Author's Note: First of all, I would like to apologize. For the past few weeks, I have been struggling with this writer's block unlike any I've had before. Most of the time, I'm over it within a week or so. But for the life of me, I could not get through it. On top of that, Thanksgiving was last week, so I had activities with that. So basically, I hope that all of you are enjoying yourselves, and will forgive me for not posting...I promise it will not be as long next time!
Three days had passed, and as Thatcher was being released from the hospital, Meredith waited patiently outside of his room. Somewhere along the way it had been decided that she'd drive him home, if for nothing more than to make sure he arrived safely. She still didn't have a truly stable relationship with him, but the odd sort of relationship they did have was enough at the moment for Meredith to feel like maybe it could work. Watching as he neared the doorway, she quickly went to open it. Just as she did, Derek walked up beside her. "Hey-"She said, offering him a smile. "I'm just driving him home, I'll be back in time to pick Elizabeth up."
"Good."Derek nodded, glancing at Thatcher before looking at Meredith. "Oh, before I forget...I know it's inconvienient, but Cristina said she was looking for you. She said she needed to speak with you before you left."
"It's okay, Meredith."Thatcher assured her as he saw Meredith hesitate. "I don't mind."
"Okay..."She replied, shrugging. "Where was she, do you know?"
"Last place I saw her was near the coffee cart. I'm sure if you hurry, you'll be able to catch her."Derek said as Meredith walked off in search of Cristina. "So..."He said, offering a half-smile to Thatcher. "You're being released today."
"Yes."Thatcher said with a nod. "I'm glad, too. I don't think I could have made it one more day in that room. The same four walls every day, nurses coming in at all hours to check up on you."
"They're there for your help."Derek defended as he stuck his hand into his labcoat pocker.
Thatcher's eyes narrowed a little as he leaned against the wall. "Somehow I get the feeling this isn't about me being released."He said, eyeing Derek. "Am I right?"
Derek sighed, his blue eyes momentarily darting down to the linoleum before looking back up at him. "You're right. Well, at least partially. Don't get me wrong...I'm all for you and Meredith having a relationship. She needs a father figure in her life, and if it's her own father, I guess it's all for the better."Derek said, sighing. "But Mer's very important to me. We share a child, and soon we'll have our own house to ourselves. She's going to be my wife. I love her. I really, really do. Mer's the type who's afraid to trust someone. She's been hurt a great deal in the past, and I'd just like to make sure it doesn't happen again."
Thatcher nodded, apparently taking Derek's comments into consideration. "She's not going to get hurt again. At least not from me. I know that I haven't exactly been the greatest father, but I'm glad that Meredith has someone like you in her life. She deserves someone like you, you know."
A faint smile echoed softly across Derek's features as he nodded. "I guess you could say that."He replied.
"I mean it, Doctor Shepherd."The older man replied. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. He allowed it to stop, momentarily rubbing the bandage that was plastered to his forehead. "Thank you."
"For being there?"Derek asked, not really sure of what Thatcher was asking.
"That, too."Thatcher replied with a nod. "But also for saving my life. If it weren't for you, I don't know what would have happened to me."
Derek nodded, momentarily taking in the older man's appearance. He wors a gray sweater and a pair of blue jeans, and a pair of men's loafers. Overall, it was a typical outfit he might expect him to wear, but the expression in his eyes was a different one. For one, his blue eyes were much more focused and attentive than they'd been in past experiences, and the tone he took on was more serious. He was no longer so frivilous, and Derek got the feeling from him that maybe he felt that he did have something else to think about now. Choosing to contribute that to Elizabeth, Derek sighed. "There's no need to thank me."He assured him. "I was just doing my job."
Meredith returned a few minutes later, and with a kiss and a reassurance that she'd be home as soon as she could, she went with the man she was beginning to see as her father.
True to her word, Meredith went to take her father home prior to going to the daycare to pick Elizabeth up. A few minutes later, she walked into the door of her home with her daughter in tow. She smelled something coming from the kitchen, and went to investigate. "Derek?"She called as she set her purse down on the table in the hall.
"In the kitchen."He called, already hearing her footsteps on the tile floor. "Oh, look who's home."He called, wiping his hands on a dish towel before going to greet Meredith and Elizabeth. "Did you have a good day?"He asked his daughter.
