"I thought I might find you out here," said Meredith. Derek's birthday party had started to wind down, she had noticed that he had suddenly gone missing. He was sitting in the back garden looking up at the stars lost in thought. "You want some company?"
"I seriously doubt I'm much company at the moment," said Derek.
"Derek, I'm getting really worried about you now and I'm not the only one," sighed Meredith sitting next to him. "You have been moping all week, you barely say a word to anyone. What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Nothing. I'm just dealing with some stuff and…I'm having a hard time accepting it."
"Accepting what?"
"That we're over," he said looking over at Meredith. "I'm just trying to let you go."
"Derek…" said Meredith not knowing what to say to him.
"It's not your fault," he said taking her hand in his. "You haven't done anything wrong, this is my fault."
"I caused a lot of our problems," said Meredith quietly. "It wasn't just you. You didn't end us on your own."
"But I did end us," he said. "I kissed Rose, I should have known there would never be any going back from that. I was just too…I don't know I thought Rose would give me the future I wanted, the one I thought you would never be ready for. She intrigued me and I thought that would be enough. I basically cheated on you."
"We weren't together…not officially anyway."
"I should have waited for you," he said. "If I had waited…everything would be so different now. We could have been a proper family…we wouldn't be like this."
"You don't know that," said Meredith softly. "You don't know that we still even be together now…our relationship was such a roller coaster. Isn't it better this way? We can talk and be friends. I don't know about you but I don't feel awkward or weird around you and I think we are a family. You, me and Ella, we are a family maybe not a traditional one but a family."
"I know," he said. "You're right."
"I am right," she said. "So don't beat yourself up about the past."
"But it still doesn't change the fact that I love you," said Derek. "I love you so much and I'm going to have to sit back and watch while you date…one day get married…I'm going to have to watch while someone else gets to love you…and I'll do it, I swear I'm not going to try and sabotage your dates again. I'm just trying to let go and accept that I'm not your happily ever after."
"Derek…" whispered Meredith as tears stung her eyes. She had never wanted to hurt him, she didn't want revenge on him for hurting her. But she had hurt him, she could see it in his face, she had broken his heart. "I'm sorry."
"No I'm sorry," said Derek pulling Meredith into a hug, he buried his face in her hair. "I'm so sorry for hurting you. I'm sorry for Addison, for Rose, for everything. And I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you were pregnant."
"Don't apologise for that," said Meredith snuggling her head into his shoulder. "I did a terrible thing and you didn't know that I was still pregnant, so please don't apologise for that. You've been nothing less than perfect since Ella was born."
"Thank you," said Derek. His last redeeming feature was that at least he was a good father.
"You're an amazing Dad," said Meredith almost as if she was reading his mind. "It's no wonder Ella adores you so much."
"If there is anything you ever want or need from me…just ask me," said Derek. "And I mean anything."
"Derek this isn't goodbye," said Meredith a little fearfully.
"I know," he sighed. "But it's the end of an era, now we're just Ella's parents."
----------------------------------------
"Sloan I am going to murder you," Meredith hissed.
"What did I do?"
"You gave Ella cotton candy, what the hell were you thinking?"
"She wanted it, she liked it," said Mark not seeing what he did wrong. "Once won't hurt her."
"But now she won't sleep tonight," said Meredith hitting Mark over the head with a newspaper she grabbed close by.
"Of course she will," said Mark poking Ella in the stomach gently. "Won't you?"
"Do you have any idea what a sugar overload does to babies?"
"Grey will you stop hitting me?" said Mark ducking for cover.
"You. Are. Such. A. Moron," said Meredith slapping him over the head with the newspaper again. "I'm just glad you will be sleeping in the next room when she is screaming bloody murder all night!"
"Fine, I'll stay up with her," said Mark grabbing the newspaper from Meredith. "You know for a rugrat, she's pretty cute."
"Yeah tell me that again at 4am," muttered Meredith.
-----------------------------------------
"You have to help me," Mark whispered down the phone at 4am. Ella was still wide awake and whenever he tried to put her to bed, she started to scream.
"Do you have any idea what time it is?" groaned Derek. He was staying at his Mother's in his old room.
"Yes I bloody know what time it is," Mark hissed. "But this thing wants to play…and as cute as she is I think I may have to kill her."
"Where's Meredith?" Derek asked knowing that Mark would never harm Ella.
