Meredith late one Saturday night was sitting on her son's bed reading a book to Noah until she saw the gloomy look on her little boy's face. Meredith put down the book before she lifted her son on to her lap and hugged Noah to her chest, "well Noah my mommy senses are telling me that Noah isn't feeling as cheerful as he usually does."
Noah turned his head to look up at Meredith, "mommy will I do okay?"
"Will you do okay at what honey."
"At big school" Noah said.
Meredith kissed Noah's little cheek, "you will do excellent at big school."
Noah looked down at his quilt covers, "but I don't have friends."
Meredith sadly nodded Noah went to pre school and he played with the other children but he rarely ever saw them outside the school unless he ran into them with Cristina and Meredith blamed herself for it. She didn't spend any time chatting with the other mums because she almost never got to pick her son up from pre school and when she did she was always late and the mothers would be already gone, "I think what you need is some reassuring."
"I do"
"Yes reassuring" Meredith smiled before she leaned back on the bed with Noah on her belly and stated to tickle her son, "you are my wonderful" Noah laughed wildly as he squirmed, "grr grr grr most amazing little boy in the whole wide world." Meredith looked at her little boy giggling and smiling on her chest, "and you are going to make so many friends."
Noah chuckled as he grinned, "I will make friends."
"Yes you will" Meredith kissed Noah's forehead, "and you are going to love big school."
The following night Derek had finished work and after picking Ally up from her friend Ella's house the two of them had gone to the supermarket. Derek looked for bolognaise sauce while Ally stood on her tippy toes to reach the things on the isle. Derek sighed as he looked at his daughter, "Ally your not tall enough to reach the food on the shelves, you might as well be riding in the trolley."
Ally tapped her finger on her chin as she thought hard, "I need a big box to reach the high things."
Derek gave a small grin as he put weet bix into the trolley, "I do appreciate the help though but I think you help me to much."
Ally shook her head, "I do not."
Derek looked at Ally's stubborn expression and he bent down to his little girl's height, "Ally your my daughter not my servant you help me with everything and while its great you help me with things and I am very proud of you there are times where you need to just relax and let me do all the work."
"But daddy" Ally started until something caught her eye, "daddy look who it is."
"Let me guess" Derek said as he started to stand up, "Holly."
"No" Ally said as she pointed with her finger, "its pretty park lady."
Derek knowing who her daughter was talking about turned his head and saw the woman he had been trying to get out of his head for the last few days pushing her trolley into another isle, "Meredith."
Ally stared at Derek with excitement, "daddy come on lets say hi."
"Ally" Derek turned around, "I think we should just get the milk."
Ally ran in front of her daddy and put her palms together as she danced on the balls of her feet, "daddy please please."
"Ally I think Meredith is in a hurry to get out of here and go home to her son and we need to go home to cook dinner now come on." Derek started to walk knowing his daughter would follow him he turned around for Ally to catch up and felt his heart thumping in his chest. "Ally Ally" Derek ran though the isles looking frantically until he saw Ally chatting to Meredith and feeling himself calm down just a little he walked up to them trying not to be nervous, "hi I see you found my little runaway."
"I'm not a runaway daddy" Ally took Derek's hand and pulled her daddy closer to Meredith, "I was just getting park lady for you."
Meredith chuckled, "Ally sweetheart my name is Meredith."
"Mer a" Ally tried to pronounce the name, "Meri Mere..."
"Dith" Meredith whispered.
"Dith your name is dith."
"Close" Meredith said as Derek ruffled Ally's blonde hair with his hand, "its Meredith."
"Meredith Meredith."
Meredith rubbed Ally's shoulder with her hand,"you got it clever girl."
"Anyway" Derek said as he picked Ally up in his arms, "doing the shopping?"
"Just getting a few groceries to help Cristina with dinner."
"Cristina is?"
"Sorry" Meredith smiled with a chuckle, "Cristina is my housekeeper she helps me with cooking and looking after Noah when he gets home from preschool and she helps me with a lot of other things."
"Right" Derek said slowly as he nodded.
"That reminds me Derek could you help me with something?"
Derek felt butterflies in his tummy as he wondered what Meredith was going to say, "sure what can I do?"
"Does Ally go to the primary school that's closest to this supermarket?"
"She does."
"Well do you think sometime you could show me what the school uniform looks like and what the kids are expected to bring for summer and winter. I don't want Noah going to school with all the wrong stuff."
"And be the class clown from day one, if you like I can bring the stuff to your work tomorrow and show you."
Meredith put a gentile hand on Ally's back, "and what will miss Ally wear for school tomorrow."
"Ah" Derek muttered, "that's a good point."
