"Richard"
Derek and Meredith stood up, but immediately Richard motioned them to sit down. "I knew I will find you here," He said looking at Derek.
Meredith gave a panicked look to Derek. He rubbed her arm and led her down on bed, and then he took a seat next to her.
Richard pulled a chair in front of them and sat down rubbing his face with frustration. "This is why I preferred to come and talk with you here"
"Richard..."
"Why Meredith?" Richard cut Derek's words, like he didn't even hear him and kept his attention over Meredith "I thought we can talk, I thought you trust me. Why didn't you come and tell about this?"
Meredith looked guilty at him biting her lower lip.
"Richard, I... umm," Meredith tried to say something, but she didn't know what to say. She knew she can talk to him, but she didn't have the courage to tell him. He was Ellis's husband in the first place, her step father and a very correct boss.
Derek took her hand and squeezed it.
"Richard..."
"Not now Derek. I am talking to my daughter" Richard cut his words again and moved on Meredith's other side. He fixed the floor with his eyes and remained silent for a few moments.
The room was filled with an uncomfortable silence.
"I would have helped you Meredith" He finally spoke and looked at her "I would have helped you with your mother. Now... it's too late"
Meredith looked into his eyes. He was sincere and she was stupid. Stupid and guilty. "I am sorry!"
"I don't know what is going to happen now with you and your mother. She is mad and she has all the right to be. I cannot defend you now Meredith!"
"I know! Me and my mom are over this why I want to transfer to another hospital."
"And I am going with her," This was Derek's full sentence that he managed to say.
Richard stood up from bed and returned on chair, this time looking at them "Meredith, you have to learn to live with this; it is a situation created by you; you were the one who broaden the distance between you two. You are going to make a great surgeon one day and Seattle Grace is the best hospital in town to do it. Besides..." he took a short pause looking at them "Your mom is going in Africa for 6 months. She offered volunteer to help one of the local hospitals from there."
"She is?" Meredith asked surprised looking then at Derek.
"And Derek..." Richard moved now the discussion to Derek "You are more mature than her and this is why you are the one who disappointed me the most! You are an attending and you should know how important it was to come and talk to me about this! I wouldn't have cut no one's head!"
"It was my fault. I didn't let him." Meredith hurried to defend him, but again Richard was paying attention only to Derek.

"I have to admit that I am impressed by the way that you are standing up for her and you are not stepping back now that the truth is out. None of you has to go from this hospital, because some things are going to change and because I am sure that you will keep this relationship outside the hospital!" he stood up and headed to door "I've told you what I wanted to. Now it is up to you how this will go on."
"Richard, can I say something now?" Derek stood up and made a few steps toward to him.
"No! I am not interested to hear excuses or explanations' I already know them; I want to see facts! I trust you! Now hurry up if you don't want to give Bailey a reason to yell at you," he told Meredith and went out closing the door after him.

Derek and Meredith remained in daze.
"What this means?" Meredith asked him still watching the door.
"I am not sure" Derek's eyes were fixed over the door too.

Derek pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. "We'll see what this means"

Meredith stepped back and sighed "We'll see! Let's go now!"

Derek took his and Meredith's jacket and led her outside the bedroom.

On hallway, they ran into Alex who was hurrying up to them "What did he say?"

Meredith slapped his arm angry "Couldn't you have warned us?"

"Meredith, I am not your guardian to watch your door anymore"

"He used to watch your door?" Derek asked her curious.

"He did"

"And do you remember what happened then, don't you? Just that, this time we are talking about your step father and my boss, not about your uncle, which is more dangerous!"

"Stop whining Alex! It doesn't matter now"

"Why? Were you doing nasty nasty when he came in?" Alex was about to burst into laugh.

At this moment, they were stepping in living room, where the other residents were too.

"The Chief busted you while you were having sex?" Everyone's eyes grew huge when they heard that, but Izzie was the first one who reacted.

"He didn't only found out about you two, but he also caught you while you were making out?" Christina followed Izzie.

"We weren't doing anything. Could we please go now?" Meredith opened the door and stormed out.

"Sorry! But what did he say? What is going to happen now?" George followed her outside.

Meredith stopped to wait for the others to come too "I don't know George! I am confused... I really don't know what is going to happen... but my mom is leaving!"

"She is?" he asked her shocked but pleasant surprised in the same time.

"To Africa,"

"I'll drive you Meredith" Derek came too and led her to his car.

"Ellis Grey is leaving?" Christina was shocked too, but into an unpleasant way.

