Zola was gifted.

Gifted.

She had also previously been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and had been officially diagnosed with giftedness.

She had always been inquisitive and knew a little too much for her own good. She was highly empathetic and managed to insert herself in grown up affairs.

Well that explained a lot.

Too bad he'd been effectively kicked out of the warmth of his bed for the night. He knew he deserved it, he was very well aware of it. Still, he did not regret it.

What a turn of events. This must have been what Meredith had felt every time she had meddled or intervened. Sorry for the consequence not the actual action. The action had a greater good, right?

The silence enveloped the living room until a blanket slammed across his face.

"Ow!"

"You forgot your stupid ugly blanket," Meredith gritted as she moved around the couch.

She was already in her pajamas, covered in a purple blanket, shielding herself from the cold. The annoyed features of her face told him she was still angry and unwilling to let him back in. As she turned away, Derek couldn't help but call out her name.

"Meredith-"

"No, I'm still mad at you!"

"Oh c'mon, Mer," he sighed as he reached for her hand, "At least let me explain-"

Meredith rolled her eyes and pulled away, "No, I need you to tell me the truth. We're a team when it comes to the Little Grey-Shepherds, remember? That's the whole point of us raising kids together!"

There was disappointment in her eyes. He'd let her down and disappointed her. And he hated seeing that. He hated feeling like he was never enough. No matter what he did, it'd never be enough.

This time, however, he did drop the ball.

"You are supposed to be telling me this type of stuff. I trust you to do that. And you didn't, Derek," she argued as her voice slightly wavered, "I'm already in the dark with Zola and you going behind my back made me feel like I was there all on my own!"

Meredith locked eyes with him as she continued, "If I'm in the dark, you should be in there with me or pulling me out, not leaving me behind!"

Left behind. That's how she felt. Like he was the only one capable of doing the right thing and she was just going along with it. It wasn't fair to her. She should have been able to be a part of the decision and not just let the people she trusted most make the choice without her.

And she didn't deserve anyone telling her she was just sitting waiting for a miracle.

"I'm sorry," Derek's gaze softened, "I wasn't gonna say you were just sitting there, I swear. I was the one just sitting there. I should've been talking to you and telling you why Zo needed those tests when you were ready. Not just when I was."

Meredith stared at him, surprised at him taking ownership of his actions, "Yes, you should have."

He nodded, "And I shouldn't have gone behind your back. I overstepped. I should have come to you, I'm sorry."

Meredith searched his eyes. She saw the sincerity in his eyes and could see the remorse. He was genuinely only trying to do the right thing- even if he did them the wrong way. That sounded like something she'd do.

"Thank you," Meredith walked around the end of the couch and laid next to him. He wrapped his arms around her as her own wrapped around his torso.

"I couldn't sleep. I don't like sleeping alone, you know that," she muttered, "I have abandonment issues, remember?"

"I thought we worked that out in therapy," he retorted as he earned another chuck on his torso, "Ow! Will you stop?"

"No!" Meredith scoffed as she wrapped him tighter, "What are we watching?"

Derek sighed, "Nothing, I was letting the time pass before I snuck back in."

"Mm," Meredith hummed as she tightened her hold on him, "You go behind my back and still expect me to let you back into bed? That's bold."

"You have abandonment issues," he countered, "It's my job to protect you."

"I don't need that," she rolled her eyes as she pushed herself up to stare at him, "I just need the truth."

"I know," Derek whispered, "I know you do."

Meredith stared at him for a moment and fiddled with the fabric from his shirt with her fingers. She could feel her insides twist and turn.

"I was scared," Meredith confessed, "I don't want her to feel that her being gifted means that there are these high expectations on her. It's already enough that she's lost her birth mother, her birth country, she's had to see us almost die, it's a lot of trauma for our kid."

Derek's gaze fell to the picture on the table. A picture of the children stared back at him. Zola, Bailey and Ellis. Three forces to be reckoned with. One of them had an internal struggle he felt helpless with.

In the photograph, the three were in bathing suits splashing in the water with their mother taken about a year ago. He loved their time at the beach. It was a well deserved trip they had taken after both parents flew back and forth from Seattle to Minnesota.

No panic attacks.

No marital fights.

