A few weeks later and one summers day Meredith was well into the morning folding laundrey and cleaning the glass windows listening to the sound of birds outside sighing feeling as peaceful within herself as the house was until she heard a loud, "doc hey doc."
Meredith sighed feeling the quit calmness fading as Mia poked her head round the corner, "yes Mia."
"Could I borrow 50 bucks?"
"Why do you want to borrow 50 bucks?"
"So I can go out with my friends" Mia said as if to say well duh.
"Mia."
"Okay I can see you want details" Mia walked into full view, as she smiled a bit and brushed her hair back with her hands, "so there's this really cute guy in my class and we're all going to head and chill out at the movies. I don't know what we're going to see yet but it won't be anything really violent and i'll be back just before my curfew so it works out well, you'll get a nice afternoon all to yourself and everyone's a winner so what do you say."
Meredith smiled, "well that sounds like a very good plan."
"Yeah it is, so could I have the 50 bucks."
"It sound like a very good plan except you forgot one very important thing."
"Ah, I forgot to say please."
"No" Meredith said as she picked up the laundry basket and walked out, "you forgot that your still grounded."
"Oh come on" Mia whined loudly as she followed Meredith, "i'm still grounded."
"Yes for the incident last week."
"It wasn't that bad."
"First you threw a stink bomb in the teachers lounge and then you ran away from school with your friends during lunch, you then came back to the school after lunch with pizza sauce on your mouth and you claimed that your classmates Betty and Veronica threw the stink bomb."
"It was just a prank and Betty and Veronica are used to getting blamed for these things they're library nerds."
"Mia that's not a nice thing to say, I would much rather you be friends with them then the girls you like to hang out with."
"The girls I hang out with are popular."
"They sound like bullies Mia, the principal told me about them they get other girls to do their homework for them and they pour paint on their classmates, I hope your not doing that."
"They just get a lot of bad press, the paint thing only happened once and if I get a nerd to do my homework once in a while what's the big deal that's why nerds exist."
"Mia stop it your nicer than that" Meredith put the basket down and started folding clothes on the clothes rack, "and not doing the hard work now in school is going to have consequences for you later on."
"Speak English doc what are you talking about?"
"I'm saying not putting in the hard work yourself is going to lead you graduating high school with a d minus grade point average and a piece of paper to fold into a hat to wear to a job at a fast food joint."
"Well thanks for that wise one" Mia muttered sarcastically, "so back to the question 50 bucks and i'll get a new boyfriend."
"How about 0 bucks" Meredith said as she looked up, "and you go and do your homework."
"Doc" Mia moaned.
"Mia you were suspended from school."
"Yeah its a school thing, so why do I have to get grounded here."
"Because when your living under my roof when you do the wrong thing at school you get punished here as well."
"Doc."
"Don't doc me young lady" Meredith put her hands on her hips, "you understood when I talked to you on boxing day that if you were going to be living here again you would have to follow the same rules as before."
"Fuck the rules."
"You swear again and your grounded for a extra week" Mia stopped talking and Meredith nodded with a that's better smile before she turned around and Mia ran in front of Meredith, "wait wait come on come on show mercy."
"I'm not showing mercy" Meredith responded.
"You usually do in the end" Mia muttered as she took Meredith's hands in her own, "come on look into my eyes."
"I'm not being soft on you Mia" Meredith pulled her hands away, "I had to have a long talk with your principal about your behaviour at school and she wasn't happy to say the least, neither was I."
"Okay well lets go back like sixty years when you were my age."
"Insulting me is not going to get what you want either."
"Your missing the point back when you were young you know after the age of the dinosaurs" Meredith raised an eyebrow and Mia smirked, "hey I didn't say immediately after the age of the dinosaurs, anyway back when you were in school and there was a cute boy and people wouldn't give you money and let you go out, what did you do."
"I listened to the grownups because I recognised that they know best."
"So, you were a nerd."
