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Derek smiled as he heard the house phone ring, he was sat at the dinner table with Alison, Imogen, Olivia and Claire for family dinner, Mark was still at work and Lara was at Jake's. His mom stood from the table to answer it, even though they all knew it was Meredith.

'I would so laugh if it was Aunt Brenda.' Claire laughed.

'Same.' Said Imogen. 'You look like you're a kid on Christmas, Der.'

'Shut up.' He laughed, unable to stop the smile on his face.

'You literally talk to her everyday, and nothing major happens in that time, I don't understand how you can be so excited to speak to her.' His youngest sister continued.

'Shut up.' He repeated, waiting for his mom to bring him the phone and excuse him from the table.

'It's because he looooooves her.' Olivia teased.

'Derek and Meredith sitting in a tree…' Imogen began laughing. ' g!' the other two joined in, all bursting into laughter as Alison returned with the phone.

'Derek dear, it's for you.' She smiled, handing it to him.

'Ooooooo!' squealed Olivia.

'Shut up.' He groaned, pushing his chair back and walking out of the room. 'Hey,' he breathed, climbing the stairs.

'Hey,' came his girlfriend's voice.

'How are you doing?'

'Good.' She replied. 'You?'

'Me too.' He nodded.

'What have you been doing today?'

'Not much.' He sighed. 'I drove Imogen and Ruth to the mall and then hung out with Liv watching tv this afternoon. You?'

'Urugh.' She sighed. 'I've had the day from hell.'

'You just said you were good!' he laughed.

'Well I am now.'

'Oh.'

'So anyway, back to my day from hell,' she continued as he sat on his bed. 'I just had an argument with my mom.' She sighed.

'You did?' he asked gently.

'Yeah.' She sighed. 'So I stormed up here, locked my door and rang you.'

'Are you okay?'

'Yeah.' She said quietly.

'What did you fight about?'

'She told me I couldn't go out with Sadie tomorrow.'

'You're not a kid anymore, she cant tell you you cant see your friends if you want to.'

'That's what I said! And then she said I might as well be a kid because of my lack of drive and ambition in life.'

'She said that?'

'Yeah. And she said if I ever wanted to get anywhere I have to stay in and study tomorrow because my grades aren't good enough.'

'You literally got straight As, Mer.'

'I know! But apparently they weren't good enough. And I'm not focused enough.'

'How does she even know how much you've been studying she's hardly been home from the hospital these last three weeks?'

'I said that, too.'

'What did she say?'

'She started going on about how she didn't have time to babysit me, and she didn't care about my trivial friends- apparently she has real work to do.'

'But you're her daughter, she should want to spend time with you.'

'I know.' She sighed. 'But she never will.'

'Well that's sad.'

'I'm past caring, really.' His girlfriend admitted.

'Well for what it's worth, she doesn't know what she's missing.'

'Thanks.' She giggled, unconvinced.

'You know that I love you, right?'

'I do. And I love you too.'

'Good.' He smiled. 'Just think the less time she spends with you the more you get to spend with me,' he smirked, trying to make her laugh.

'Well not really,' she laughed. 'Seeing as you're hours away.'

'True. But more time on the phone with me.'

'That is true.' She giggled. 'What were you doing when I called?'

'Having dinner.'

'Oh. Sorry, you can go back. I didn't mean to interrupt.'

'Don't be stupid.' He laughed. 'This is the highlight of my day.'

'I can call later. You were eating.'

'No, it's fine. I was almost finished anyway.'

'Are you sure?' she said sheepishly.

'Yeah.' He nodded. 'I want to make sure you're okay.'

'Okay.' She breathed, before suddenly falling silent. 'Der, can I ring you back later?'

'Yeah of course.' He breathed. 'I love you.'

'Love you too.' She whispered.

'Bye.'

'Bye.'

He hung up the phone before sighing and heading back downstairs where his mom and sisters would be waiting ready to tease him.

