I need your counsel, thick as thieves.

Ever since Ellis had hardwood floors installed in the brownstone, she had said they needed a piano to take advantage of the excellent acoustics the floors and high ceilings offered. It made no sense to Meredith, because neither of them could play a note, nor had they ever shown any interest in learning how. Regardless of those facts, Meredith was forced to stare at the piano that had been in her Aunt's house for years. Audrey had been able to bring the keys to life like no one Meredith had ever heard. It had been a pure and raw talent, and having to be constantly reminded that such a talent was gone pissed Meredith off. Having the piano sit in their living room, destined to collect dust, pissed her off. There wasn't much associated with her mother that didn't piss her off, but that was beside the point. The point was that Audrey would never play that piano again, and her mother had taken advantage of that, not the acoustics of their brownstone. She sits at the piano, and tries to remember anything Audrey may have taught her. After a couple of hours at the orthodontist, mindlessly playing piano keys was exactly what she needed. It was nice, but at the same time, she wouldn't mind turning the instrument into mulch with a sledgehammer. It did not belong in this house. The doorbell rings, distracting her from thoughts of pianocide. She is pleasantly surprised to see Derek on the other side of the door.

"Hey." She says, and he hands her one of her many winter hats.

"You forgot it in my Dad's truck last night." He smiles. They had sat in some traffic after counseling, leading to the hat being left on the seat. "I thought you might need it sooner rather than later."

She only had about fifty.

"Thank you." She puts the hat in the coat closet nearby. "You can come in and hang out if you'd like."

"I wish I could." He shakes his head, and puts his hands in the pockets of his tan jacket. "My Mom's working overnight, and there's a flu epidemic spreading among my Dad's employees. So, Nancy and I are babysitting Amy. Nancy will be on the phone the entire time probably."

She would have given anything for an older brother like Derek when she was Amy's age. He was great with her, and Amy adored him. She had never realized how different her life could be if she had siblings. After her and Ellis moved to Boston, her days of roaming the hospital unsupervised were over. The time she wasn't at school was spent with Nannies. "Need reinforcements?"

"Amy's a handful, but we'll be alright." Derek laughs. "I wouldn't mind having someone else besides my sisters around, though."

"I wouldn't mind being out of this house." Meredith grabs her coat and hat from the closet. Before she met Derek, she had welcomed being alone in her house. She had chosen to limit the people she let into her life for a reason, but Derek had brought her defenses down from the moment they first spoke. She couldn't explain it, but the best she could come up with was that he made her feel protected like no one else ever had. "I'm dangerously close to smashing the crap out of the piano in the living room."

"Why would you want to do that?"

"It represents everything that is unfair, and cruel."

"Okay." He shrugs while Meredith locks the door. "How?"

"It was my Aunt's, and Audrey played it." Meredith explains. "I came home last night, and there it was. My mother stole it."

"Are you sure your Aunt didn't let her have it?"

"It should be in my Aunt's house, or at least with someone who can play it."

"Oh, now I see what you're saying." Derek nods. "You could donate it to a school or something."

"She'd be pissed." Meredith grins. "I love it. Does your school need a piano for its music department?"

"I don't think so," Derek laughs, "but I'll check on Monday."

"Thank you." She says while they walk. "I feel much better knowing it'll be appreciated."

"Good."

"Now there's just the issue of moving the piano once it has a new owner."

"I'm pretty sure they'll send someone to come get it." Derek tells her. "You can make it a condition of the donation."

"What would I do without you?"

"Destroy perfectly good pianos."

"I could also donate it to a dance studio." Meredith considers, remembering what Derek had told her about Danielle. She wanted to thank him for being there for her over the past month. "Do they use pianos?"

"I'm not sure, but I don't think they would turn it down."

"Great." Meredith decides. "Is it alright if I donate it in memory of Danielle too?"

"I think I would be okay with that," Derek nods, "and I'll check with my Dad when we get to my house."

"Feel free to say if I am out of line."

"You're not." Derek smiles. "I like your idea."

"We'll see what your parents say."

"What if your Mom completely freaks when she notices the piano is gone?" Derek asks, looking from left to right before crossing the street with Meredith.

"The point is that she will freak out." Meredith laughs, but she can tell he is legitimately worried. "I'll tell her it had termites."

"Now I feel better."

"You had nothing to worry about." Meredith says after he breaths a sigh of relief.

"Donating the piano was my idea." Derek reminds her. "I'd be responsible..."

"Calm down." She says softly. "Everything will turn out fine."

"I'm perfectly calm."

"Sure you are." Meredith rolls her eyes, and they go down a flight of stairs to board the subway.

A short train ride later, they are a few blocks from Derek's house. They find James and Amelia in the kitchen when they walk inside. James is finishing the dishes, and Amy is sorting through her Valentines.

"Meredith!" Amelia yells, and runs to hug her. "Derek didn't say you were going to be here."

"It was a last minute decision." Meredith hugs her back. "I hope it's alright."

"Since Nancy will be here, I don't mind."

"Where is Nancy?" Derek asks, taking off his coat.

"Doing homework." James answers, and Derek scoffs. No one, especially Nancy, did homework on a Friday night. "Ames, I thought you were going to help me dry these dishes?"

"I'm looking at my Valentines, Daddy."

"I'm one of the people who decides how much of the candy from those Valentines you get to eat." James turns off the water. "You should help me."

"Derek will let me eat my candy."

"He won't if I tell him not to."

"Daddy..." She whines with a pout on her face.

"Amy..." He says in a similar tone.

"Dad, she isn't even as tall as the counter the dishes are on." Derek and Meredith down at the kitchen table.

"For that astute observation, you can take over." James tosses him a towel. "Amy can dry anything that isn't breakable. You dry the rest, and put them all away."

"Anything else?" Derek sighs, walking over to the sink.

"Dinner is in the oven."

"I can have my candy after I eat what Mommy cooked." Amelia grins, drying a plastic cup.

"You can have a couple of pieces." James corrects her, and says quietly to Derek, "I'd stick to the mostly chocolate stuff, or getting her to bed will be like wrestling an alligator."

"I'm staying up until Daddy gets home from work." Amelia nods, making Meredith laugh. This was going to be an interesting night.

"Nope, normal bedtime for you, Ames." James kisses her head. "I have to go. Goodnight, I love you."

"I love you too."

"Be good."

"I'll be good if you give me a piggy back ride."

"I can only give you one to the front door, okay?" He crouches down in front of her.

"Okay." She smiles, and she hops onto his back.

"Dad, how would you feel about Meredith donating a piano in memory of her cousin and Dani?"

"I really like the idea of that." He smiles. "I'll mention it to your Mom tomorrow."

"Great."

"I should be home around 11." James says to Meredith and Derek, and calls up the stairs, "Nance, I'm leaving."

"No, Daddy." Amelia starts to tear up.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Ames."

"Daddy..."

"Come here, Am." Derek moves her to his back.

"I love you, Amy Bamy." James rubs her back, and opens the door.

"I love you too." She clings tightly to Derek.

"Have a good night." He leaves, and Amelia sulks.

"We're going to have fun, Am." Derek tickles her foot.

"I'm not ticklish right now." She kicks away her foot.

"Oh, really?" He swings her around, and tickles her stomach.

"Okay, I'm ticklish," She giggles, "but I still want Daddy to stay home."

"He has to work, Am."

"He's my best friend."

"I know, but we'll still have fun."

"Can we have a tea party?"

"We can have a tea party."

"Do you like tea parties, Meredith?"

"I do."

"Good."