Chapter 6: Embarrassing Car Ride

Derek was laughing as he pulled up in front of Meredith's apartment, Dawsyn having talked the entire ride home, telling jokes and stories about her mother, who was obviously embarrassed as she sat in the passenger seat, blushing. He shut the car off and turned to smile at Meredith. "How are you feeling?"

"Mmm..." Meredith blushed, turning her face towards the window.

"My mom...she went to med school, but she stopped 'cause she got pregnant with me, and she got so fat in her tummy." Dawsyn explained, "Oh there is our house!'

"Thank God." Meredith groaned.

"I feel like I know you." Derek laughed.

"Sorry." Meredith mumbled.

"Oh and when she was pregnant with me...she fell down a set of stairs and I lived!"

"So, falling isn't anything new for you." Derek teased.

"No... not really."

"She falls all the time." Dawsyn giggled.

"Really?" Derek smiled.

"Yeah... one time she even fell at work."

"Dawsyn..." Meredith said quickly." Derek doesn't need to know every detail."

"Sorry Mom..." Dawsyn bit her lip, as she opened the car door.

"I hope you don't need stitches every time." He chuckled, brushing his finger across her cheek and the bandage on her forehead.

"No... I don't."

"Good..."

"Do you think my mom is hot?" Dawsyn giggled, standing outside the car.

"Do I what?" Derek laughed, opening his own door, and getting out.

"Dawsyn." Meredith's face turned red as she got out,

"I um...I don't know if I can answer that."

"She needs to get laid." Dawsyn giggled, watching her mother's face turn red.

"Oh really?" Derek laughed.

"Yeah." Dawsyn giggled.

"Oh God...she's already grounded and now she's ruthless."

"That's probably not something you should go around saying." Derek smiled, helping Meredith out of the car.

"Definitely not." Meredith frowned, looking at her daughter.

"I didn't know eleven-year-olds even knew that...term."

"I know what an orgasm is too." Dawsyn replied. "My friend's brother told him."

"Dawsyn!"

"What?" She asked innocently.

"Wow. I don't even know how to respond to that." Derek laughed.

"You don't." Meredith replied. "Dawsyn...no."

"Sorry." Dawsyn giggled, turning to face them. "Derek, can you stay for dinner?"

"Can I..."

"Stay for dinner." Dawsyn completed his sentence as Derek and Meredith stood in front of her.

"I...I think that's up to your Mom."

"You know Dawsyn..."

"Derek, can you cook? Like real food." The eleven-year-old inquired.

"Yeah..." Derek smiled down at the little girl.

"My mom is a bad cook." The younger girl breathed. "She just puts in frozen food, or we get pizza or take out."

"You like my stir fry." Meredith frowned.

"Last time the chicken was still frozen." Dawsyn winced.

"That's really disgusting." Derek laughed

"It wasn't that frozen." Meredith replied.

"Please stay... please." Dawsyn pleaded, clutching her hands together in front of them.

"I don't think I can tonight, Dawsyn." Derek replied.

"Mom..."

"Dawsyn, he can't." Meredith whispered.

"I can I just...I think your mom needs to rest."

"You need to take care of her." Dawsyn replied, looking between the two. "She's hurt."

"I'm fine Dawsyn." Meredith rolled her eyes as they walked up the porch of the apartment.

"What about another night?" Derek suggested.

"Tomorrow night?" Dawsyn asked, her face lighting up.

"I have to be at the hospital until six but...If it's okay with your Mom, I can come."

"Mom...please can he come?" She turned to her mother. "Please...please...please..."

"I...if he wants." Meredith swallowed, running a hand over her head.

"Sounds like fun." Derek smiled.

"And he might be busy Dawsyn so..."

"I don't have any plans."

"See Mom... no plans." Dawsyn giggled as she took Meredith's house key from her hand.

"You know Dawsyn... why don't you go inside and start your homework." Meredith suggested, giving her daughter a stern look. "In your room...upstairs."

"Uh... fine." Dawsyn groaned, looking up at Derek. "I have to go..."

"Do a good job." He chuckled. "I'll see you tomorrow night."

"I will!" Dawsyn giggled as Meredith helped her unlock the door.

"Go." Meredith replied, closing the door behind Dawsyn and turning to face Derek.

