Nine

Chapter Nine

Derek stared at his ex-best-friend with a look of disbelief and amazement.

"No Mark you left out that little detail." Derek told him, "Mom it's great to see you." He told her reaching to hug her.

"Of course you are." She said with a smile, "All my children love to spend time with me." She pulled away from him, "Now you must be Meredith Grey." Her blue eyes the same color of Derek's turned to look at her.

"Yes. It's nice to met you Mrs. Shepherd." Meredith stumbled holding out her hand to the older woman.

"You can call me Margaret." She said taking her hand, "Meredith are you free tonight?"

"Oh um yes." She told her with a smile, "I'm not on call tonight."

"Excellent. You can met me at my hotel, and we can have dinner at The Brooke?"

"The Brooke?" Derek cut in, "Mom I'm not sure…"

"Shh!" Margaret ordered her son, "This only concerns Meredith and I. You won't be anywhere near our dinner." Margaret told him quickly.

"Of course it does mom. Meredith and I are…"

"Dating." Margaret answered him, "I think as your mother after traveling across the country I have the right to meet the woman my son has been seeing."

"Derek it's fine." Meredith said touching his shoulder, "I want to get to know your mother."

"See Derek." Margaret told him, "I'll even leave out the naked baby pictures."

"Fine." Derek said running a hand though his hair, "I don't even know why I bother to say anything. The women in my life never listen."

"It'll be fine." Meredith promised standing on tipsy toes to kiss him softly, "I love you."

"Love you to." Derek said moving back; "I'll be in my office if anyone needs me."

"I'll come with you." Mark offered, and the two men walked away.

"I'm staying at the Grant. I'll meet you outside at seven?"

"Okay. I'll look forward to it."

Meredith stood nervously in front of her closet. The last time she met another man mother she was sixteen years old. That had ended horrible wrong. She hoped that it would end differently.

"You don't have to do this."

"Yes I do. I made a promise to your mother." Meredith said with a sigh as she put a black dress in front of her, "How does this look?"

"It's beautiful Mer." He said with a smile, "Anything you wear you'll look like a knock-out."

"You Dr. Shepherd." She said turning to him and kissing him, "Will be getting very lucky."

"Is that a promise?"

"I always keep my promises." Meredith told him pulling up her dress, "Will you zip me up?"

"Tell me Meredith what made you decide to become a doctor?"

"I basically grew up in Seattle Grace. My mother's the Chief of Surgery, my stepfathers the head of general surgery. I've always had an interest in medicine, but one day I saw a brain surgery. I just knew that was what I wanted to do."

"My husband had that same type of passion. All five of my kids seemed to have that same passion." Margaret said with a sigh, "The only thing I ever had passion for was cooking."

"Cooking?"

"Yes. When Derek's father died I had to get a job. Five children, one of them in very expensive braces, and not to mention a mortgage." She sighed deeply, "I used his life insurance to pay off the house and then I went to work. I worked in a real estate office, and then I got my real estate license. I've been doing that ever since."

"That's amazing."

"It wasn't easy to do." She told her, "I admit I gave up a lot of time with my kids. I made up for it by spoiling them. Especially Derek he grew up without a father, and they're always been something special about him."

"I can understand where Derek get's it from."

"What?"

"The say the right thing at the right time." Margaret laughed.

"His a good guy. Even before he and Addison divorced he tried. He realized it was hurting them more to stay together."

"He told me."

"Hmm the food here's." Margaret told her looking up at the waiter coming forward, "Dig in."

Meanwhile at the Trailer

"Are you going to stay mad at me forever?" Mark questioned Derek as he took a sip of his bear.

"It depends how this dinner goes."

"It's going to be fine." Mark assured him, "Meredith and your mother got along fine early."

"That was for a few seconds." Derek told him, "Who know what there talking about."

"Don't worry about it man." Mark said, "I can't believe the good reception you get out here!" Mark turned the channel to ESPN.

"Meredith's into baseball. She's a Red Sox's fan, but there's no accounting for taste."

"She's dating you."

"Mark you can be such an idiot sometimes."

"Just go warm up some popcorn Derek. We can catch the tail end of this game."

"Your alive." Derek said when Meredith opened the door to his trailer.

"You were the one doing all reassuring not to long ago. What changed your mind?"

"I was just trying to keep you calm down." He sighed, "I was worried sick."

"You'll be happy to know that your mother is a very pleasant woman. She's really kind of remarkable."

"Remarkable." Derek laughed, "She's more like a tornado."

"A natural disaster. I always thought that was more my mother."

"I guess we were both raised by natural disasters?"

"Our kids are going to be a mess!"

"Undoubtedly." Derek said with a laugh cupping her face.

"Undoubtedly." Meredith agreed leaning in to kiss him.

Author Note: Another chapter completed! I hope you all liked it.

To clear up a few things:

Ellis was the Chief of Surgery, and when she and Richard retired she gave the job to Derek.

Richard was head of General Surgery, and a former teacher of Derek's.

Derek is re-doing the hospital. Bringing in younger surgeons like Burke and Mark.

I think those where the only questions. If you have more fell free to ask it in a review or to PM!

Thanks to everyone for the great reviews, and helping to make my stories better.

Review!