A/N: I'm back! David is back! And a peculiar POV for your enjoyment. I hope you'll like it!

Chapter 12

David Langston Shepherd is an exhausting little boy.

As much as Carolyn loves him, sometimes she wonders how her son can cope having him around and juggling his internship as well. Now that David is a little more settled in school, it's easier to relax in the mornings and actually take care of her own stuff, but whenever he's with her for a full day, he drains all her energy.

She did not look forward to knowing that Derek would have to take his forty-eight-hour shift on a weekend. Keeping David entertained for two full days is probably one of the biggest challenges she ever had to face as a grandmother. She's only glad it's already Sunday.

And yet, no matter what, she always has a blast with him.

David is an old soul. He's loud and talkative and can come off as bratty sometimes, but he has a huge heart. He loves wholly, without reservations, and if you're in his graces, you will forever feel that love, even if he doesn't willingly touch you or he grimaces at the way you prepare your food. Everything that makes him David, she hates and loves all the same.

"Nana, is Daddy back, yet?" he asks for the umpteenth time, appearing in the kitchen while she's checking the pantry and the fridge for groceries, to make a list for a shopping run the next morning.

"No, not yet. I told you he'll be back tonight. You can spend all day with him tomorrow."

"But I gotta go to school," he protests, slumping in a chair.

"He'll have all the time for your after. He'll go with you to see Benny, you will play together, and then you'll have all kinds of fun."

David doesn't look fully convinced.

"Are you ready for church?" she asks, hoping that changing the subject might help.

David stands up and twirls a little, so that she can see he has decent clothes on. Usually, Carolyn doesn't take him to Mass, knowing that it can become uncomfortable for him, but she has no other choice today. If it's not a horrible day for him, he usually manages church just fine, so Carolyn is keeping her fingers crossed that today will be a good day.

She takes a deep breath and smiles, then decides that they have to eat out today, since they barely have the bare necessities to scrape by a meal. A grocery run after church might be asking too much out of David. That, and maybe they can stop by the hospital and have lunch with Derek, for David's sake. If they survive church unscathed, she will consider bringing her son takeout; she's sure Derek will appreciate it.

David sails through church just fine. He fidgets and looks curiously at all the pamphlets and papers on the pews, but he also sings along to some hymns he has now learned and looks glad to be there.

There's nothing Carolyn could want more.

They walk home talking about mundane topics, David looking happy to be walking in the sun on this fall day.

When she announces that they're going to grab food for his dad and eat all together, David squeals with joy and practically runs home, barreling into the garage right away.

David keeps bouncing in the car too, grinning and smiling and being his usual energetic self, though this time it brings a smile to Carolyn's face.

They stop at an Italian place and grab a couple of containers of pasta, vegetables and seconds, then they also pick up some tiramisù to make it a proper Sunday meal. All in all, they could feed a small army, as usual, but Carolyn is thinking ahead: she knows that if Mark is there and not in surgery, he and Addison will definitely join them for lunch, and so will whoever was supposed to eat with them. Carolyn knows to come prepared. Better having leftovers to heat up rather than not having enough food for all of them.

Carolyn has Derek paged when she notices that his name is not on the OR board, though she sighs when she notices that Mark has just scrubbed in and he'll be in surgery for at least three hours. She'll have to catch her other son another time.

When she finally sees Derek coming to the nurses' station, she can spot his tiredness from a mile away. And yet, his smile is bright, and so is the grin Dr. Meredith Grey next to him is sporting, as they walk side by side. He's carrying a stack of charts, she has her own, but they seem really comfortable around one another.

"Are you kidding me? You can't give porn as pain management," Derek grins as they come near them, and he makes Meredith giggle.

"I didn't think of it, but I'm almost jealous of the neurologist who did," she snickers, leaving the chart on the desk, Derek mimicking her.

"Why? So you could watch Nasty Naughty Nurses 4 with Mr. Traylor?"

Meredith blushes, but before she can reply, David spots his father, and of course he runs straight for him, slamming into his body. Derek groans, but he laughs when he recognizes his little boy.

"How are you, D-Man?"

"Oh, Daddy, I was super good in church for Nana and we got no food at home, so we gots food for all of us here!" David giggles, as Derek holds him tightly, picking him up and wrapping his legs around his torso.

"That sounds quite the day," Derek hums. "Probably more exciting than mine," he winks.

"He saw a brain, Dave," Meredith next to him whispers, and David finally becomes aware of Meredith too, and grins at her, though he also blushes when she smiles back.

"Daddy, you see lots of brains," David comments, a frown on his forehead.

"I guess Dr. Grey enjoys having me as her intern."

