Derek lead her into the kitchen by the hand, smiling at the small gathering of people in the kitchen. Alice stirred the pot bubbling away on the stove top while Thatcher sliced a fresh, crusty loaf of bread. A young man and woman sat at the table, talking quietly. Derek wouldn't put them any older than Meredith, at the most maybe a year. The woman was gorgeous is a traditional kind of way. Her blonde hair fell in waves down her back, her bright eyes sparkling as she laughed at something the man said. Her smile was infectious, a pleased smile spilling out onto Derek's face. She seemed nice, harmless enough. She didn't appear to be the type that would cause Meredith any problems. The man she was obviously with responded with a pleased smile, if not a slightly arrogant one.
"Something smells good." Derek remarked, letting go of Meredith's hand and slinging his arm over her shoulder. Alice turned around, smiling. The couple at the table looked up, the man looking apprehensive, the woman welcoming. Thatcher turned briefly before going back to the task at hand."Meredith, Derek...we have some extras here tonight. They just happened to pop around so I invited them for dinner." Alice exclaimed, wiping her hands on a towel and making her way across to where Derek and Meredith stood in the doorway.
"Just happened to pop around?" The man muttered, jerking at the dig in the ribs the girl gave him.
She motioned to the man who stood up, still starting at Meredith, neither pleased nor angry, simply...observant.
"Meredith, I'd like you to meet Alex Karev, my son." Alice said proudly, clasping the towel to her chest and throwing Alex a look.
He moved away from the table, walking towards her. Meredith had felt her stomach drop to her knees as son as she heard the word 'son.' So that made him her almost step-brother. As he reached her, he held out his hand and waited.
Meredith slowly offered him her own, feeling his warm hand clasp her own.
"So you're Meredith." He said quietly, releasing her hand.
"Um...I guess so," Meredith replied, glancing at Derek.
Alex nodded before gesturing towards the blonde at the table. "That's my girlfriend, Izzie."
Izzie stood up and hurried across to stand beside Alex, smiling warmly. "It's so great to meet you! We've heard all about you!"
"Really?" Derek asked grinning, "And you still wanted to meet her?"
Meredith rolled her eyes and slapped him on the chest with the back of her hand, his teasing relaxing her ever so slightly.
"It's nice to meet you too," Meredith replied, leaning her body towards Derek. "This is Derek, my boyfriend."
Meredith could feel herself relaxing even more as timed ticked by. So, Alice had a son...big deal. He seemed...well, nice might be pushing it, but he certainly wasn't horrible. He was more cautious than anything else. Izzie she had taken an immediate liking to. She was bright and bubbly, a smile constantly on her face.
Derek smiled, squeezing her shoulder while leaning over and shaking Alex's hand and smiling warmly at Izzie.
"Right, well, now that's all out of the way, let's eat shall we?" Alice said happily, shepherding them all towards the table. "Alex, you and Izzie take the right side, Meredith and Derek you take the left."
When everyone was seated, Alice began handing out the bowls of soup she had ladled and, when she was done, took her place opposite Thatcher at the ends of the table.
"How long are you staying?" Izzie asked, breaking off a piece of her bread and popping it in her mouth.
"Just for the week," Derek replied, casting a sideways glance at Meredith.
"Oh, well that should be fun!" Izzie exclaimed. "I know Alice has a lot planned for this week. You definitely won't be bored."
"What exactly have you planned, Mom?" Alex groaned, spooning a mouthful of vegetable soup into his mouth.
"Now don't you moan! It's one week out of your life, Alex. That's all I'm asking for." Alice said firmly.
"Thatcher, you had no say in this?" Alex asked, smirking.
"I let her have free reign." Thatcher said smiling, the first decent emotion he had shown since Meredith and Derek had arrived.
"You didn't want to make plans with her? For your wedding day?" Izzie asked, clearly appalled.
"I made the plans for the last one. That didn't work out so well." Thatcher replied, smiling before it dawned on him what he had said. The smile slid off his face, a look of horror replacing it. Derek glared at him, fire burning in his eyes. Izzie looked confused, Alice look concerned and Alex was staring at Meredith's bowed head, a frown crinkling his forehead.
Meredith tensed, staring down into her soup as she felt all eyes on her, seeping into her skin. The room had fallen deathly silent and no one moved, save for Derek who cupped her knee in his hand, gently rubbing his thumb in calming, circular motions. His touch gave her the strength to look up.
"I suppose it didn't." She said softly, picking up her water and bringing the glass to her lips, sipping softly.
"So what do you do for a living?" Alex asked, looking over at Derek and diverting attention from Meredith.
"Me? I'm an author. I write mostly crime fiction."
"Oh my god..." Izzie cried. "You're not Derek Shepherd?"
Derek chuckled softly and nodded.
