Hello nice people from the fanfiction world! Not sure if there is still anyone out there that is interested in this story... My apologies, I kind of lost interest in Grey's but lately it has once again conquered me and here I am trying to finalise this story. I will be working on updating it so that it gets finished, my heart breaks for all the unfinished fics that I have read, I don't want to be one of those writers. Hope everyone is good. Happy New Year guys!
Meredith walked in a quick pace, she went directly to her father's office. Her thoughts troubled her. How could her parents have hidden the way their relationship began, they were clearly ashamed of it. How come none of Richard's relatives ever mentioned that he had already been married before, there were no traces of it, she never found a photo with this woman, her name, Adele, was not familiar neither was her face.
She entered the room, not sure of her feelings towards this situation, she scanned the inside of her father's den. Meredith noticed the several photos her father had there, of their family, there was a photo of Richard and her mother during their wedding, happy faces and a big pregnant belly, Meredith was there as well, even though that event was not clear in her head, she could see the joy in the little girl of the photo, the one she once was. There were several other photos, two pictures, each one of her siblings, Maggie and Jackson, newborns in the hospital room with the rest of their family. A big picture of her mother adorned the left side of his desk. Michael and Matilda were there as well, Matilda still the bright and vivacious girl she once was. This picture brought tears to her eyes, she missed her little girl so much, having her in that bed motionless was torture to her, to see the years passing by and how much her little girl was missing.
Meredith heard the door opening and Richard Webber coming inside the office. He looked sternly at his daughter's face and saw the tears falling.
"Meredith, please don't cry…" Richard just said.
"How could you and mom do that to that woman? She is a wreck."
"She never let go, this is the problem. She is not a bad person and neither are we. She should have put all this behind her back and try to forgive us. She tried for some time to get me back. I love your mother, I didn't leave Adele because Ellis was pregnant, I left Adele because your mother is the love of my life and I could not picture a future without her being in it."
"She is sick… And you move worlds to help her, you are still guilty for what happened." Meredith exclaimed. "Do you still love her?"
"Adele made a lot of wrong decisions in the past after I left her. You know, before I married her, we had known each other for 15 years, she had been my best friend since 4th grade, I think I mistook friendship and affection for love and passion. I am not proud of everything your mother and I did but I don't regret anything of it. I am trying to give Adele another chance at life, she doesn't have no one. I once thought I loved her, there was a time in which she was the most important person in my life, now I still hold on to this memory of us and that is what moves me to help her and give my best to get her a second chance at life… I can ensure you that I am not guilty for the life I now have."
"She is clearly an alcoholic, her liver tests don't give a lot of argument to that."
"She is not a stable woman, probably never was, I might have been too young to see it at the time. She used alcohol as an escape to make her feel better, the result was catastrophic. Look Meredith, your mother and I, we did a lot of errors in the past, and fortunately we were blessed with this family, others suffered because of our love."
"Did Thatcher suffer as well?" Richard cringed hearing her biological father's name from Meredith's lips, Meredith loved Richard too much to ever call father to another man but him, even though she was upset of how secretive Richard was being of the all situation with his ex wife, she would never go low and hurt her true father like that. "Was he collateral damage for the the happy life you have?"
"Meredith, you are a grown up woman. This is the world we live in, while we are happy, others are suffering and in constant pain. Thatcher was not man enough to face this situation, and he is somewhat weak like Adele."
"Why was he not preoccupied with me? Why didn't he care afterwards?" Meredith asked a question that even though it passed through her thoughts quite often since her biological father disappeared from her life, she had never questioned it out loud to Richard nor to her mother. "I was still his daughter, I was not to blame in this."
"Thatcher was a good man and I always knew him as a good father to you." Richard said sincerely. "He shouldn't have abandoned you, no matter what happened. You deserved so much more, you were such a strong, brave and courageous little girl and he missed out on so much of your life. That fantastic, smart little girl became a fabulous, capable and strong woman, I am so proud of you, Meredith, of everything you accomplished. Thatcher missed out on all of this and this is his fault and only his failure and this should never become your torment. He doesn't deserve it." Richard put his arm over her daughter's shoulders and held her tight, in an attempt to console her as he did when she was little and scrapped her knee while rollerblading, his hand went to press against her daughter's head as she cried silently.
"I know, I don't need him for anything. I have you." Meredith answered drying the tears and giving a smile to her father. "You know, when I was in school, I hated when people questioned if I was related to the family, if I was truly your daughter, I wished I looked like Maggie all the time, so that there were no doubts that there was only one father in my life, my real one, you!"
"In the end I was the one who got lucky, I am the one who hears you calling me Dad every day and to be a true grandfather to your children, I might not be one of blood, but I am the one of the heart and that is all that matters."
"I know!" Meredith agreed.