Carolyn's eyes widen at the obvious attempt at flirting, that of course passes right over David's head, and yet makes Dr. Grey blush like a schoolgirl and turn to look at the wall.

"Meredith?" David asks quietly, wriggling out of Derek's embrace to stand on his feet, before he lifts up his eyes and meets her gaze. She smiles in encouragement. "Do you want to have lunch with me and my Daddy and my Nana?"

"We have plenty." Carolyn lifts up the takeout bag, deciding to make her presence known.

"Oh, hi, Mrs. Shepherd!" Dr. Grey splutters nervously. "I don't know if I should...I mean, you're paying, and I don't want you to pay, I can pay my own and…"

"If I know my son, there's carbonara in those bags," Derek smirks.

The doctor blinks, her eyes twinkling. "Carbonara?" she asks in a whisper, almost lusting after it. Apparently, David is not the only one who goes crazy for that dish.

"Oh, it's the best, right, Meri?" David interjects.

"It's my favorite," she sighs, smiling at David and sharing a look with Derek that makes both their gazes twinkle. "I guess I have to come now. You drive a hard bargain, kid," she grins, shaking her head in amusement.

Carolyn is pretty sure David is not the only one who convinced her to cave.

Meredith Grey has offered up her office as soon as she heard the noisy clatter of the cafeteria and David growing more and more uncomfortable each step they took towards it.

Carolyn is inclined to think of her as either a very good doctor, or someone with a special connection to David. Nobody is ever aware of his needs as much as Derek is, not even herself. She sometimes manages to anticipate what might trigger him, but not all the time, and yet, Dr. Grey gets her grandson. She is always one step ahead.

They are sitting cozily near her desk, David on a folding chair next to Meredith on the operative side of the desk, while they sit in the smaller armchairs in front of her, the ones for the patients.

Of course David is talking Meredith's ear off, and yet, she never seems bothered by that.

Take that back, Meredith Grey is a saint.

She remembers Meredith Grey as a little girl, not a lot older than David is right now, hanging around the hospital while her mother worked all day. She carried around a doll in a gown, and pretended to do surgery. Now she's the one holding a scalpel. Carolyn is definitely fascinated.

David sighs happily when he has scarfed down his plate, Meredith giggling next to him as she twirls one of her last forkfuls of spaghetti in her paper plate.

"They are super good," he tells her, and she doesn't even pretend not to agree with him.

"Where did you get them?" Meredith then turns towards her, a polite smile on her lips.

"Roberto's. Not as good as homemade, but the closest as it gets."

"Never tried the homemade kind," Meredith sighs, and Carolyn's eyes widen before she can school her expression. She has to fix that at some point, especially since both Shepherd boys seem so fascinated by the young woman. This will not be the last she sees of Meredith Grey, she can bet on it.

"Even Derek loves the homemade kind," Carolyn jabs, watching as her son's cheeks turn pink. So do Meredith's, though. "He's a bit of a health nut, but we're trying to bring him to the dark side, right Davy?"

"Daddy eats muesli," David grimaces and both women laugh at the expression on his face.

"Look, I enjoy good cooking. I used to work in a restaurant, I became a bit picky."

"Really?A restaurant?" Meredith blurts, her turn to feel the embarrassment. "I mean, I'm not offending you or anything, I just find it surprising that when surgeons' hours were tough you could manage a restaurant…"

"I worked as a sous chef without having the usual qualifications to do so. I had my hours, it was predictable, unlike what being a surgeon is like."

"Oh, yeah, definitely not predictable, not even as an attending."

"I have always enjoyed cooking, so I jumped at the opportunity as soon as it presented."

"Were you any good?" she grins, finishing her pasta, while Carolyn watches the exchange with fascination.

"I could cook for you if you want, sometimes," he says, then he clears his throat and both of them avoid their gazes. Carolyn wants to laugh at how obvious is their attraction to one another, and how much they are fighting it. She remembers that feeling pretty well, and she wants to be there when they will give in.

The conversation stalls for a moment while they start with the seconds and try to let the flirty conversation blow over. Even David falls quiet, and his expression grows somber.

"David, are you enjoying your carrots?" Meredith asks, a slight concern appearing on her face. Again, Carolyn is surprised by how in tune she is with the little boy's emotions.

"Yes," he whispers, sighing loudly. "Meredith, I'm sorry," he blurts out next, his eyes fixed on his plate as he pushes around the food with his fork.

"Why are you sorry?" she asks, a soft smile on her lips as she drops her fork and gives him her undivided attention.

