Chapter 57: A Protective Father

Lexie watched her father with anxiety. He was pacing around the room. He was silent, but words were not needed to know his state of mind. The waves of anger he was radiating were as tangible as those on a stormy sea. She wanted to console him somehow, to convince him that it was not so bad despite the appearances, but she was exhausted, physically, and mentally. She just confessed everything to her parents, everything she knew about Meredith and Derek's relationship and every detail of her acquaintance with the latter, well, maybe except the exact circumstances in which she met her sister's boyfriend for the first time.

"Thatcher, honey," Susan began calmingly. "Why don't you sit down? I'll make some tea-"

"I don't want tea!" he snapped back. "I am not going to sit down and do nothing like the last time! I refuse to let another bastard hurt our daughter and walk away in peace! I will not allow it!"

"There's nothing you can do," Susan continued to reason with him. "The damage is done; Meredith is back in Rachel."

"That may be, but that scoundrel is not! He is going to answer to me! I'm not going to let it slide this time!" he vowed furiously and stormed out of the room.

"Thatcher! Thatcher, where do you think you're going?" Both Susan and Lexie hurried after him to the hall, where he was already hastily pulling on his shoes and coat.

"I've told you; I'm not going to sit here listlessly and do nothing!" he growled searching for the car keys.

"Thatch, no! Please, don't get involved!" Susan pleaded with him. "You'll only do more harm than good! It's not going to help Meri! The only thing you can achieve is getting yourself into serious trouble!"

"Dad, you're not even going to be able to find him!" Lexie backed her mother up. "They showed me the door!"

"The difference is that I have lived in this world a little longer!" Thatcher shrugged and practically ran out, leaving them both sick with worry.


Less than an hour later, Thatcher stopped before the same nurses' station where Lexie had been so unsuccessful.

"Good afternoon," he sent the nurse behind the counter a polite smile. "Could you, please, help me find Dr. Shepherd?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, sir. Dr. Shepherd no longer works for New York Presbyterian I'm afraid."

"Really? Where does he work now then? Mount Sinai?"

"I… am not really sure, sir. Did you have an appointment with him? All his patients were redirected to our new head of neurosurgery. We've been notifying the patients all day, but it takes a little time. I am sorry for the glitch. Dr. Nelson is an excellent specialist though, you will be in good hands."

"I am sure he is…" Thatcher sighed dramatically. "I was told Dr. Shepherd is the best in the field. Is there absolutely no way I could contact him?"

The nurse seemed to take pity on him, she leaned over in her chair, whispered for a few seconds with a fellow nurse, and smiled back at him, "You might be in luck. Apparently, Dr. Shepherd's come to say goodbye to his colleagues. You could wait for him in his office."

As guilty as it made him feel, Derek couldn't help but breathe in relief when he extricated himself from the small gathering of his colleagues. He had spent years working alongside some of them, he regarded many as his friends, but he was not sorry at escaping further questions about his plans and his future. Especially so as the person on whom it all depended on was of the unfavorable opinion that he was a "mendacious dirtbag", as Lexie had called him. Mark and Addison had reiterated every detail of their meeting with the younger Dr. Grey and Derek didn't have to strain himself to discover what was really going on.

Somehow, Meredith had come to the conclusion that he was cheating on her with Addison. What nonsense! Derek would have been stung that she could just assume the worst of him, but he was just simply too worried. Meredith's mind was never easily changed when set on something. And she must have been terribly disappointed with him as well, even though the reasons were untrue.

Derek's thoughts were so far away from his body that he didn't notice the presence of another person in his office until that person cleared his throat.

He turned his head towards the source of the sound with surprise to see a man, probably in his fifties or early sixties, sitting on the couch and watching him closely.

"I'm sorry, can I help you?"

"Dr. Shepherd? Dr. Derek Shepherd?"

"Yes," Derek nodded. "But if you're seeking medical advice, I'm afraid I can't help you. Formally, I'm no longer entitled to practice in this hospital. I'm just here to pack my personal belongings."