It was perfect.

"I know," Derek agreed, "Her panic attacks aren't just because she's gifted, I know that. But it's a step forward. It's an answer to the many questions we've had over the last month."

"Zola aced every one of Kai's tests?" she asked with a whisper.

Derek pressed his lips together, "Every single one."

"So what does that mean?"

"It means that we find the right tools to help her. And that we do everything we can to help her," he answered, "If we do nothing-."

"We'd be holding her back and the anxiety may worsen," Meredith finished for him, "It could sprout more behavioral issues and she'd resent us."

"I don't know about that last part," Derek rubbed his forehead, "I do know that she deserves us to find a way to help."

"What did you tell her?" Meredith raised a brow. She knew her daughter would want to know why she was completing these tests.

Derek chuckled slightly, "Kai told her it was part of the parkinson's research. Something about comparing the development of brains-"

"You lying liars, the both of you," Meredith shook her head before she tucked back into her chest, "Can we talk about this tomorrow? I just, I'm tired and-"

"C'mere," he pulled her to his chest and rubbed her back up and down, "We're gonna figure it out. It's you and me, remember? I'm not gonna leave you out in the dark."

The sounds of the television soothed them. Neither knew what the heck was playing but as soon as the commercials played, Derek moved to change the channel.

"Don't change it," she stopped him.

"We don't even know what's playing," he scoffed.

"It doesn't matter, we'll figure it out when they're over," she mumbled against his chest.

He let out an amused chuckle. He knew she hated when the channel was changed during the commercials but he was hoping this time would be an exception, "Okay."

Derek Shepherd knew Meredith Grey perfectly well. He only hoped he knew his children just as much.


"Should we wake them?"

Zola shushed her younger sister, "No let's let them sleep."

"Why are they asleep on the couch?" Bailey asked. His hair was tousled in a morning mess. All three Little Grey Shepherds were still in pajamas confused at the scene in front of them.

"I don't know," Zola answered, "But we should let them sleep."

"Who's gonna make us breakfast?" Ellis insisted.

"Ellis, we can get cereal," Zola rolled her eyes.

"It's Saturday," Bailey shook his head, "Dad makes pancakes on Saturdays!"

"Bailey we can make it one Saturday without Dad's pancakes," Zola insisted, "They probably had a long day yesterday-"

"You're not doing a very good job at whispering, you know that?" A mumble from their mother cut through their voice.

"What time is it?" Their dad's tired voice called out.

"Why aren't you in your pajamas, Dad?" Zola asked as she stepped closer to the parents, "Why do you have your brown blanket? Mom hates that blanket-"

"We fell asleep watching a movie, Zo," Derek unwrapped his arm from his wife, "I'm up, I'm up. Pancakes are coming-"

Meredith chuckled as she watched him get up and make his way to the kitchen. For a moment, she had forgotten the real reason they were on the couch. For a moment, everything was perfect.

Just perfect.

The front door opened suddenly as Lucas stepped in. He took in the scene in front of him and furrowed his brows, "What happened here? Weren't you wearing that yesterday? Oh, did your wife-"

"We fell asleep watching a movie," Derek glared at him.

"Okay, well," Meredith wrapped her blanket around as she stood from her spot, "I'm gonna shower. I want chocolate chip pancakes please."

The kids giggled as Derek furrowed his brow, "You're supposed to help-"

"Oh no," Meredith walked away, "You get to make them all by yourself today!"

Derek turned to the young man with his backpack slung over his arm.

"Don't look at me," Lucas shrugged, "I just got off a thirty-six hour shift."


The horn of the ferry boat blew loud and clear. Meredith walked across the deck until she reached her daughter and sat next to her.

"Hey," Meredith smiled, "How are you feeling?"

Zola smiled as she stuffed her hands into her hoodie, "Mom, I've been good all morning, I promise."

"I know, bug. I'm just checking in," Meredith chuckled lightly, "It's nice and chilly isn't it?"

"Dad said it was a perfect day," Zola smiled up at her mom before her smile faded, "You and dad fought about me last night, didn't you? It's why dad-"

"Your dad and I do not fight because of you, Zo," Meredith sighed. The guilt of her daughter knowing her well enough, "And we didn't fight."

