How can a knock out change your life
Chapter 9-Probably you've damaged my brain
The alarm rang as usual at 5 o'clock in the morning. Meredith turned around immediately to reach over and slapped over the button to stop it, trying to avoid a scary waking up for the others, but when she returned to her previous position, with the face to them, Sandy was already up in her sit and rubbing a little scared the eyes.
"The alarm scared you sweetie?" Meredith asked her in whisper.
Sandy nodded yawning and continuing to rub her eyes. Then Meredith pulled her head for a kiss brushing her hair to back.
Derek didn't wake up when the alarm rang; he had just stirred a little and turned on face taking the pillow in his arms.
Meredith stretched her arms and body to make her exit out of bed easier and more comfortable, removing then the covers away from her. After she stood up from bed, she saw Sandy bent to Derek, ready to wake him up.
"Oh no, no sweetie let him sleep!" Meredith bent to her and pulled her away from Derek, before she could disturb him.
"Why?" she asked with a sleepy tone and crawling to her mother's arms, who was waiting her at the bed's edge to pick her up.
"He is not coming with us today! Come, let's go out!" Meredith took Sandy in her arms and when she felt her mother's embrace, Sandy wrapped her arms and legs around her mother's body and rested the head sleepy on her shoulder.
Meredith took her in her bedroom and put her on bed. In the moment that Sandy felt the bed under her, her first impulse was to lay down and go back to sleep.
"No, no Sandy, it is time to wake up! Come up baby!" Meredith took her hands and brought her back up in her sit.
"I cannot keep my eyes open mommy!" Sandy was continuing to rub intense her eyes.
"Make an effort baby, please!"
"Can I stay with Derek home?"
Meredith had started already to choose some clothes from closet "No baby, you cannot!" she returned then at her bed and put the clothes on it.
"Please mommy, I want to stay with Derek!" she was sounding still sleepy and her fists were not leaving her sleepy eyes not even for a second.
"No Sandy! You cannot stay home with him today, now please get dressed while mommy is taking a quick shower, ok?"
"Help me!" Sandy grabbed a blouse with one hand, while the other was still rubbing her eye.
"Show me what a big girl you are and dress by yourself!" Meredith bent to her and gave her a quick kiss on her frown forehead.
It was a very early hour for Sandy, because usually Meredith was waking her up with 30 or 45 minutes after her and in the meantime, she was getting ready and was preparing Sandy's breakfast. Because last night Sandy slept with Meredith and the alarm woke her up, Meredith didn't want to put her back to sleep just for a few minutes, knowing that this would cause a more difficult awaked for the little girl.
Knowing Sandy waked and left unsupervised, Meredith hurried with the shower and the dressing. When she returned in Sandy's room, she found her laid back and sleeping. Seeing her so sleepy, she felt sorry to disturb her sleep again, but she knew that she had to do it, so she laid down next to her and with one hand she was smoothing her forehead and with the other one she was patting gently and abdomen.
"Sandy baby, wake up!"
Sandy sent a hand over Meredith's face, as if she would have wanted to remove the noise that was disturbing her sleep.
Meredith took the hand and held it in hers "Come on Sandy, please wake up! You will sleep more at daycare". Meredith stood up then and pulled Sandy in her arms rocking her slowly and kissing her forehead "Come on sweetie!"
When Sandy opened her eyes, Meredith lifted her in her sit and started to undress her. Being half-awake, Sandy let herself dressed by her mother without complains and then carried to bathroom, where Meredith washed her face with cold water. The cold water refreshed her a little, so Meredith put her down to walk on her feet and then she wiped her face with a towel.
"Mommy please let me stay home with Derek!" Sandy remembered that Derek is not going to hospital today and she restarted her pleadings to her mother.
"I've told you already that you cannot stay home with him today!" Meredith finished wiping her face and then she put the towel back on the towel rails.
"Why? I'll be a good girl I promise!"
Meredith kneeled in front of her and brushed the wet strands away from her cheeks and temple "I know sweetie, but Derek has work to do today and he won't be able to take care of you!"
"I'll help him!"
Meredith smiled and shook her head "I am sorry, but not today!"
"Please mommy!"
Meredith stood up and took her hand "No Sandy, I've told you no!"
Sandy pulled her hand away from Meredith's and crossed the arms to chest frowned refusing to go with her.
"Please Sandy, let's not argue today! I am not feeling too great and I would really hate to punish you, so go to your room and brush your hair while I am preparing the breakfast."
Sandy stormed out from bathroom angry and went straight to her bedroom. Meredith hated to see Sandy sad because of this, but she knew that there was no other solution for that moment, so she let out a sigh of frustration and headed to kitchen. She was feeling a little nausea because of the thought that Derek might return to New York, so she made herself just some coffee. For Sandy, she prepared the milk and her cereals and then she poured herself the coffee and took a seat on table waiting for her daughter to come and eat.
Her mind ran away at her worries and didn't notice that Sandy was late to show up. When she recovered her mind, Meredith stood up and left the kitchen to look for her daughter. When she was about to enter her room, she heard voices coming from Derek's, so she changed her mind and went to see who was talking to who.
She found Sandy laid in bed next to Derek and talking with him. Derek having his face turned to her and with one hand he was gently moving her hair behind the ear's.
"Sandy, what are you doing here? Did you wake Derek up?"
Then, Derek pulled Sandy's head to kiss her forehead and rubbed her cheek "Go now, ok? And be a good girl today, I will see you at lunch!"
Sandy nodded with disappointment and crawled to the edge of bed to climb down from it.
Meredith went to take her hand and to lead her outside from there "I'm sorry for this!" she gave a glance to Derek, who was watching them sleepy.
Derek saw that Meredith was avoiding as much as possible to look at him "Are you ok?", but at his question, he noticed again that Meredith didn't look at him.
"Yeah" she turned around holding Sandy's hand and headed to door.
"Meredith" he called her pleading her in the same time to turn around and to look at him.
Meredith did turn around and when she did it, she met his smile, the smile that now all of the sudden she was starting to hate it. She forced herself to place a smile on her face too, so that she can escape from there faster "I'm fine, go back to sleep! I'll talk to you later!" and she turned around and hurried to get out, closing the door after her.
Meredith's fake smile didn't fool Derek, but he didn't show any intention to do something to make her smile honest. As Meredith closed the door and he was left alone, Derek rubbed his face over pillow and buried it in it.
Sandy let herself leaded to kitchen by her mother and took the seat that Meredith had arranged for her. Whatever did Derek tell her, she was now still a little sad, but was no longer angry on her mother.
Meredith poured her the cereals and some milk into a bowl and handed it to her together with her favorite spoon. She took a seat across the table and rested her head on table with the look down on ground.
She didn't notice and heard either when Sandy stood up from her seat and approached her touching gently her hair with her tiny hand. Meredith raised her head when she felt the gentle touch in her hair. Sandy was standing near her and looking up at her sad.
"I'm sorry mommy!"
"What are you sorry for, sweetie?" Meredith felt a little worried when she saw Sandy looking so worried and sad at her.
