Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Grey's Anatomy or ABC. I own no characters except those I have created. I do this only for fun.
A/N: New Grey's was on last night, it was better than the first one I will say that. This chapter has some Andrew/Derek interaction and a little more Meredith/Derek, enjoy!
Thank you all so much for the feedback, not only are all the story alerts and favorites great but the reviews are awesome too! It makes my day, thank you all!
Three Thousand Miles
Chapter Four - A Man and A Woman
"You can run from love, and if it's really love it will find you and catch you by the heel"
Andrew Shepherd bolted up the stairs of his old Seattle house. God, he missed this place. One set of stairs down, one to go. The best part of being the oldest child was that he got the best room. When Andrew was born, his parents set up his nursery right next to their room, and then when his sister was born he moved to the room next to the nursery. But when he was eight and his youngest sister was born, his parents gave him the keys to the castle: Andrew got the third floor bedroom. The third floor of the Shepherd domain had a playroom, an office for Meredith and Derek, and a bedroom. Said bedroom was Andrew's. The room was pretty much amazing, complete with a loft and a mini tower. Andrew loved it and when he moved to Boston, his new room did not compare at all. As he rounded the corner and made it up the last set of stairs he ran through the hall and came to his door. It still had the letters, "Andrew" plastered on it that his Aunt Izzie had cut out for him when he was younger. He got into the room and it looked exactly the same.
His double bed was in the corner with the loft above it. His desk still had some papers he left on it from a couple summers ago when he stayed in Seattle. The iPod dock still had his old iPod on it. The dresser still had some clothes in it. And the same pictures were on his night table. The picture of him and his dad from when he was four and they had gone fishing was there displaying a smiling Derek holding on his shoulders a toothless Andrew who was holding out a fish he had caught. There was also the infamous picture of himself with his arm around Ally Hunt was right next to his pillow. A copy of that picture was placed in his bedroom tucked away under his mattress in Boston. He missed Ally when he moved to Boston, she was one of his best friends, possibly maybe even more. But he did not want to think about that.
Andrew sat down on his bed and picked up a signed baseball that was on his night table. He had gotten the ball at a game with his dad when he was seven, and he kept the ball ever since. Once he was lying down, Andrew ran a hand through his thick curls pushing his hair back. He kicked off his worn and torn Nikes and tossed the ball up and down repeatedly. After a while, he paused and pulled out his new iPod from his pocket. Soon enough "Train in Vain" blasted filled his ears. He was oblivious to the world, much like how he had gone through his last couple years in Boston. Not long after he started throwing the ball up and down, Derek made his way into Andrew's room. Derek leaned up against the door frame and watched his son. He was convinced that Andrew was him some forty years earlier, they were so much alike. Derek decided to walk into the room. He cleared his throat so Andrew would recognize his presence.
"Oh dad, you scared me." Andrew exclaimed as he took the ear buds out of his ears.
"Sorry," Derek smiled as he took a seat on the bed, it was nice to see Andrew happy, every time he talked to him on the phone he seemed so down, "glad to be back?" Derek asked.
"Oh yeah." Andrew smiled as he put his arm behind the back of his head, "I miss it here."
"Well of course, Andy." Derek's eyebrows burrowed in understanding.
"It's just, when we left Seattle with Mom, Emma was only in middle school and Jilly was like six, and I had a life here you know? It was hard, but it's good to be back for a bit." Andrew concluded.
"Hey, it's the longest you've been back since you left and the longest I've gotten to spend time with you." Derek said.
"Three weeks. I am pumped. Ready for some prime fishing?" Andy laughed, that was one of the things he missed most about Seattle, early morning fishing trips with his dad.
"Ready for some 'prime' college tours?" Derek joked rather seriously back.
"Aw Dad, you know where I am applying." Andrew shrugged as he sat up on the bed a bit more.
"Yale still your number one choice?" Derek asked.
"Yeah, but I didn't apply early decision, all of my applications are due in about two weeks."
"So Columbia still has a chance?" Derek asked hopeful that his son would follow in his footsteps.
"Maybe, or Dartmouth too." Andrew said quietly, knowing that Dartmouth brought up someone he never talked to his dad about.
"Yeah, well…" Derek trailed off and looked down. Andrew was old enough now to comprehend that his mom was a touchy subject for his dad.
"C'mon, let's go see what Emma and Jilly are up to." Andrew suggested and got up from his bed.
"Alright," Derek said following suit, "oh and Andy?"
Andrew turned around and looked at Derek, "Yeah?"
"She still always asks about you." Derek concluded looking down at the picture on his night table, and Andrew knew exactly what he was talking about.
Meredith, Christina, and Izzie had been in Joes for three hours. The first hour had been spent catching up with one another (which they had done over the phone anyway at least weakly) and the next two hours had been spent drinking, except for Meredith who just was not in the mood for it. Besides, Meredith knew she would end up driving home; Izzie and Christina could call either Alex or Owen, Meredith could not call Derek any longer.
