Chapter 23: Plans
Derek drove home with a smile on his face. This had been the happiest he had been in a long time. He was going to set himself free tonight. He was going to go home, tell Lexie he wanted a divorce, and be free. He wasn't even sure what he was going to do afterward, but he didn't care. As long as he said his piece. As long as he made his feelings known. As they say, the truth will set you free. And the truth was, his marriage was over.
He knew that Meredith wanted him to try. But she didn't understand. She didn't know their relationship. She knew Lexie's side. She knew the side of a delusional woman who actually thought she could fix it. She had no idea. There was nothing to fix. His heart was with someone else. And without his heart, there was nothing to work with.
Derek pulled up into the driveway of his home. He hated this house. Lexie loved it. She loved it from the minute they walked in. He didn't care. He just needed a place to lay his head every once in a while. But now he was caring. Now he was thinking about where he was going next. More importantly where he and Meredith were going.
He pulled off his shoes and made his way up the stairs. He couldn't help but smile. There wouldn't be many more times that he would have to climb them. He was expecting Lexie to be in her usual position, reading a book with her bed side light on. She wasn't. She was asleep. Sound asleep.
"Perfect. Just perfect..." He muttered as he shook his head. Just his luck. Of course, she would be sleeping.
Derek brushed his teeth and washed his face. He quickly changed into his favorite pajama pants and Dartmouth t-shirt. As he laid down, he let out a sigh of relief. Not much longer. He looked over at Lexie, who was sleeping peacefully. Tomorrow. Tomorrow was the day.
Derek opened his eyes. It was early. He still had another hour to sleep. Lexie was still asleep. But he was wide awake. He jumped out of bed and climbed in the shower. This was a good day. A very good day. He dressed and ran downstairs. Looking in the refrigerator, he decided to make an omelet. Something different than the usual muesli.
"You made breakfast." Lexie said as she walked into their kitchen.
"I did." He said as he took a bite of his perfect omelet.
"You're smiling." She said as she poured coffee in her cup.
"I am." He said happily. "And you're not dressed." He said as he looked at her.
"I'm not going in." She said as she sat down. "Did you see Meredith yesterday?"
"Meredith, um...I- I'm sure she was around the hospital somewhere." Derek stammered. That was tearing his confidence down quickly.
"Oh. So, you didn't see her?" She said as she took a sip of her sweet coffee. "I thought maybe she apologized." Lexie said frankly.
"For what?" Derek snapped.
"For cursing at us. I am really mad at her. She called me a bitch." Lexie said loudly.
"She didn't call you a bitch." He disagreed.
"She did. I heard her. She said it. She's the bitch." Lexie said angrily.
"Lex, she was drunk. Very drunk. I'm sure she not only didn't mean it, but she probably doesn't remember saying it." Derek explained.
"Whatever." Lexie spat. "I'm going to Peds. I'm off the surgical floor."
"Because of her?" Derek said with a chuckle.
"Because I want to go to Peds." She spat. "What the hell is with you?" Lexie said quickly. "You're up early. You made coffee. You made breakfast. And you haven't had a nightmare. You haven't woken up in a cold sweat in a while. And you smile..."
"Lexie." Derek said as he looked up at her. "I want a divorce."
"What!" She shouted. "What do you mean, you want a divorce?"
"It's over." Derek said as he sipped his coffee.
"You sit there, sip your coffee and ask me for a fucking divorce with a smile on your face?" She said quickly.
"Well, I did ask. Now I'm telling... We are getting a divorce." Derek told her.
"No. No. We can fix this. We can make it work. I don't want a divorce." She said as the tears began to fall from her eyes.
"No, Lex. No, we can't." He said sadly. It hurt, it actually hurt to see the pain in her eyes.
"But, Derek, I love you." She said softly as she walked around the table and tried to embrace him.
"No, Kris. Stop!" He said as he tensed up. "I don't. I'm so sorry. I don't love you. I never have." He said as he pulled away and stood up.
"There's another woman, isn't there?" She cried out. "You're fucking some whore. That's why you have that stupid ass grin. Well, she doesn't love you. She won't. Not like I do!" Lexie said as she threw her mug down. "You bastard!" She yelled.
