Later that day I found the house strangely quiet with George the only person at home with me.
"I almost miss the noise around here this afternoon…it's, like, strangely quiet…" I commented.
Suddenly the door busted open.
"No! I am not giving up Hahn's surgery tomorrow!" I heard Izzie shout.
"Oh shut it! The only reason you are on that surgery is because you are currently on the preschool squad!" came Cristina's voice.
I looked at George.
"I'm over it…" I told him.
"Yeah, I want quiet again," George answered.
Cristina and Izzie walked in, followed by Derek.
"Oh, so by taking the surgery I am attached to peds?" Izzie cried.
"That's what I am saying," Cristina replied.
Izzie threw down her keys.
"God! You're infuriating!" she yelled. Her voice softened when she saw Charlotte. "Hi baby," she gave her a kiss on the forehead.
Derek walked over.
"Hahn is doing the first stage Norwood on the HLHS patient," he explained as he picked up Charlotte. "Hey honey," he gave her a kiss.
I stood with my hands on my hips.
"Are you forgetting something?" I asked.
Derek smiled.
"How was your day Mrs. Shepherd?" he asked as he leaned down to give me a lip tingling kiss.
"Fine," I answered.
Izzie smiled and Cristina groaned.
"Mer, where's the booze?" she asked. "If we are celebrating, I need booze!"
I chuckled.
"There's a locked cupboard in the lounge room, you should fine some red wine or something," I told her.
Charlotte kneeled up on the barstool and leaned across the bench to pick up a cookie.
"Hey!" I tapped her hand with a wooden spoon.
Izzie picked up a cookie.
"What the hell is this?" she asked.
I frowned.
"I baked cookies!" I protested.
"You baked?" Derek asked with a cookie in his mouth. He then pulled it away with disdain.
Izzie looked stunned.
"No, no, no!" she said. "Listen, this kitchen is my domain!" her hands circled the area of the kitchen. "If you burn it down, I have nowhere to go! I have nowhere to bake lots and lots of muffins!"
"I get it, you stress bake…really well, but I am going to have to learn to wife bake!" I cried.
Izzie laughed and pulled an edge off the cookie, taking a bite.
"How much baking soda did you put in this?" Izzie asked with a frown.
"Half a tsp so half a tablespoon!" I replied.
"What, are you dyslexic?" Izzie cried. "Tsp is teaspoon you Martha Stewart try-hard!"
I started to laugh as I put my head down on the counter in embarrassment.
Derek patted my head and carried Charlotte into the living room.
"Do you want a movie on?" he asked her.
Charlotte nodded.
"Meet the Robinsons?" she asked.
Derek sighed deeply.
"Honey, I don't want to watch it again…" he groaned.
Charlotte pulled at his hair lovingly.
"Please, please daddy!" she pushed her forehead into his. "Please…" she battered her eyelashes.
Derek rolled his eyes.
"Okay," he sighed. "But no more tricks from mommy,"
Charlotte clapped her hands excitedly.
"Can I have Mooney and Dotty?"
Mooney was her blanket and Dotty was her bottle.
"No sweetie, Dotty is broken and Mooney is in the washing," Derek answered.
I heard him say it and wondered how long it would take before the fight started.
"But…but I-I want it…" Charlotte's eyes welled with tears.
"Derek…" I said poking him in the arm. "Just give it to her,"
Derek shook his head and Charlotte started to sob uncontrollably. It was then her crying became too much for me to bear, so I came into the room and grabbed her from Derek in an attempt to console her.
"I want my Dotty!" she cried as I rocked her in my arms.
"I'm sorry sweetheart, it's broken…" I said as her sobs grew louder. "I could go and get teddy, do you want teddy?"
Charlotte continued to cry and Derek patted my arm while he rubbed her back.
"Okay, now settle down…" I told her. "It's okay now,"
Charlotte's cries turned to weeps and she slowly calmed down.
"Now, come and have some dinner," I said carrying her into the kitchen; I set her down on the barstool.
Izzie came straight over and rubbed her cheeks.
"No more tears baby," she said.
Charlotte turned and reached out for me to pick her up.
"Charlie…let me finish your dinner honey," I sighed.
Charlotte looked at me with a deep sigh.
"No more children," I said on the side to Derek.
Derek smiled and moved to set the table.
Later that night I put a very sleepy Charlotte to bed, said good night to Izzie and George and walked into the bedroom where Derek was lying with his eyes closed.
"Hey…" I said as I climbed onto the bed. "What are you doing?"
"I'm sleeping…" he groaned.
I sat on top of him and leaned down to kiss his lips.
"You're not sleeping!" I told him. "No way!"
Derek started to laugh and flipped me onto my back where he then lied on top of me. He then flicked at the drawstring on my pants.
"Sex?" he asked kissing my neck.
"It's what I'm saying…" I murmured as his lips met mine. I moved my hands over his torso and over his neck, my fingers travelling through his hair.
"You're hopeless…" he laughed.
"Too right," I pulled the covers over our heads.
A very quick chapter; but nevertheless a little entertainment. The next chapter is a little fluff I came up with in about half an hour.