"I've got to get home, Alex will wonder where I am." Izzie muttered as she took one last shot of tequila and took out her cell phone.
"What time is it?" Christina asked.
"1:52" Meredith glanced down at her watch, time had literally flown.
"Seriously? In the morning?" Izzie asked.
"Owen is going to shoot me," Christina muttered.
"Why?" Izzie asked dumbfounded.
"Well, when I walk into the house like this," Christina referred to her drunken state, "Owen will say that I am not being a good role model for Ally." Christina attempted to do her best Army-doc impression of Owen.
"She's almost seventeen; obviously she knows that her mother has a life." Meredith laughed.
"Yeah well I guess her father doesn't." Christina rolled her eyes as she got up from the bar.
"Hey wait where are you guys going? You're not exactly in the best place to drive right now." Meredith asked concerned.
"Oh, we're just going to walk, remember? Alex and I bought a house right around the corner from the hospital. And Alex always bails Christina out now and drives her home." Izzie smiled.
"Oh, I forgot about your new house, I want to come check it out sometime!"
"Totally, come around sometime later this week, we can have a party or something. Thanks Joe!" Izzie yelled out to Joe who was cleaning out glasses on the other side of the bar.
"No problem, hey Meredith wait up!" Joe yelled out to the three of them as they made their way out of the bar.
"Go ahead, I'll see you guys around the hospital, I may make an appearance at some point soon." Meredith smiled and the friends said their goodbyes.
"What's up Joe?" Meredith asked as she approached her old friend and confidant.
"It's just good to see you back here, that's all." Joe smiled.
"Thanks Joe." Meredith smiled, "The place looks great. How's Walter?"
"Good, hey check this out," Joe pulled out his wallet and showed Meredith a picture of Joe, Walter, and a little Chinese boy who looked to be about one, "Adopted him a couple months ago." Joe smiled proudly.
"Oh, Christina told me in passing about this! I meant to send a gift. Joe, that's awesome. What's his name?" Meredith asked.
"His Chinese name most directly translated to Vincent, so that's his name." Joe laughed.
"Good for you Joe. I'm glad that you're happy." Meredith turned on her heals to walk out.
"Hey Meredith?" Joe stopped her.
"Yeah?" Meredith questioned as she turned around.
"You miss him?"
"All the time Joe." This was the first time Meredith had ever admit this to anyone, and she did miss Derek all the time.
"He misses you too," Joe gave Meredith as sad smile.
"I, uh, how do you know?" Meredith asked flustered.
"He's told me," Joe shrugged as he stacked some lingering shot glasses.
"Thanks for the drinks Joe," Meredith avoided the subject of Derek all together.
"Anytime, have a good night."
Meredith left the bar and got into her old rusting Jeep. As she drove the familiar route home at two in the morning, many thoughts crossed her mind. But one thought stuck out in her mind more than anything else.
January 2022
Meredith had spent the night at Joe's with Christina, Izzie, and George. Derek was at home watching the kids. After the friends decided it was far time they head home Meredith glanced at her cell phone. The clock read 12:27 AM and a there were four missed calls from Derek all in the last twenty minutes. After everyone had left, Meredith sat outside the bar with her phone and dialed voicemail hoping that Derek had left her a message. She punched in her pass code – 0718 – the date of her anniversary. Once she got to her messages, there was one frantic one from Derek.
"Meredith, hi. It's me. Um, I've been trying to call you, why isn't your phone on vibrate or something? And I know you don't have your pager because I found Jilly playing with it earlier. You know, now that I'm chief I could get you in trouble for that. No, you know I'm joking. No anyway, it's Richard. I got a call from the hospital. He, he had a stroke, Meredith. I reached Owen and he is at our house with Ally watching the kids, even though they are asleep now. I think he's been trying to reach Christina too. I'm at the hospital now, so when you get this come. We're trying to figure out what to do. Call me back or just come across the street when you get this. Thanks. Love you."
The monotone voice from the phone came on asking her whether or not she wanted delete the message. Instead she just hung up the phone and ran across the street. She bolted through the doors of Seattle Grace and got on the elevator. When the elevator descended to the fourth floor, she got out and immediately saw a casually dressed Derek standing at the nurses' station holding an x-ray up to the light.
"Derek!" Meredith yelled out and saw Derek drop the x-ray on the counter and make his way to her. He enveloped her in his arms.
"Meredith," Derek murmured into hair. He could smell the alcohol on her breath as she exhaled deeply, "you're drunk."
"No, not really." Meredith answered in all honesty, "I haven't had a drink in at least an hour."
"Good" Derek replied as he let her go. He smiled at her and she gave him a weak smile back. Derek squeezed her arm and Meredith's smile got a little wider.
"So, what's the deal?" A concerned Meredith asked Derek as he released her from his grasp.
"Well he had a subdural hemorrhage and the CT showed a crescent-shaped deformity." Derek explained.
"So it's bad?"
"Could be, I think surgery is our best option but I wanted the opinion of the head of my neuro department, but seeing as she seems to be a tad bit inebriated…"
"Oh God, I hate the word inebriated," Meredith rolled her eyes as Derek smirked.