"'Cause I was bad last time," he whispers. "I cried lots and went under your desk…"

"David, it's okay, I'm not mad," Meredith replies, her eyes softening as she puts her face in line with David's, forcing the boy to look at her. "I know you didn't mean to do that, you just got scared."

"I did," he whispers.

"Grown-ups get scared too, sometimes, I know what it's like," she says, smiling sadly at the boy. Carolyn is curious to see where this conversation is going, and Derek is looking at them with his undivided attention.

"Do you hide too?" David probes.

"I do," she giggles. "I hide a lot."

"Under your desk?" David's eyes widen, and Meredith laughs then.

"I can't fit well down there, but I wish I could."

"And how do you feel safe?" David asks, frowning. There's a flicker in Meredith's gaze that tells Carolyn that she has no idea how to reply, and she breaks her heart. Everybody deserves to feel safe.

"I operate and save my patients, so I feel in control. Do you know what works for you?" she asks, her voice gaining back the confidence her gaze has lost.

"Burrito."

Her smile is gentle again, and Carolyn wonders if she's a mother herself, because this is a smile that only mothers are capable of.

"I know your Daddy makes you into the best burrito, but I can try it if you want. In case he's not there the next time you don't feel safe," she says, looking nervous.

David studies her for a moment before his frown relaxes and he murmurs: "Okay."

Carolyn watches intently how David crawls closer to Meredith, then how she plops the little boy onto her lap and wraps her bony arms around him. It takes a minute for David to relax, but when he does, the both of them are clinging tightly to one another.

Meredith has tears in her eyes while she squishes David against her, and when Carolyn glances at Derek, his eyes are misty too.

"You make a good burrito," David says, pulling away, even though he keeps sitting on her lap, his hands resting on her shoulders.

"Good," she smiles, tentatively reaching out to kiss his forehead. "You tell me when it stops feeling safe, alright?"

"This is safe too," he murmurs, David's eyes closing when her lips press on his forehead. He doesn't even flinch. He has accepted her in earnest, and Carolyn wants to know the story behind this, she needs to know more about this woman that can make both her favorite boys happy and relaxed.

David flops against Meredith's shoulder again, looking tired all of a sudden, and Meredith doesn't wait a second before squeezing him into a firm one-handed hug again. She keeps eating as if it were nothing, her hand rubbing David's back in circles as their breathing syncs. She also tries to keep up some kind of normal conversation, though Derek looks a bit dazed as he stares at Meredith and his son in that position.

The beeping of a pager startles David, already on his way to dreamland, and Meredith snuggles him closer, as Derek curses under his breath.

"It's mine," Derek announces. "I have to go grab some labs."

"Can you please check on Mr. Traylor for me too?" Meredith asks, not at all sounding like an attending. Carolyn guesses that hugging a little boy messes with toughness and mean streaks.

"No problem."

"You can scrub in if I have to go back in."

"Thank you, Dr. Grey," he gulps, standing up and awkwardly gathering his leftover containers. "Thanks Ma for bringing lunch around, I needed it," he smiles, softly squeezing her shoulder before he piles his containers in the corner of the desk.

"Daddy, you'll be home tonight?" David murmurs, his hand clenched around Meredith's scrub top when he looks up at him.

"I will. I will come and hug you as soon as I walk into the door, okay?"

David nods, sighing loudly. "Bye, Daddy."

"Bye, D-Man, I love you so much," he murmurs, going around the desk to mess his hair. David giggles, while both Derek and Meredith gulp in big breaths. Derek leans down to kiss the top of David's head, lingering for a second, almost as if he's ready to kiss Meredith on the lips too.

Carolyn is enjoying this a lot more than her own lunchtime shows on TV. She should come here with food more often.

"I'll see you both later," Derek blurts, moving quickly towards the door. "Later, Dr. Grey," he says last, before he disappears out of the office.

Meredith clears her throat and Carolyn smiles, trying to dissipate the awkwardness.

"Thank you for the food indeed, you didn't have to invite me or…" the woman blurts, widening Carolyn's smile.

"A friend of David's is a friend of mine," Carolyn says simply, watching as David's smile brightens, even if he still looks sleepy.

"You're my friend," David murmurs, tightening his hold on her scrub top.

"I am. I love being your friend," she murmurs to him.

"It's pretty fun," he replies, followed by a wide yawn.

Meredith giggles. "Rest, Davy, I'm not going anywhere."

"Wait!" he blurts, looking panicked for a second. "Can you come to my birthday?"

"Your birthday?" she smiles, trying to let him relax again.

"It's my birthday in four sleeps, my Daddy is throwing me a party. I can invite all my friends, and you're my friend."

"Oh!" she exclaims, her eyes wide. "David, I work a lot but…"

"Please?"