"Because I made you sad" she was running her tiny palm along Meredith's arm with slow and gentle moves that impressed Meredith deeply.
Meredith rubbed her both cheeks kissing her forehead "Mommy is not sad, I am just tired!" bending to her ear "I think we both need more sleep today!"
Sandy nodded smiling at her and turned around to go back to her seat. But she stopped at the middle of the table and lifted on her toes to reach to the cereals box; once that she touched it with her fingers, she managed to pull it to her and drew it to Meredith.
"You can have from my cereals!" she told her mother handing her the box with a comforting smile on her face.
Meredith could not help herself not to smile wide and to feel deeply touched by Sandy's gesture.
"Do you want to share your cereals with me?"
Sandy nodded and extended her arms to reach to her mother's neck. Meredith bent more to her so that Sandy can grab her. When Sandy wrapped her hands around her, Meredith picked her up and placed her on her lap, cuddling her intensely and kissing repetitively her cheek.
"I have a very generous baby girl!"
Sandy giggled proud in her arms.
Meredith put her down "Go and finish you breakfast! Now mommy is going to have some too!" and leaded her back to her seat and then she took out a bowl and poured herself some milk and some cereals that Sandy had generously offered her.
Meredith's mood improved hundred times more now when she was having the breakfast with that wonderful little girl that brightened her morning and made her forget for a while about Derek. Just watching her how she was sinking the spoon into the bowl with cereals and how she was carefully taking it to mouth, Meredith was keeping a constant smile on her face.
"Done mommy!" Sandy showed her the empty bowl.
"Very good baby! Do you want something else?" Meredith asked her smiling and raising an eyebrow, knowing that she still wants something and what. Sandy bitted her lip and shook her head. "Not even a muffin?" Meredith put the question smiling suggestively.
When Sandy heard that, her eyes grew big with excitement starting to sparkle and nodded. It was indeed the sparkle of a kid that had stepped into a candy shop.
Meredith stood up taking her bowl and Sandy's and put them in sink. She uncovered the basket that was having the Izzie's muffins deposited in and took one out.
Sandy was waiting for her patiently at her seat following her with the eyes everywhere around the kitchen.
"Thank you mommy!" she took the muffin from her mother with both hands and starting that moment her eyes remained glued on it.
"You are welcome!" Meredith's eyes remained fixed on Sandy's delight for the dessert that she had just received. If ever, Sandy was sad or hurting, a muffin was always doing miracles.
"One more mommy?" Sandy gave her a shy look, while she was still holding the muffin partially tasted "Please!" this was her safety key for success.
Meredith gave her a kiss on the top of the head smiling "I think that this is big enough for now! I don't know why all of the sudden Izzie has started to make them twice bigger than normal!" and she gave Sandy a suspicious look, that made her giggle "I would believe that you two made and agreement or something upon this!"
In that moment, Sandy bitted her lip and returned the look to her muffin, avoiding this way any other comment of her mother's about this.
Meredith had just finished with the dishes and Sandy had eaten only half from her muffin, when someone knocked on door.
"Stay quiet here and try to hurry up with that, ok?" Meredith asked Sandy as she was going out from kitchen to answer.
"Hi Addison!" Meredith opened the door wide so that Addison can step in.
"How are you?" Addison asked her a little hesitant and worried.
Meredith gave her a smile and motioned to follow her in kitchen "I am taking the breakfast with Sandy, so I am better" she said it as a whisper when they passed near Derek's room.
"No news from him?"
"He is here! He came late last night and now he is sleeping!"
"What did he say?"
"Nothing, just that he is not coming to work today because he has some work to do!" Meredith shook her head disappointed and entered the kitchen.
Because Sandy was there and they didn't want her to find out anything for moment, Addison just patted her shoulder as encouragement.
"Good morning little muffin!" Addison grabbed Sandy's head from behind and gave her a kiss.
Sandy looked up at her smiling with the mouth foul from the grassy muffin.
"Do you want us to take you today to work?"
"Yeah, it would be a great, but we need to ask this young lady to hurry up a little with the dessert."
Addison and Meredith took a seat on table, each of them on each Sandy's side.
"You have to finish that, because we are using Izzie's car today and we all know how strict she is concerning the cleaning."
"Did you hear that Sandy? Try to hurry up or we will miss the ride with Izzie!"
Sandy nodded and started to hurry with the eating.
When she was done, Meredith lifted her over the sink and helped her to wash her hands, and then she put her down.
"I'll bring your back bag and the raincoat! Stay here with Addie, ok?"
Sandy nodded and went to the chair where Addison was standing so that she can pick her up and put her on her lap.
When she saw herself in Addison's lap, Sandy started to play with her long and redhead hair, wrapping small strands on her forefinger "Addie, will you come with us today to park?"
In the meantime, Addison had started to do the same thing with Sandy's brown hair.
"If it won't rain and if your mommy will agree to go to park today, then yes!"
"I am bored Addie, I don't like the rain!" Sandy was continuing to keep her attention over Addison's hair; her voice was sounding very sad and indeed very bored.
"If it will rain, then we can play inside!"
At Addison's proposal, Sandy sighed and rested her head on her chest. Addison saw her still sleepy, so not to let her fall asleep, she put her back down and stood up taking her hand to take her in living room.
When they were coming out from kitchen, Meredith was just coming to them, holding Sandy's bag, her small jacket and the raincoat. Addison helped Sandy to put the jacket on and bag on her shoulders, while Meredith was dressing herself.
"Ready!" Meredith straightened the jacket and pulled out the hair from behind the neck. She gave her hand to Sandy to lead her out "Let's go!"
Sandy refused to take it and started to walk to Derek's room "I want to say bye to Derek!"
Meredith hurried her steps after Sandy and grabbed her arm "He is sleeping Sandy! Let's go!"
Sandy looked resignedly at her mother and followed her outside without any objections. Addison patted with encouragement Meredith's back and left the apartment, locking it after them.
Down in garage Izzie and Christina were waiting for them pacing around the car.
"Finally!" Izzie shouted throwing her hands nervous in air.
"I am sorry!" Meredith approached them "Blame this longing young lady and the person who baked big muffins!" she gave her a suggestive smile while she was opening the door from the back seats so that Sandy can step in.
Izzie just smiled back and returned to the driver's seat without commenting more about this.
Christina took the seat next to Izzie, and Meredith and Addison in back with Sandy between them well-tight with the safety belt.
Izzie took the car outside and immediately the rain started to pour over it. Sandy let out a painful sigh when she saw how the bad the weather was.
Meredith and Addison felt her disappointment and both patted her legs.
"Maybe it will stop until evening!" Addison bent to her ear and whispered.
Sandy looked up at her and nodded, but not very confident in Addison's encouragements.
As they were tending to hospital, Sandy started to fuss near her mother lap trying to take a better view outside on window.
"Do you want to come at me to look closer?" Meredith asked when she saw her restless.
When Sandy nodded, Meredith released her from tight and picked her up to put her on her lap with the face turned to window.
