Chapter 10 – He'll come around

Derek couldn't sleep much that night. He knew Meredith was right, but his ego was still making him feel frustrated over the whole situation. Because he rather snoozed than slept, Derek heard Meredith, very early in the morning, waking up and leaving for work.

Though he hadn't slept much and he was still not tired, Derek didn't feel like getting out of bed so easily. He twisted from one side to another, trying to make a plan; the plan. Everything seemed against him, so his only solution was to give up on his ego. He heard a little cough coming from another room. There was the main reason he had to sacrifice.

Derek pushed the quilt away and got out of bed. He slowly opened the door to Meredith's bedroom and saw Daniel's tiny body fussing under the sheets. He walked in, without paying attention to the noises, because he knew he was awake.

Daniel was awake, indeed. As he felt someone in the room, he jumped up in his seat, curious to see who that was. He smiled wearily when he saw Derek.

"Morning, buddy," Derek smiled kindly and walked up to his bed to sit down. "Did you have a good sleep?"

Daniel nodded. He looked around, "Mommy left," he noticed quietly.

"She went to work," Derek answered.

Daniel slowly nodded his head and looked up at him. "Do you work?" he asked innocently. "Mommy works to buy everything for me."

Derek smiled, embarrassed in front of his son. "I work, too," he answered. "I am in a short vacation."

Daniel just shrugged, meaning his answer wasn't that important to him. He rubbed his eyes a little bit more and then looked back at his dad.

Derek easily could guess what he was thinking. "Are you upset with me for arguing with mommy, last night?" Daniel nodded slowly. Derek ran his hand over his blonde head and smiled kindly. "I hope I didn't upset her; much."

Daniel shrugged and answered, "She was upset."

"Was she?" Derek looked sorry to hear that. Daniel nodded his head. "I will apologize to her, today."

"Ok," he answered. "Don't go now, ok?" he asked with pleading voice.

"I am not. We can stay in bed and talk a little bit more, if you want..."

Daniel shook his head. "Don't go forever," he cleared up. "Away, far to grandma," he explained, gesticulating with his hands waving in the air.

His plead stirred something inside him. He pulled Daniel into his arms and cradled him to his chest. "I am not going anywhere," he reassured him. "I am here to stay."

---

Chief Webber smiled knowingly from his chair, while Derek stood across from him, uncomfortable in his seat.

"Of course you can have the job," the Chief said. "I reassured you of this from the beginning. Even though I am not giving you the chief of neurosurgery, I still appreciate you as neurosurgeon."

Derek tried to smile and look grateful.

"I know you're still not pleased," the Chief read him very well. "But I am proud of you. I was sure you would make the right decision; to your son and to Meredith, first of all."

Derek narrowed his eyes and watched him closely. "You're not giving me that position because?"

"Because I have one, already. And he's a good surgeon."

"You're making this personal, aren't you?"

"Derek, do you want my offer or not?" the chief didn't deny or admit it.

Derek wasn't satisfied with the answer, but he knew the answer he had to give. "I do."

The Chief nodded. He looked through a few folders on his desk and pulled one out, placing it in front of Derek then. "These are the papers. I am sending them to HR. You can pick your badge from there and you can start tomorrow."

"Ok," Derek agreed. "I am still going to rock."

The Chief laughed. "And I am looking forward to it."

They shook hands, sealing the deal, and Derek left his office, thoughtful. This was a new challenge he was sure he was ready for. As he walked by the surgery board, it caught his attention and made him stop to take a look. It was full of surgeries.

"Sometimes there are some surgeries on this board that you might have never heard of," the Chief told him as he walked past him, encouraging him this way to stay.

Derek chuckled and nodded his head. As he looked back at the board, Meredith's name had his attention in an instant. She was at that stage of her career when she could perform surgeries by herself. Derek had worked with her in the OR and saw her promising as surgeon, so he was curious now to see her flying solo.

