Chapter 47: Susan Visits

The telephone rang and Meredith heard Patricia's voice over the intercom, "Mrs. is here Grey to see you."

Meredith stilled in her seat and her pen twitched on the paper."Mrs. Grey?"

"Yes, Mrs. Susan Grey," clarified her secretary.

What the hell was her stepmother doing outside her office? She was so sure that after their last encounter she would never see any of her father's new family ever again and she was at peace with that. She didn't want to see any of these people and stopped thinking about Thatcher Grey. She could finally invest all her undivided attention in Derek and the development of their relationship.

"Did she come privately or professionally?"

"Privately," came Patricia's answer seconds later.

"Then, tell her I'm sorry but I'm extremely busy. I'm not available for anyone."

Meredith checked her watch. She had at least three hours of paperwork before her, during which nothing would force her to set a foot over the threshold of her office. After that she had a date with Derek who promised her some punishing. She automatically smiled at the memory of Derek's body mauling hers possessively.

When she checked the time again it was already 7 p.m., the time flew. She was about to call Derek when she thought better of it. According to the text he sent her, he was with his friends at Joe's. She could well have a trip herself and take a look to satisfy her curiosity. Was he any different amongst his colleagues? She needed to know all that was Derek.

Meredith left her office and started to walk when she heard her name called.

"Meredith!"

She turned around to see Susan jump from a seat against the wall picking up her things.

"You have a long workday," smiled Susan.

"Indeed," nodded Meredith loftily, "therefore, I've got no time to waste."

She turned to walk away but Susan caught up with her walking by her side.

"We've never been properly introduced, I'm Susan," she reached her hand invitingly towards her stepdaughter.

Meredith ignored the offered hand, "I can't say it's nice to meet you."

"I hope it will be, over time," replied Susan, not getting discouraged.

"I don't understand why you're even here," shrugged Meredith. "I thought you'd all get my message."

"I'm persistent."

"You surely are," muttered Meredith. "Looks like Thatcher Grey needs to hold a stronger woman by the hand."

"He feels really bad about what happened between you last month," said quietly Susan.

"I would be really glad to hear it if I believed you, or if I was any interested to hear it."

"This is becoming childish," remarked Susan. "Let's have a talk."

Meredith stopped in her tracks. "Look, I don't feel obliged at all that you waited for me outside my office for hours. It was your decision to waste your time. And now I'm wondering when it gets to you that I don't want to do anything with you?"

"We're family-" started Susan.

"No, we're not," snorted Meredith. "We never were and we certainly won't be. I don't have to serve as a reprieve for your guilty conscience. Goodbye."

She turned on her heel and strode away, out of the hospital and across the street.

Derek took a gulp of beer and placed his half-empty glass back on the table he occupied with Mark, Addison and three of the troublesome four as the attendings used to call Bailey's former interns. He had to wait for Meredith to finish her work and in the meantime, Mark dragged him to Joe's. And to tell the truth, he was in two minds about it.

He certainly enjoyed these evenings spent over a drink, joking and laughing with their friends, even if some of them were his former residents. On the other hand, he felt a deep longing. Not only a physical one. Meredith would fit right in this group, she was fun and quick-witted. And he wanted to have outings together, to meet their friends together. Instead, he had to hide his feelings, the love of his life. But Meredith was certainly not ready for the whole world to know about them.

She will be; she said she loves me, he assured himself silently and swallowed some more beer.

"So, Dr. shepherd," a dark-haired woman appeared out of thin air beside their table.

"I'm sorry?" Derek frowned at her. He had no idea who she was, although she looked kind of familiar.

"Nurse Rose?" she said her name hopefully. "Me and my friends," she began pointing at the table behind. Derek took a glance, about a dozen pairs of eyes stared fixedly back. "We were wondering if the rumors were true."

Derek kept his mouth shut firmly. He certainly didn't feel like talking about his private affairs but pissing off the nurses was another story…

"You know, the rumors that you have a girlfriend," she smiled in a way that she probably thought sexy. It made Derek crave to run for the hills. He prayed Meredith would call soon.

"All the rumors are true," rescued him Mark mercifully. "They fuck like rabbits."

"We-" began Derek indignantly but trailed off seeing all the occupants of the table gape at him curiously and felt no inclination to deny, "…do."

"Oh, well," Nurse Rose didn't manage the grimace of discontentment. "Congratulations!" she smiled half-heartedly.

"That was scary!" grinned Alex from his end of the table when the nurse returned to her table dejectedly, welcomed with her friends impatient queries.

"Chief!" Izzie waved a hand towards the bar. "Are you coming to have a drink with us?"

Derek's head whipped in that direction and felt a shiver of excitement seeing the feral look in Meredith's eyes. She was clearly in a stormy mood, he hoped his Little Derek would be up for the challenge.

Meredith poured the shot delivered by Joe into her throat and marched up to their table.

"Sorry to turn you down, I just came for one drink and I'm dashing," she said and smirked, "How's your contusion, Dr. Shepherd?"

"Excellent," he breathed out.

"You're going home, Mer?" asked Addie.

"No," smirked Meredith and gave her a tiny wink. "I'm going back to hospital."

Derek tried not to blatantly stare at her swaying hips.

"You're saying good bye too, aren't you, Shep?" Mark and Addison smirked at him.

Derek reciprocated with a scowl, "Not at all." However, in his mind he wondered impatiently how much time could pass after Meredith's departure and his own so as not to raise any suspicions.

He slowly drained his beer when he got the message.

R U coming or have 2 take care of myself?

He pocketed his phone hastily, drank the remnants of his glass and hurried out of the bar, seen off by his friends' chuckles.

"The mysterious girlfriend?" asked Izzie with a grin.

"He's like incapacitated or something?" asked Cristina.

"Some like to have an occasional screaming orgasm," shrugged Alex and put his arm around Izzie. "Or a frequent one."