Chapter 84: Telling Derek's Family

The steely door of the elevator had barely the chance to hide them from view, when Meredith's impatient lips landed on Derek's and her body pushed him against the back wall. The word insatiable just acquired a new meaning. They spent an almost sleepless night of steamy lovemaking followed with another round in the shower. There hunger for each other still remained unsatisfied as they glued in the confines of the elevator, intent on prolonging the magic of the previous evening.

The door opened sooner than they anticipated, and they didn't even have the time to spring back from their embrace when they were joined by Mark and Addie. Seeing as the newcomers turned out to be their friends, Meredith wasted no time in attacking Derek's lips all over again with doubled zeal.

"Nice to see you too," smirked Mark.

"Ugh, you think you can tone it down a bit?" sighed Addison.

"Nope, we're practicing," Meredith managed to utter, ripping her lips from Derek's for a second.

"For what?" Mark rolled his eyes trying to ignore the sloppy sounds behind him. "Breaking the world's record for the longest air deprivation?"

"No," giggled Meredith. "For the honeymoon."

"For the… For the what?" shrieked Addie turning on her heel and dragging her sister's hand that was woven in Derek's hair making him yelp in pain. "You're engaged? How? When?"

Meredith broke the kiss at last laughing widely. "Yesterday. Derek asked me and I couldn't say no, could I?"

"Oh, Mer," whispered Addie and hugged her tightly. "Congratulations. If there's one person that deserves to be happy, it's you. The ring it's truly beautiful, Derek," she complimented moving to hug him.

"Have you thought about any dates?" she asked when Mark felicitated the fiancés.

"Probably the summer," nodded Meredith with a grin.

"There's not really much time," remarked Addison. "We need to start planning right away."

"Okay, I guess I'm the one who has to be the spoilsport," Mark cleared his throat seeing Derek's delighted face and girls' enraptured looks, "but you seem to forget about one minor detail… or a major detail, to be exact."

"If you're about to pronounce one of your stupid comments then maybe you should-" started Addie with a berating tone.

"If there's anybody that should do something, it's not me," he replied defensively. "If anything, it's Derek. I'm talking about contacting the family he completely forgot about. Remember those five Shepherd women all the way back in New York? Yeah, your mother and sisters that probably want to rip you apart limb after limb. Don't even dream to get hitched without Ma's knowledge."

"I don't intent to…" muttered Derek with a sinking feeling. "Oh shit." Mark was right of course. He couldn't remember the last time he called his family in New York; he was constantly too absorbed with something else… Meredith, work, Meredith…

"Telling the parents…" sighed Addison glancing at Meredith knowingly, who, if it was even possible, felt much worse than Derek at the prospect of announcing the happy news to her mother.

"So, how was yesterday?" asked Dr. Wyatt encouragingly. "You survived; I see."

Therapy sessions were still much in Meredith's schedule but seeing her progress, Dr. Wyatt proposed to limit their meetings to one per week. Right now, a cool conversation with the older doctor was just in place.

"Yesterday… was wonderful," sighed Meredith twirling her ring around her finger.

"Was it?" Dr. Wyatt insisted shrewdly. "You don't look enthusiastic. Is everything all right with you and Derek?"

"It is. Seriously," nodded Meredith. "Yesterday's night was truly the best night of my life. I'm… I'm engaged!" she gave a small smile.

"Did Derek propose?"

"He did. He prepared this crazy romantic dinner outside and he was so cute and insecure," she giggled lightly. "I was so happy to say yes."

"Has something changed since yesterday?" Dr. Wyatt tried to establish the reason for her patient's inquietude.

"I was brutally reminded that life existed," muttered Meredith.

"What do you mean by life?"

"Loosely, parents. We're getting married. So apparently, we need to tell Derek's mother."

"Seems like a natural step," agreed the older doctor. "Are you worried about meeting Derek's family?"

"Of course, I am," she huffed. "Let's be frank, they're gonna hate me. But, it's nothing compared to all hell breaking loose when my mother gets to know. It's not in my power to keep this information from getting to her forever."

"Gets to know…?" repeated Dr. Wyatt. "Don't you intend to inform your mother you're about to get married?"