"Hi."

"I'm sorry... about that ...all of this." Meredith looked down.

"You don't have to apologize. She's... something else." Derek laughed.

"Yeah... I would really like to hope she doesn't get her bluntness from me."

"It's cute."

"It's not that cute."

"I think it is."

"If you don't want to come tomorrow, you don't have to." Meredith replied, pushing her hair behind her ears as she nervously changed the subject. "I can make something up."

"I really don't mind." Derek smiled.

"She's a lot to take in and really...you don't have to."

"What if I want to?"

"Oh well...If you want to you can...if you want I don't mind I just...I'm giving you an out."

"Hmm..."

"Just because she's a lot to...take in." Meredith repeated her voice quiet as she leaned against the railing.

"I think I can handle it." Derek smiled.

"You say that now."

"I have to admit...I'm intrigued."

"Intrigued?"

"By you...and her..."

"We're not all that interesting."

"Maybe it's just because I think you're hot." He smirked.

"You...oh...yeah I'm sorry about her saying that." Meredith rambled. "She's forward and... loud. She's very outspoken...I'm trying to work on that."

"I thought I probably shouldn't answer that." Derek laughed.

"Yeah... I'm sorry about her."

"She's great."

"Yeah... " Meredith breathed.

"You should probably try to get her to stop saying you need to get laid." Derek smiled, trying not to laugh.

"Yeah... I can blame my friend Christina for that."

"So, do you need any help...with anything...Getting upstairs?"

"I'm fine... I really am."

"Okay...You um...You have my pager number."

"Yeah...I um..."

"So if you need anything..."

"I'll keep your number out of Dawsyn's reach."

"She'll probably still find it."

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about it."

"She's just...I'm sorry about her." Meredith whispered.

"You keep saying that." Derek chuckled.

"Yeah...I know."

"You both...You're...Great."

"Oh..." Meredith frowned, her butt leaning against the rail.

"You're not supposed to frown when you get a compliment." Derek breathed.

"Sorry..."

"Stop apologizing..."

"Sorry...I mean..."

"Yeah..." He chuckled, looking down at the ground before looking up at her and catching her eye.

"She's really into surgery and...since she was little she's wanted to be a doctor."

"She told me."

"She knew she wasn't supposed to wander..."

"She said you weren't going to let her go to the Jonas Brother's concert."

"I'm selling them."

"Take her...I mean...I know I have no right to tell you that and you're her parent, but...I think you should take her."

"Hmm..." Meredith breathed, a small smile touching her lips.

"Now I've overstepped my boundaries and told you how to parent...I should go."

"Oh um...right..."

"Call me if you need anything and...Stitches out in one week."

"Okay." She breathed, her body still leaning as she looked into his eyes. "It's not like I could exactly forget about the stitches on my face."

"Yeah well...they look good on you." He smiled.

"Really?" She giggled, flipping her hair around to reveal the stitches and pretending to model them.

"Best I've ever seen stitches look." He laughed.

"Well...well." Meredith breathed. "I'll have to tell the artist."

"He's looking forward to hearing from you."

"Hmm..."

"So...feel better."

"Thank you." Meredith whispered.

"Tell Dawsyn I said goodnight." Derek smiled softly.

"I'll make sure to do that."

"Goodnight Meredith."

"Goodnight Dr...Derek." Meredith cleared her throat.

"It was nice to...see you again."

"Yeah...you too...seeing you..." Meredith replied.

"Bye..." He whispered, taking a step toward her.

"Bye..."

"Try not to hit any more gurneys..."

"I'll try." She giggled, looking away from him.

"But if you do...you know who to come to." He breathed, putting his hand on the side of her face.

"Yeah?" She looked up, their eyes meeting.

"Anytime." He smiled, before leaning in and gently kissing her.

Meredith wasn't sure what happened. Now his lips were on hers, kissing her gently and his other hand moved to the other side of her cheek. "Mmmm..."

"Goodnight." Derek whispered, slowly breaking the kiss.

"Goodnight um...Dr...I um..."

"Derek." He chuckled.

"Yeah...right..." She giggled, her face turning red.

"Take care of yourself." He smiled, before turning around and heading to his car, smiling at her one more time before driving away.