"Mommy, the sky is crying?" She asked her as she was having again her eyes up on sky, bringing in the same time a smile on the others' faces.
"Yes sweetie!"
Sandy sighed and rested her chin on the window's edge continuing to watch the sky sad "Why is the sky so sad? It cries all the time!" she asked again bouncing her face with every word that she was articulating.
"I don't know!"
"She likes to ask questions!" Addison smiled amused at Sandy's curiosity.
"Yeah, and from what I have noticed she has a special interest in sky! Last night we had a long talk about it!"
In that moment Sandy raised her head and moved her position in Meredith's lap with the face turned to Addison, who was sitting behind Izzie's chair.
"Addie, how can the baby breathe in mommy's tummy?" She remembered the question that she hadn't received an answer for in the previous night.
"Umm…" Addison gave a puzzled look to Meredith, who in exchange just smiled at her and shrugged.
"Mommy said she doesn't know!"
"Very smart of you Meredith!" Christina laughed from her seat. For this Meredith hit her chair with the foot.
"Umm… the baby has a cord on their belly and they breathe through it!" Addison tried to find a simple explanation for Sandy's question.
Sandy looked at her with disbelief and shook her had "The baby breathes through nose and mouth Addie" she started to giggle with sympathy for Addison's little mistake "Nobody can breathe through belly! Right mommy?" she then turned her look to Meredith and asked convinced that her mother will agree with her.
"This happens when the baby comes out from tummy; before that the baby breathes through a cord, just how Addie told you!"
Sandy looked at her and shook her head "You don't know anything mommy!" she twitted her mother "How is it Izzie? Do you know?"
Izzie kept her attention on road all the way, but her ears were also at the conversation that Sandy had started with the others "Well sweetie… Addie and mommy are right, this is how the baby breathes! It's weird I know, but this is the way it happens!"
Sandy remained quiet meditating on the explanation that she had just received.
"But how is the baby coming out from there?" This time she addressed the question to everyone, while her eyes were again over the window from her mother's seat.
"I like her! She will become a great doctor with her avidity for information! She is pretty smart for a 4 years old girl!" Christina said impressed from her seat. With all this, she didn't gave a sign that she wants to give her an answer.
"I am almost 5, Christina!" Sandy shouted offended at her and then looked at each of them waiting for a response.
Meredith motioned to Addison to hurry and give Sandy an answer.
"Umm… through mommy's tummy! We cut them open and we take the baby out from there!"
Sandy instantly took a shocked look on her face and horrified in the same time looking up at Meredith "Mommy!"
"It's true sweetie!" Meredith ran slowly the fingers through Sandy's hair.
"I will never have babies!" Sandy said scared and put her head on Meredith's chest.
"It's not painful at all Sandy! The doctor put you to sleep and while you are sleeping the baby is taken out from there!"
"I don't want to be cut on tummy!" Sandy shook her head firmly and returned to window resting her head on her mother.
"At least she stopped with the question about sex!"
"Christina!" Meredith hit Christina's chair again.
In that moment, Sandy raised her head and shook it "I know what is it! Mark told me!"
Izzie had just stopped at the red light when Sandy said that and everyone turned their faces to her.
"He did?" they all asked shocked.
Sandy nodded.
"What did he tell you?" Meredith asked her afraid to find out the answer.
"He told me that it is a game that you and Derek are playing together!" Her answer came natural. "But why don't you play it with me too?" She asked her a little sad.
When they heard that, Christina burst into a hysteric laugh, Izzie and Addison started to laugh silently and Meredith buried her face extremely embarrassed in Sandy's neck.
"I am going to kill him! I am going to kill him!" Meredith started to mumble.
"Mommy!" Sandy looked at her mother and patted her cheek to look at her.
"Sandy, I don't know what Mark is talking about and from now on I deny you to be his friend and to listen everything that he tells you!"
"Why?"
"Because… because he makes fun of you!"
"Oh!" Sandy took a sad expression on her face, when she heard that about her newest friend.
"Addison, you have to talk to your boyfriend and tell him to stay away from her!" Meredith glared her.
"Wait, wait! Mark is not my boyfriend, we are just having sex together which doesn't make us a couple, so don't tell me about this!"
"Addie, what is that sex?" This time Sandy asked Addison, because she seemed to know what is it.
"Go on … Addie, tell her!" Meredith smiled at her.
All of the sudden, Addison started to feel uncomfortable on her seat so she started to fuss.
"Addie!" Sandy was still waiting for her to answer.
"Ask Izzie!" Addison said fast passing this way the question to Izzie.
"Izzie!" Now Sandy's eyes were on Izzie.
Izzie jammed on the footbrake exactly when she arrived into the hospital's parking lot. She looked in the rear-view mirror at Sandy and saw her eyes on her. Immediately she turned off the engine and opened the door fast "We are here and we are late, so let's hurry!" and she got out very quickly.
Everyone followed her, but when she stepped out from car, Sandy put the question again "What is that sex?" this time she was addressing the question to everybody.
Christina opened her umbrella and held over her and over Sandy's, while she was slamming the door from her seat. "It is something that you will find out when you will grow up!"
"But I am not little! I am big girl, right mommy?" She turned at Meredith and took her hand.
"Not big enough baby!"
"When you will grow up like the rest of us you will find out and you will be very pleasantly surprised to find out what is it! Until then, shut up with this subject!" Christina told her.
Meredith was holding Sandy's hand and together with Christina, they started to walk to entrance.
"Thank you!" Meredith whispered to Christina.
"You're welcome!"
In the main lobby they broke up, Addison, Izzie and Christina heading to work, and Meredith with Sandy to daycare.
"Be a good girl and don't upset Mrs. Maggie ok sweetie?" Meredith took her inside and kneeled in front of her.
"Ok!"
Meredith stood up and saw Mrs. Maggie, the supervisor coming to them.
"Good morning Sandy, Dr. Grey!" she greeted them politely.
"Good morning Mrs. Maggie!" Sandy went to her and took her hand.
"I'll come to take her at lunch!"
"Dr. Shepherd can come and take her?" Maggie asked her.
In that moment, Meredith reminded again of Derek "Yes, but I doubt that he will come today!"
"Ok! I'll see you then! Have a nice day Dr. Grey!"
"Bye mommy!" Sandy waved back at Meredith.
"Bye sweetie!" Meredith let out a sigh and headed back to the surgical wing to start her day.
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"What do we have?"
"35 years old man, victim of a car crash; he is conscious, the blood pressure is normal, a head traumatism"
Meredith came to see the patient that she had been paged for. When she approached the stretcher that he was standing, she remained shocked with the eyes on him.
"Nick?"
"Meredith!" Nick tried to give her a smile "Awkward isn't it?"
Meredith started to give him a quick check "What happened this time?"
"It was not my fault and trust me that I didn't do it purposely!" he tried to make it sound like a joke, but Meredith ignored it.
"Take him up for a CT and page me when you're done!" she told to one of the interns that received him.
