
Meredith sighed then she looked up and smiled, "of course I can Derek" they stood for a few moments trying to not look the other in the eye. Derek groaned," Meredith are you going to hit me."
Meredith giggled, "no Derek."
"Then I shouldn't be afraid of doing this" Derek bent down slowly Meredith closed her eyes and felt cool lips touching her for moment before Derek pulled back, "Meredith I'm sorry I."
"No" Meredith whispered and she reached up and kissed him passionately feeling his hair in her hands feeling Derek's arms around her waist she kissed him for a long time and as the waves came crashing against the rocks she at last pulled back and smiled with Derek.