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'What?' she groaned after Derek hung up the phone.

'Open this door, Meredith.'

'What do you want?' she demanded.

'Meredith Elizabeth open this door right now.'

'No.'

'Meredith…' her mom sighed.

'Go away.'

'Meredith….'

'I was on the phone.'

'Well whatever it is, it can wait.'

'No, it cant actually.' She pouted.

'Open the door right now.' Her mother said sternly, forcing Meredith to sigh and climb off her bed, opening the door, but not far enough for her mother to enter her room.

'What?'

'Honestly Meredith, you wonder why I have to treat you like a child when all you do is act like one.'

'I'm not a child. I'm nine teen years old.'

'Well you don't act like it.'

'I'm nine teen, mom. I'm supposed to be having fun.'

'I thought we got out of this phase when you returned your hair to normal colour.' Ellis sighed.

'Out of what?' Meredith frowned.

'You, being reckless.'

'I am not reckless.' Meredith protested.

'Ha!' her mother laughed.

'I'm not.'

'Honestly Meredith, you need to grow up.'

'You need to give me some slack.'

'That's the last thing you need.'

'I'm a good kid, mom.'

'Yeah, but you're far from the best, aren't you?'

'I'm doing a pre-medical degree at Dartmouth! What more do you want from me?!'

'To have some focus, some drive. Something about you.'

'I have focus.'

'So that's why you want to go out and get drunk with Sadie tomorrow night is it?'

'I want to go out with Sadie tomorrow night because you've made me study all week and I want to have some fun.'

'Fine. Go. But don't come crawling to me when you don't make anything of yourself. Achieving your goals takes some sacrifice, Meredith. You cant just be doing what you want when you want.'

'I'm not even at Medical school yet!' Meredith cried. 'I'm an undergraduate!'

'With this attitude you'll never even get to medical school. Honestly, you're just like your father always was. Weak.'

She stood, unable to argue back. She didn't know what to say. All she wanted was to close the door in her mother's face and curl into Derek's arms, but she couldn't do either.

'And they way you've been speaking to me, I… Meredith it's unacceptable.'

'Sorry.' She mumbled, just wanting her mom to leave her alone.

'I don't know what to do with you, Meredith.' She sighed again.

'Sorry, mom.' She said quietly.

'Richard was just on the phone. I'm going to a conference in San Diego next weekend.'

'Oh.' She breathed.

'Friday to Monday morning. So I wont be here. But Richard will be calling to make sure you're at home, studying.'

'Oh.' She repeated.

'If you're not… well…' she sighed. 'If you're not it's your own future you're intent on ruining.'

'I'm not ruining my future, mom. I work hard.'

Ellis laughed harshly before eyeing Meredith carefully. 'I'm going to the hospital now, to prepare for this conference. I'm on call tonight so I'm not sure when I'll be home.'

'Okay.'

'I expect your attitude to have improved when I come back.'

'Okay.' Meredith replied stubbornly.

'And give me your cell phone.'

'What? Mom! No.'

'Give it to me.'

'Mom…'

'Give it to me, or I'll cancel the bill and you can have an ineffective one.'

'But I need my cell phone mom!'

'What? So you can call your friends and make plans with Sadie when you should be studying?'

'I need to talk to my friends, mom. I miss them.'

'They're a distraction.'

'Okay.' She said quietly, walking to her bed and handing her mom her cell phone. If she thought her friends were a distraction, Meredith knew there was no way she would accept Derek.

'Thank you.' Ellis said sharply. 'I'll lock the door on my way out.'

'Okay.' Meredith pouted, shutting the door in her mother's face.

She groaned and fell on her bed, she couldn't even call Derek until she heard her mom leave the house. She fought back the tears that were threatening to fall, all she wanted was to be cuddled up with him, his arms around her and his lips pressing onto her cheek and head. She wanted to see him so badly. There was no way her mom would ever allow her to go to New York to see him, she didn't even know he existed, and she wouldn't be happy.