"Why did he have me take all those tests?" Zola furrowed her brows, "It wasn't a part of the trial Kai was working on, was it?"

Meredith raised a brow at her daughter. She had always been observant of everyone. She was so incredibly quick on catching on when something wasn't right. Nothing ever got away from her.

"You catch on to us pretty quick, don't you?"

Zola giggled, "You and Dad are pretty easy to read."

Meredith laughed at her daughter's inquisitive nature. They remained in silence for a while before she spoke up again, "Your dad and I sat in his car on that dock for hours when we first started dating."

Zola looked at the place her mother pointed out. She'd heard the story once or twice. The story about the guy and the girl in the bar. How they met and didn't realize they worked together. She didn't know the details of it- her parents didn't tell her everything, she was sure of that- but she was always up at attention when small details like the one her mother had pointed out came up.

"Did you know you loved him then?"

Meredith took in a deep breath and slowly released it, "A little. I mean I knew that he was…I didn't know I could love someone the way I love your dad. I think I was a little scared."

Zola pondered the answer for a moment, "I thought you never got scared?"

"Oh honey, I get easily spooked," Meredith chuckled, "But you don't have to worry about that. That's my job."

"You didn't tell me why dad and Kai had me take all those tests,"

"Okay, well, here's the truth," Meredith pushed a strand of hair back, "You know how your Aunt Maggie is super smart? So smart she skipped grades?"

"Yeah?"

"Turns out, you're just like that. In your own way," Meredith explained, "You have a gift. A mind that your dad and I have to nurture. And that means we have to find a way to do it."

Zola stayed quiet for a moment.

"Is that why I'm having panic attacks?"

"It could be one reason," Meredith shrugged, "So we're gonna go ahead and find a way to help you. It may mean a new school, Zo. Are you up for that?"

Meredith watched as her daughter's mind processed her words a small blonde flashed before them, "Dad says we're almost docking."

She wrapped her arms around her mother possessively, as if reminding her she was there too.

"Does that mean our boat ride is over?" Meredith asked jokingly, "Time to go back to reality?"

"No," Ellis sighed as she let her mom wrap her arms around her, "I don't want to go home yet."

Zola giggled, "Me either."

Meredith nodded as her arms tightly wrapped around her youngest. She pushed the wild blonde curls back as she watched her green eyes twinkle, "I'm sure if you tell dad, he'll say we can go on another ride."

The trio laughed. Meredith gazed upon her young girls. Both so young. So innocent. Pure. Loud. Brave. Strong.

Absolutely incredible.

At that moment she promised herself that no matter what, those girls would always feel protected. They'd always feel loved by both parents. And whatever the future held for them, she was sure it would be extraordinary.

They would never feel the pain she once felt as a child. Never.

Elsewhere, three others stood by the railing.

"You used to take me on these boat rides all the time," Lucas chuckled, "Is this what you do with your kids now?"

"Every weekend," Derek smiled as they walked side by side with Bailey ahead of them, "It's nice to have you join us for once. I've been trying to get you-"

"Bailey asked me to come," Lucas looked at the young boy walking ahead of them.

Derek nodded, "Yeah, he likes having you around. He's been surrounded by his sisters his whole life that for once he feels like he has a brother."

Lucas chuckled as he turned to search for the blonde boy, "He reminds me of when I was a kid."

They walked down the stairs in tandem, "Hey, Shep, about the surgery yesterday-"

"Stop calling me that," Lucas sighed, "No one's called me that in years-"

"I call you Shep. I gave your mom the idea for the name," Derek stopped and turned to his nephew, "Look Amy and I haven't been easy on you, I know that-"

"Stop, you did what you had to do," Lucas stuffed his hands into his jacket, "We made a deal, no playing favorites."

"Trust me, I'm not,"Derek took notice how his nephew flinched at the mention he wasn't playing favorites, "I know it hasn't been easy since she made you tell everyone the truth either."

"Yeah, well it was either tell the truth or let everyone think I was sleeping with my aunt," Luke grimaced.

The doors of the lab burst open, "Dr. Shepherd."

Derek nodded at his sister, "Amy-Dr. Shepherd, what do you need?"