George was about to cry of happiness, when Christina saw him and gave him a glare like she was about to knock him down "Do you seriously want to become a surgeon?! How can you be happy that a teacher like her is leaving to teach in Africa?"

"I am just happy for Meredith. This way she will be able to relax a little," George said in defense.

"Yeah right! And you are not happy that you got rid of her torture"

"No, I am not happy"

"Come on guys, we are not waiting you forever," Alex yelled at them from his car.

"Sure" Christina answered to George and walked fast leaving him behind.

------------------------

Later, after the pre rounds, the interns started the rounds with Bailey.

Their first visit was to a neuro case. In there, Derek was already talking with the patient, explaining him some things about the procedure.

"Good morning Mr. Hawk, Dr. Shepherd!" Bailey saluted them as they were stepping inside.

"Good morning Dr. Bailey!" Derek looked up at them, keep his eyes on Meredith a little longer.

Meredith just smiled discreet and avoided to make eye-contact with him. "Who is the intern for this case?"

Meredith grabbed the chart, but Bailey took it right away from her hand and gave it to Christina "Yang, present the case!"

Everybody understood then that had Bailey found out about Meredith and Derek.

Meredith looked at him and shrugged discreet, from somewhere from Bailey's back.

Christina finished the presentation and Derek asked her to prepare the patient for surgery and then to prepare to scrub in.

Bailey left with the others interns to continue the rounds and Derek followed them outside. He remained on hallway to watch Meredith as they were heading to another room. When she was out of his sight, Derek turned around to go to his work. He soon ran into Mark.

"hey there stranger!" Mark patted his shoulder smiling.

"Mark... hi!"

"I heard you were out of town!-"

"Yes, it was Meredith's uncle!-"

Both of them started to walk "Oh... and how is he?"

"It wasn't very serious... he is fine now!-"

"I heard something about a fight between Meredith and her mother..." Mark looked curious at him.

Derek was surprised too to see that Mark is asking this, thinking that the reason for their fight was already known by the entire hospital.

"Don't you know what happened?"

"No... There is something that I should know?"

Derek changed their way and led Mark into a conference room and closed the door behind them.

"What is going on, Derek?"

"Meredith was with us in Boston"

"So?"

Derek just looked at him.

"Oh...Oh no! Are you serious?" Mark was somewhere between amusement and shock "Ellis caught you?!"

"No, it was Meredith's aunt that saw us kissing"

"Geez...This was the reason of their fight. What did Richard say?"

"Well... this is weird... he was not happy to find out like this and he asked us to keep this outside the hospital"

"That's it?"

"What else could he do? There isn't anything illegal in this"

Mark took a seat on table and looked up at him "This is the reason that Ellis is leaving for?"

"To leave because of her daughter's?! I don't think so!"

"This thing between you two is getting more complicated each day. Are you sure you want to go on with it?"

"I am so sure that we are having in consideration the possibility to move to New York together"

"Are you serious?! Would you go back there?"

"Come on Mark! I am not going to avoid New York, just because of her. I have my family there and I would like them to meet Meredith!"

"But you know that she might give hard times to Meredith"

"I just want to see her trying and I can assure you that she will regret"

Mark shook his head smiling "Who would have thought that the fling between you and Meredith will get so serious. What can I say... Good luck!"

Derek nodded and checked his watch "I have to scrub in. I'll talk to you later!"

"Ok"

Both went out from there and each of them head to his work.

------------------------------------

After his surgery, Derek went to buy himself a coffee. On his way out from there, he met Meredith, who was just coming in.

"Hey" Meredith exhausted look lighted up when she saw him.

"Hey Are you having lunch already?" he asked her looking at his watch.

"No; I will just grab a snack now, because during lunch I'm scrubbing in with Burke!"

"Can I join your snack?" Derek gave her a suggestive smile.

Meredith smiled in the same manner, "Down in basement?"

"You'll find me there" he winked at her and left the cafeteria.

------------------------------------

After a few minutes, Meredith went down in basement and found Derek waiting for her there on a gurney and drinking his coffee.

When he saw her coming, he moved over to make room for her next to him.

"Junk food, Meredith?" he asked seeing the bag with chips from her hand.

Meredith took a seat and leaned on him for a kiss.

Derek put his arm around her to bring her closer and kissed her.

"Want one?" she asked him offering the bag.

"No thanks! I am not that hungry"

Meredith shrugged and rested herself on him "Your loss. These have chicken flavor."

"Exactly... just flavor!" he kissed her forehead and took another sip from his coffee. "How is your day?"