"Sure Dr. Grey!"
"I'll come to check on you later!" Meredith told Nick, keeping a cold and indifferent attitude.
"Meredith!" He wanted to ask her to stay, but Meredith turned around on her heels and left.
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"How is he?" Meredith came into an exam room, where Nick and the intern were.
"There are no signs of internal bleeding, he has just the left arm broken, for which I paged Dr. Torres!" The intern told Meredith everything about Nick's status.
"It looks like you don't need hospitalization, so you will be able to go home by noon! Discharge him after Dr. Torres's puts his cast" And saying this, Meredith turned around to leave.
"Meredith, please!" Nick called her and made her stop in the doorway. "Please talk to me!"
Meredith returned to him and motioned to the intern to leave them alone. She crossed her arms and kept her face to window.
"I don't know what do you want me to tell you! I left and you didn't bother to get in contact with me after that night!"
"I am sorry about then! I did call you, but… I didn't have the courage to talk! I am truly sorry for what I said then and I swear that my feelings for you and Sandy were honest."
Meredith looked at him and laughed ironic "Yeah right!"
"I am sorry that you don't trust in me anymore!"
A few moments of silence fell over them, while Meredith was staring outside at rain and Nick was standing in his sit with the look down on floor.
"How is Sandy?" he asked her.
"Sandy is fine!" … "She cut her hair!"
"She did?" Nick smiled surprised "This is something that I really want to see!"
At his statement Meredith remained quiet and with the look out.
"I miss you Meredith and I miss Sandy! I want to see her!"
Meredith faced him angry "It took you months Nick… 6 damn months to realize that you miss us? Do you want me to believe this crap?"
"No Meredith, I have missed you since the moment that you left that night but…" he stopped and looked back on floor.
"But what Nick?"
"I am too ashamed about what I told you then and I know that you think that I am interested in Sandy's money but… it's not true! Trust me, I do care about you and Sandy and …" he took a short pause "I want us to try again and to let me prove you that I am honest!"
Meredith continued to look at him stunned by all the things that he was telling her.
"I have money Meredith, I don't need hers!"
Meredith refused to listen more so she headed to door.
"I want to see Sandy, please! Just for a few minutes!"
"Impossible!" Meredith responded him coldly. Right in that moment her phone rang and looking at ID she saw Derek's name.
She went out of Nick's room and closed the door behind her.
"Hi!"
"Hi Meredith! How's your day?"
"Not very busy! In fact, I think that I am going to take Sandy earlier for lunch!"
"Listen…"
Meredith knew in that moment what he was about to say "What is it?"
"I am sorry but I cannot come to have the lunch with you, so don't wait for me ok?" [/
When she heard that, Meredith let herself to slide along the wall that she was leaned on and let the tears to flow along her cheeks.
"Ok" she managed to keep a calm tone in her voice.
"I am sorry Meredith! I really am! I'll come to pick you up after your shift!"
"Sure" and she shut the phone down. She rested her head for a while on her knees, ignoring the others' stares.
Her phone rang two more times, but Meredith ignored them seeing that they were coming from Derek. She wiped her tears and stood up on her feet straightening her clothes.
After she had left from Nick, Meredith remained in front of his door and talked to Derek. Now her first impulse was to go back in there.
"We are having the lunch in patio in half an hour!" She told him as she opened the door, avoiding his eyes and then she left.
Her entire walk to elevator felt like she was living a nightmare. She doesn't know how she got in or how she managed to press the right button, but in the moment that she stepped in it, her body leaned against the wall.
"What am I doing? What am I doing?" She closed her eyes tight, trying in this way to keep her tears in the tear ducts.
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"Mommy, did you see? The rain has stopped!" Sandy was balancing cheerful the arms by her body, waiting near her mother to buy her the lunch.
"Thank you!" Meredith handed a bill to the salesman and picked up the tray. "I saw sweetie! Let's go!"
Sandy grabbed her mother's lab coat and started to walk with her "This means that we can go to park later?" while her eyes were searching for someone.
"If it won't start again, yes!" Meredith's eyes were searching for someone too, but a different person form the one Sandy was looking for.
She saw Nick waiting for them to a table, so she headed towards him. They stopped at his table and Meredith put the tray down "Hi!"
Nick stood up smiling to greet them "Hi! Hi Sandy!" he bent down at her.
Sandy didn't answer him and hided her hand to back "Mommy, where is Derek?" she asked her worried seeing Nick there and her mother sitting down at his table.
"He cannot come to eat with us!" and saying that she lifted her up on a chair next to her.
"Call him mommy!" Sandy was begging her with a crying voice.
Meredith sighed and brushed her hair away from forehead "He called me and told me that he cannot come! Now say hello to Nick!"
Sandy frowned and looked mad at him refusing to say anything to him.
"I am sorry for this!" Meredith excused her to Nick.
"It's fine! So … who is Derek?"
"My boyfriend!" she answered him quietly and put the food in front of Sandy. "Now please eat, Sandy!"
Sandy took the fork from her and started to eat pouted.
The lunch was rather quiet; just a few words had been said and those were about their jobs. Sandy continued to stay pouted and ate her food in complete silence and looking just at it.
"Meredith, can I speak to you?" Addison approached her very surprised to see her having the lunch with Nick.
"Hello Addison!" he greeted her politely.
"Hi!" her answer came quickly and cold "Please Meredith!"
"Ok, I'll be right back!" Meredith stood up from her chair and turned around to follow Addison. When she did that, she saw Sandy standing up too.
"Sandy, I've told you I will be right back, so get back on your place and finish the food!"
"I want to come with you!" Sandy was already at her feet hanging on her coat.
Meredith took her hand and leaded her back on table "Stay here with Nick for a second while I speak to Addie!"
Sandy pouted even worse this time and refused to eat anymore, when Meredith put her back on table. Meredith just rolled her eyes annoyed; her life was crappy enough in that moment, so she just turned her back on her to avoid a fight and headed to Addison, who was waiting for her a few table away from theirs.
"Meredith, what in the hell are you doing?" Addison immediately snapped at her, when Meredith was near her.
"I am having lunch Addison!" She answered her in the same harsh tone.
"Meredith what is he doing here?"
"He had a car accident… again and I was his doctor…again and he wanted to see Sandy!"
"Again?" Addison started to shake Meredith's arm, like she would have wanted to wake her up to reality "Meredith, are you having amnesia or what? Don't you remember who this Nick is?"
Meredith released her arm from Addison's shake and covered her face with both hands.
"Meredith" Addison gave a squeeze to one of her hands "Don't hurry and especially, don't do something stupid because of Derek! You don't need Nick to get over him, you have Sandy and you have us! Don't look for comfort at Nick, because you know very well that you won't find it!"
Meredith wiped the face with both palms before removing them. She nodded at Addison's advice "I'll see you later!" and she headed back to Sandy and Nick.
She returned at her seat and tried to convince Sandy to eat a little bit more; she couldn't swallow anything or say anything more to Nick. Because at one point Sandy refused to eat more, Meredith agreed to take her back to daycare and to return to work. She stood up picking up her tray.