The rest of the class started in bewilderment as Lucas Adams stood awkwardly at the front. This was it. Amelia was sick of it. She had given him a deadline and he failed to meet it.

"Dr. Adams would like to-"

Derek's eyes widened as he saw the panic in his nephew's eyes, "I-I don't think this is the time to-"

"Now, Dr. Shepherd, now is the time," Amelia clenched her teeth, "Dr. Adams?"

"Some of you have gotten the wrong idea about me. So I need to clear things up," he began monotonously, "Truth is, Dr. Shepherd and Dr. Shepherd are- uh- he's, she's, my mom is their sister so she's my aunt. He's my uncle. I'm a Shepherd."

"Which, to be clear," Amelia crossed her arms with a smirk, "we are not now and have never been having sex."

The interns starred, surprised at the admission and speechless at the scene.

"With each other," Amelia finished as she nodded to her brother. Who burst into a cackle.

"This is disturbing," Dr. Kwan muttered under his breath.

"Oh, no," Derek continued to laugh, "Did they think that you two were-?"

The interns stared at their teacher as his burst of laughter filled the room. Lucas stood awkwardly as his head slowly turned to him.

"It's not funny," Lucas muttered as he glared at the man.

"No, no, it's hilarious! And you let them believe that?" Derek laughed, "Thanks for clearing the air there, the both of you really!"

Derek continued laughing as he made his way to the door.

The doors closed behind him as his laugh continued to be heard in the lab.

"Thank you, Dr. Adams," Amelia pressed her lips together and walked out of the room.

"It's not my fault Kwan saw you two walk out of the on-call room and you never said anything," Derek chuckled as they walked down the stairs.

Lucas sighed heavily, "You know my mom and dad have always told me I'm the disappointment or that I'm not good enough-"

"You're mother's not easy, Shep, she's-"

"Yeah, I know," Lucas rolled his eyes, "My point is, I just wanted to not be a Shepherd. For once. I wanted to prove that the name wasn't the only thing opening doors for me."

"Okay," Derek resigned

"So if I don't earn something," Lucas reiterated, "Besides Griffith she's- she's good."

"She is," Derek furrowed his brow, "What's going on between you and-?"

"Luke, I'll race you to the car!" Bailey called out from a few feet.

"You're on kid," Lucas chuckled as he avoided the question and ran after his young cousin.

Derek watched the both of them run off. Lucas playfully ran ahead and slowed down giving the younger one a chance.

Once upon a time, life was simple. He was an uncle who babysat. The fun uncle who was highly treasured by his favorite nephew- although he would never admit it.

Then his heart was torn and he was betrayed by two of the closest people in his life. So he ran. Ran as far as he could. And left the boy behind. Without an explanation.

His life was put together by the love of his life and fulfilled by three little lights. And the young boy who once looked up to him showed up at his workplace suddenly.

He tried to push past the once feeling of failure. But it was staring right at him. Surrounding him no matter what.


"How long are you gonna be mad at us?" Maggie walked into her sister's office with Amelia in tow.

"Better not be long," Amelia sighed as she sat comfortably on the chair in front of the chief, "She already let my brother off the hook- who by the way- was the one who got us into this mess."

"He's not totally off the hook," Meredith chuckled as she put down her pen, "You two took McDreamy's side behind my back. That's betrayal at its finest."

Meredith smirked as she watched her sisters groan. She knew they meant well. At least they tried.

"What are you gonna do about Zola?" Amy asked.

"We don't know," Meredith sighed, "Derek and I are supposed to have a meeting with the principal soon."

"Did you talk to her therapist yet?" Maggie asked.

Meredith shook her head, "Not yet but we will."

Maggie watched as her sister was lost in her own thoughts, "I can't believe I missed it."

"Missed what?" Meredith asked.

"I was Zola," Maggie explained, "They used to make me do all those puzzles, hover over me with a stopwatch, take notes on a clipboard. I mean, I spent years of my childhood thinking something was wrong with me, I would sob-"

"And now you're reliving it with Zola?" Amelia asked.

Meredith's eyes flicked between each sister.

"No," she shook her head, "I'm not reliving it. I completely missed it."

Meredith sighed, "If it helps, I missed it. And her father- who is a neurosurgeon- missed it too."

