For the next few weeks Meredith had focused on trying to move past what had happened with Mia, trying to focus on getting back to the way things used to be before she became Mia's foster carer trying to focus on her family and her job. It was easy in her head but hard to do it in reality every time her mind wandered Meredith found that she was missing Mia wondering how she was doing in her new home hoping she was getting better at her schoolwork and hoping that she wouldn't get caught up in crime again. Above all Meredith was hoping Mia was ok. Meredith had only been Mia's carer for a few weeks but with the amount of time that had gone on before that she had known and spent time with her it felt like she had been her carer for months and she hadn't been this sad for a very long time.
Meredith knew it wasn't just her that was upset she knew the children and Derek were missing Mia as well, several times a week she had come so close to picking up the phone to ring Mia and talk to her or make a draft plan in her head to go and visit her but the voices of her friends kept coming back into her brain every time. Meredith had chatted with Cristina, Callie and Arizona and a few of her colleagues and the social workers that were involved with Mia and they all had suggested that Meredith for Mia's sake needed to take a step back and give Mia the time and space to settle into her new life and routine or risk disrupting everything for her. They had told Meredith stories of children who had gone into another foster home still missing their old foster home and were not given the space to settle and be stable because previous carers kept trying to be involved which led the children going down a dark path. As hard as it was Meredith wanting to put Mia first had stuck to the advice that had been given to her. She had recently received a facebook message from Mia saying she was great and things were great with the quote "i'm here wish you were cool like me." Meredith with a chuckle had replied with a few questions of her own about Mia's placement and received a couple of short funny responses the food is to healthy the staff are cool just strict like you the horses do craps bigger than Noah and Ally but apart from that Meredith hadn't talked to Mia or seen her or suggested they meet up or that they visit her. As hard as it was she was focusing on giving Mia the space she needed to help her fit into her new life and was trying her hardest to put Mia's needs ahead of her own feelings.
Derek meanwhile was spending more and more time with Noah and Ally than he was with Meredith he was constantly taking them to every attraction point in Setalle, the aquarium the zoo every park within a twenty mile radius of his house of course Meredith had been asked to come with them but almost every time he asked she would say she had a shift. The only time Derek saw Meredith was when he would come to her house to make her breakfast and spend time with her only to find her putting on her coat giving him a quick kiss goodbye before running to the car to go to work. While he loved being with the kids and was enjoying spending more time with them he was equally missing spending time with Meredith. He was missing her, missing waking up beside her, missing the warm touch of her hand in his missing going out with her and missing spending time with her. Meredith had said to him a few weeks ago when Mia left that she wanted to focus more on connecting with him and the kids but even though she probably wasn't even aware of it Meredith instead of connecting with Derek and the children had buried herself in her work to try and get her mind off missing Mia. Derek wanted to be the one to help Meredith take her mind off the past so one day when he had finished his errands much earlier than expected and had a few hours left before picking the kids up from school he walked up to Meredith's front door and after a knock found Cristina standing in the doorway, "hey Cristina it's been a while since i've last seen you"
"It has been a while indeed" Cristina replied, "I take it your looking for Meredith."
"You know me very well."
"She's upstairs i'm heading out to do some grocery shopping i'm sure she won't mind you surprising her."
"Surprising her?"
Cristina gave Derek a sly wink before she smiled and walked out and Derek feeling his heart race walked up the stairs as she heard the shower going he knocked on the door and the shower turned off, "Cristina?"
"It's Cristina" Derek said in a high pitched voice
Meredith opened the door wearing a towel and smiled as she gave Derek a kiss, "you came to visit."
"I had a few hours left before the school run I thought I would come by and see my favourite doctor."
"Well i've got a shift in an hour" Meredith grabbed a second towel off the rack to dry her hair, "how about you go downstairs while I get dressed then I can make us some lunch."
"Meredith lunch is not on my mind, I came here to help you relax."
"I am relaxed" Meredith said stubbornly.
"No you're not" Derek said, "you haven't been able to relax ever since Mia left, you've been stressed, heightened and you've been burying yourself in work."
"No i've been fine" Meredith snapped as she walked to her bedroom with Derek walking behind her getting her shoes of a drawer before turning around, "are you just going to stand there and watch me get dressed like a peeking tom."
"Well I could do more than that" Derek whispered as he wrapped his arms around Meredith's middle and smiled as Meredith reacted with a small jump, "I know just the thing to help you relax" he said softly into Meredith's ear as she placed a gentile kiss on Meredith's lob.
"Derek I have to go to work."
"You've got time" Derek said as his lips descended onto Meredith's neck planting gentile kisses as Meredith let out a small moan and a sigh before she turned around and kissed him as her hands travelled to Derek's shirt buttons, "I think you've got to many clothes on."
"I think the good doctor can cure me of that" Derek replied as he continued to kiss Meredith while she started to undo his shirt.