"Yes" Meredith said firmly, "I was a nerd and now I have a well paying job, a house and responsibilities."
"So what life is boring now?"
"Its not so boring with you in it." Mia chuckled as Meredith smiled a bit, "im saying I listened to the grownups and worked hard at my schooling instead of ditching school to buy pizza and things went well for me, you should learn from my experience it would benefit you."
"Spoken like a true nerd, did other kids try and get you to do their homework for them."
"No Mia" Meredith said, "the other kids were nice and that is what you should be to, now go and do your homework."
"Oh come on be a fun foster parent" Mia moaned again.
"Mia" Meredith said feeling her patience giving in, "give it up I am not ungrounding you and I am not giving you money."
"Look" Mia quickly grabbed Meredith's forearm with her hands, "what if we made a bet."
"A bet?"
"Yeah we could do like a um say play a game and if you beat me then i'll study really hard and get a A on my next maths test."
"And let me guess" Meredith crossed her arms, "if you beat me then i'll give you 50 dollars and unground you."
"Bingo" Mia said with a smile that showed all her teeth.
"Okay assuming for a second that I am even remotely interested in this bet, what kind of game would you have in mind and is it a game where you won't have a unfair advantage over me?"
"We could ah" Mia clicked her fingers, "I got it we could do a raspberry game."
"A what game?"
"We could each raspberry a kid's belly and whoever can go the longest without stopping to take a breath wins."
Meredith let out a small sigh, "leave Ally and Noah out of this."
"Come on they'll like it."
"I think we'll just stick to you being grounded."
"Doc come on the dude's really cute."
"I don't care if he is as cute as our dog Micky your not going out."
Mia grabbed Meredith's hands and kneeled down, "this could be my soulmate."
"Well tell me about this so called soulmate does he by chance get A's on his maths tests or does he just ditch school to get pizzas."
"He gets A's like all the time."
"Really" Meredith said doubtfully.
"Yeah really" Mia nodded, "he's like a hot nerd you know kind of like you only less uptight."
"Mia" Meredith shook her head, "are you lying to me?"
"No" Mia said with a smile, Meredith pondered to herself for a moment and stared at Mia, "you'll guarantee that you will study hard and get an A on your next maths test if I beat you."
Mia grinned, "yeah so ready for Mia's challenge."
Meredith shook her head, "I can't believe i'm doing this."
Mia smiled and went to the bottom of the stairs to call out, "Ally Noah come here."
"What is it" Noah called back.
"We're playing a game come down here."
A few minutes later the kids were lying on the carpet in the living room lifting up their shirts giggling as Meredith and Mia leaned over them, Meredith sighed "okay now if either of you want us to stop let us know."
"We won't" Noah said as he grinned.
"Do your worst" Ally added with a identical grin.
"Okay" Meredith said, "one two three go" there was the sound of loud farts and giggles as Meredith raspberried Ally's belly and Mia did the same to Noah. It went on with the kids laughing out loud until Meredith heard a loud muffled quick breath beside her and she grinned, "Mia you just lost."
"No I didn't" Mia said looking red in the face, "you did you stopped."
"No I heard you stop and take a breath before I did, you lost the game."
"No no."
'Yes you did you lost the game."
"Oh you suck" Mia said loudly as she got up and walked to her bedroom.
"When you get that A on your maths test" Meredith called after her, "i'm putting it on the refigrator for the world to see."
"Whatever" Mia grumbled as she closed the door to the bathroom while Meredith smiling got up to walk to the kitchen to get a glass of water. She raised the glass to her lips and started to snigger when she felt tiny fingers lifting up her shirt and trying to tickle her back, "are you two trying to tickle me?"
"Yes" Ally said grinning and Noah grinning as well nodded.
"Well try and tickle me and you'll get the tickle monster."