Nick followed her up "Meredith… can I call you or visit you?"
Meredith gave him a glance and shook her head "No!" and left the table followed by Sandy.
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"Hey Shep!"
"Hi Mark! Did you find out?"
"Yes! She ends her shift at 6 o'clock! You still couldn't reach her?"
"No, she ignores my calls!"
"Man, are you sure that you want to do this?"
"I am very sure! I should hurry because it is almost 6!"
"What can I say… you've lost your minds!"
"I'll talk to you later and thank you for your help!"
"Sure! I am heading home now; your boxes ruined my back!"
"Bye Mark!"
Derek got in his car and started to drive to hospital.
Derek arrived there with a few minutes before 6 o'clock and because he didn't want to look for her around the surgical floor and to miss her, he decided to wait for her and Sandy down in lobby. He took a seat and rested his head in hands looking down and patting nervous the foot.
"Derek, Derek!" Sandy's voice was resounding cheerful in that big lobby. He looked up into the direction that he had heard the sound coming from and saw Sandy running fast to him, after she had left her mother's hand.
"Derek, Derek!" She was calling him frenetically until she got to him.
From the first moment he saw her, Derek stood up from chair and kneeled, so that he can receive her in his arms. He also saw, since the first second, that Meredith was sad and again she was avoiding to look at him.
"Derek!" Sandy finally stopped in his arms hugging him.
"Hello Sandy!" he took her in his arms and stood up holding her.
"You didn't eat with us today!" she looked at him sad.
"I had to finish the surprise that I have for you! Do you remember what I told you this morning?"
Sandy smiled wide at him and nodded "What surprise?"
"Well, I don't want to reveal anything!" he smiled at her and gave her a kiss.
He saw Meredith approaching them slowly.
"What are you doing here?"
Her question concerned him; she was indeed mad of him.
He thought that he might know the reason, so to cheer her up a little, he put an arm around her waist, "I came to pick you up, I've told you I will come!"
"Yeah!"
"Come!" he gave her the hand to follow him, but she refused to take it and started to walk in front of them.
Derek didn't insist and followed her carrying a very happy Sandy in his arms.
----------------------------------
"Derek, where are we going?" Meredith asked him confused, when she saw that Derek was not on the known road.
"Somewhere!" He smiled at her and returned his attention on road.
During the ride, no words had been said between Derek and Meredith. It was obvious that Meredith was not comfortable with Derek's presence, but Derek didn't force her to talk knowing that this tension will disappear very soon. Or at least, this is what he hoped.
"A lake! Mommy, look a lake!" Sandy jumped from her seat, but just a little being blocked by the safety belt. Her eyes grew big and filled with excitement seeing the view from outside.
Meredith was looking confused at that landscape. On the right side of the road it was indeed a lake, not a very big one and surrounded by a few trees.
She looked curious at Derek and saw his excited smile, which was confusing her even more. He didn't seem depressed about the position that he had lost anymore. He was looking… normal, like Derek she knew.
Derek felt her eyes on him and through a glance he sent her a smile. He was confident that soon she will smile back at him.
After just a few seconds, Derek pulled the car outside the road and turned off the engine.
"Come" he looked at Meredith with a big and proud smile on his face while he was opening the door from his car.
Meredith looked at him shocked and when he got out of the car, her eyes turned to the place where he had stopped the car.
Derek opened the door for her too and Sandy's helping her to get out.
Sandy jumped out curious from car and remained close to it while her eyes were analyzing the surroundings curious.
"Come on Mer!" Derek returned to Meredith and offered his hand to help her get out.
Meredith gave him a short stare, but after one more insisting smile from Derek, she put her hand in his and followed him out.
They were like somewhere in the middle of nowhere. The last house that they saw on their way there was 10 minutes ago. Now they were having in front of them the trees, the lake that caught Sandy's attention earlier, it could be seen not very far from there and a trailer.
"So? What do you think?" Derek asked smiling wide.
"Umm" Meredith was still too confused to understand was happening "What are we doing here?"
"I wanted to show you my new investment! What do you think Sandy? Do you like it here?"
Sandy seemed thrilled by that landscape. She looked up at Derek smiling and nodded.
"You bought this?" Meredith asked him as she started to move ahead from car looking around her.
"I did! Shortly after I moved from Mark! I didn't have too much time to take care of it; the trailer came with the price, so I decided to keep it; now I think that I was lucky to get it since two constructors failed me with their plans, and now… I decided to show it to you!"
"Why?"
Meredith's question came out with stupor from her mouth that made Derek to put aside his smile and look at her serious.
"Why I bought it? Because I wanted a bigger place to live in!" but his answer was incomplete.
"So … you are not going back to New York?" she asked him hesitant.
Derek brought back his smile and laughed "No! Why should I go back there? I love Seattle!"
The tension that had caught Meredith's heart and mind started to dissolve "You do?"
"I do!" Derek's answer was again incomplete.
"Let's go inside!" he took Sandy's hand and looked back at Meredith motioning her to follow him.
"Inside where Derek?" Sandy looked up at him and asked curious.
"In there!" he told her pointing to trailer.
"In that car?" her question was now more curious.
Derek smiled amused at her and nodded "In that car!" He started to walk holding her hand towards to trailer.
Just when they were at their half way, Derek noticed that Meredith was not following them, so he stopped and turned around to her.
"Are you coming?"
Meredith nodded "In a second… go ahead!"
Derek nodded back and returned at their walk. He helped Sandy to climb the stairs up on the little porch and opened the door inviting her to go in first.
"There is a bed in it," Sandy said surprised by the interior of that car.
Derek understood her wonder and smiled motioning her to go in.
"This car has furniture!"
"It's called a trailer, Sandy and it has furniture so that people can live in it"
"Who lives here?"
"I am"
Sandy looked up at him scared "But you live with mommy and me" she said it low and with sadness.
Derek took her up in his arms and took her in the small bedroom, where he put her down on bed "You and your mommy are very welcomed here"
"We are?"
Derek brushed her hair with his finger and smiled "You are"
"But it's small!"
"It is now, but when I will build a house you can have your own room!"
Sandy smiled excited by Derek's idea and started to look around her again.
"Do you like the lake?"
Sandy turned her eyes on him again and nodded.
"Later we can take a walk to see it closer!"
"Can we?"
"Sure"
Sandy's smile disappeared again and the sadness forestalled her face.
"What is it?" Derek asked her when he saw that.
Sandy sighed and looked down at her legs "Mommy said that I cannot ask you to be my daddy!"
This touched Derek so deeply that he took her in his arms caressing her. He let her go and stood up to search into a bag.
Sandy followed him with her look curious.
"Here!" He handed her a coloring book and some crayons "Colour this book while I go out to talk to your mommy, ok?"
He took off her hat and the jacket and put them near her on bed, then he gave her a kiss and left her there painting.
Outside, he saw Meredith in the same spot that he had left her.
"She likes it here" Derek came and stopped next to her, both of them keeping their looks around them.