Amelia chuckled before turning back to Maggie, "What helped?"

"A kind child psychiatrist- which Zola has," Maggie pointed to Meredith who nodded in confirmation, "And she's got you."

Meredith smiled. She thought about her daughter for a moment and asked, "Do you wish you had been surrounded by kids who understood?"

"Honestly?" Maggie nodded, "Yeah, I think it would've been easier."


"Alright let's go ahead and close," Derek muttered under his mask as he passed his instrument to the scrub nurse.

"That was a lot," Lucas blinked, "You really had to take that much off the skull?"

Derek looked up briefly, "We needed the exposure. The damage was too much for us to do a normal craniotomy."

"Do we know if she'll have any deficits?" Lucas asked as he watched.

"Not likely until he wakes up," Derek explained again, "We did cut into his frontal lobe which means-"

"Her memory could be affected," Lucas finished for him.

"Right," Derek muttered proudly, "Nice job."

They quietly finished, hoping that their efforts were not for nothing. They scrubbed out in silence until Derek reached for the towel. He turned to the young intern next to him who continued to scrub out.

He looked tired. Worn. But Derek could see the rush of excitement and adrenaline in his face. Like when you give someone a present on a bright Christmas morning.

"You did good in there," Derek motioned to the O.R., "You should be proud. You had that face you'd make when someone gave you your favorite piece of candy."

"Mom would always try to take it so you would hide it under my pillow when you visited," Lucas smiled, "But yeah, I uh, I practiced a lot and studied even more. I didn't want to screw up."

Derek laughed genuinely. He had been watching him since arriving and had noticed the work he had put in. And he also saw how he was a little slower than the rest of his class. But Lucas' heart was always in the right place.

The scrub room door opened. A wide-eyed, angry Meredith stood with her purple scrub cap on.

"Hey, are you finished?" she asked. He could sense the urgency in her voice. It was Monday, she wasn't supposed to be in the O.R. today.

Derek nodded, "We just did, what's up? You okay?"

"I just got a call from the kids' school," Meredith shook her head.

"What happened? Did she have another-"

"No, Zola's fine," Meredith muttered angrily, "But Bailey is suspended."

"Suspended?," Lucas scoffed, "What'd he do? Race a teacher down the hall?"

Derek turned and glared at him with a clenched jaw, as if telling him to shut up.

"No," Meredith gritted, "He punched another kid."

Both men furrowed their brows nearly identically, "What?"

"And nearly knocked him out," Meredith once again gritted, "They want us both in the office as soon as possible."


Between the two, Meredith had always been the stricter parent. Not really strict per se, but she set boundaries. And rules. But she was also understanding. And loved her children so much. Derek on the other hand, had been the most doting. Maybe a little too lenient. Especially with his girls. He was wrapped around their fingers very tightly. And he was very well aware of it.

Bailey had the fortune- or misfortune, depending on how you saw it- of being the only boy. He developed the same interests as his father and looked up to him no matter what. His father was his hero. His influence. His best friend and the person he looked up to most.

But today, both parents were equally confused and frustrated at the situation at hand.

"You punched a kid-"

"I told you why I did-"

"Tell us again, because you keep saying you were defending Zola, but you won't tell us why-" Derek looked at him through the rearview mirror with an icy glare.

"I- he was just mean! Okay!"

"I heard you," Meredith turned around from the passenger seat to look at her son. "What I don't understand is why you had to resort to violence-"

"Because she's my sister!" Bailey desperately explained, "Dad always taught me that! He told me I always had to watch out for my sisters and I promised I would."

Derek hit the brakes as soon as he reached the driveway of their home as he turned over to look him in the eyes, "I never said to punch out another kid, Bailey! That's not what I meant and you know it!"

Meredith turned her head towards him, surprised at his outburst. He'd been the gentler parent, always. It's why the kids got everything they wanted from him. This had been the first time he'd genuinely snapped.

"You are grounded. No video games. No TV. You are only using your computer to complete your school work," Derek pointed, "No hanging out with your friends. You are not going to that movie with Austin and Leon. You are not hanging out with Lucas outside the house no matter how much he insists. And soccer practice is on hold-"

"You can't pull me out of soccer! They need me! We're about to-"

"You should have thought about that before you threw your punch!"