Ally and Noah laughed loudly as Meredith's hands turned around started to tickle their bellies as she lifted a kid up with each arm and once she got to the living room she drew the children into her lap, "tickle monster always gets its way when tickle monster says its time to play"
Ally and Noah laughed louder as Meredith's hands reached their knees, "and when the tickle monster comes on deck it tickles your knees it tickles your neck."
The kids laughed as Meredith smiled widely and then Meredith started to cackle and squel as she felt sharp nails on her neck, "Mia."
Meredith cried out as Mia pulled Meredith's arms back until Meredith with a yelp was lying flat on the carpet with Mia pinning her arms with her hands smiling an evil smile as she loomed over her, "I didn't want things to come to this doc but you've given me no choice you want to give me 50 bucks and unground me."
"No no" Meredith gasped as Ally and Noah climbed up and started to tickle Meredith's neck.
"Oohhh well that wasn't smart now i'm gonna give tickle monster a big belly fart."
"No no kids" Meredith cried out as she tried to get Ally and Noah off her and then felt Mia's frame sitting on her waist.
"Its ok guys she's laughing she's having fun, she's having fun as she's getting tickle tortured."
"Mia" Meredith felt her shirt being lifted and Mia's fingers tickling around her belly and as they reached her sides she reflexively arched her back, Mia dropped her mouth down and raspberried her belly button long and loud as Meredith squealed and cackled, "Mia stop torturing me."
"Sure" Mia grinned, "all you got to do is pay me 50 bucks cash not cheque and unground me."
"No Mia" Meredith said as she tried to get Ally and Noah off her.
"Tickle torture is fun and it can last for hours even days or it can stop now if you pay up" Mia ran her fingernails down Meredith's stomach, "hey guys use that hairbrush on the table over there on Meredith's feet she loves it." Mia grinned as she raspberried Meredith again while Ally and Noah giggling continued to tickle Meredith's neck and armpits. Meredith felt like she was losing her mind as she tried to get the kids off her arms so she could escape. Mia leaned back and started tickling Meredith's toes with her fingers and Meredith yelped louder then she started to cough and Mia looked up "woah woah woah, time out time out."
Mia lifted the kids off Meredith and Meredith getting up as fast as she could sprinted to the bathrrom feeling that she was about to hurl, "wha" she said as Mia rushed past her.
"Hold on there's wrapping on the toilet seat."
"Why" Meredith chocked out as she clutched her stomach with her hand.
"Just... well you know why, now come on vomit."
Meredith hurled into the toilet and Mia patted her back as she watched Meredith puke, "ah sorry doc guess I took it to far."
"To far... is an understatement" Meredith gasped.
Mia brushed Meredith's hair back with her hands and heard the doorbell sounding, "i'll get it" she said as Meredith continued to cough. Mia opened the door to find Chloe, Alyce and Justine texting on their phones.
"Hey girl" Chloe greeted Mia, "so Toby's just updated his facebook page he's down at the movies right now and looks like he's all alone so..."
"Yeah I can't go" Mia said.
"Why not" Alyce said as she raised her brows, "don't tell me your nervous."
"No my foster moms sick."
"Your a foster kid" Justine blurted out, "I mean sorry I-"
"No its cool" Mia said, "yeah my parents are bad eggs so Meredith she looks after me and yeah she's sick so I can't come out."
"Well" Justine said, "oh look cuties" as they spotted Ally and Noah who stared at them with wide scared eyes, "come on over don't be shy."
Mia smiled, "this is my sister Ally and my favourite little guy Noah"
"I'm your favourite little guy" Noah said with a shy grin.
"Yeah course you are" Mia said as she grinned back at Noah.
"You are so adorable" Alyce said with a smile and Ally just stared at them looking quite terrified as she backed away as Alyce came walking towards her with her arms outstretched, "come on let me give you a hug." Mia rushed in front of her sister, "its ok Ally isn't used to strangers so um i'll see you at school."
"Yeah come on Alyce see ya" Justine said as they closed the door. Mia turned around and found Meredith staring at her, Mia took a deep breath "Meredith look i'm sorry I got you sick and I will clean up the toilet."