Though he hadn't been in that hospital for about 3 years now, Derek still managed to find the OR Meredith was operating in and to his surprise, the gallery was full. The alarm of a flat line was just dying when he walked in. People were over their seats for a better view down in the OR. They were getting back to their seats as Derek stepped in.

"Like mother like daughter," Derek heard one of the female doctors saying. "I am on her service next week," she smugly told her fellows.

"Because you know how to kiss Yang's ass," one of them replied maliciously.

She shrugged, not really affected by his words. "I am still on her service next week," she pointed out.

Derek chuckled as he listened to them and drew their questioning stares on him. He just flashed them a smile and chose a corner by the window, for a better view over the OR. Meredith was surrounded by a full staff around the table.

"Would you like to finish, Dr. Thomas?" he heard her asking her intern.

The doctor nodded and Meredith stepped aside to let him take over, talking him throughout the final procedure.

"She's pretty hot for a chick doctor," one of the male residents stated as he got up to leave. "I might ask her out," he bragged.

"Right," a woman laughed sarcastically."Like she might accept to go out with you. She has a son, you know."

"She's still a woman. She gotta have needs," another doctor cut in.

"I am dating her," Derek found himself cutting in, too.

Everyone went silent and looked at him.

"And you are?" the doctor who was about to leave, asked.

Derek knew it was inappropriate, so he smiled as he looked back down in the OR."I am her date," he said simply and didn't bother to answer their stares. Besides, they were all new in there, so they might have not heard of Meredith and Derek.

As the surgery ended and the OR cleared, Derek went downstairs to meet Meredith in the scrubbing room. He stayed aside as a few doctors left, leaving Meredith alone in there.

"Always the last one leaving the arena," he said.

Meredith looked up, surprised to see him there. She smiled wearly and nodded. "Did you get bored at home?" she asked, trying to use her pissed voice. "Where's Daniel?"

"Daniel is at the daycare. And yes, I got bored," he joked.

Meredith rolled her eyes. It was impossible though to stay mad at Derek for long, especially when he was trying to be funny and he when he was leaning against things like that. Besides, his presence there was saying something about his plans. "So you got the job."

"And I am not complaining," he wanted to added.

"Right now," she added.

"I have a plan," he stated smugly.

Meredith smiled and looked at him, questioning.

"Do you remember what a great couple we made in the OR?"

"So you need my help to prove you're greater than Nelsson," she nodded understandingly.

"Or I could help you learn more and better," he put it from a different perspective, just to make her say yes.

Meredith just kept on scrubbing her hands, carrying a smile on her lips. Derek moved closer.

"You're flirting," she noticed.

"Am I doing it successfully?" he grinned.

Meredith giggled and sighed with his name on her lips.

"What?" he asked innocently.

She shook her head as if clearing her first thoughts. "What made you change your mind about the job?"

"Uh..." Derek opened his mouth to say something and allowed himself a moment. "The sacrifice, as you called it. I told you I was back."

"Even if you risk to become just a humble doctor at Seattle Grace."

"Humble? Me? Meredith you got to know me better than this," he chuckled.

She dried her hands and leaned against the sink to look at him. He looked confident, she noticed.

He leaned beside her and they closely watched each other, until he started to lean closer and his lips brushed against her cheek.

Slowly she pulled back. "What's going to happen now?" she wanted to know what he would do.

"Now I am here and let's see how it goes," he answered.

"Ok," she smiled.

He smiled back. "Does this mean that I am forgiven and I can come back into your bed?"

"Forgiven, I don't know. But you can come back. Daniel kicked me in his sleep, all night."

He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her body against his. He cupped her cheek and their lips locked with a soft kiss.

"Don't fail me, Derek," she whispered.

He let go of her cheek and looked into her eyes. "I won't fail you. You'll see."

She nodded, accepting his assurance.

"Did you lie to me yesterday, when you complained about your lack of fame?" he asked, remembering the doctors upstairs in the OR.

She looked a little confused at first, but slowly she remembered what she had complained about. "I didn't lie."

"Really?" he chuckled and looked at her with a little distrust. "Then let me inform you that you're a rock star around here. There are residents kissing Yang's ass just to be on your service."