It was still light outside, so they could contemplate over the rusty look that the fall had brought over the nature.
"It is beautiful, it was impossible not to like it!"
"Do you like it too?" Derek gave her a glance to see her eyes still over the landscape.
Meredith turned to Derek hesitating to talk, until he looked at her too placing a smile on his face.
"When are you moving here?"
Derek came closer to her and sneaking a hand around her waist he pulled her to him, "I think that you meant to say, when we are going to move!"
Meredith didn't know what to say, so she remained quiet with her eyes fixing his as if she would have wanted to read him.
Derek brought her in his arms kissing gently her lips and intertwined his fingers with hers "Do you think that I would come to live alone here?" he asked smiling "I would be very bored here without Sandy and I would miss her and her mommy too much!"
"So you want us in!" she answered as if she would have wanted to receive one more confirmation that what she had just listened was true.
"I want you in" he confirmed and let his mouth to look for hers to kiss it "I want you here…" he said motioning to surroundings "I want you in my life!"
Derek let her fingers, so that he can wipe a tear that she had let it slip from her eye and rubbed gently her cheek. "You thought that I will go back to New York, didn't you? Why?"
Meredith let her face to slip from his hand and turned her head in the opposed side.
"Mer!" he called her to bring her look back on him.
"You wanted so much to be a chief, but you didn't get it so…"
"But what made you believe that will leave?" Derek interrupted her.
"You were absent since then and I thought that…" Meredith was again interrupted by Derek, who laughed and brought her face back on him.
"I know, and I am sorry for this, but I have a good excuse!" he said smiling wide "I wanted to have all prepared by today!"
Meredith looked at him confused "Prepared?"
"Yes, this!" he said pointing again on trailer and the surroundings "I wanted have it ready! I guess that you don't remember what day is today but… I forgive you if you forgive me back for my absence from these days."
"What day is today?" Meredith asked a little embarrassed, bringing even a small smile on her face.
Derek smiled satisfied to see her lighting up again and gave her a quick kiss "14th of October"
"Ok…" she still didn't have any clue what he was referring at.
"6 months ago, on 14th of April we met in park!"
Meredith giggled impressed by his memory "And you memorized the date!"
Derek took her cheek back in his hand and started to rub it gently "Two days after I arrived in Seattle I fell in love with this wonderful woman and her gorgeous daughter, so it is impossible to forget!"
Meredith stared in his eyes, with teary eyes.
"I didn't want to do it like this, but I guess that there won't be any better time!" and in just a second, Derek disappeared from Meredith's gaze.
She immediately found him kneeled in front of her smiling wide and holding a small opened box that was revealing a ring.
"Marry me Meredith!"
Meredith opened her mouth to say something, but her jaws remained blocked making her face to look stunned.
"Marry me Meredith!" Derek repeated it into same loving manner as the first time.
Only after his second proposal, Meredith could come back from her daze. She slowly shook her head "No… we can't" her voice was mumbling.
Derek stood up undiscouraged or worried; he kept his smile and confidence on his face as he took her face into his hands to kiss it.
Meredith continued to shake her head slowly in his hands "It's too soon and… are you sure?"
"Meredith I am more then sure that I want us to be a family, that I want to give Sandy a daddy, a house by a lake! I am sure that I cannot imagine my life without you in it! I am sure that it might be a brain damage from your hit, but I am also sure that I don't want it to be fixed. I am sure that I want you to be mine for the rest of my life! Marry…"
His words remained in his mouth, because Meredith refused to give them the chance to come out. She was already kissing him passional.
When he felt her attached to his face, Derek took her in his arms keeping her tight to him and responding her with the same passion.
"I guess I don't have to repeat the question!" Derek told her when he pulled his face back so that he can catch some air and to look into her eyes.
Meredith nodded and pulled his face back to her for one more kiss.
"I love you so much Meredith!"
"I love you to Derek!"
Both of them looked into each other's eyes to see the sparkle from them.
Derek was the one who broke the gaze. "I almost forgot!" he brought the hand that was holding her back and took the ring to place it on her finger.
Meredith gave just a glance to the ring that Derek was putting on her finger returning her eyes at him.
Once that he put her the ring, Derek took her hand in his and squeezed it, giving her in the same time one more kiss. He pulled her then into his arms, keeping her there into a tight hug.
"We don't have to get married today, even though I would love to" Derek told her while his face was buried in her hair. "But I want you to know that I am here to stay and that you can trust in me from now on."
Meredith continued to rest her head on his shoulder, while her hand was rubbing his back.
"There might be small problem!" Derek told her as he broke the hug and looked at her pretending to be serious.
The sparkle from his eyes betrayed him, so Meredith didn't fret and looked at him with a questioning look.
"Sandy!" he told her bringing back the smile on his face "We have to ask Sandy's permission!"
"Indeed, she might be a problem" Meredith replayed smiling.
Derek took her by hand and leaded her to trailer.
When they approached the porch, Derek called Sandy to come out!
"And take your jacket too!" Derek added.
"Ok"
Derek and Meredith waited for her to come out, but because she was late to show up, Derek called her again "Sandy"
"I cannot open the door!" her voice came from inside.
Derek laughed and let Meredith's hand to go to her "I have to take care of this problem" he told Meredith laughing as he was climbing the stairs up on porch.
He opened the door and saw Sandy standing right there. When she saw herself out from trailer, Sandy stepped out looking up at Derek and smiling.
Because she was having difficulties to zip her jacket, Derek helped her and then he took her in his arms to bring her to her mother. He put her down and kneeled in front of her.
"I heard that you want to ask me something!" he told her while he was arranging a few strands from her hair under the hat.
At first, Sandy looked at him curious, but she soon remembered what was the thing she wanted to ask him, so she looked up at her mother.
"Go on, you can ask him!" Meredith motioned her to talk, knowing that she was waiting for her approval.
Sandy looked at Derek, then back at Meredith like she was not having the dare to put the question.
"Don't you want to ask me, Sandy?" Derek asked when he saw her hesitation. "Or no… look! I am going to ask you something first, then you can ask me, ok?"
Sandy nodded and waited curious his question.
"I asked your mommy to marry me and she agreed, but now we don't know if you want me to be your daddy! Would you want me to be your daddy, Sandy?"
"Really?" Sandy asked him almost with disbelief.
"Really, I would love to be your daddy… if you want me too of course!"
Sandy's face lightened up instantly from the huge smile that had appeared on her face and nodded happy.
"You do?" Derek asked her one more time.
"I do Derek! I do!" and she jumped immediately at his neck hanging herself on it.
Derek took her small body in his arms and picked her up laughing "It's so hard to take an 'I do' from you and from your mommy!" he winked at Meredith who was standing near them watching at Sandy's happiness. "Starting from this moment I don't want to hear you calling me Derek, ok?"
Sandy looked at him and nodded, then she started to place many kisses on his cheek.
"But…" Derek needed to add something more "I am your daddy, so I can punish you too when you are naughty, did we have it clear?"