"Lexie, calm down." Derek said as he looked at her.
"No! No, I will not calm down! You ask me for a divorce. With a smile on your face. Then I accuse you of cheating, and you don't deny it!" She shouted as she threw his plate at his feet.
"Who is she Derek? Who? Do I know her?" She yelled. Derek just stared at her blankly. "How long? How long has this been going on? How long has she been fucking you? How long has she been on your mind?"
"I'm leaving." He said as he turned around. He quickly walked over and grabbed his suitcase that he had gotten ready.
"You packed? You prepared for this?" She shouted. "You asshole!" She yelled as she began grabbing dishes out of the cupboard and throwing them at him.
"Shit! Stop!" He said as he looked at her wild eyes.
"Fuck you!" She said as she whipped a plastic plate at his head hitting him squarely in the forehead. "That's what four years of throwing discus does, ass-wipe." She yelled. "Your mother's china is next!" She yelled.
Derek watched as she pulled out the china that had been in his family for as long as he could remember. It was worth it. It was worth the sacrifice. He shook his head as he tore ass out of their home.
"Derek! Please, I love you!" She yelled as she ran to the front door. Derek looked at her as he pulled out of the driveway.
"That could have gone better..." He muttered to himself.
It was worth it. All of that was worth it. The relief that came over him was amazing. He felt like a new man. A soon to be divorced new man. A man who was free to move on. To do what he wanted. To move on with the love of his life. He had never felt better.
Lexie walked into her house. Her broken down home. She knew they weren't ideal. But it worked. She loved him. She was going to fix him, and they were going to live happily ever after. They were going to grow old together. Not now. She walked into the kitchen and began cleaning up her mess. As the tears fell, her wheels spun. There had to be a way to fix it.
"Do you want to ride with me today?" Meredith asked as she looked up at Mark.
"No, I don't know when I'll be done. I have to work on a burn victim today." Mark said as he ate his toast. "You want some toast? I'm not hungry." He said as he pushed it away.
"Nope. I hate toast." She said with a shrug.
"You love toast." Mark said quickly. "Especially with strawberry preserves." He said as he held it out for her.
"Nope. Hate it." She said as she sipped her coffee.
"We'll, you need to eat something." He warned as he watched her.
"Okay, Dad." Meredith joked as she grabbed a yogurt.
"Oh, that will get you through the day." He laughed.
"It just needs to get me to the snack machine. I really want a Hershey's milk chocolate bar." She said with a smile.
"Chocolate for breakfast... Lola must be in town..." Mark said with a laugh. Meredith feigned shock.
"I don't think my menstrual cycle is your business!" She said quickly. She looked at him and shook her head. "And no, Lola isn't in town." She chuckled. "I haven't heard anyone say that in... nine years."
"You know why Derek used to say that, right?" Mark asked with a smirk.
"Yes... Because whatever Lola wants, Lola gets..." She said shaking her head in disgust as she thought back.
"Yep, and he feared Lola with his life. He did anything she wanted. Lola is the bitchy once a month you." Mark said with a chuckle. "So, if she's not in town... Please warn me when she is!" He shouted as she walked in his room. She turned as stuck her head out the door.
"I think you'll know..." She joked.
"You're right about that." He muttered under his breath. "Derek was here last night..." He said as she walked back out.
"I know." She said frankly. "I heard you guys talking."
"You did?" He asked, wondering just how much she had heard.
"I was awake. I don't think I fell asleep until one." She said with a sigh. "He came in. I didn't say anything. I just couldn't..." She muttered.
"I'm sure everything will be fine..." Mark said reassuringly.
"That's funny. That's more or less what he said." She said with a frown. "I just don't see how it can be, Mark. I don't see it..."
"Sometimes life has a way of surprising you." Mark said with a nod.
"Uh huh." She said as she opened the front door. "See you at the hospital." She said as she shut the door.
"Carter!" Aren't you supposed to be doing SCUT?" Meredith yelled as she saw him leaned against the wall, flirting with the sister of a patient. "If you'd rather, you can do rectal exams. You do seem to have a talent for them." She said with a smirk as she watched his face turn deep red.
