"So this is your place?" asked Dylan. "It's very nice."
Meredith had gone on another date with Dylan, they had gone for dinner at a nearby restaurant and he had walked her to the front door. Meredith had left Ella with nanny after she had tucked her into bed. But Derek had overheard Izzie and Cristina talking about Meredith having a date, so had gone to Meredith's to relieve the nanny.
"Thanks, it was my mothers," said Meredith.
"Oh it's you," said Derek opening the front door. "I was afraid you were a burglar."
"What are you doing here?" said Meredith.
"Well Ella's nanny called me, she wasn't feeling very well," Derek lied.
"Funny she was fine when I left," said Meredith not believing him for a second.
"It was very sudden," smirked Derek. "Hi you must be David?"
"Dylan," said Dylan shaking Derek's hand. "And you are?"
"I'm Derek, Ella's father," said Derek pleasantly as he obviously sized up Dylan.. "Didn't Meredith tell you about her daughter."
"Yes I did," said Meredith glaring at Derek.
"Good," said Derek.
"Anyway I better be going," said Dylan. "I'll call you about Saturday night Meredith."
"Okay," said Meredith standing on her tip toes and kissing Dylan on the cheek, aware that Derek's eyes were boring into her. "I had a lovely time tonight."
"Me too," said Dylan. "Bye."
"Bye."
"Lovely time? You had a lovely time?" said Derek as soon as Dylan was out of earshot.
"Shut up!" snapped Meredith. "You did that on purpose!"
"Did what?" laughed Derek as he followed Meredith into the house.
"Crashed my date!"
"I was just sizing up the competition."
"Competition? What competition?" demanded Meredith. "There is no competition!"
"We'll see about that."
"Derek this is not like the whole Finn thing and dating! Me and you is never going to happen again, I told you that," hissed Meredith.
"I know what you said," said Derek. "But I'm not ready to give up on you yet."
"So Rose turns out to be off her rocker and now you want me back!"
"It's not like that."
"Sounds like it to me."
"It's not," Derek insisted. "I love you."
"You don't love me Derek," sighed Meredith. "You love the thought of me, the thought of being a cozy little family."
"No I don't," said Derek. "That's ridiculous."
"Is it?"
"Yes," said Derek firmly. He reached out and cupped the side of her face with his hand, he looked her in the eye. "I love you for you, I always have."
"Except when I'm dark and twisty."
"Especially when you're dark and twisty," said Derek. "So how was your date? Lovely?"
"Yes as it happens."
"You never described any of our dates as 'lovely'"
"Because our only date ended on the porch with you and Finn paying more attention to each other than to me!"
"We had other dates," Derek argued.
"We had rushed meals in between surgeries…and booty calls!"
"Well the sex certainly wasn't 'lovely', was it?"
"No," said Meredith trying to stop herself from smiling. "I could never describe the sex as 'lovely'"
"So how would you describe it?" asked Derek slyly.
"I'm not playing this game with you," said Meredith.
"We could play another game then."
"No games Derek!"
"You're right, no more games," said Derek dreamily.
"Has Ella had her night time feed yet?" sighed Meredith.
"No not yet," said Derek.
"So you've just been sitting here on your own all night waiting for me to come back?"
"I was worried about you," said Derek. "David could have been an axe murderer for all I knew…"
"Dylan," Meredith corrected.
"Whatever," said Derek dismissively. "He could have been a psychopath."
"He isn't."
"Well you didn't even tell me you were dating, there had to be a reason you wouldn't tell the father of your child that you were seeing someone."
"Are you forgetting about what happened last night?" said Meredith. "How could I tell you?"
"I'm sure you could have found a way."
"I didn't want to hurt you," said Meredith sadly.
"Mmmmm, okay," said Derek. How could he argue with that? "I'll just be going then."
"Okay," said Meredith. "Thanks for…you know caring."
"I'll always care about you," said Derek softly. "Bye."
"Bye," said Meredith.
"Fucking McDreamy," Meredith muttered when Derek left. "How the hell does he do that?"