Sandy didn't believe in what Derek was telling her; because even if he was her daddy now, she knew that he is still Derek, so she nodded firmly and kissed him again.
"Good, now let's take a short walk to lake! What do you say?" he put Sandy down offering his hand.
Sandy accepted it gladly and then she took her mother's too looking up at her smiling proud.
Because the leafs were still wet, so Derek took off his jacket and put it down. He took a seat down on it followed by Meredith and then he pulled Sandy down on his lap, allowing in the same time to Meredith to rest herself on him.
"Derek, when is the house ready?" Sandy asked him as she was resting in his arms with the look over the lake.
"What? I thought that we agreed to call me daddy from now on!" he moved her so then she can face him "Did you already change your mind?" he pretended to be disappointed.
Sandy stood up in knees and hang on his neck, resting her head on his shoulder "I love you daddy!"
When he heard Sandy calling him daddy for the first time, Derek felt so touched that he immediately wrapped his arms around her body and tightened it on him "I love you too Sandy!" He pressed a strong kiss on her temple and took her head in his hands "We'll move in the new house, hmm… probably on your next birthday and we'll have the party here!"
"Really?" Sandy's eyes grew of excitement when she heard that.
"I promise!"
Sandy giggled happy and put her head back on his shoulder smiling very happy.
She then bent down to her mother's ear "When is my birthday?"
Derek and Meredith smiled at each other.
"There are 7 months left until then!" she told her.
Sandy looked at her confused, not knowing exactly how much 7 months mean.
"Very soon sweetie!" Meredith told her when she saw that.
When she heard that, Sandy put her head back down on Derek and let out a shiver because of the chill wind that had started to blow.
Derek felt her starting to shiver "We'd better go inside, it's getting cold and I don't want to get my family sick from the first day?" he smiled at Meredith and stood up holding Sandy in his arms. He gave his hand to Meredith to help her stand up too.
"I think that we would better go home now, it's late, Sandy has to eat! We'll go inside next time!"
Derek looked at Meredith and shook his head smiling "I have everything we need to stay here over night! Come!" he offered his free hand and leaded her inside.
"Wow!" Meredith stepped in first and the look of the interior impressed her "You have everything that you need in here!"
Derek put Sandy down and helped her to take the jacket off. Once that she felt her body released from the jacket's weight ran to the bed where she had left the book from Derek.
"I have absolutely everything that I need right now!" Derek put his arm around Meredith's waist and pulled her close to him for a kiss.
"Me too!" Meredith mumbled from his mouth.
"Mommy, look!" Sandy called her cheerful, setting Derek and Meredith apart.
Meredith smiled at Derek and patted his arm when she saw his disappointment that he has to let her go from him.
"What is it sweetie?" Meredith came to bed and picked Sandy up, setting her on bed.
"Look what daddy gave me!" Sandy showed her to coloring book and the crayons.
Meredith looked at Derek, who was watching them smiling and saw the sparkle from his eyes when he heard Sandy calling him daddy again.
"Did you thank him for these?" Meredith asked her.
With an ashamed look and biting her lip, Sandy shook her head and immediately let herself to slip out of bed and ran to Derek.
She raised her arms to him, so that she can be picked up.
"Thank you daddy!" She wrapped her little arms around his neck, when she was up in his arms and gave him a kiss on each cheek.
"Your welcome sweetie!" Derek repeated her gesture and then he put her down "Now go and paint with your mommy until I make the dinner, ok?"
"Ok!" Sandy shook her head up and down as sign of understanding and ran back to her mother.
Meredith and Sandy laid on bed with the book and the crayons between them, sharing the same activity, while Derek was preparing the dinner, giving them glances from time to time and listening at everything they were talking about.
"Let's do this page mommy!"
"Ok, you take the lake and I take the clouds!"
"That is orange sweetie! You have to use the blue color for lake!"
"But I saw the lake orange and I like it better orange!"
"Ok, you can use orange and say it was evening and I will use some red for my clouds."
"Dinner is ready!" Derek called them and put an end to their artistic moment.
Meredith helped Sandy to wash her hands and then she put her down on table between her and Derek.
"Let me carve the steak sweetie!" Meredith took the knife and the fork.
Sandy placed her arm over the plate, refusing to let her mother touch her stick.
"Don't you want me to help you?" Meredith asked her.
"No!" Sandy shook her head and then pushed her plate to her right side, where Derek had just set down "Help me daddy!" she smiled at him.
"What? Now I am useless?" Meredith asked her amused when she saw Sandy refusing her help and asking Derek's.
Sandy just looked up at her smiling and then she returned her eyes on the steak that Derek had already started to slice it for her.
"You're jealous!" Derek gave her a smirk.
"No I am not jealous!" Meredith rejected firmly his statement.
Derek lowered behind Sandy's back at Meredith and kissed her. "You are so jealous!"
Meredith slapped his back playfully and shook her head smiling.
"You think you can handle all these?" Meredith asked him pointing on Sandy "You will call for my help soon… both of you!"
Derek just smirked at her again and then he moved his attention to his food.
After dinner and after one puzzled resolved together, Sandy needed to get ready for sleep.
Derek took out from one of the drawers a pair of pajamas. He saw Meredith's surprise when he handed her Sandy's pajama.
"Are you impressed?"
Meredith took it from him smiling "Very impressed!"
"Good!" he put his arms around her waist to take her in his arms and kiss her, first on forehead, then on each cheek, and then on lips.
Sandy grabbed Meredith's back to help herself to stand up and took the pajama from Meredith to hand it back to Derek.
"Now Sandy you are big enough to dress yourself! Please don't spoil yourself!" Meredith warned her very serious.
"Please daddy!" Sandy ignored completely her mother and continued to plead to Derek.
"No Sandy, mommy is right! Dress yourself!" Derek also took a serious attitude regarding her that made Sandy to give up resignedly.
"Impressed?" Derek whispered to Meredith smiling.
"A little" Meredith giggled and put her hands on his neck "Now… do you have some clothes for me too?"
"As much as I prefer you naked… I do!" he gave her a quick kiss on lips and then he let her go to give her the nightclothes.
"You must have been worked very hard to prepare all these!" she told him as she put the clothes from him on bed.
"I did, but I have to admit that Mark helped me too! He bought the pajama for Sandy!"
Meredith smiled back at him "Speaking of Mark! We must have a serious talk about him!"
"Why? What did he do this time?"
"We'll talk about this later! Are you ready for bed Sandy?" she looked back at Sandy who had just finished with the dressing.
"Ready mommy, but I want a story!" she jumped on her knees near her mother.
"Ok; we'll have to think on one! Come now!" Meredith stood up and lifted the covers to let Sandy in and then she laid down next to her.
Derek came to them holding something that looked like a book.
"I have one more surprise for you, Sandy!" he gave her the book and took a seat on her other side.
Sandy looked curious at the book's cover and saw a rabbit on it.
"Do you know what book is it?" he asked her.
She looked up at him curious "No"
"It's the bunny's story, but with different pictures!"