"Mia" Meredith said for a long few moments before she reached her hand into her pocket and pulled out some money, "here's 20 bucks."
"What really?"
"You could have disobeyed me and sneaked out just then but you didn't so go out this one time only but I expect a A on your next maths test."
Mia took the money and started to smirk, "that worked well."
"What worked well" Meredith said as she narrowed her eyes.
"Ah nothing" Mia said cheerfully as she gave Meredith a quick hug, "thanks doc get well soon."
Mia skipped out the door and Meredith blinked quickly before she walked outside after Mia, "Mia be back by curfew."
"Yes doc" Mia called out as she ran to catch up with her friends. Meredith grumbled to herself feeling that she had failed as a disciplinarian as Derek came wandering to the front door, "hey where's ratbag off to?"
"Ratbag just guilt tricked me into giving her money and letting her go to the movies."
"I told you" Derek said as he put the paper down on the coffee table, "she would take advantage of your good heart."
"Believe it or not" Meredith vented in frustration, "I was very tough up until the point where she made me vomit."
"Vomit?"
"I don't want to talk about it but rest assured i'm going to be very tough on her next time she breaks the rules i'm not having her walk all over me like a doormat."
"Well until then" Derek gave Meredith a kiss, "how about I take the little ones out and give you a break for a while."
"That would be nice" Meredith said as she started to smile.
"And then when I come back i'm going to help you relax."
"Sound even better" Meredith gave Derek a slow kiss. Derek smiled, "kids we're going out for a while."
"Where are we going?" Noah called out as he came into the living room followed by Ally.
"We're going to go ice skating."
"What's ice skating?" Noah asked.
"Ice skating is" Ally started before she stopped and looked at Derek confused, "what is ice skating daddy?"
"Well i'll show you when we get there."
A half hour later Ally and Noah were on the ice waving their little arms around trying to stay balanced with Derek right behind them with one hand on each of their shoulders, "this is hard" Noah said as he kept looking down at the skates on his feet.
"Nothing a bit of practice won't cure" Derek said, "okay now try bending your knees and gliding, take my hands and do what i'm doing bend your knees and you can glide."
"We should have gone to the beach instead" Ally grumbled as she took her dad's hand.
"Ally its winter its to cold to go to the beach, now come on guys one more time I know you can do it."
Noah took Derek's hand, "what if we crash."
"You won't i'm holding on to you, okay we'll go slow and easy."
Noah nodded as he looked up at Derek and Derek watched Ally and Noan bend their knees and he skated with them from one end of the rink to another feeling pride swell in his heart when he watched their small faces light up, "I did it" Ally said loudly.
"Me to, this is fun" Noah said.
"Great job you two troopers."
Ally and Noah grinned before they hugged Derek's waist and Derek feeling a little embarrassed and very proud smiled to himself until he fell down with Ally and Noah laughing with Derek as they fell on top of him and Derek ruffled the kids heads with his hands.
After driving home and leaving the kids to watch television downstairs Derek walked upstairs to find Meredith lying on her bed reading a book, "hey" she said softly.
"Hey" Derek sat down on the bed, "so I taught the kids how to iceskate today."
Meredith put down the book as she shook her head with a small grin, "I would have liked to have seen that."
"Come out with us next weekend and we'll show you, maybe you can show us how you iceskate."
"I skate with my backside sliding on the ice."
"Well the kids struggled with it at first and they got the hang of it quite quickly maybe you can to."
Meredith got up and closed the door, "where are the kids."
"Downstairs watching tv" Derek watched Meredith moving towards him.
"Good" Meredith said as her hands reached for Derek's shirt buttons, "then I think its time you took care of me."
"Meredith" Derek said softly as Meredith slowly kissed his lips, "what if the kids come upstairs."
"We'll be quiet" Meredith whispered as she undid Derek's buttons.