But this time next week, her mother wouldn't be there…. For four whole days. Four whole days where she knew her mother wouldn't be around. If she had the money in her own account she would jump on a plane and head for Derek's as soon as her mother was out the door. But she'd been looking at flights to New York from Seattle last week purely out of interest, with hope of it ever actually happening. They were nearing $400, and while she had some money in her account, she didn't have that much. Maybe she could ask her mom for the difference and spend what little was in her account. But then again she'd have no spending money once she was in New York, and no money when her mom got back which would make her suspicious. And she wouldn't be in to answer Richard's calls, which would make her even more suspicious.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard the front door bang. She rushed to her window and watched as her mother drove off the driveway and down the street before running downstairs to the phone.

She dialled Derek's house number and waited for him to pick up.

'Hello The Shepherd House, Olivia speaking.' Came his sister's voice with the greeting they had all been taught to answer with.

'Hey Liv.'

'Oh, Mer, hey.'

'Hey,' she smiled.

'I'm assuming you're after Derek.' His sister laughed.

'Yes please.' She said sheepishly.

'No worries, I'll go get him for you.'

'Thanks.' She smiled. 'How are you?'

'Good thanks.'

'Derek said you hung out today?'

'Yeah.' She laughed. 'We're trying to take shifts.'

'Shifts?' Meredith laughed, confused.

'I don't know what he's told you, but he really misses you.' His sister said quietly as she made her way upstairs.

'Oh. I miss him too.'

'He mopes a lot. So we try and hang out with him. Even if it's just sitting in the same room.'

'Oh. Thanks.'

'I'm at his room now, I'll speak to you soon?'

'Definitely.' Meredith smiled.

'Kay. Der? You're wife's on the phone.'

'Mer?' he she heard him ask, before his voice was coming down the phone. 'Hey.'

'Hey.' She smiled.

'Everything okay?'

'Yeah.' She sighed. 'Sorry about before. My mom was at my door.'

'Oh. Is everything okay?'

'Yeah. We kind of fought.'

'Kind of?'

'Yeah. It wasn't as bad as before…. But we did fight.'

'That's not good. What about this time?'

'Same kind of thing.'

'Ignore her.'

'I know.' She whispered.

'Seriously, Mer. Ignore her.'

'I know.' She repeated, laying back on the couch. 'I wish you were here.'

'Me too.' He whispered.

'I… never mind….'

'What?'

'Nothing, Derek.'

'Meredith. What?'

'It doesn't matter because even if… it doesn't matter.' She shook her head.

'Tell me.'

'No, Derek.'

'Best friend. Together forever, tell me.'

'Derek…' she sighed.

'What? What could possibly be happening that you cant tell me?'

'Okay.' She sighed. 'My mom's going to be out of town next weekend.'

'Oh. Where's she going?'

'San Diego I think she said. Conference.'

'Oh.'

'Friday to Monday.'

'Oh.'

'And I was thinkinggggg, well. I looked at flights to New York.'

'You did?' he breathed.

'They're four hundred dollars, Der.'

'Oh.'

'And I don't have that much money. I have like probably about a hundred in my account after I came last time and I cant ask her for three hundred dollars without her asking me what it's for. And then I'll have literally no money for when I get there. Or when she gets back. And she's having someone check on me.'

'Oh.' He said deflated.

'But I really want to see you.' She murmured sheepishly. 'So… I was wondering… if you could come out here?' she bit her lip. Waiting. Waiting for him to say no. Because she knew he would.

'God Mer.' He breathed. 'I miss you like crazy. I miss you so much I… I would love to but I…'

Her heart dropped into her stomach at his words. Why did she even mention it. She knew he couldn't.

'Forget it.' She said instantly.

'No, Mer…' he protested.