"Of course not!" huffed Meredith with the tone that implied her interlocutor might be a bit mad. "Why would I do that?"

"The questions really why wouldn't you?" insisted Dr. Wyatt.

"Do you have any idea what she did when she came here for a consult? She only assumed Derek was interested in me and she poured all her spite and hatred at him. I won't allow her to hurt him again."

"She doesn't know how much Derek means to you-"

"Oh, no," Meredith shook her head. "Don't even try to persuade me to talk to her, to explain to her," she snorted with disgust. "You don't know her. I don't want that woman nowhere near Derek, and certainly not on our wedding."

"You don't want your own mother, the woman who raised you and who was your only family for years, on such an important day?"

"You think you're going to guilt talk me? She did not raise me!" denied Meredith forcefully. "I raised myself."

"What are you afraid of, Meredith?" Dr. Wyatt changed her tactics. "Do you think she'll come and drive Derek away?"

"No," Meredith almost laughed at her words. "I am certain of his feelings. There is no such thing that Ellis could tell him that would make him leave me," she stated confidently.

"Okay, are you afraid then that she can change your mind?" Dr. Wyatt was relentless. "That she'll say something that is going to make you doubt your own feelings?"

"No," said Meredith once again. "I love him, life without him would be empty and meaningless. I came a long way to be this sure and there is nothing that could stand in my way." Dangerous sparks appeared in her eyes.

"You are absolutely sure of you and of Derek," acknowledged Dr. Wyatt. "Yet you still don't wish to see your mother present at your wedding?"

"Not at all. Besides, I don't think Dr. Ellis Grey would even enjoy coming to a wedding," Meredith shrugged her shoulders ironically.

"Why? Why… do you have so much contempt for your mother?"

"Contempt? It's not contempt-"

"Is it because of her failed marriage?" A short silence told her she hit the jackpot.

"You know, you're right. It is contempt," admitted Meredith, her voice quivering slightly. "I'll tell you why. It's not just that she and my father broke up, that they got divorced. It's that she disrespected… she tainted the vows she made to him. She betrayed him and she betrayed the vows. And I feel… when you promise to love and care for somebody, it's sacred. It doesn't matter whether you do it in church or the town hall, the vows are sacred. She knows no sacred, that's why I don't want to promise my love for Derek in her presence."

Dr. Wyatt nodded slowly and asked, "Have you ever thought that maybe she didn't love your father in the big intense way you love Derek?"

"Clearly!" said Meredith scornfully. "She wouldn't have screwed Richard Webber if she had. It doesn't change anything, that didn't give her the right to betray my dad. So, I don't want to see her, I don't want to talk to her… I don't want to resemble my mother any more than I do."

"Why did you say that?"

"Yesterday… we talked about having children for the first time…"

"That's good," nodded Dr. Wyatt. "Who initiated the topic?"

"I did. It felt like the time… you know?"

"How do you feel about motherhood?" took up Dr Wyatt. "Do you see yourself in the role of a mother? And the most basic question, do you want to become one?"

"I… I think so, but I'm…" she trailed off.

"Afraid?" Dr. Wyatt finished for her gently, knowing how hard it would be for Meredith to admit it.

"My mother," she took a deep breath, "she was crap at being a mom. I always suspected I would be too if I had a child. I can't stand the thought that mine and Derek's child would go through what I had. It's torture."

"I think you need to fully realize and acknowledge the fact that you're not your mother, that you're obviously different from her despite certain similarities you share. It's not your mother's traits that define you, it's your actions and decisions."

"I keep telling myself than. I don't accept failure but, in this respect… it's more than that. I can't fail."

"You're more capable that you give yourself credit for," said Dr. Wyatt. "I do think a conversation with your mother might help to overcome your issues."

"No," she stopped her decidedly. "I won't let her destroy my life again."

"Okay," nodded slowly Dr. Wyatt. "We'll get back to that later. Let's concentrate on more pressing issues, meeting Derek's family."

Meredith let her head plop back on the couch; the getting married thing was more difficult than she naively imagined.

"Meredith," Dr. Wyatt with a warm smile. "Congratulations. I'm proud to see how much you achieved since you came here for the first time."