"You're the Derek Shepherd!" Alice gasped. "I can't believe I didn't make the connection!"
"That would be me." Derek replied, smiling at the women.
"Oh, I love your novels.You're the best there is." Alice gushed. "I own them all."
"So do I!" Izzie said grinning. "I loved 'Bridge to Nowhere."
"Well, thank you." Derek said sincerely. "It's always nice to know people read them."
"You already know people read them," Meredith replied rolling her eyes, relieved that attention had been taken off her. "You get fan mail every week telling you that."
"True." Derek grinned, his hand still resting on her knee.
"I bet you get some good ones." Alice laughed.
"Oh, women propose to me on a regular basis." Derek said cockily, winking at Meredith. "Luckily for me, I have the one I want."
Meredith could feel herself blushing as Izzie punched Alex in the arm.
"Ow! Iz! What did you do that for?" "He demanded, rubbing his arm.
"How come you don't say things like that to me?" She asked, frowning at him.
"Because I would sound gay. Famous people...they get away with the cheesy lines. Besides, I have a suspicion you are one of the women who sent him a proposal." Alex said grinning.
Izzie gasped. "Alex!"
"You did, didn't you!" Alex said laughing.
Meredith smiled, her eyes twinkling while Derek looked mildly uncomfortable.
"I didn't!" Izzie protested.
"Sure, babe. Whatever you say." Alex said, smiling at Meredith.
"I apologise on behalf of this ass." Izzie said to Derek, jerking her head in Alex's direction.
"Alex stop teasing the poor girl." Alice protested, spooning another portion of soup into her bowl. "I don't know why I didn't recognise you from the picture in your books, Derek. I've seen it often enough."
"Mer took that." Derek said, smiling at her. "I didn't trust anyone else."
"You're a photographer?" Thatcher said suddenly, joining the conversation.
"Um...yes." Meredith replied, smiling uncertainly.
"Oh." He said softly. "You always wanted to be a ballerina."
"I was five. Things change." Meredith replied quietly.
"I suppose they do." Thatcher answered, looking across the table and catching Alice's eye.
"What do you take photos of?" Izzie asked, dodging Alex's attempts to grab her hand, instead slapping it away.
"Mostly portraits, although occasionally I do special events." Meredith replied. "I work in a gallery in Boston."
"People come from all over the country to see her." Derek said proudly.
"Derek." Meredith murmured.
"Well, that's wonderful!" Alice said, smiling at her. "I should have had you do our wedding photos. Although you're part of this family, we want you in them, so that probably wouldn't have worked. Have you ever sold any of your work? Anything we might have seen?"
"No. I stick to portraits." Meredith answered, reaching for her glass...anything to occupy her hands.
"Not that you have to." Derek added quietly.
"Derek, stop it." Meredith muttered.
"Well, I'd love to see some of your work sometime." Alice replied, glancing back and forth between the two.
Meredith smiled non-committedly, taking another sip of her water.
"Well, while we are all here, I suppose we should discuss what's happening this week." Alice said smiling at the people gathered in her kitchen.
"Alice, maybe they would like to get some sleep?" Thatcher prodded. "You can explain it all to them in the morning."
"Oh, alright, dear." Alice accepted, standing up and gathering up the plates, glancing at Alex. "Were you and Izzie wanting to stay?"
"We better get going." He declined. "Don't worry, we won't skip out on wedding week."
"Well, I definitely won't." Izzie responded happily. "I'm excited."
"Well, good." Alice smiled. "Maybe we should have a girls' day out tomorrow. All three of us."
Meredith felt her stomach clench and prayed that Alice was just a really, really bad counter. Three? That meant...
"You, me and Meredith."
Oh god, she thought. Damn, she can count. What were the chances of that? Although, considering the fact that she would be in her early 50's, I guess the chances were quite high. Maybe I can develop a contagious disease between now and tomorrow.
"Actually Alice, I was hoping Meredith could show me around Seattle tomorrow morning." Derek said suddenly, giving her knee a slight squeeze.
Okay, no need to kiss someone with chicken pox. Derek's being dreamy.
"Oh. Well that's understandable. We're having a family gathering here tomorrow night, so as long as you are here for that, I don't see a problem." Alice said smiling.
As Meredith was breathing a sigh of relief the front door swung open.
"Would I be invited to that one?" A voice called from behind her shoulder.
Meredith and Derek turned around, staring at the woman framing the doorway. She was in her 70's, her grey hair pulled back into a tight knot on the back of her head. She walked with a stick, leaning on it heavily, though she spoke with an air of authority.
Meredith looked at Derek, who shrugged. Neither of them knew who this was, but it was apparent the rest of the room did, the silence deafening.
"Well?" The woman said frowning, her expression softening when she noticed Meredith. "Is anyone going to tell this young woman who I am, or do I need to do it for you?"