"Now, please I beg of you, don't be mad with your mother. She doesn't deserve it, if someone got cold feet, it was me, she wanted our relationship to be out in the open from the beginning, she wanted us to come clean to both Adele and Thatcher. I was scared, Ellis was not. You are just like your mother, so brave and capable with dealing with all impossible situations."
"You are just human, dad. I am not mad with mom either. I know what it is like to love someone like that."
"You know Meri, they say that love like that, there is only one for each person in the world, you cannot let each other go! Don't let him go!" Richard stated, Meredith knew that Richard was not referring to Martin.
Meredith just nodded and didn't say anything. They stood in a while in silent appreciating each other company, until both of them had to return to the day's routine.
Meredith proceeded with her work day, she consulted in three cases before being lunchtime. She was more serene than she had been earlier this morning, she heard her phone signaling the arrival of a text message and read it at once. It was from Derek. He was already in the canteen and had ordered her lunch for her, he didn't say what it was, he was making it a surprise. She smiled and she remembered how she used to surprise her with snacks when they first started dating. He was always so attentive, she remembered her 18 year old self thinking of how lucky she was for finding a man like that one.
She texted the intern on her cases, George O'Malley if there was an update on her most critical patient, he said there were no news. She also passed by Alex and ensured that the appendectomy she had begged him to take over went ok. Everything looked good, she predicted that she would be able to have a quiet 40 minutes lunch break before getting back to work.
She walked to the cafeteria and started looking for Derek's table. She spotted it in a more secluded corner. He hadn't noticed she had arrived, always a gentleman, he was waiting for her to arrive so that he would start his meal. She just couldn't contain herself, she felt the need to desperately touch him. She went behind him and put her hands on his eyes and just said childishly.
"Guess who?" As soon as Mer's voice came out, Derek chuckled.
"Is it Nurse Debra? I knew you were preying on me." Derek joked, he knew right away whose hands were in his eyes. Mer's conditioner scent only added confirmation to it, not that he needed any, he was pretty certain it was her as soon as she was one step away from his chair.
"Funny, you are a funny man!" Meredith immediately took her hands out of his face, and she sat down on the opposite chair, facing Derek. "Awwww burger and fries, you are totally my favorite person in the world right now."
"Thankfully I know you well!" Derek smiled with satisfaction.
"Tuna salad for you?" Mer said eyeing his lunch.
"Well, I know me well too. I don't have your fast metabolism." Derek simply said smiling.
"You are not that bad for an old man." Mer told Derek while putting ketchup on top of her fries.
"C'mon 43 year old is not that old. I still got it."
"Who said that? Your precious nurses? Or some sucker intern?" Mer asked joking. "Well, to be truthful, you are quite fit. You are still lean, you can slack it up sometimes."
"I am good with my salad, thank you!"
"Once an health nut, always an health nut. Good for you Derek, at least our child will learn to eat responsibly from one of his parents."
"I am a health nut, I guess you are lavender obsessed. That conditioner will always give you away. I smelled lavender the moment you entered the cafeteria." Derek said. "I would have guessed straight away who you were, even without your hands or your voice."
"Well some things never change…" Meredith answered.
"Good things don't have to change. You smell good."
"Well, thank you Derek! This burger is really tasty by the way, well picked. How much do I owe you?" Mer said reaching for her wallet.
"How much do I owe you for delivering my kids?" Der replied.
"Hmmmm let me get the calculator…" Mer started mockingly saying. "I guess we can settle it with this lunch and maybe that really nice looking velvet cake. I have been flirting with it ever since I came here this morning to have coffee.
"Your wishes are my command! I will get it after we finish the meal." Derek said. "So about tonight, as I am currently accepting all your suggestions, I am in a pretty obedient mood." Derek teased. "What would you like to have for dinner?"
"Maybe a barbecue chicken pizza, Mike's favorite." She suggested.
"I will get one of those and another one from another flavor. Any preference?" Derek asked.
"I am not really picky with pizza! You can surprise me, you have never left me disappointed." Mer couldn't help herself, she was feeling a bit salacious today, acting all flirty with her ex-husband. Why on earth, was she acting this way towards him. Was it because of her hot dreams? Damn, chill out girl, she thought to herself.
"You are in a surprising good mood! I take you are having a good morning!"
"OK, I guess! Could have been better! The day doesn't look too promising either." Meredith replied.
"Ohhh come on? What is going on?" Derek asked, feeling brave, he reached for her hand on top of the table and squeezed it reassuringly. "Dreading dinner with me?"
When Meredith was about to answer, she looked up and noticed the new person that had just arrived in the cafeteria and was currently looking at them with an infuriated look. Mer immediately removed her hand from Derek's.
"Fuck!" Mer said silently, Derek managed to hear her and was looking at her questioningly. She gave him a discouraged look. "Why is this my day?"
Derek turned back and looked at the spot Mer was fixated on. There he was, his wife's prince charming boyfriend looking straight at them with a look that could kill.
So anyone still interested? Let me know if you are, please.