"But seriously, what do you think?" Derek's tone became critical once again.
"I think that you're right, surgery is our best bet. Is he conscious?" Meredith asked.
"No, that's one of my biggest concerns. I think we have time until we have to operate though, we should wait until the morning so we can have more experienced hands on deck, and I want some of those residents you always talk about as being good on this case. Richard deserves only the best." Derek reasoned.
"Yeah sure, early morning surgery it is." Meredith sighed.
"He'll be okay." Derek noticed Meredith's mood shifting for the worst.
"Yeah, but, I don't know."
"Meredith," the simple use of her name forced her to look up at him, "he'll be okay. Richard deserves the best. And you and I, we're the best." Derek once again gave Meredith a hug, he kissed her head briefly. They were not exactly the type of people who would show a ton of affection at work, even if it was 1:15 in the morning. Meredith looked up at Derek and somehow she believed him, and she had come to realize that she and Derek were really the best, in a many number of ways.
December 2027
Meredith's mind slipped back into present day as she drove up to the house. She absentmindedly reached down into the middle console of the car and took out the garage opener. She then realized Derek had left everything the same in the car after all of these years. She slowly pulled the car into the garage like she had done so frequently in the past. It was now nearly 2:15 and Meredith knew that tomorrow would be a busy day, it was the kid's first full day in Seattle after all. She hoped that Derek had taken the day off so they could spend the day with him but she and Derek had never discussed their schedules. She shut the car and the lights off and took her keys out of the ignition. As she stepped out of the car the cold Seattle air mixed with the musty smell of the garage hit her. She quickly walked up the stairs into the door of the house to escape the uncomfortable, damp, frigid garage. As she stepped into the house she was once again greeted with the familiar sense of home. Back when she and Derek were together, she would drop her keys in the bowl that still sat in the counter. Now she just figured she would hold on to them until the morning and give them back to Derek when it was appropriate. She knew that everyone in the house must be asleep but Boomer still came up to greet her. Meredith smiled at the dog and petted her head affectionately. She slipped off her shoes and carried them in her hand as she neared the stairs. Meredith noticed that the light in the living room was on: squinting at the light and with Boomer behind her she crossed through the kitchen she bypassed the stairs and walked into the living room to shut off the light.
"You're home."
"Oh my God!" Meredith jumped back and dropped her shoes on the ground. Derek had been lying on the couch and she could not see him, all she heard was him declaring that she was home. He scared her, when she jumped her hair became disheveled and she knew that she probably looked like crap.
Derek chuckled and got up from where he was on the couch. He was dressed in his old flannel pajama pants and a t-shirt Meredith remembered him getting when they went to New York with the kids about seven years ago.
"Sorry, Derek laughed as he approached Meredith. He noticed her disheveled hair and he gingerly placed the hair in her face back behind her ear. Meredith backed up from the sudden movement and Derek quickly realized that she was not his to touch anymore, this wasn't Meredith coming home five years ago, this was Meredith coming home post divorce.
"Uh, what are you doing up?" Meredith asked nervously.
"I just wanted to make sure you made it home okay, I didn't know if you needed a ride home or not. I told Christina to keep me informed if you needed me to come get you." Derek shrugged as he explained.
"Oh no, I didn't have that much to drink." Meredith quickly informed him, "Anyway, I think I just want to go to bed."
"Oh well, yeah. Long day." Derek said.
"Yeah, long day. So…"
"So the guest bedroom next to Jilly's room is all good, if you want that one." Derek supplied swiftly.
"Yeah, no that's fine. That one has the bathroom too which is nice." Meredith added some unnecessary small talk.
"Yeah." Derek just stood there uneasily; Meredith swore she could see some sort of smile playing on his lips.
"Well, um, goodnight." Meredith said quickly not really sure to act in this situation.
"Yeah, goodnight." Derek shut off the lamp behind him and the both awkwardly went up the stairs together. They walked down the dark hall with Boomer behind them in an uncomfortable silence. When they were Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd (well, they never really were because Meredith hated being referred to as Mrs. anything, it always had to be Dr. Grey Shepherd), they would walk hand in hand down the hall with Boomer behind them. They would make their way into their bedroom and climb into bed together and Boomer would lie on the floor in front of their bed. Now they walked down the hall as far apart as they could with a confused dog behind them. When Meredith made it to the guest bedroom she gave Derek a little wave and went into the room and shut the door. When Derek made it to his room across the hall, he groaned quietly and ran a hand through his hair as he also shut the door. Boomer was left outside both of their rooms; the dog looked back and forth between the two closed non amicable doors and circled around a couple times before sitting down and falling asleep on the hard wood floor that separated Meredith from Derek and Derek from Meredith.
It was going to be a long night.
So I put Christina and Owen together, I had to have Christina with someone for obvious reasons that will become clear later on. Stay tuned.
Thanks for the reviews and keep them coming, I love feedback (positive or negative)!
A Man and A Woman is a song by U2