Sandy was thrilled by her new gift and together with her mommy and her daddy she started to look over it, while Derek was telling her the story.
She remained awake until the end of the story, so that she can look over all the pictures from book.
After her favorite story, Derek saw himself forced to think on another one. Luckily for him and for Meredith, who was finding his new story extremely boring, Sandy fell asleep immediately.
"Come with me!" Derek whispered to Meredith and stood up slowly from bed. He leaded her on couch.
There he took a seat and pulled her down right next to him, taking her in his arms. Derek gently lifted her chin up to him and bent down to her lips. The kiss was soft at beginning, then a more intense and ended into a passional one. With each raise in intensity of their kiss, she was climbing on him more, running her hands through his curls, while his hands were running through her hair.
The sound of a cell phone pulled them apart immediately.
"Ignore it Mer!" Derek groaned when he saw her standing up and hurrying to her purse.
"I can't! It will wake up Sandy!" she found it fast in her purse and looked at id while she was heading to door "It's Christina! I'll take it outside!"
She hurried to get out from trailer, before the phone to disturb Sandy's sleep, so she forgot to take a jacket with her. The cold wind that had started to blow made her to shiver immediately.
"Hi Christina!"
"Hey Mer! Where are you? How are you? We knocked at your door, but nobody answered"
"I cannot tell you exactly where I am, because I am not very sure either and it is very cold outside because I forgot to take the jacket with me, so to tell you the short story: Derek, trailer, a lake, he proposed, I accepted and Sandy is now extremely happy because she has a daddy!" Meredith was enumerating to Christina the most important events from that evening.
"Ok! The only things that I've memorized were: Derek proposed, you accepted and Sandy has a daddy… Meredith, are you getting married?"
Meredith giggled as she was pacing around to warm a little. "Yeah!"
"So… he stays here or you are moving with him in New York?"
"Here it is another story, but because my ass froze I'll tell you just that Derek loves Seattle, so nobody is leaving. More details tomorrow!"
"I can't wait!"
"Ok, now tell me why did you call?"
"Oh yeah… guess why Burke won the race for the Chief of surgery?"
"Gossips Christina? Seriously, leave it for tomorrow!"
"No, no! Now! I'll be fast I promise!"
"Ok, spit it out!"
"Derek won the race, but he stepped aside, so Burke was the board's second choice and therefore he ended as Chief! You cannot imagine how pissed off he is because all the hospital found out that he won the position just because Derek refused it! Omg, it is so good to see him so pissed off!"
"Wait a second!" now Meredith stopped from pacing, because of the shocking news "What I memorized was: Derek got the chief, but he stepped aside?"
"That's right!"
"I don't understand… why?"
"I have no idea Mer, but you can ask him"
"Ok, thanks for this call and what can I say… I am happy for Burke?"
Christina started to laugh on phone "Yes, we have to be happy for Burke's shameless winning! Congratulations Meredith!"
"Thank you! I have to go now, because I cannot move my jaw anymore!"
"Ok! I cannot wait for details, but one more thing!"
"What is it?"
"Can I be the one who tells Addison and Izzie the big news?"
"Yes you can! Good night now!"
"Good night Mer and have fun!" Christina giggled and then the line went dead.
Meredith ran immediately back in side and since she opened the door to get in, she was greeted by Derek, who came to her and wrapped his warm arms around her and brought her body into his. With a hot kiss, he warmed her lips immediately.
Derek took her back on couch, where he took a seat and pulled her into his lap.
Meredith snuggled in his arms, resting her head on his shoulder.
After a few moments of relaxation, Meredith raised her head and looked at Derek "Why did you refuse to accept the chief position?"
Derek smiled at her and started to run his fingers through her hair "I've changed my mind!"
"Why all of the sudden? You were determined to become the new chief of surgery"
Derek pulled her head to him and kissed her forehead "I thought about it very well and I realized in the last minute that I don't want it so much! It would keep me too much time far from you and Sandy!"
This time, Meredith was the one who took his face in his hands and kissed him.
Derek placed her more comfortable on his lap and started to kiss her; slowly his hands moved under her sweater and soon he lifted up over her head and removed it, revealing this way more from her skin.
"Derek, we should stop!" she whispered, while she was making real efforts to keep her moans silent. It was hard to do it, since Derek was moving his lips from her neck, down to the collarbone, and then back at the spots from her neck that he knew so well and returning them up to hers. "Derek… stop!"
"I can't!" his mouth left her skin just for a second to tell her this.
"Stop!" Meredith pushed him away "We are not having sex when Sandy is in the same room with us"
"Meredith, she is in bedroom, sleeping!"
"Derek! We are not doing this here, so stop!"
Derek put her down from his lap and stood up grabbing her wrist. He opened the door from the shower cabin and got in with her, starting up the water and undressing himself.
"Here we are safe!"
"Safe, but squashed too!"
Derek removed her clothes very fast, picked her up, wrapping her legs around his waist, and leaned her back against the wall. He pressed his body into hers, so that he can feel her closer.
"Mommy, mommy where are you?" Sandy's cry pulled them apart immediately and Meredith grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her.
At Derek's groan, Meredith patted his back smiling "You are used with the cold showers!" and she left the shower.
"Mommy!" Sandy was up in her sit crying.
Meredith went straight to her and took her in her arms "What happened baby?"
Sandy glued on Meredith's body and continued to cry in her chest.
"It was a nightmare?" Meredith asked trying to calm her down.
"It was dark and I was alone outside, mommy!"
"It's ok, mommy is here with you!" she put her on her lap smoothing gently her hair.
"Where are we mommy?" Sandy asked when she calmed down a little and looked sleepy around her.
"We are in Derek's trailer, do you remember?"
"Correction!" Derek had just stepped out from shower already dressed. He came in bed and set down next to Sandy "In daddy's trailer!"
Sandy rubbed her eyes sleepy, but still managing to smile at him. She left her mother's left and moved to Derek.
"Go and get dressed mommy, if you want to sleep with us!" Derek smirked at her, when he took Sandy in his arms.
Meredith sniffed at him and let Sandy with him.
When she returned to them, Sandy was talking in bed with Derek about something. She got in bed and laid down next to Sandy.
"Come on missy, let's sleep now!"
Sandy turned her face to Meredith and gave her a kiss "Good night mommy!"
"Good night sweetie!" she kissed her back and pulled her closer.
Sandy removed Meredith's hand from her and turned her face to Derek, snuggling in his arms "Good night daddy!" she gave him a kiss too and buried her face in his chest.
"Good night Sandy!" Then Derek raised his head from pillow and bent to kiss Meredith too. "Do you think that you can have place for you mommy too?" Derek asked Sandy, while he was pulling Meredith's body closer to them.
"Good night Meredith!"
"Good night Derek!"
Derek turned off the light and took both of his girls in his arms.
Sandy fell asleep for the first time in her daddy's arms; Meredith fell asleep snuggled in Sandy's body and with Derek's arm over Sandy and over her waist, next to her new family.
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