Meredith lied sleeping in Derek's arms as Derek lied still thinking about his life he was happy he had everything he ever wanted, he wanted to keep things this way and as he looked at Meredith he thought about what he wanted to do, something that had been playing on his mind for over a month. Derek wanted to ask Meredith to marry him he wanted to marry Meredith more than anything he just didn't know how to ask her, he wanted it to be as close to perfect as possible. Derek continued to think until the sound of voices downstairs interrupted his thinking and Meredith groggily opened her eyes as she blinked in confusion until her head cleared, "Mia."
"She's brought friends over here" Derek muttered.
"Okay that's it" Meredith sat up and put on her dressing gown, "i'm getting tough."
"Meredith her friends are here."
"Well being humiliated in front of her friends will be a good lesson for Mia ."
"Hang on" Derek put on a pair of pants, "look lets just go down there and handle it calmly."
"I will not" Meredith said firmly, "i've been taken advantage of already today by little miss bliss its time I taught her a lesson she knows she is grounded she knows she can't have friends over here when she is grounded and its time she shows us more respect."
Derek walked over to put his hands on Meredith's waist, "do you think you should put some more clothes on first."
"Right" Meredith said as she gathered up her clothes from the bed and carried them into the bathroom.
Meredith came down five minutes later and knocked loudly on Mia's bedroom door, "Mia."
There was the sound of sniggering before Meredith heard, "yes doc."
"Mia why are your friends in your room?"
"Ah no, no friends here its just me and my books."
"So you won't mind if I come in?"
"You know actually my ah study partners are here and they're helping me with my homework."
"Mia" Meredith opened the door to find a group of girls sitting on Mia's bed with a stack of clothes on their laps, "well well study partners I don't see any books and I don't see any studying being done."
"Your the doc" Justine asked.
"Yes" Meredith straightened her posture, "i'm the doc most people call me Meredith, now girls can you please leave Mia is meant to be grounded."
Alyce raised an eyebrow, "were you just having sex?"
Meredith tried her best to hide her bashfulness, "listen to me."
"She was" Chloe said giggling with Mia and Justine, "she was totally having sex look at her hair."
"They're small children here you know" Alyce said with a big grin, "we should call social services and say the doc's been having sex with small children around."
"Mia" Meredith said in a loud voice, "get your friends out of here."
"They have names you know" Mia said with a amused smile, "Justine, Chloe Alyce meet the doc and doc meet my friends."
"Nice to meet you doc" Chloe said as she grinned.
"Girls do you want me to call your parents."
"Actually" Chloe said as she put on a sad face, "we're living on the street right now and we heard this was a fun place for kids like us."
"So" Alyce chipped in, "why don't we all live here as one big happy family."
The girls laughed as Mia grinned, "what do you say doc you wouldn't put them outside in the cold would you, we could all be your foster kids."
"Mia" Meredith felt herself losing her patience, "last chance get your friends out of here and do your homework you owe me an A on your next maths test."
Mia leaned back and smirked, "or what?"
Meredith felt a muscle growing in her cheek, "you'll be grounded an extra week."
"You'll still give me money and let me do what I want anyway."
"No I won't, now girls leave"
Justine sniggered as she looked at Mia, "is she always this bitchy."
"Not always" Mia replied with a wicked smile, "she was laughing a lot this morning."
"Really?"
"Yeah we were playing a fun game" Mia stood up, "and she was laughing, having fun we could play it again."
"Mia" Meredith said defensively, "don't even think about it."
"What was the game?" Chloe said and Mia whispered in her ear Justine and Alyce leaned in close and the girls smiled. "Oh that does sound like a fun game"
"Girls" Meredith said nervously as the girls stood up and started to crowd around Meredith, "girls get away, get away."
"Its ok" Chloe said as giggled, "come on foster mom."
"No no" Meredith brushed off the girls hands, "Derek Derek."
"Oh shit" Mia looked out the bedroom door, "I forgot he was home."
