CHAPTER 10

"Meredith please talk to me." Derek begged her the following morning as he his mom and Meredith sat down for breakfast.

"Derek don't bother the poor girl right now can't you see she's still distraught over yesterday's events."
Carolyn scolded and watched her son sigh in defeat and began to eat his food.

She turned toward the young woman who was barely touching her food "Dear do you want to talk about what happend to you?" And watched as Meredith shook her head as she continued eating her pancakes.

Derek couldn't help but watch as Meredith was barely struggling to hold herself together as her hand began to tremble which lead to her fork to fall onto her wanted to help her he did but it was appearent that she didn't want his help right now which was the unlike the girl he knew the hardcore,
softhearted,funny young woman was suddenly gone and there was not a damn thing he could do about it and all thanks to the bastard who did this to her. A sudden noise interrupted his thoughts as he heard a chair scrape and watched Meredith got up and took her plate to the kitchen.

"I don't uh feel good i'm going to lay down excuse me..." Meredith whispered and both he and his mother watched as she ran up the stairs as fast as she could.

"I wish i could help her." Derek whispered from seat unable to finish his dinner.

"So do i but we need to give her space right now it's all we can do." Carolyn said as she stood up and began clearing off the dining room also got up from the table and helped his mother with the kitchen tasks before asking his mother.

"So what do you think happend to her do you think it was bad?"He asked from the sink where he began to wash dishes.

His mother shrugged "I honestly don't know judging from Meredith's reaction from yesterday and today something bad must have happend and that boy that came here something felt off about him."

"What do you mean off? good off or bad off? i know you're a good judge of character when it comes to stuff like this."

Carolyn thought for a moment before answering "Hard to say but from what i heard he's not a nice guy especially for someone like Meredith,maybe a little rough off the edges i don't know we need to hear Meredith's side of things but since she isn't ready to talk yet i want to hold off."

Derek knew what he wanted to do to the bastard but if he did he would face the wrath of his mom and Meredith and and that was not what he wanted instead all he wanted to do was help her but right now she didn't want his help and until then he would stay quiet.

"Okay so we just sit here and wait until she's ready to talk then?" He asked his mother.

"Pretty much we don't want to pressure her before she's ready okay?" His mom asked

Derek sighed "Okay,so what's the plan for tonight?" He asked and the both of them settled on the couch and watched some tv together.

Back in her bedroom Meredith could hear both Carolyn and Derek murmur probably talking about the poor girl who was practically raped by the young man that was over at the house yesterday she thought miserablly as she sat down on her bed trying not to cry it was what her mother taught that it was a sign of weakness and you couldn't be weak especially around a man she sighed and layed down wondering how her life could be so complicated with the baby and this thing with Derek. Oh my god! Meredith thought how has Derek been able to deal with this she knew that he wanted to hurt Alex and she didn't blame him she wanted to do the same thing especially after that she threatened him after the rape that she would call the police if he didn't leave her alone from now on and considering that Derek thought what might have happend Alex was lucky to be now she felt ashamed and embarrassed and felt like she was alone in the world even though she was living with Carolyn and Derek, Meredith still felt like a outsider and it hurt so bad. Curling up into a ball she tried to remember all the good times she had as a child but all she could remember was being disappointed and her body started to tremble,felt tears coming down her face and started to cry making sure no one heard her pain.

They were in the middle of some sort of documentary when both of them a sniffling sound a cry that broke Carolyn's and Derek's hearts knowing that Meredith was in extreme pain and being able to help was going to go upstairs to talk to her when his mother gently laid a hand on his arm.

"Derek let me go and talk to her i think right now she needs a female to talk about this sort of thing."
Carolyn said

"I just want to help her."He said quietly feeling the tears come on his face.

"I know you do but being here will help i assure and there will be a time when she will come to you i promise." Carolyn responded and left to go upstairs to try to help a young woman who was clearly in pain knocking gently at Meredith's door and opened it where she saw her curled up as a ball crying her eyes out.

"Meredith dear are you alright?" She asked Meredith who suddenly stopped crying and sat back right up.