"Really?" she laughed, surprised to find out that. "Hmm... I should be more selective from now on, then. But you know... fame doesn't help me. It's less pressure when you're an anonymous and I do my job better in this condition. I didn't really mean my complain. We're different on this aspect."

Derek agreed. "But we have a son together," he pointed out.

Meredith was surprised to hear him completing their conversation with that. "When are you starting?"

"Tomorrow," he sighed and looked around, a little bored. "I think I will take Daniel to the park."

"If he's with Tuck, I doubt he will leave so easily," she told him. "I have one more surgery, then we can have lunch together."

"Sounds nice," he agreed. "I will supervise your surgery. From the gallery," he teased her.

"Be my guest," she laughed.

"Mer!" Izzie called her as they walked out of the OR. "Dr. Shepherd," she noticed Derek, also. "Derek," she smiled, allowing herself to call him by his first name.

"Dr. Stevens, right?" Derek walked up to her, together with Meredith.

"You remember me," she nodded impressed.

"You're in a good mood," Meredith noticed, interrupting this way their small chitchat.

"Yes," Izzie sighed. "About that..." she took a deep breath and told Meredith, very serene, "I am keeping the baby. I decided."

Meredith heard Derek breathing something as he was about to talk, but elbowed him to stay quiet.

"Are you sure?" Meredith asked. "This is serious."

"I know. I am not entirely sure, but you weren't either and look..."

"How she had a famous surgeon as mother and a neurosurgeon as father for her baby," Alex cut in as he came to the nurses' station and dropped a chart on the counter.

"He's the lucky father," Derek whispered to Meredith.

Alex became aware of Derek's presence when he heard him. He rolled his eyes and chose to ignore him for the moment.

"I know. I considered all the material facts," Izzie turned to Meredith. "It will be hard, but I have some savings and I will keep saving money."

"Right," Alex grumbled. "Now make me look like a jerk. You know I have no choice now and I will give you money for the baby."

"I am not asking you anything, Alex!" she snapped back. "I just let you know about the baby and about my decision. I wasn't expecting to see you jumping of joy."

"Ok. Enough!" Meredith cut in, to bring a little peace between them. "Izzie, if you're completely sure that you want to keep the baby, then you have my full support. I am sure Alex will come around at some point. Most of them do," she titled her head to Derek, giving him as example.

"We can help you with the nanny," Derek offered.

"Nanny?" Izzie asked, confused.

"Ugh," Meredith groaned, knowing what he was talking about. "Damon," she answered.

Izzie laughed.

"Damon is not a Nanny, Derek. And stop being rude to him."

"What kind of lawyer is he, anyway?" Derek asked. "I never saw him working. Lawyers are busy people."

"Derek," Meredith turned to him with a stern look. "Stop there."

Alex was standing there, hands on his hips and glaring at them. "This is all your fault!" he gritted his teeth at Derek.

Derek took a step back. "Me?"

Meredith looked at him and then at Izzie.

"The last time I saw Izzie was 3 years ago!" Derek pointed out.

"Each time you come to Seattle, a woman gets pregnant!" Alex accused him. "First Mer, now Izzie! What will happen if you will move here for real?"

"You're some sort of Fertility God," Cristina was around and hearing the topic, she joined in, laughing.

Meredith and Izzie laughed along with her. Alex's point was interesting, actually.

"Stupid people," Alex grumbled and walked away.

Izzie stopped from laughing and slowly her smile started to fade until she let out a sigh. Meredith rubbed her arm in comfort. "He'll come around," she reassured her. "He'll come around. They all do."

Izzie smiled gratefully.

"I have surgery, so..." Meredith excused herself. "Are you coming?" she asked Derek.

Derek nodded and followed her. "I feel a little bit sorry for Izzie. I never liked this guy."

"He's not that bad. Do you know what will happen if you move here for real?" she smiled at him.

"Apparently I am a Fertility God, so I guess we'll have a house full of kids," he answered. "And be aware, because I am planning on moving here for real."