"Can we tickle the doc anyway?"
"No the big bear in the blue house will-"
"Mia" Derek said standing in the doorway with his arms crossed.
"Oh hey its big Derek" Mia said as Meredith dashed outside the bedroom.
"Mia if your friends don't leave in one minute you can help me tomorrow shovel shit in my customer's backyard."
"Okay okay jeez" Mia muttered, "since you brought out the big guns."
Derek walked with Meredith to the kitchen as Mia's friends packed their bags, "why didn't see listen to me?"
"Because she knows that she can take advantage of you."
"Well" Meredith said feeling very frustrated, "how do I get her to listen to me."
"We'll go along to that foster carer support group, maybe they can teach us something."
"Bye doc" Chloe called out.
"See you doc" Justine added.
"We're going back to living on the street" Alyce finished.
Derek looked at the girls making sad faces as they slowly walked towards the front door, "you would be more convincing if you weren't carrying new clothes."
"We're going to sleep under them tonight they're our blankets."
Derek shook his head as the girls left the house and turned to Mia, "now miss Mia tomorrow we're going to shovel the shit."
"What" Mia said loudly, "but you just said-"
"I said it to get your friends out of the house, you still broke the rules and brought your friends round here when you knew you were grounded so its your punishment."
"You are so mean" Mia said loudly as she went back into her room and Derek smirked at Meredith, "the master."
Meredith sighed as she smiled, "you do realise your going to spend the whole morning tomorrow listening to her complaining."
"Well the big turds will do her good" Derek heard noises coming from the food cupboard and he opened it, "are you two looking for food."
"Are Mia's friends gone?" Noah whispered as he peeked out nervously.
"Yeah, why were you hiding from them?"
"They're scary" Noah said softly.
"They go oh they're so cute" Ally said in a mocking voice as she rolled her eyes, "and they try and hug and kiss us."
"Well don't worry guys" Derek said as he smiled at Meredith, "in a few years you won't have this problem."
"A few years" Ally said dramatically.
"We can't wait that long" Noah added.
The next day Derek was whistling cheerfully as he shovelled through dirt while Mia was beside him wiping her brow with her sleeve and groaning every few minutes, "my back is killing me" she said for the tenth time that morning.
"Well" Derek said unsympathetically, "you tick off doctor Grey and there's hell to pay."
"Very funny" Mia muttered darkly, "why are you taking a photo?"
"To remind you the next time you think about breaking the rules."
"Your mean."
"No i'm not mean i'm just tough and you know Ally doesn't complain when she helps me in the garden."
"I bet she gets the easy jobs" Mia shovelled again as she groaned, "i'm sweating like a pig."
"Your doing great, someday you could be doing this in your own house."
Mia glared at Derek as Derek laughed, "half an hour and we'll head back for some lunch."
The half hour went by and with Mia strolling ahead as they made their way towards the car Derek spotted something out of the corner of his eye, he looked at a shop full of wedding dresses and he stopped to stare at them as he imagined how beautiful Meredith would look like in a wedding dress.
"Derek what are you doing?"
Derek snapped out of his daydream and looked at Mia, "ah nothing."
"Really" Mia said as she started to smirk.
"Yeah why?"
"You were looking at wedding dresses for no reason."
"Yeah I was just looking at them."
"Because you know" Mia said as her smirk grew wider, "usually when a guy looks at wedding items in a shop it means they're thinking about popping the question."
"Mia" Derek sighed as Mia did a small jump and put her hands to her mouth, "oh my god your actually gonna do it your gonna ask Meredith to marry you."
"I'm" Derek racked his brain trying to think of a good excuse but he couldn't find one and he just nodded, "yeah I am i'm going to do it."
"That's great that's awesome, so how are you gonna do it."
"Ah the truth is I don't know" Derek muttered, "being romantic isn't my strong suit could we just go back home."