After their love making Meredith smiled as she rolled over and rested her head on Derek's naked chest, "I missed you."
"I missed you to."
Meredith planted a kiss on Derek's chest, "I was becoming obsessed with work again."
"I felt it" Derek said softly, "I understand why work was becoming your obsession again after what happened you want to occupy yourself."
"But it's not healthy for me."
"I think for all people when your whole world is your job it's never a good thing."
"I have you" Meredith whispered, "and you and the kids are my world."
"We're always here" Derek entwined Meredith's hand in her own, "i'm always here."
Meredith lied down and closed her eyes, "Derek every time my mind wanders I can't help but worry."
"Hey" Derek kissed Meredith's forehead, "that girl has survived a lot she's lived with scum of the earth, crashing your car the big list of rules you wrote for her when she was living with you."
Meredith chuckled, "and being your babysitter."
"Especially being my babysitter and we saw the brochure for the home she went to, horses, being in the outdoors helping to look after baby animals I bet she's loving it. All the same I miss her to and every time I see Ally's eyes well up in tears whenever I need to go out and I tell her Mia isn't babysitting her... it's tough."
"I know everyone has told me to give her space" Meredith hugged Derek tighter, "but it's been three weeks do you think we should go up and see her."
"As much as I want to I think what people are saying is right we have to give her more time. If we all go up there now and take her out somewhere nice she might be pleading for us to take her back to our care and I hate to say this but we're not the ones who can help her. After all the trauma and all the things she had to go through she's at the home to get the help she needs and I don't think she can get that help if she was living with us."
"Your right."
"But you know I was thinking we should invite Mia to spend Christmas with us."
Meredith smiled, "that would be great."
"We could give her a proper Christmas one that she hasn't had for years and maybe sometime if we're going on a holiday we should invite her to come along with us."
"Like your reading my mind, I think she would really like that but if that's going to happen i'm wearing a pair of thick socks when I go to bed in case she attacks me in the morning with that dreadful hairbrush of hers again."
Derek laughed with Meredith before he kissed the back of Meredith's hand, "Meredith i'm always here for you never forgot that."
Meredith smiled as she turned around and kissed him before she looked at the clock, "I know but I do need to get to work."
Later that afternoon Derek stood at the school gate and watched Noah walking out of the gates wearing a sad face while Ally stood by him, "hey kids, hey Noah why the long face."
"Ally is going to play with friends after school."
"Holly asked me to come over" Ally said as she put a arm around Noah's shoulders "and she said boys can't come, if its making Noah sad then I won't go."
"Ally hey look" Derek bent down and gave the kids his best smile, "you can go and have fun with your friends and Noah you and I can hang out at the playground that way we both are hanging out with friends."
Noah instantly smiled, "cool."
"Okay I just got to check with Holly's mum what time to pick you up Ally."
Ally smiled at Noah, "daddy is really nice" as Noah nodded back wearing the same smile as his best friend.
Derek drove Noah to the park and lifted him out of his booster seat before reaching into the boot of his car, "okay I got a game we can play are you ready to play a bit of basketball."
"What's basketball?" Noah asked.
"You've never played basketball well come on i'll show you" Noah followed behind Derek's long steps until the reached the court, Derek pointed up, "we have a ball and a hoop now all you have to do is throw the ball at the square like this." Derek threw the ball into the basket as Noah looked on in awe, "now you don't have to look at me like i'm in the nba."
"Sorry."
"Its ok champ I like it when kids stare at me like that" Derek passed the ball to Noah, "here have a go." Noah threw the ball and sighed as it missed its target by a good two meters, "i'm not good at this."
"Well you can be you just need to grow a bit taller" Derek lifted Noah up on to his shoulders, "there now try and throw the ball in the hoop." Noah had another go and the ball went into the basket Noah grinned, "I did it."
"Yeah you sure did, here have another go." Noah threw the ball and it bounced away until a smiling mother of two twin toddlers picked it up to give it back to them, "you and your daddy having fun"
Derek was about to say something when Noah piped up, "we sure are" and Derek just smiled and nodded.
"So does your wife shoot hoops to?"
"Ah no" Derek said with a touch of embarrassment, "i'm not married"
"Oh what a shame" the woman said with a smile before she wandered back over to the play equipment to check on her children.
"Wow" Derek said as the pair wandered back to the basketball court, "your a babe magnet."
"A what?" Noah said looking confused.
"Ah never mind come on lets play some more ball."
Meredith was making coffee in the cafeteria when she looked up and saw Derek walking through the doors and Noah running to give her a hug, "mommy guess what."
"What dear?"
"We played basketball."
"That sounds fun was that the first time you played basketball."
"Yeah and i'm a babe magnet whatever that means."
"Your a babe magnet" Meredith repeated looking up at Derek with a suspicious glint in her eye.
Derek gave Meredith an uneasy look, "just a joke."
Meredith smirked and narrowed her eyes, "just so we're clear the only babe I want my son drawing to you is me."