'Forget it, Derek.' She said, shaking her head. She sounded needy, and stupid. And she knew he was working and she knew he didn't have any money and she sounded pathetic asking him to come out. Why would he pay all that to see her when she wouldn't pay to see him?

'Hey, no. No. Listen to me.'

'Derek…'

'Listen to me.'

'Okay.' She sighed, tears forming in her eyes. Why was she crying? She was crying. All she wanted was to see him.

'I want to see you. I really, really want to see you. But I'm working.' He sighed.

'I know.'

'I'll talk to my Uncle and see if he'll give me time off.'

'Seriously?' she breathed.

'Seriously. I want to see you Mer, I miss you.'

'I miss you too.' She breathed. 'I miss you so much.'

'Me too.'

'I love you.'

'I love you too.'

'Let me know what Stanley says?'

'Of course.'

'I really hope you can come.'

'Me too. I've missed you so much.'

'Me too.' She whispered.

'I'm going to have to go, mom's shouting me. But I'll call you tomorrow after work, okay?'

'Okay.'

'And I'll ask Stanley first thing in the morning.'

'Okay.' She grinned.

'I love you.'

'I love you too.'

'I love you so much. And ignore your mom.'

'I will.' She nodded.

'Kay. I love you.'

'Love you too.'

'Bye.'

'Bye.'

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Derek hung up the phone and raced downstairs to the living room where his mom and siblings were sat watching tv.

'Alright Usane Bolt, calm down.' Said Claire as he burst into the living room.

'Mark…' he said breathlessly. 'Can you work Friday and Sunday for me next week?'

'What?' frowned his brother.

'Please?'

'Derek, whatever is this about?' asked Alison.

'Mark? Please?'

'Why?'

'Please.'

'Why?'

'Shouldn't the fact I'm begging be reason enough.'

'No. Why?'

'Please. I want to surprise Meredith. Please.'

'How did we know?' Imogen laughed, rolling her eyes.

'Shut up.' He snapped, turning around. 'Mark.'

'You want me to work four days straight so you can fuck your girlfriend like a bunny?'

'Mark, honestly.' Frowned Alison.

'Sorry Ma.'

'No, her and her mom aren't getting on at the minute and next weekend she's out of town. So I want to surprise her.'

'What's in it for me?'

'You'll have my wages, obviously.'

'Seriously? That's it?'

'Fifty bucks?'

'Hundred.'

'Hundred?!'

'Hundred.'

'Mark, have a heart.' Said Alison.

'I'll do it. For a hundred I'll do it.'

'That's a quarter of the flight money.'

'Up to you.' Mark shrugged.

'Do it Mark.' Snapped Olivia. 'He'd do it for you.'

'Yeah right.' Mark laughed.

'Well then I'll give you the other fifty, Der.'

'No, Liv.' He sighed.

'Mark do it for fifty you jack ass.' Said Imogen.

'Language, really.' Glared Alison.

'Sorry, Ma.'

'Do it, Mark.' Said Olivia.

'Fine.' He sighed. 'But you owe me.' He eyed Derek.

'Of course. Thanks, man.'

'Yeah well, you have to clear it with Stan first.'

'I will.' Derek nodded. 'Thanks, man.'

'Hmmm. Youre welcome.'

'And no-one,' he turned around to face them all. 'No-one tell Meredith.'

'Okay.' Liv nodded.

'Course not.' Smiled Claire.

'She thinks I'm asking Stan in the morning for the time off and I'm going to tell her he said no.'

'Why? If she knows it might give her something to look forward to.' Said Imogen. 'If her and her mom are arguing?'

'No. I want to surprise her.' He shook his head.

'I think it's romantic.' Smiled Alison.

'Thanks, Ma.' He smiled, moving out of the door, back to the stairs, before popping back round the door. 'And remember no-one tell her. No one.'

'We wont.' Laughed Liv.

'Good.' He grinned.

'Off you go Romeo.' Laughed Imogen as he laughed and headed back up the stairs.

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