"Ok mr doc" Mia said with a smile as Derek feeling nerves pouring through his veins followed. They opened the door and Mia ran in front of Derek, "hey you know what is romantic dancing."
"Yeah I guess" Derek replied, "trouble is I can't dance."
"I can teach you."
Derek raised an eyebrow, "you know how to dance?"
"Yeah I did it when I was little for years, I still know the moves."
"Really?"
"Yeah" Mia put Derek's hands around her waist and shoulders, "come on you big lug i'll show you."
Derek moved and stumbled as Mia moved around him gracefully as if she was gliding, "okay you can dance that's... you are full of surprises."
"Yeah so what do you say, I teach you to dance and then when the time comes for you to propose you will have a skill in your pocket to make it more romantic."
"Okay sure your on" Derek went to get a glass of water and bread to make a sandwich, "I have to say Mia this is very nice of you."
"Well living here is turning me into a nice person."
"Ok" Derek said slowly.
"Of course" Mia said slowly as she smiled a wicked smile, "there is something you could do for me in return."
"I should have know there was a catch" Derek shook his head, "i'm not ungrounding you."
"No no that's to predictable, "I was thinking since i'm teaching you something then maybe you could teach me something to."
"Like what?"
"Well its a life skill and it is something that everyone should learn."
"Digging holes?"
"No" Mia moaned, "you seriously can't guess."
"I don't think I want to guess."
Mia put her hands out in a 10 and 2 o clock position and went, "vroom vroom."
"Oh no" Derek said loudly as he threw his hand up in the air, "no no no."
"Oh yes yes yes."
"I'm not teaching you how to drive."
"Come on dude."
"No" Derek said firmly, "I remember what happened the last time you drove a car."
"I was great" Mia said.
"You crashed Meredith's ca.r"
"I was fine."
"You were in a coma, you nearly died."
"Derek."
"No don't Derek me" Derek busied himself with making sandwiches, "when you pass the interim driving test we're putting you straight into a driving school."
"Why can't you teach me?"
"Because I want to stay alive with all my limbs intact."
"Fine" Mia said as she took her sandwhich, "I won't teach you how to dance."
"That's okay there's other people who can teach me how to dance."
"Well good luck with the proposal" Mia said as she made her way to the living room.
"Thanks" Derek said as he wondered why Mia wasn't trying harder to get what she wanted.
"Of course" Mia said as she came back into the kitchen wearing a sly smile, "the proposal would be better if it were a surprise."
Derek felt a twinge of fear and he narrowed his eyes, "you wouldn't."
"Well not on purpose" Mia said innocently, "but you know I kind of have a habit of accidently letting things slip out of my mouth."
"Well its your word against mine" Derek said.
"Yeah except there's the photos."
Derek felt his blood run cold, "photos."
"Of you looking into the wedding dress shop."
"Your bluffing."
"Maybe, maybe not are you willing to risk it?"
"Mia I can ground you for life."
"Yeah that won't look suspicious" Mia walked around the kitchen, "you know if I was to show Meredith the pictures it might urge you to pop the question sooner and that might be merciful cause I can see how anxious this is making you."
"Okay okay" Derek said loudly, "i'll teach you to drive."
"Yes" Mia ruffled Derek's hair with her hand with her hand as Derek groaned, "thanks dude."
"When you pass your test."
"I already have."
"What?"
"So can we go driving now?"
"I'm" Derek said feeling flustered, "no."
"Okay i'll just set up a powerpoint with some interesting photos in it to show everyone."
"Okay" Derek said in a weak voice.
"Yes" Mia said with a fist punch to the air.
"Could we just have some lunch first."
"Sure... then?"
"Okay alright."
"And i'll teach you how to dance."
"And if I die the deals off."
Mia laughed as she went to her bedroom while went to the living room to slump on the sofa and turn on the television to see a high speed car chase on the big screen. He turned it off as he started to sweat he didn't know what was more stressful popping the question to Meredith or becoming Mia's driving instructor.