When Meredith was making her way to her office half an hour later, she felt as though her head had spun in the washing machine. Talking about babies, her mother, Derek's mother and then even Thatcher and Susan completely wore her out. According to Dr Wyatt, and Meredith was completely in agreement, she needed to talk to Derek and be there for him when he reconnected with his family. Also, according to Dr. Wyatt, when the time came to meet them in person, she should be herself, no attempt at pretending to be someone else. Of that, Meredith wasn't convinced.

It was a short way to stir a family feud. What sane woman would like to have her as a daughter-in-law? She was apodictic, impulsive, and harsh. If the word leaked to Mrs. Shepherd that she had hurt Derek, the hospital gossipers would certainly make sure of that, she would be the enemy number one. But, true, if she was herself, confident and unrestrained as ever, she would survive.

"Chief? Dr. O'Malley asked me to get your signature on these papers. He's in surgery."

Nurse Debbie popped in front of her in a way that would put the best of secret agents to shame.

"Thank you, Nurse Debbie," nodded Meredith as reached her hand for the documents.

"Oooh!" gasped the nurse and her eyes widened to the size of saucers as they fixed on Meredith's finger, that finger. Feeling slightly subconscious, Meredith grabbed the papers and pulled them, but Debbie's grip didn't loosen. She tugged harder and harder until it almost ripped apart, wrenching them from her grasp.

Debbie's regard scrupulously followed Meredith's finger as she pulled out her pen and passed her signature.

"That's a beautiful ring," remarked Debbie when she shook out of her trance.

"Is there anything else?" Meredith asked firmly.

"That's all, thank you," smiled sweetly Debbie. "So, he's got a great taste… the person that gave you the ring, I mean."

Before she could stop herself, Meredith gritted out, "Yes, he has."

A wide satisfied smile stretched over Debbie's lips as she scurried away while Meredith felt like kicking herself. One: zero the biggest gossip in the hospital.

Just as Meredith expected, the news of their upcoming nuptials spread through Seattle Grace like wildfire. She didn't complain though. It was pretty nice to receive sincere congratulations and compliments on how she and Derek were a match. It certainly gave them a boost before what they were about to do.

"You're, okay?" she asked Derek as he kept turning his phone over and over in his hands. She reached out and took one in hers.

"I guess," he sighed looking up at her. "I'm just nervous; I've been a kind of terrible son and brother lately."

"Hey, no one's a more terrible child than me," giggled Meredith, "and I'm not even trying to change that."

"You can always give Dr. Wyatt's advice a second thought," he reasoned. "She's usually right, you know."

"Have you met my mother?" she snorted. "You'd like to invite her back to call you incapable and too old again?"

"Thanks for that," he nodded, deadpanned. "Despite whatever you think, I can take your mother."

"Honey," she shook her head with pity mingled with amusement as she stroked the sensitive skin under his chin. "My mother eats little boys like you for breakfast."

He squinted at her; his male pride clearly bruised. "I am not little," he hissed.

"Mmm, we'll continue this conversation later," she purred. "After you've made the call. Come on; the faster you call, the faster we can talk about your size."

"Nothing to talk about," he grumbled without thinking.

"If you say so," she replied trying to keep her face straight.

"I didn't say-"

"Yes, you did," she grinned and crawled over the carpet to lean against him. "Derek, I don't want to be an obstacle between you and your family. Please, talk to your mom. I'm right with you… if you don't make me talk to her yet…" she bit her lip.

"Yeah, it's better to call them now and minimize the risk of you becoming a widow…" he joked choosing the number.

"Carolyn Shepherd."

"Hey, Mom," said Derek, trying to sound optimistic. "How are you?"

He was answered with lingering silence and a crack of the receiver that was slammed down.

"Wow," whispered Meredith, looking at Derek with concern. "She really is angry, isn't she…"

"Yeah," he answered weakly.

"Call her again," she prompted him encouragingly though she wanted nothing else than to hide under the bed upstairs.

Derek chose the number again, but this time they were met with the answering machine.

"You reached the number of Carolyn Shepherd. I'm not home but please, leave a message. Good day to you."