Meredith raised the head and looked at him "It's weird, because it's normal. Nothing is different. Burke doesn't seem to know anything and neither the nurses. No whispers. That's weird!"

"It is indeed! Just Bailey knows" Derek nodded looking at her.

"Just Bailey"

"Have you met you mom today?"

Meredith shook her head and sighed with relief "Thank God, no! Did you?"

"Nope... not yet"

"So..." Meredith put down next to her the chips "What are we going to do know?"

"I don't know… Whatever you want to"

"My mom is leaving tomorrow"

"So you want to stay here, right?"

Meredith looked at him a little worried "My friends are here; my only friends, but your family is there"

Derek smiled understanding her worry and pulled her head to kiss her "I love Seattle!"

"Don't you miss your family?"

"I do, but I can visit them or they can visit me"

"Is just me, Derek or you are not very happy with the idea of going back there?"

"I would like to go back there, but not to move back. I've told you I love Seattle too much right now," He smiled and kissed softly her lips, caressing them then with his thumb.

"So we are going to stay here"

"In Seattle" Derek confirmed.
"When are you going to tell me why did you move here from Boston?"

"Soon, if you will behave nice" Derek chuckled and kissed her again, trying in this way to keep her mouth shut.

She felt her pager beeping, so just then Derek let her go. She stood up and grabbed the bag with chips "back to work!"

"What are hour are you off today?" Derek asked her.

"6… You?"

"5, but I will wait for you!"

Meredith smiled happy and left hurried to go back to her floor. Derek stood there for a few more minutes and then he returned to work too.

He passed by Ellis's office and after a few more steps he stopped; he turned around on his heels and after a second of thought he knocked at her door.

"Come on in!"

Derek opened the door and stepped in, closing the door.

Ellis was with the back to door filling some boxes, so she didn't see who had come in. Just when Derek cleared his throat and spoke, she turned around.

"Dr. Webber"

Ellis looked up from that box and for a second she kept the look ahead. She turned around moving the box on desk.

"Dr. Shepherd… This is a surprise. Both of you are surprising me with your visits. But I have to admit that you are surprising me the most; I didn't believe that you would dare to face me"

Derek kept his calm and normal attitude and approached her desk "Why wouldn't I? I haven't done anything that I should be ashamed of"

Ellis looked up at him with an eye-brow raised "You haven't?"

"No, I haven't"

Ellis looked back at her papers smiling "You do have some gall to come here and tell me this. Now all that is missing is to tell me that you are in love with my daughter."

Derek sustained his hands on the chair's backrest and looked at her serious "I am! I am in love with Meredith!"

"Sure" her answer came immediately like she was very sure on what she was saying.

"What makes you believe that I don't?"

"Well we'll see how in love you are with her, in 6 months when I will come back; I kind of doubt that you will still be together then."

"Why is so hard to believe that I am not having real feelings for your daughter?"

"Name three reasons that made you fell for her? Do not include the sex!" Ellis interrupted what she was doing and looked at him waiting for his answer.

But she didn't have to wait too long, because Derek already spoke "She knows how to be a good friend and how to support them in better and worse, she is sensitive, she makes me smile just listening her, I get comfort only if she hugs me and I think these should be at least enough for you to love her too!"

"Don't you dare to judge my feelings for my daughter! You have no right to do it and you have no idea what you are saying."

"Dr. Webber, I have all the respect for you as a doctor, because you were my teacher too once, but as a mother... is that hard to love your daughter? To show her that she means something to you?"

"Dr. Shepherd, this isn't your business. I have my reasons; now please leave!"

Derek stood there for a few moments looking at her with shocked by the cold attitude that Ellis shows when it comes to her own daughter. He turned around to leave, but stopped and looked back at her "Our relationship is strictly personal and outside this hospital" He didn't wait for her answer and left the office.

He felt relieved and much better after he told all these to Ellis; probably this was the reason for his smile. It was sad to see a mother's feelings for a daughter; now he understood Meredith better and her wish to leave the town. But he was feeling better now that he told Ellis about his feelings for Meredith.

He was far away gone with his thoughts and he didn't even saw Mark joining his walk.

"What happened in there? Why are you smiling?" Mark had seen him coming out from Ellis's office.

"Hey Mark! I talked to her"

Mark chuckled "Don't tell me she gave you her blessing?"

Derek looked at him smiling "Of course not! But I made it clear to her that my relationship with her daughter is serious"

"Don't get me wrong Der, but you have a weird pleasure to get involved in painful relationships"

"This is not painful Mark"

Mark just shrugged.