"But Dad, I was watching out for Zo-"

"Okay, I think we need to-," Meredith tried to calm him down to no avail. She watched him open the door of the car and step out.

Derek slammed the door behind him as he walked out of the car and into the house.

"Mom-"

"Bailey," Meredith sighed, "What were you thinking? What did he say to make you react-"

The boy remained silent. He crossed his arms and sat there, "I don't want to-"

"That's what you said at the office," Meredith shook her head, "You weren't ready to talk about it but we gotta know, Bails."

"Okay, let's get off the car," Meredith unbuckled her belt, "We can talk about this later."

Her son followed her lead and as they both stepped off, they followed the footsteps Derek had walked mere moments ago.

As they entered the house, Bailey looked towards his dad with determination, "Dad-"

"Bailey," Derek gritted, "Go to your room-"

"Can I at least-"

"Derek Bailey Shepherd, go to your room," he didn't yell. He didn't scream. But the use of his full name was foreign to the young boy. Especially in the deep dark tone he used.

Bailey trudged to his room with his head hung low.

Meredith watched as the boy made his way down the hallway. She waited until she heard the door fully close to turn to her husband, "What the hell was that?"

She'd never seen him as angry as that before. Not towards their kids. And she never expected him to. It was unlike him and it was like someone turned on a switch that was long shut off.

He rubbed his face and chin as he looked up at her, "What?'

"I get you're pissed, Derek, but you're being too harsh on him."

"I know, I know I-" Derek sighed as he sat down. Both his hands covered his face in shame and frustration, "I don't know what to do-"

"His heart was in the right place," Meredith murmured, "He was defending his sister-"

"Meredith, I know that," Derek snapped up, "He still threw a punch. At a kid. He threw a punch at a kid, Meredith!"

"And so have you," Meredith argued, "As a grown ass man! Bailey is a kid. I don't know what happened. You don't know what happened, and the more you push him, the less he'll tell you-"

"Oh, Meredith-"

"He has this pent up anger, Derek! And he does not know what to do with it! He gets that from you, remember?" she let her hands fall to her lap as she motioned around her, "For the last few months our attention has been on Zola because she's having panic attacks."

Derek paced around the living room as he listened.

"He's been patient, Derek," Meredith continued, "Because his big sister has always been patient with him. Dad used to go to all the sports games and now he can't because Zo is having an anxiety attack in the car. Mom is in the hospital working and doesn't even understand the damn sport like his dad, so it's not the same!"

Soccer practice was replaced with therapy sessions for Zo. He had to sit out on some games on Saturdays because his daughter wasn't feeling well. And although it seemed that she was turning a leaf, it also meant that his focus was slightly more on her than his other two children. Indirectly and not purposely. And he knew his wife felt the same.

"He is trying his damn best to help his sister and he doesn't know how. You've been there! You know what it's like to be the brother who feels helpless with his sister!"

Derek's head snapped up at the mention of his sister. He had once been the helpless brother. The brother who watched his sister go through her own problems in life. Granted, they weren't what his daughter was going through. They were worse.

Derek sighed, "Yeah, I know!"

"He's a kid. He made a mistake. A big one. But he was just trying to watch out for his sister," Meredith sighed as she watched him make his way to the armrest of the couch, "He had good intentions and honestly I'm a little proud he punched the sucker out."

"Yeah, the kid had it coming," he suppressed a chuckled before shaking his head, "It still doesn't mean he should go out there punching people-"

"You're right. He shouldn't," Meredith sighed, "I don't want him expelled or suspended and then end up in jail."

"Okay, let's not even entertain that," Derek pinched the bridge of his nose before opening his eyes and looking up at his wife, "He's a good kid. He's a good brother and I am-"

"Scared," Meredith sighed, "You and I are both scared. But we can't take it out on them."

"No I can't," Derek muttered, "What the hell is going on with our kids? Where did we-? Is is-?"

"I have no idea," Meredith sighed as she walked over to him. He opened his arms towards her, accepting the solace she was providing. He made room for her to lean against him, "I'm the one that's supposed to ask you that."

He shook his head as his arms enveloped the woman in his arms. He leaned his chin against her shoulder and released a deep sigh, "How is Ellis the one not making us pull our hair out?"

