Chapter 8: Nanny's First Day

The next morning was a day of renewal. Meredith swore she would get over her attraction. After all she had had her share of men, fleeting relationships that didn't last beyond a month. She didn't need a man to make her life complete.

She had learned that at an early age as she watched her dad walk out the door, never to return. He had been the center of her world, she had thought she was the center of his, but he had left nonetheless….and with each click of his shoes on the front walk she sobbed. Never once had he turned back…never had he promised to come back for her.

Yes, she would ignore these attractions…she would find another way to scratch her "itch."

Walking out her bedroom door, she was met with the scent of aftershave…as well as the sound of laughter drifting through the halls as Derek's voice could be heard "Maddy please, don't argue with me. Can't you just wear a pretty dress…do you really have to wear the boa and the tiara with it?"

Meredith couldn't help but giggle at the thought of Derek trying to bargain with Maddy on her appearance. With what she had seen, the little girl had a huge bargaining tool…cuteness…and it seemed to win out every time.

"You know Maddy…" Meredith said as she walked into the room.

"I was thinking of going to the park while your Daddy went to work today…but…if you're going to wear the boa, I guess we can stay home. You know so you don't get hurt on the slide…" Meredith told her in the most serious voice she could muster.

"The park?" The little girl asked, her eyes lighting up.

Meredith just nodded yes as she watched Maddy tear the boa off from around her neck and run out of the room.

"Pretty good…" Derek said.

Meredith smiled, proud of herself for accomplishing her first task as a nanny.

"Beginners luck." he smirked as he walked out of the room leaving her with her mouth hanging open.

Meredith squinted, sticking her tongue out as he retreated, "ass" she whispered, feeling a little better.

"I heard that!" he called out as he laughed walking down the stairs.

Meredith's eyes widened a little in embarrassment, but that faded as she headed down the stairs to join them for breakfast.

Soon breakfast was a fond memory and Derek was briefing Meredith on the schedule for the day…he still took on cases with Seattle Grace and was hoping with Meredith around he could actually take on more, but realistically he knew a med student was more than busy in their fourth year and it would take a lot of scheduling tricks to work around their schedules.

Agreeing to meet at home for a late lunch, allowing Derek to take Maddy so Meredith could head off to her evening classes, they said their goodbyes. Leaving Meredith and Maddy alone and Meredith with the task of figuring out exactly what went into raising a four-year-old.

The sight that met Derek when he walked in was one that would be embedded into his memory for years to come…

As he walked through his front door the first thing, he heard was some sort of pop music playing through the rooms. The second thing he heard was what sounded like someone trying to sing along…or two someone's that is….

"Nobody's perfect, I gotta work it…again and again till I get it right." Meredith and Maddy's voices mingling together just slightly off key.

As Derek determined the music was coming from the kitchen, he walked that way. Stopping dead in his tracks he was in shock, but he couldn't help but smile. There in the middle of the kitchen was Meredith and Maddy singing and dancing all the while covered in what appeared to be flour.

Meredith wore a pair of blue jeans and a white tank top, her hair pulled back into a messy ponytail…flour dusting the bridge of her nose as well as little handprints cluttering the front…and back of her jeans. Taking a second he couldn't help but wish they were his handprints.

Maddy, who was wearing a patchwork sundress, she unlike Meredith was a mess. Her blond hair appeared to have once been held back in pig tails was now tangled and tussled with flour. Her cheeks and nose the same. Signs of chocolate lined her small rosebud mouth as well as covered the tips of her fingers and smudged her nose.

She noticed her father before Meredith, still dancing in circles her eyes widened at his presence. Holding a finger up to his mouth…hoping to keep his daughter quiet. Derek enjoyed the sight of Meredith singing into her spatula while shaking her small form, just a little bit louder.

As the beat of Hannah Montana took on a faster rhythm Meredith swung around to grab her dancing partner only to come face to face with her partner's father.

"Oh my God…when did you get home?" she asked him as her cheeks turned a crimson color.

He chuckled, enjoying her embarrassment, just not nearly as much as he enjoyed watching her body dance around his kitchen.

"A few minutes ago…don't worry your double life is safe from me." his voice turning serious.

Seeing she didn't get his joke he shook his head, "you're listening to Hannah Montana…she leads a double life…she's Miley and Hannah…"

Realizing she still had no clue what he was talking about he now felt the embarrassment. "I need to get out more…my four-year-old is sucking me in." he laughed as he walked over to grab one of the cupcakes they had apparently been baking.

"These are…interesting" he said as his mouth was filled with the half-baked chewy mess.

Meredith shrugged, grimacing a little as she watched the uncooked cake batter spill out the sides of his cupcake.

"Yea well my cooking skills wouldn't be something I bragged about, but we had fun…didn't we Mads?"

The little girl smiled her mouth lined with the chocolate mix she had been sneaking for the last hour.

"Well, Betty Crocker why don't you go clean up and get ready for class. Maddy and I will clean up this mess" he told her as he wiped off the counters.

Smiling, she thanked him. "That sounds great…I'm just going to grab a quick shower and then be off to class."

He watched as she left the room, the soft sway of her hips calling out to him. They were simple words, "grab a quick shower," but the images they brought to mind were too tempting to turn away. The idea of Meredith a floor above him naked, her hands working the soap over her breast…down her stomach…Well, it was too much. He could already feel his body responding…groaning he switched the radio over to CD and blared the clash through his kitchen.

"Aww Daddy…why did you turn it?" Maddy whined.

"Classics baby…this is a classic" and with that Derek and Maddy cleaned up the kitchen to the tunes of the Clash.