The hope in Meredith's heart was revived. Derek's mother had a warm kind voice. She was probably a nice old lady. What a shock she was going to experience…

"Mom, I know you're there," took up Derek with a pleading repentant voice. "Can you please pick up? I know I've been an ungrateful son and I'm truly sorry."

They waited for a sign of life but in vain.

"Go on," Meredith nudged him quietly. "I'm sure she's listening."

"I'd really like to talk to you, Mom. It's been too long, and I know, it's only my fault. My life has been… intense lately… Not that it's an excuse to have neglected you and the girls. Please, pick up… I have something important to tell you…"

He took a deep breath and went on. "It's important for me. You really don't want to be told like that… Well, okay, don't pick up. It won't be my fault this time because I warned you… So, what I want to tell you… is that I'm getting married-"

He barely has the time to make the announcement when they heard a click and Carolyn's voice, not at all warm now, sounded out loud.

"You're what?" she shrieked. "I don't know where I went wrong with you, you were such a good child…"

"Mom-" he began but Carolyn hung up again.

"That's…" Meredith cleared her throat, "progress…?"

Before he could respond, his cell rang unexpectedly.

"Mom, thank God-"

"What the hell are you thinking, Derek?" a younger and more harsh voice filled the room from the speakerphone. "Are you even thinking at all, you big idiot?"

"Nancy," Derek let out a sour apologetic laugh. "How nice to hear you."

"I'm afraid the pleasure is not mutual," cut back Nancy.

Well, well, thought Meredith. Derek had a bitchy sister. Maybe she could be her ally?

"You think you can ignore us for months and then call saying you're getting married?" she yelled. "Have you lost your mind? Have you hooked up with some prostitute and knocked her up?" Maybe not. Meredith clenched her jaws in rage and dived for the phone with a hiss. Derek managed to turn out the speaker and had to wrestle with his fiancé to prevent her from getting hold of the phone.

"How can you say something like that, Nancy?" asked Derek running away from Meredith around the couch. "I've been an ass but I'm still your brother. You know me."

"Do I, Derek? You completely disappeared on us. We haven't really talked in months! Say you were joking with that marriage! You said that to get Ma's attention, didn't you?"

"No… no, I didn't," he breathed out all the time keeping Meredith at a safe distance with his arm outstretched. "I'm… I'm in love. I love her… and I'm marrying her."

"This… this is insane, Derbear," reasoned Nancy. "This is completely… Hell, I don't know what it is! I need to wrap my mind around it. I think I'm starting a headache! Call tomorrow, okay? I might get some medical advice from Kath by then… Although, you probably need it more than me," she said sarcastically. "Please, just don't wait another half a year."

"Okay," agreed Derek. It went better than he had anticipated anyway. "I'll call tomorrow. And I love you. Please, tell Ma and the rest of the girls."

"You have a psychopath for a sister?" rounded on him Meredith, though she was visibly calmer after hearing Derek's declaration of love.

"She's just intense," explained Derek apologetically. "A bit like you…"

"A bit like me?" she shrieked. Wrong move, cringed Derek backing to the middle of the room. "Like me? Do I call random people prostitutes?"

"No, but incompetent idiots… arrogant assholes…" he smirked at her lightly.

"You!" she yelped lunging at him making them both topple over the couch and to the floor.

"What me?" he laughed trapping her underneath him.

"You…" she whimpered biting her tongue so as not to throw any offensive epithets.

"Come on," he cooed nuzzling his nose just beneath her ear. "You know you want to… scream…"

"I do not!" her irritated huff turned out very high-pitched as Derek's hand disappeared under her blouse quickly reaching the target.

"But you do," he insisted gently biting on her earlobe.

"I do noooott," her words transformed into a moan as Derek's fingers started to work skillfully on her nipple pushing the cup of her bra aside. She arched her back upwards involuntarily, her body betraying her absolute addiction to his touch. She gave up and her hands shot to the fly of his jeans covering his developing erection. He ground into her touch, but his hips stopped in the air when his cell phone rang again.

"You… you'd better take it," said Meredith reluctantly. "Might be your Mom."

Derek glanced at the screen and sighed in defeat, pushing the green button. "Hi, Kath…"