"Give her time, you'll be bald by the time she leaves for college," Meredith released a slight chuckle before turning her head, "You need to apologize to him."

"He needs his dad," She pressed her lips against his forehead, "And you need your son."

Bailey stared up at the ceiling with his arms crossed. A pout graced his boyish features as he thought about what happened throughout the day.

"You know your mom says you look just like me when your mad," his dad's voice interrupted his thoughts, "You didn't come down to dinner."

Bailey didn't look at him. He didn't see how his father was leaning on the frame of the door with his own arms crossed. His eyes stayed on the ceiling and the pout remained on his face.

Derek sighed as he recognized his own identical scowl on his son's face, "Bailey, I crossed the line."

Derek walked towards his son and sat on the edge of his bed, "I was mean and I was too hard on you."

"You didn't let me tell you what happened," Bailey muttered, "You always let me tell you and you ignored me because you were mad."

Derek nodded, "I know. I let my anger get the best of me when I should've given you a chance."

Bailey said nothing for a moment. His eyes stayed on the ceiling but his father could see he was dying to tell him the truth.

"You want to tell me what happened?"

"No," his son muttered.

"Okay," Derek nodded. He knew where his son's mind was. Too angry to listen. Too upset to say what he needed to say. Emotions twirling on the inside that they were too hard to put into words.

"One time," Derek sighed, "I was practicing my batting skills outside in the yard. I think I was about your age-"

Bailey listened, but he didn't look at his father as he spoke, "I would throw the ball in the air until my dad got home and would hit it with my bat as hard as I could."

"Did you hit a window?" Bailey asked with a mutter.

"Yeah," Derek chuckled, "I broke my dad's car window and he was angry."

"What did he do?" Bailey asked, curiosity in his voice as his features softened.

"He was angry. Very angry. It was gonna be a fortune to get that window fixed so he wasn't thrilled when he realized I had broken the window," Derek shook his head, "But he didn't yell."

Bailey twiddled with his fingers for a while.

"I hadn't thought about my dad for a while. He died when I was about your age, you know?," Derek continued, "I didn't mean to yell at you the way I did. It was wrong of me and I owe you an apology."

"Thanks," Bailey mumbled, "I forgive you."

Derek ruffled his son's hair, "You're a good son. A good brother. I just don't want you to think that all your problems can be solved with your fists."

Bailey looked down at his hands, "Did you punch someone when you were a kid?"

"Yes," Derek nodded, "and as an adult. I punched your Uncle Mark when I shouldn't have. It solved nothing."

Bailey's eyes stared at his fists. He'd heard of Mark and his father sometimes spoke of him. Not always, and when he did, there was always sadness in his voice.

"He said Zola wasn't my sister," Bailey muttered, "He was the kid who also had that competition with Zo and he was making fun of her for freezing."

Derek stared at his son surprised and listened. This wasn't entirely what he expected.

"I didn't want Zo to hear," Bailey continued, "She's my sister and it's not her fault this is happening to her."

Bailey rubbed his knuckles on his left hand. They were still reddened and still hurt.

"I'm not saying that what you did was entirely right," Derek clenched his teeth together, "But I'm glad you defended your sister."

Bailey glanced at the matching blue eyes staring at him.

"You should always defend them," Derek nodded as gulped down a lump in his throat. His son was a far better brother than he could ever be. But now, it wasn't just Zola he worried for. Bailey's outburst wouldn't be the last. Derek could sense it.


A/N: Don't hate me, don't hate me! I love McDreamy but we also know how reactive he can be! I had outlined this path a while back and I am sticking with it! I thought it'd be interesting to explore this vulnerable side of Derek who lost his dad around the same age as his son. And how Bailey's personality traits mirror his dad's in some ways- even if he had the right intentions. We rarely see Bailey and I wanted to mirror the Meredith and Zola relationship with Derek and Bailey. (Ellis will have her moment, trust me!) And they dynamic of his reactive side was interesting to me after exploring Meredith's role as a mother in the last story. Also, c'mon how hilarious would it have been to see Derek in the doghouse, ha!

Please review! Please tell me how you're feeling this story! Thanks!