"Of course babe" Derek said as he gave Meredith a kiss, "see you later champ."
Noah gave Derek a hug before he watched Derek walk away and turned to look at Meredith, "mommy why can't Derek and Ally live in our house."
"Noah honey" Meredith bent down, "we've talked about this several times you know the reason why they can't live with us, Derek and Ally have their own house."
"But we see them all the time."
"I know we do maybe someday we can all live in the one house but for now we need to live in our own houses."
"Mommy where is my daddy."
"Sweetheart" Meredith's palm brushed Noah's teeth, "your daddy is in heaven he went there a long time ago when you were very small."
"Ally is lucky" Noah said quietly, "she has a daddy."
"Well Ally does have a daddy but she doesn't have a mommy so your lucky to because you have a mommy who loves you very very much."
"Some kids have mommies and daddies they're the luckiest of all."
"Noah a family doesn't need to have a mommy and a daddy its made up of all kinds of people. Some kids have a mommy some kids have a daddy and some kids live with their grandparents. Some kids live with grownups they aren't even related to that take good care of them. The point is there are all kinds of families and the thing to remember is you have a family you have me who as I said loves you more than chocolate ice cream with strawberries." Noah nodded and smiled.
The next Friday night Noah was having a sleepover at Ally's house and was staring into space until Ally patted his arm to get his attention, "Noah come and help me set the table."
"Ok" Noah said quietly as he got down plates as Ally furrowed her forehead, "are you unhappy because setting the table is boring."
"No" Noah replied.
"We better do it before daddy gets grumpy."
"I wish I had a daddy."
Ally put down a plate and stared at Noah, "you don't have a daddy do you."
"My daddy's in heaven."
"Oh."
"I wish I had a daddy like you do" Noah looked into the kitchen where Derek was busy making soup, "your daddy's the best."
"He is the best" Ally said, "i'm glad daddy found me in grandma's house."
"Can he be my daddy to can we share him?"
"Um" Ally thought for a bit, "yeah we can share daddy, daddy."
Derek's face peeked round the corner, "yeah what's up buttercup?"
"You know how your a daddy."
"Yeah" Derek said absent minded "i'm a daddy's that my job teach kids, feed kids and clean kids among other things."
"Now you have more work to do."
"Ally I told you before i'm not building a bridge from our house to Meredith's house so we can walk there. We can always drive."
"No silly your now Noah's daddy to."
"Oh right" Derek said as he took a sip of his drink before he spluttered on the water in his mouth, "sorry got to sit down" Derek went to sit on a chair, "Ally what did you just say?"
"I said your Noah's daddy now, better start building the bridge."
"Um ok" Derek looked at Noah's eager face, "um do you know what Ally's talking about."
"I want a daddy and Ally said we can share you so can you be my daddy to."
"Mate" Derek took a deep breath, "listen it doesn't work like that."
"Why not?"
"Its um look its a bit complicated."
Noah's face cracked, "you don't want to be my daddy."
"No no no hey come here" Derek lifted Noah's onto his knee, "mate the reason why is look you know how you have a mom well how it works is that if your mom marries someone that person becomes your stepdad and well if you like your stepdad enough and you want him to be your dad than your stepdad can be your dad."
"Daddy" Ally said looking as confused as Noah, "your not doing a good job teaching."
"No i'm not" Derek said as he tried to think of the right thing to say without hurting Noah, "the point is i'm still your friend still your mate and i'm always going to care about you that will never change and if me and Meredith get married someday and you want me to be your dad then I would love to be your dad."
Noah nodded looking a bit happier, "thanks dude."
"Your welcome dude now come on kidadees" Derek walked to the kitchen, "lets eat."
That night when Noah was lying in his sleeping bag in Ally's room he looked up at Ally in her bed, "Ally when are your daddy and my mommy getting married."
"I don't know" Ally grumbled, "ten thousand years at this rate."
"I don't want to wait ten thousand years"
"Me neither" Ally muttered, "but when I tried to get them married I just got grounded, daddy went ape and Meredith gave me a haircut."
"What if I tried?"
"Wait what if we both tried" Ally hopped down from her bed.
"Yeah" Noah said feeling excitement in his veins.
"Wait" Ally said, "what if we had a evil genius to help us."
"I don't know any evil geniuses."
"I do" Ally said with a smile.
"Who is it?"
"The most evil genius of them all aunty Amelia, come on lets ring her while daddy is snoring."
Ten minutes later
"So" Amelia said, "you and Noah want your mommy Noah and your daddy Ally to get married as soon as possible."
"That's right" Ally said, "because Noah wants a daddy and I want to be a flower girl at a wedding so can you tell us an evil plot to get daddy and Meredith together."
"Sure" Amelia gave a fake evil laugh which made Noah and Ally giggle, "it would be my pleasure and I have a few ideas ring me tomorrow when your daddy isn't watching and i'll tell you what to do to get them married."