Chapter 26: Butting In

Derek's Point-of-View

"That little resident is a cute little thing." Amelia said as she sat across the table from me in the cafeteria eating a salad, "Why couldn't you have gone for someone like her?"

I choked on my water and after taking a few deep breaths and clearing my throat "What?"

"Well she's smart, and funny, and kind." Amelia continued "What you have is…"

"Stop." I muttered. She looked at me and gave me the sister look with a sigh "I know you're trying to be my big sister right now, but Brooke is who I am marrying and you're just going to have to accept that."

"Fine." She shrugged and then took another thoughtful bite "I think she has a thing for you."

"Who?" I asked.

"The resident. "she smirked and then gave me a look of warning "Don't act on it please, you've ruined enough women's lives already."

"I have not!" I scoffed yet I felt the ramifications of her suggestion hit harder than I wanted them to "Who have I ruined?"

"Let's see." She hummed "There was Sally Granger."

"That was eighth grade!" I scoffed.

"You still ruined her." She rolled her eyes "I think she actually became a lesbian her sophomore year."

"Or maybe she was a lesbian all along." I rolled my eyes "Who else."

"There was your college sweetheart Angie Windell." She smirked "I think she chopped off all her pretty blonde hair and burned her clothes after you broke her heart."

"That chick was psycho." I muttered "Hence why I broke it off."

"According to rumors Addison never really recovered from your divorce." She smirked "Apparently she's still moping around and sleeping with everything that has a pulse."

"That's not surprising."

"I heard she even got a little case of syph a few months ago."

I felt a grin smack across my face "I feel a little better now."

"Don't ruin her Derek." She said narrowly accusing me, if only she had a clue "She's a smart and strong girl, don't take that away from her."

"I'm sure she's smart enough to not let that happen." I muttered "And again, I'm getting married."

She mumbled something under her breath that sounded like 'we'll see' but I ignored it. In a sense I did miss my sister, I missed all the women in my life…one particularly more than the others. I tried not to think about her as Amelia started talking about the kids and her husband Roger. How Seattle was such a nice city and maybe they should all relocate.

"It rains here." I said, "You hate the rain."

"I don't hate the rain." She rolled her eyes "I'd just rather not get it all over me. If I'm inside the rain is fine." She sighed "So where are you and Miss Luxury living? A gated community no less."

"Actually." I smirked "I live in a camp trailer on forty acres of forest land."

She looked up at me shocked at first, then laughed, then stopped laughing "You're not joking?"

"No."

"How does the blonde feel about that?"

"She's…" I let out a sigh, who was I kidding, she hated the thought of it. If only she could be as easy going as Meredith…no I couldn't think that way. "She likes the idea of putting a vacation home on it."

"And you want to camp in the woods on a daily basis." She grinned "This'll be lovely."

"Don't start." I warned.

"Derek," she sighed "I know you don't like me butting in. But it's my job, you're inside the bubble and I'm out, I see more. I see you and her on two different realities, and I'm afraid that one day you'll wake up and realize that you've been married to a stranger for the last twelve years." She sighed "You'll be miserable."

I looked and saw all too much the misery she was talking about in my sister's eyes. I frowned with concern as I studied her body language as she stabbed a leaf of lettuce with her plastic fork and chewed it aggressively.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled "I've had my say. We don't have to talk about relationships anymore."

"Maybe we should."