"I'm not here for a consult."

"Oh, how can I help you then?"

"You… can tell me," Thatcher's voice assumed a deadly low quality, "what pleasure did you have in deceiving my daughter?"

At first, Derek drew a blank, but soon enough a tentative idea reluctantly entered his brain. "Are… are you… Meredith's father by any chance?" he asked weakly. He was practically praying that it was not the case. He did remember very well the conversation with Meredith in which she mentioned the excessive protectiveness off her father…

"So, you know what I'm talking about," Thatcher Grey accusingly pointed out, getting to his feet.

"I… I suspect that you're talking about the great misunderstanding that seems to have occurred, the reasons for which I can't fully comprehend," Derek said hastily.

"I didn't come here to listen to explanations… and I certainly don't feel like discussing personal matters, especially those involving my family, with strangers!"

"I might still be a stranger to you but I'm not one to Meredith-"

"How dare you!" Thatcher spat out, his face reddening rapidly from rage.

"I didn't mean… I meant that Meredith and I are in a relationship!" Derek cut in hastily, raising his hands in a calming gesture.

"No, no," Thatcher said vehemently. "Don't you even mention my daughter's name in my presence! You used her!"

"I did not use her," Derek sighed tiredly, striving to keep his patience. "You were right in saying that we are strangers to each other, and I as well don't like talking to strangers about my personal matters. But Meredith is worth it, she is worth that and much more. So, I am going to tell you this, I have no idea how this misunderstanding arose, but I did nothing to hurt her, absolutely nothing," he assured solemnly and moved towards his desk to take the picture she had given him as a birthday gift off the wall. He turned back to face Thatcher and looked him straight in the eye. "Meredith is the love of my life; she is everything to me."

"I've already heard one man saying that about her," Thatcher snorted out.

"I am nothing like him," Derek managed to say through gritted teeth. He understood Meredith's father's concerns, but the comparison stung him anyway. "I want nothing but Meredith's happiness. You see that?" he held up the framed photo to show it to Thatcher. "She gave it to me. And I've been looking at it every day since I left Rachel, all the time wishing to be with her. And you know what, this picture isn't going back on that wall. I'm taking it with me to my new home. To Rachel."

"Excuse me?" Thatcher stuttered out, not trusting his own ears. "What did you just say?"

"I am moving to Nevada, sir," Derek repeated firmly. "I love Meredith and I want to spend the rest of my life with her."

"You cannot be serious!" Thatcher gasped in disbelief.

"I can assure you that I am. I always thought… and hoped we'd meet on friendlier terms, although Meredith did warn me it would be hard to convince you of my good intentions. And in these circumstances…" Derek passed his hand over his cheek with frustration. "But I have good intentions. I love Meredith, I admire her. She amazes me. I only have her best interest at heart, I wouldn't-"

"That's enough!" Thatcher interrupted him curtly, his breathing hard. "I don't want to hear any of this. I'm not a detective, I'm not going to produce a polygraph to check if what you're saying is true. I only know one thing, that my daughter got hurt due to your actions. I ran out of my house and came straight here imagining all sorts of things I was going to do to you. And you might think I'm just a raving old man who can only wave his fist at you-"

"Sir, I don't-" Derek started but he was not allowed to finish.

"You'd be surprised at what this old man is capable of when it comes to his children. But this time, I'll just give you a fair warning to stay out of Meredith's way. Because… despite everything, I think I owe you one thing. Whatever you had done before made Meredith come back to New York. And it was my Meredith, not the shell of a woman that she had become. It was my beautiful vivacious girl. Now I know that we'll be okay eventually, she will be happy one day."

"I want-"

"So, stay out of her way. I will not let you hurt her again, I won't, mark my words. Don't contact Meredith ever again, don't contact Lexie. Stay out of my family's way!" he finished threateningly and marched out of the office leaving Derek with very conflicted thoughts.