"SCUT is fine with me, Dr. Grey." Danny said as he marched over to the pile of charts.
"Eastman, I heard there is a possible case in the pit. Can you go check it out?" She asked with a smile.
"Of course, Dr. Grey." She said with a smile as she marched off.
"Pierce-" Meredith said as she looked at a chart.
"Can I be with Dr. Shepherd?" Ellen squealed as she looked at the chart.
"Hmm, Dr. Shepherd, huh?" Meredith said with a smirk, knowing that Ellen was completely infatuated with Derek.
"Uh huh. I want to go into Neurology." She said with a smile.
"And I heard that you wanted to go into Cardio when you had a crush on Dr. de Gaulle..." Meredith said as she looked up. "And what about Plastics?"
"Um..." Ellen said slowly.
"Go ahead." She said as she rolled her eyes. "You do realize he's married, right?" Meredith asked quickly.
"That doesn't mean anything..." She said with a smirk. I don't think so... If I can't have him... You can't have him, you little tart!
"Shoot! Ellen?" Meredith shouted causing the intern to spin around.
"Yes, Dr. Grey?" She said with a frown.
"There's a patient in 4633 that needs his dressings changed. You need to do that..." Meredith said with a smirk. What now, bitch?
"Of course, Dr. Grey." She sighed as she walked away. Meredith leaned against the wall with a smirk on her face.
"Hey... Why are you smiling?" Derek asked as he walked up.
"Torturing interns..." She said as she looked over. "She has it bad. For you." She said with a chuckle.
"Ohh..." He laughed as he looked at her. "That could be fun..." He said with a smirk.
"Seriously?" She said, taken aback.
"To tease her. Not that! There is only one..." He said as he looked up and down at her. "I need and intern." He said quickly.
"I was going to give her to you." Meredith said with a smirk. "But I'll let you have Weathers..."
"Okay, then." He said quickly as he started to walk away. "Have a good day." He said with a smile.
"You too." Meredith said with a smile.
Meredith frowned when she saw the quiet board. For the first time in a long time, she didn't really have anything to do. She looked at Derek's name. He was in OR 2. That one had a gallery. She walked over to the snack machine, grabbed three Hershey bars and jogged upstairs. She smiled when she saw the empty room. She grabbed a seat and leaned back in her chair, feet on the wall.
Derek glanced up into the empty gallery. It was empty. Now it contained one person. Meredith. He looked up at her and smiled. He knew she couldn't see it because of the surgical mask. She seemed to know it was there, because she smiled back at him. He looked down at his patient and continued to work.
"Hey." Mark said as he sat down next to her.
"Hey." She said as she looked over. "What are you doing here?"
"My surgery is over. I saw you walk up here..." Mark answered.
"So, you're stalking me?" She asked with a giggle.
"Oh yes, I stalk you. Yep, I stalk. Kinda funny that you let me move in with you. Me being a stalker, and all." He chuckled.
"I like that stalking. It makes me feel loved." She said with a smirk.
"You are deranged." He said with a smile.
"I know." She answered. "Chocolate?"
"Hell no." He said as he held his hand up. "Shit, Grey. You ate two?"
"Yep. This is my third. I like chocolate." She told him. "This is my lunch."
"I'm going to laugh when you look like you have chicken pox." He laughed.
"Then you will just have to bandage my face. We'll tell everyone I got a face lift... Add to the gossip..." She laughed.
"Sounds like a plan." He agreed. "So, I was thinking about going out for a drink after work. Want to come?"
"I don't think I'm ready for Joe's yet." She said as she looked over.
"Who said we have to go to Joe's? We'll go to the bar by Mercy, or Pres. We can sit in the corner and crack on those idiots." He said with a smirk.
"Now that is a plan. Sure, why not..." She agreed.
"One condition..." He said quickly.
"What's that?" She asked.
"No vodka." He laughed.
"I think that is a damn good condition." She said with a laugh. Mark smiled. Tonight, would be great. Tonight, will be just like the old days. The whole gang.