Chapter 40: I Know Who Your Father Is
Meredith walked up the steps to the OR gallery that Bailey was currently operating on. She got to the top and looked into the mostly empty room with only one person sitting in a chair watching the surgery, a very little person. She felt nerves twist her stomach into a knot, she didn't exactly know what to say or do but she had to try. They were all a family now and they needed to act like it sooner rather than later.
"Hey." She said with a sigh as she sat down next to Bella.
"Hey." Bella looked up at her.
"I'm sorry you had to spend your day in a hospital."
Bella shrugged "It wasn't the worst day of my life."
"I spent so much time in a hospital when I was your age I'm surprised I even wanted to become a surgeon."
"Why did you want to?"
"I'm not sure." She shrugged "I guess I just felt like it was what I was born to do."
"It looks fun." Bella said, Meredith let out a rolling giggle as she shook her head "What, it does."
"A part of it is fun. But it's very serious work. People can die on the table."
"Yeah." Bella said quietly as her expression fell "People die."
Meredith felt a slap in the face as she realized how insensitive she'd just been. Normally she wouldn't care, she never bothered to censor herself before. But she cared about Bella and she didn't want to hurt her.
"I'm sorry you lost your parents." Meredith said sincerely "I'm sorry."
Bella looked at her with a blank expression, or at least one that hid emotion well. She got goose bumps at how much she reminded her of herself.
"So am I supposed to call you Mom now?"
"You can call me whatever you want." Meredith said, she saw Bella smirk out of the corner of her eye and regretted saying it "Within reason Madison."
"No fun."
"You'll have to go to school tomorrow."
"Why?" she scoffed "Can't I just stay here and learn to be a surgeon first hand?"
"It could work." Meredith smirked "But I don't think the AMA would be happy when they find out you have no medical license, and the hospital would most likely fold under with all the lawsuits."
"Damn." She muttered. Meredith's eyes widened on her daughter "What, you say it too."
"Well I shouldn't." Meredith sighed "Not around you."
"I'm nine." Bella rolled her eyes "I've heard worse in the supermarket."
"True." Meredith shrugged "I guess…I guess I'm still trying to figure out what's the right thing to do with you."
"You want me to help you?" she asked with a mischievous grin.
"Somehow I doubt that would work." Meredith giggled "Would you be honest with me?"
"No. I'd lie to get what I want."
"Thanks for being honest." Meredith laughed.
"Ahem." They heard in the doorway and looked up to see Derek smile at them as he walked in and sat next to Bella on the other side of her "Hey."
"Hi." She smiled. Derek exchanged a look with Meredith, and she let out a sigh.
"So Bella." Meredith mumbled "We have something to tell you."
"Ok."
"You know how we told you that we thought we didn't know who your biological father was?"
"Yeah." She frowned "You were a whore back then." Meredith's face fell into a frown "What, I'm not deaf I can hear you talk."
"Right." Meredith nodded "Well I found out who your father is."
"Who?"
"Me." Derek smiled "It turns out that I'm your biological father."
Bella's eyes lit up for a second and then she let out a horrified gasp and covered her mouth as she jumped out of the chair and shrieked.
"I..You..No!" she screamed as she violently shook her head "But I said he was…Ah!"
She turned and darted out of the gallery leaving Derek sitting there dumbfounded. He turned to see Meredith biting her lip to stifle her laughed.
"What was that all about?"
"She um…" Meredith mumbled "She said you were hot."
"So?"
"You're her father and she said you were hot." Meredith smirked "You have no idea how humiliating that is for a little girl."
"Ok." He frowned, "Should I go talk to her?"
"No." Meredith smiled and stood up "Trust me that would only make it worse…I'll go."
"That is very motherly and grown up of you."
"Yeah?" she smirked and waggled her eye brows "Does it turn you on?"
"Mmmhhmmm."