Carolyn knows how convincing the Shepherd eyes are, and she clearly sees the surgeon cave.

"I'll see what I can do, okay?"

"Okay," he echoes, yawning again, looking a lot more relaxed.

"Relax," Meredith hums, coaxing him back onto her shoulder.

Her back rubs become slower and she applies more pressure, and David closes his eyes right away. It doesn't take long for his breathing to deepen, and for his body to grow slack. Meredith takes a deep, shaky breath when she's sure he's asleep.

"You can use my couch for as long as you need, Mrs. Shepherd."

"It's Carolyn, dear," she smiles, noticing that she still can't let go of the small boy in her arms. "You don't need to come to the party."

"He would love that," Meredith sighs. "I'll clear it up with Derek first, though," she nods.

"Sure," Carolyn grins, noticing how her eyes soften even at the mere mention of Derek's name. This is something she'll have to investigate later, though, there are more pressing matters at the moment. "You are so good with David, do you have kids?" she asks, hoping not to have crossed a line.

Something flickers in her eyes and they dull, her body stiffening as well. "No, no kids," she whispers, even though it makes Carolyn want to dig even deeper into the mysterious woman holding her grandson.

Before she can ask more questions, there's a knock on the door and an older woman walks in. She's just as small and petite as Meredith, wearing the same shade of scrubs, her hair resembling Meredith's, only shorter. She looks confused when she notices the scene in the office.

"Is this social hour?" the woman asks, and Meredith's eyes flash with hurt. Carolyn looks more closely at the woman, now finding her features familiar. Even the voice sounds familiar.

"David was my patient. He came to share lunch with me."

"In your lap, apparently," the woman mutters under her breath. "Meredith – " she starts, speaking a little louder, but Meredith interrupts her right away.

"Mom, I know. Leave me alone to deal with this."

Mom? Carolyn's eyes widen when her suspicions are confirmed. This definitely looks like an older Ellis Grey. She remembers Ellis Grey, and she has to admit, the woman aged well. It seems like she's still as cold as ever with her subordinates, though.

These two women might look a lot alike on the surface, but she knows they're profoundly different deep down. She definitely wants to know more about their lives.

"Fine," Dr. Grey sighs, still eyeing the little boy with a frown, even though her eyes soften for a millisecond. "An old friend of mine called, he was diagnosed with an optic nerve benign tumor, do you think you can fit him in your schedule?"

"Is he coming here or he sent the scans?"

"He sent the scans," Dr. Grey replies, handing out a folder.

Meredith studies the papers, then the scans under a light for a minute, juggling David's weight in the process. The little boy doesn't stir.

"I'll take a closer look, but it doesn't look like it's a big deal. The major problem is the position of his tumor. Is he prepared for vision loss, at least in that eye?"

"He is, even though I'm sending him to you avoid that," Dr. Grey says, making Meredith roll her eyes.

"I'll let you know tonight if he should come here or not, but so far it seems okay with me."

"He will be a VIP patient, Meredith."

"I know. Only the best team."

Dr. Grey nods eagerly, stealing one more glance at Meredith and David together, before she relaxes her shoulders. "Richard said you should come by and eat dinner with us one of these nights."

Meredith sighs. "I'll check my schedule and let you know."

"Great," Dr. Grey smiles, and now the resemblance with Meredith is uncanny. "I'll see you around."

"Have a good day, Mom," Meredith sighs, as Dr. Grey closes the door behind her back. "That was the Chief of Surgery and my mother, by the way. Ellis Grey. I'm sure you remember her."

"I do. I'm sorry, we're the ones intruding on your work day," Carolyn smiles.

"It's not a problem," she says, even though her pager shrieks a second later. Carolyn has to giggle at that. "I have to go, but you guys can stay until he wakes up," Meredith says, slowly standing up and carrying the boy over to the couch.

She lays David down, then covers him with a fleece throw, tucking him in. The polka dot pattern resembles a lot the one David has at home for his baby blanket, and Carolyn has even more questions about Meredith Grey. This is a baby blanket, there's not doubt about it. Some things don't add up.

"It was nice seeing you again, Mrs. Shepherd," she says, straightening up her back, then giving one last lingering look at David. "Stay as long as you need," she repeats, then gives her a hurried smile and leaves.

Meredith Grey surely is mysterious, and Carolyn is looking forward to getting to know her better. She's sure she's practically part of the family now, especially considering how taken David is with her. She won't be able to escape the Shepherds all that easily.

A/N: So, we have a couple of pending invites and Meredith and David becoming closer and closer. Just like Meredith and Derek :P

What do you guys think? What is Meredith's secret that I've kept so jealously?