"Yep. I played games."Came Elizabeth's reply.
"What's that?"Derek asked, concerned as he pointed to a small bandaid on his daughter's arm.
"She was on the swing earlier when she fell off. But apparently she was tough about it."Meredith replied, marveling in the sight of Derek kneeling down before their daughter. "She didn't cry."
Derek's eyes widened, impressed as he look back at her. "Well, I hope that it feels better. I think this warrants ice cream after dinner...what do you think?"He asked as he looked up to Meredith.
She laughed a little, situating herself at the kitchen island. "I guess so."
Derek kissed Elizabeth on the cheek, offering a hug. "Come on, what do you say to helping daddy finish cooking?"
"Really...I can help?"Elizabeth asked, a silly grin from ear to ear.
"You sure can."Derek said, picking her up. He watched the look in his daughter's eyes and couldn't help but be amazed. She was still so young, but it seemed like every day she grew so much. "You have a job."He said, taking a serious tone.
"A job?"Elizabeth asked, wrinkling her nose. "What'sa job?"
"It's...something someone gives you that lets you help."Derek replied, not knowing how else to answer her. "You can taste the sauce, and tell me what you think. But not too much, I don't want you to spoil your dinner."Derek continued, finally placing her down in her chair at the table. He moved to the stove, carefully cooling off a spoonful of sauce.
When Elizabeth tasted it, her eyes grew wide. "Mmm...it's yummy, Daddy."
"I guess you could take that as a good thing."Meredith laughed as she came over to join them.
Derek shrugged, going back to stir it. "I guess it's not as good as Izzie would make, but with her and Alex out tonight, someone had to make dinner."
"What, you didn't think I could?"Meredith asked, already knowing the answer.
"If you were to make dinner we'd end up with grilled cheese, so I'd say it's for the best that I was here."Derek replied, shooting a wink in her direction.
Meredith fought back a grin, turning her attention to Elizabeth. "Do you hear him?"Her voice came as she tousled the girls black curls. "How much longer?"
"Just a few minutes."Derek replied. "The bread is almost done."
A few minutes later, everything was brought to the table and as a family, they ate. Derek helped Elizabeth with her bath, and together Derek and Meredith put her to bed. Meredith decided to call Cristina back about their conversation earlier that day, do Derek opted to take a shower first. As he walked back down the stairs, running a hand through his still moistened hair, he caught the tail end of their conversation.
"I know, Cris-"Meredith paused as she caught sight of Derek standing in the doorway. "-so you're sure you actually want to do this?"She offered a smile to Derek, motioning for him to let him know it was okay to come in. "Well, it just doesn't seem like something you'd do...okay, I know."Meredith laughed, shaking her head. "Then of course I'll help you."Meredith said with a nod as Derek sat down next to her. "Okay, so I'll talk to you tomorrow. Bye."
Derek watched, momentarily twirling the end of her hair in his fingers. "Something good?"
Meredith set the phone on the couch next to them with a sigh. "Burke's...birthday is next weekend. They just moved into the house a while back, and he made some comment about inviting everyone over."
"But we've already been there."Derek replied.
"I know."She said with a shrug. "But Burke wants everyone. Mark, Addison...Bailey too, I guess. Cristina usually isn't one for hanging out with everyone outside of the hospital, but she's willing to do it for Burke."
Derek looked amused as he shook his head. "She never fails to surprise me, you know."
Meredith tilted her head in a way to rest it against his shoulder. "That's true."She mused.
"So...how did it go with Thatcher?"Derek asked, feeling sorry for not asking it before.
"It was good. He liked being back home."Meredith replied as she wrapped an arm tightly around his waist, smiling as she felt Derek do the same. "You talked to him?"She asked, lifting her head from his shoulder.
Derek knew that she would have known, but wasn't sure how she'd react. "I did."He said.
Meredith stared back into his eyes, as if she were trying to gauge something. As her face broke into a smile, she knew that at least she had Derek to count on. "Okay."
Smiling, Derek leaned in close, planting a kiss softly on her lips. He moved her hair out of her face, taking in her features. The work day behind them, Derek was free to enjoy what in the end, was the one thing he's always wanted to; his family. Knowing that it was all he truly needed, he kissed her again. "Okay."