"Couldn't be better." Meredith lied wiping the tears on her shoulder sleeve.

"You don't sound like it would you like to talk about it?" Carolyn asked and watched Meredith begin to tremble and slowly shake her head.

"Talking about what?" Meredith asked faintly

"The fact that you were raped dear it's okay to talk about it."

"I wasn't raped!" Meredith shouted denieing the obvious truth and cringed when she realized that she was a bit to loud and the fact that a certain someone was downstairs.

"Sweetheart yes you were and you can deny it all you want but it won't change a thing." Carolyn said gently.

"I still think about it all the time and when i go to sleep i relive it and it's like it won't let me escape."
She whispered and stiffened when she felt Carolyn hug her.

"It will in time and the fact that you confronted that boy yesterday and firmly stood you're ground means you're starting to let it go and many female's are afraid of doing that." Carolyn assured her

"I think it was because of you and Derek standing there that i felt confident in saying all those things to Alex."Meredith murmured

Carolyn shook her head "I don't believe that our presense had anything to do with it,i think it was the real you showing up making your voice heard telling him in not so many words that he couldn't hurt you anymore that was the real Meredith standing up and both Derek and i are proud of you."

Meredith flushed at the words "So how is Derek?" She asked quietly

"He's devastated that you won't talk to him about this but i told him you need time to deal with it before talking to him." Carolyn said quietly

Meredith hated keeping him in the dark like this but she still felt uncomfortable talking to him about the rape and the last thing she wanted was to see the sympathy in his eyes.

"Thank you it's just i'm not ready to talk about this with him quite yet." She said

"He understands that i assure you as long as he know's you're here safe that's all it matter's." Carolyn assured her.

"Right now i don't feel safe."Meredith replied.

"In time you will and i promise that you'll be safe here in this house always we'll see to that." Carolyn vowed to the young girl.

"Okay so what do i do now?"Meredith feeling a little sigh of relief flow right through her.

"What do you mean Meredith?"

"So do i go and talk to someone about it? i mean isn't what people do after they've been hurt like i have?"
She asked Carolyn

"Most people do i suppose why do you want to talk to someone about it dear?" Carolyn asked a bit surprised that Meredith would bring up a question like that.

Meredith shrugged "It couldn't hurt would it?"

"No it wouldn't but only if you sure about it remember nobody is forcing you to do it."

Meredith thought about it for a minute "Sure let's go for it."

"Alright i'll make a phone call tomorrow then are you feeling up to going downstairs?" Carolyn asked

"Sure." Meredith said and followed Carolyn out of the room and down the stairs where she spotted Derek sit there watching television.

"Hey." She said softly and held back her laughter when she saw that he immediately stood up and walk toward's her.

"Are you okay?" Derek asked concern showing in his blue eyes.

"I'm not 100% but i think i'll be okay." Meredith said

"That's good just know that i'm here for you and that if you would like to talk i would be willing to listen no matter when it is."

"Thank you." She said

"For what?" He asked confusion showing in his eyes

"For being here for me ." Meredith reached for his hand and gently squeezed it and much to her delight squeezed it right back.

Derek waved his hands in the air "Where else would i be?"

"Uh at the bar looking for a hot woman to sleep with." Meredith said and giggled when she saw Derek roll his eyes.

"I was not at the bar to pick up a woman." Derek denied and smiled when he saw Meredith roll her eyes.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." She responded as they moved towards the couch.

"Derek?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for being my friend."Meredith said and leaned her head against his chest

"Anytime Mer ,anytime."Derek said and wrapped one arm around her shoulder and thought contently that this was one friendship that he vowed he would never give up.

I thought this was a bittersweet chapter with Mer trying to come to grips with what had happened and very sweet that Carolyn was there to help at least a little bit also i thought Derek was kind of sweet that he respected her wishes just to leave her alone don't you love a guy for doing that? anyways i wanted to finish off with a little merder fluff how could i not? anyways there will be a bit more Meredith healing so don't expect Meredith and Derek to be together for awhile so please be patient,we will see the return of Alex so she could heal completely and as well will happen soon. Anyways i hoped you enjoyed the chapter and please review i love getting those!