Ally looked back and forth between Meredith and Derek, "what are you talking about?"
"We're talking about showing Meredith your school uniform and school stuff so she knows what to buy for her son Noah when he starts school."
Ally began to grin, "we can show her tonight."
Derek felt sweat on his forehead at the thought of inviting Meredith to his home his small broken down old home that he knew would make Meredith cringe, "Ally Meredith needs to go home once she has done shopping."
Ally just smiled and leaned forward to whisper in Derek's ear, "but tonight is a wonderful time to have dinner."
"Have dinner" Meredith said with a smile of her own.
"I mean" Ally said, "show you my school things."
Meredith looked at Ally's funny little grin and she looked at Derek who was trying not to look scared out of his mind, "well if your daddy doesn't mind."
"Not at all" Derek lied, "you can come to my house and I can show you what you need to see and yeah."
"And have dinner" Ally added, "dinner is very important."
"Ally" Derek said through clenched teeth, "I don't think there is enough time for dinner."
"Why don't we see" Meredith said softly.
"Yeah good" Derek said feeling like he was about to go on stage to perform to a sold out audience as Ally giggled in his ear.
Ten minutes later Derek opened the front door and led Meredith inside. Derek tried to breath as Meredith walked inside the house and looked around from her point of view Derek's trailer home was worn down yet tidy there were few appliances in the kitchen and they all looked old yet usable. Meredith looked at Derek and felt sad as Derek was looking like Meredith was judging him based on how modern his house was.
Ally jumped in front of Derek, "daddy here's the plan you make dinner and I will be the tour guide
"That sounds like a plan Derek."
"Right come on Meredith and daddy make something really special." Derek watched Ally leading Meredith through the corridors and he shook his head, "right Derek its time for mission impossible."
Ally opened the door and skipped inside while Meredtih looked around Ally's room was small and packed with many things none of them were new but it was nice it reminded Meredith of an old children's movie she saw when she was little, "so this is my room" Ally said as she waved her arms around, "and this is my window and this is my bed and-"
"Ally" Meredith said as she bent down to Ally's level, "could you show me the things you bring to school please."
"Right" Ally ran out the room and peeked around the corner where Derek was cooking before she ran back, "the things here is my school clothes and here is my hat for the summer and here is my jumper for the winter and these are my books."
Meredith looked through them the clothes were obviously second hand Meredith could see several holes in the jumper she wondered if she could get Ally a new school jumper to thank Derek and Ally for showing her what she needed to buy, "thank you sweetheart."
"Your welcome" Ally said with a grin showing all her teeth, "i'll be right back." Ally skipped out of the room and Meredith looking around her again picked up a little worn out doll by Ally's bed that looked to be carved out of wood she wondered if Derek had made it with his own two hands and then she opened a small cupboard and saw a envelope filled with pictures. Meredith picked it up and opened it she couldn't help it she wanted to know more about Derek and his past. Meredith looked through the pictures and saw Ally with a group of people who looked very much like her they had blonde hair Ally's blue eyes and they were smiling, Ally looked much younger about two years of age. Then she looked at pictures of Derek and Ally hiking in the mountains fishing playing tag Derek twirling Ally around in the air. Meredith looked at the pictures with soft eyes, it didn't matter if Derek was finically strapped Derek was a wonderful father and he was everything Meredith wanted to be as a parent. Meredith heard running footsteps and she quickly closed the closet door as Derek came into the room.
Derek looked around with scared eyes, "oh geez."
"What?"
"Ally told me you had fallen down I thought."
Meredith chuckled at the look on Derek's face Derek was caring there was no doubt of that in her mind, "no i'm alright."
"Well" Derek clapped his hands casually, "so you've seen the stuff?"
"Yes its very good."
"Its second hand so the uniform might be a bit different."
"Yeah" Meredith said simply she didn't know what else to say she didn't know if money mattered to Derek but she had the feeling it bothered him that his daughter's school things were second hand, "so did you say you were making dinner."
"I have, I just finished do you want something to eat?"
"That would be lovely" Meredith said softly as she followed Derek into the kitchen and grinned as she saw Walt Disney toy lamps on the kitchen shelves and an old unlit candlestick holder in the middle of a table with cups of flowers everywhere in sight, "well you certainly been busy."
"Yeah very busy" Derek said feeling mortified as he looked at everything and trying not to think off the long talk he was going to have with his daughter when Meredith left he walked to the table and started to put away the flowers, "sorry let me get rid of."
"No its fine" Meredith quickly said, "it looks pretty and the dinner smells good to"
"Its spaghetti and meatballs Ally's favourite dish."