Derek had an urge to argue his case some more but at the same time was wary of antagonizing Meredith's father any further. Motivation was the key to every success, he suspected the old man could possess a surprisingly strong grip if applied around someone's neck…


"Finally, you look at least a little bit sad at the prospect of leaving us," Carolyn's joking voice sounded behind his back, bringing him back to earth. He had got lost in his thoughts, standing in the doorway to his childhood room. He was feeling the full impact of what he was about to do more than ever. He couldn't even be sure how Meredith would react to him showing up at her doorstep.

"You know that I'm not looking forward to leaving you all behind," he tried to smile when he turned to look at her, "even though I can't wait to be back in Rachel again."

"I know," she nodded and looked at him shrewdly. "Now, can you please explain to me what the secret looks you've been exchanging with Addison and Mark are about, since you came home and you're obviously sullen mood?"

"Well…" he hesitated before a lie could even roll of his tongue. He was too tired to come up with any stories and his mother would detect like a first-rate police investigator. "Meredith came to New York and…" he gulped, "she now thinks I'm cheating on her with Addison." He chose not to inform his mother of Thatcher Grey's menacing visit. She had enough to worry about already. She wholeheartedly approved of the change in his life, but he hadn't been as blind as to fail to see her concern.

If Carolyn had found any part of that news surprising, she didn't let it show. She simply asked, "Your Meredith is in New York? Why on earth didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't know myself, Ma. Just learned today, along with the rumors of my supposed affair with Addison," he repeated with a grimace, stressing the most urgent part of the problem.

"And that would be something worrisome if you had an affair with her-"

"Mom-"

"Which I know you've never had," Carolyn went on patiently. "You've been like a zombie since you've come back, and Mark and Addie are so obviously in love with each other.

"If only Meredith was privy to this knowledge," Derek snorted quietly.

"Honey, you'll be in Rachel in a couple of days, we will all be there as a matter of fact. You'll explain the misunderstanding when you're there, end of story."

"You don't know Meredith," he laughed softly. "She tends to be stubborn, she can be like a rock. She can insist that black is white if she sees it fit."

"Why would she argue that you were unfaithful knowing full well you were not, especially when it makes you both unhappy? That is, assuming it does make you both unhappy," Carolyn added, glancing at her son sharply. She trusted his judgment but up to a certain point. He was certainly in love, but she could never be sure of that woman until she met her personally.

"It does," Derek assured her. "I have no doubts whatsoever as to her feelings… It's just that… Look, she has been hurt, badly, I can't tell you exactly what happened but it's one of the most despicable stories I've ever heard and… I just want to ask you not to judge her," he pleaded with her. "It takes her a while for her to open to people, she doesn't grant her trust easily. Which… makes it even more worthy of gaining it but… she's cautious. She doesn't want to keep getting hurt."

"Derek," Carolyn soothingly caressed his arm. "You know I'm not a judgmental person."

"I know that you stand by your opinions," he chuckled.

"There's nothing wrong with that," she shrugged. "If you're so insistent upon it, I can promise you not to form any rushed opinions before I really get to know her."

"It might take a while…"

"Patience has always been one of my virtues."

"Thank you, Mom," he sighed gratefully.

"You're very welcome. Now chin up and come to the kitchen with me. I need to sort out your childhood pictures I want to take to Nevada with us, to show Meredith."

"Mom!"


Meredith walked out of the house, tiptoeing barefoot to the swing on the porch. She was clad only in her pajamas; Rachel was currently going through a winter heat wave, which was not uncommon. She slowly sank into the soft cushion of the swing, darting her head upwards against the seat.

She was feeling better than in the last twenty-four hours. The silence around was absolute, interrupted only by Bert trotting over to her and placing his head onto her thigh consolingly. It was a cloudless night but, the sky wasn't pitch black. It was brightened by innumerable stars burning from a universe that was far away. She experienced a strange peace, despite the stinging pain that radiated from her heart. She was immersing herself in the overwhelming peace, absorbing it inside.

Would all be well? She didn't know and she didn't want to think about it. As long as she could sit here undisturbed, she would be fine.