"Very nice" Meredith said as Derek pulled up a chair for her.
Derek got out another chair from the cupboard for himself, "Ally dinner."
"Coming" Ally called back as she came into the kitchen wearing a grin before she picked up her plate of food and started to walk away. Derek raised his eyebrows, "Ally where do you think your going."
"Can I watch tv there is a really good movie on."
"Ally" Derek sighed, "dinner time is family time you know that and your always telling me that."
"Please daddy" Ally said softly, "just tonight please please please." Derek looked at the puppy expression on his daughter's face as Meredith giggled, "okay just tonight."
"Thank you" Ally said as she walked away as Derek sat down on a chair facing Meredith. "So anyway I", Derek pricked up his ears as a familiar tune began to play then he shut his eyes shut as he recognised the lyrics, do I look alright and I say yes you look wonderful tonight.
Meredith started to giggle at the look on Derek's face, "eric clampton this is turning into quite the dinner."
"That's just my cd player its, Ally could you turn that off."
"What" Ally called out.
"I said" Derek said as he tried to keep his composure, "turn the cd player off please."
"But its good music."
"Ally I thought you were watching a movie."
"I am daddy I... oh okay no more music."
Derek heard the cd player being switched off and with a face now positively burning he sat down in his chair as Meredith tried to stuffle her laughs, "i'm sorry you could fry and egg on your face."
"I promise you" Derek said as he tried to calm his nerves, "that there will be no more suprises for the rest of the night."
"We don't know that" Meredith grinned as she looked towards the living room, "maybe Ally has something else planned for us."
"She.. yeah I... ah how do you like the food."
"Its great" Meredith said with a smile.
Meredith after a while of eating her food and talking with Derek checked her watch and she realised she was going to be late for story time with Noah, "I need to get going."
"Noah is waiting for you."
"He is thank you for dinner" Meredith said as she stood up and started to walk to the front door, "and for showing me the things."
"My pleasure" Derek said, "I like cooking and well i'm glad you liked my cooking."
"Is there anything else you can cook?"
"Many things" Derek said, "and Ally can testify that they are good, she even likes the vegetables I make."
"They must be good then, i'll have to try your dishes again sometime."
"I would like that" Derek said as she smiled at Meredith who smiled back until she suddenly stumbled and fell in Derek's arms and Derek found his face an inch from Meredith she could feel her body in his arms he could smell the perfume on her neck, "sorry" Meredith whispered, "I..."
Derek looked at Meredith's beautiful face then he noticed out of the corner of his eye his daughter pucking up her lips and doing a coming together motion with her hands, "are you okay?"
"I'm fine" Meredith said as she stared at Derek.
"Good" Derek helped Meredith back to her feet and trying to ignore his daughter silently groaning with a wide mouth and her hands on her eyes he smiled at Meredith "well i'll see you soon."
"You will" Meredith turned around, "Ally are you okay sweetheart?"
Ally closed her mouth and released her hands from her eyes, "um yeah bye Meredith."
"Bye sweetie" Meredith said as her hand stroked Ally's hair from her forehead before she smiled at Derek one more time and walked out of the trailer home. Derek closed the door and looked at his daughter staring at him like he had just failed to win a soccer match for his team, "daddy you were so close really close."
"Ally" Derek muttered as he picked up his daughter.
"All you had to do was pluck up your lips bat your eyes like bugs bunny and kiss Meredith and instead you were like" Ally did a blank expression, "uh yeah bye."
Normally Derek would laugh at his daughter's behaviour but his parent mode was in full force, "Ally your behaviour tonight has been unacceptable."
Ally's expression changed, "it was bad?"
"You ran away in the supermarket and then when we got home you embrassed me and you embarrassed Meredith. Do you think Meredith didn't know that it was you making the kitchen look nice and playing romantic music and pusing Meredith into me."
"Sorry" Ally said softly.
"You do not push people" Derek said firmly, "you never push people."
"Sorry" Ally repeated with sad eyes.
"Now you are going to bed early tonight."
"Yes daddy" Ally nodded, Derek smiled at his daughter "and Ally I had a great time tonight and its mainly because of you."
"No it was because of Meredith."
"Well yeah" Derek said as he put Ally back on her feet, "also Meredith."
Ally grinned, "so the plan is working."
"Ally" Derek said, "this plan of yours to get me and Meredith together has to stop."
"But" Ally started before a thought popped into her mind, "okay the plan to get you and Meredith will stop."
"Good girl, now i'm going to go wash the dishes."
Ally watched her daddy walking away as a smile formed on her lips, "but the plan to get daddy and Meredith married is still on."