"Asleep," he said. "I told her I would stay up with Ella since I gave her the cotton candy…But she won't shut up, she wants to play peek a boo at 4am!"
"Try singing to her," said Derek sitting up and rubbing his eyes.
"Singing? Seriously!"
"Do you want her to sleep?"
"Fine, what the hell do I sing to her?"
"She likes nursery rhymes…sing Jack and Jill to her," said Derek.
"Alright here goes," said Mark warily.
"Jack and Jill went up the hill,
To fetch a pail of water,
Jack fell down and broke his crown,
And Jill came tumbling after.
Up Jack got and home he ran,
As fast as he could caper.
There his mother bound his head,
With vinegar and brown paper."
"Oh that is just terrible," said Derek.
"Shut up it's working," hissed Mark. "She's quiet."
"Da Da Da Da," Ella sang.
"Never mind she was just filling her diaper again," groaned Mark. "I'm telling you this is the best advertisement for contraception ever."
"Oh shut up," said Derek. "You're just doing it all wrong."
"How the hell do I do it right?" hissed Mark. "How do I change the diaper?"
"Just take the dirty diaper off and clean her," sighed Derek. "I'll be over in ten minutes."
"Thank you."
----------------------------------------
"What is going on here?" asked Meredith the next morning. Ella had actually slept until 11am, after having kept Mark and Derek up until 5am. Meredith had gotten and got Ella from her crib and found Mark and Derek slouched together on the couch asleep.
"Sleep," groaned Mark. "I need sleep…that bundle of pure evil kept us up all night."
"Pure evil?" said Meredith looking down at Ella. "Surely he can't be talking about you."
"Oh yes I bloody am," he moaned. "That baby is never having sugar again."
"See I told you Uncle Mark would learn," said Meredith to Ella.
"Did…Did you do that on purpose?" gasped Mark.
"I didn't need to do anything," smirked Meredith.
"You really are Satan, you know that right?"
"Yes," said Meredith placing Ella on Derek's chest, keeping hold of her by her arms so that she wouldn't fall since Derek was still sound asleep.
"Da Da, Da Da, Da Da," squealed Ella as she hit her little hands against Derek's face.
"I'm awake," he groaned.
"Da Da, Da Da," she giggled as Derek picked her up and threw her into the air.
"Ugh I'm going to bed," groaned Mark pulling himself off the couch and stumbling to his bedroom.
"Come on we better let 'Da Da' get some sleep too," said Meredith picking up Ella. "We can go sightseeing."
"Give me half an hour and I'll come too," said Derek.
"Are you sure? You can't have gotten much sleep," said Meredith.
"I'm positive," said Derek. "How often are my two favorite people in New York?"
"You don't mind doing geeky tourist things with us? Statue of Liberty and Empire state building sort of geeky?"
"Well you'll need a knowledgeable tour guide won't you?" he said. "I'm just going home to change and stuff, I'll pick you up in half an hour."
----------------------------------------
"Boo Boo Boo," screamed Ella as Derek and Meredith returned to Mark's apartment that night.
"Ah someone learned a new word today I see," said Mark.
"So you've forgiven her for keeping you up all night?" said Meredith as Mark took Ella from her arms and started to play peek a boo with her.
"Yes," said Mark. "I am fully rested once again."
"Good," said Meredith. "Cause you were such a bitch this morning."
"Hush Grey," said Mark. "Where did you three disappear to today anyway?"
"We went on the Staton Island ferry, the Statue of Liberty and we went to the top of the Empire State building," said Meredith.
"Oh boy does that sound fun," said Mark flatly.
"It was," said Meredith. "We were going to order Chinese food if you want any?"
"No I have a date," said Mark handing Ella back to Derek. "Don't expect me home tonight."
"Of course," said Meredith rolling her eyes.
"Now you two behave yourselves," said Mark sternly. "We don't need any more of your offspring keeping me up all night."
"Very funny," said Derek.
"Aren't I just?" smirked Mark. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"We won't," said Meredith all but pushing Mark out the door.
"See you in Seattle Grey and Mini Shep," Mark called.
"What time do you leave tomorrow?" asked Derek suddenly remembering that Ella and Meredith had to go back to Seattle the next day.
"Plane leaves at noon," said Meredith.
"Can't you both stay a little longer?" asked Derek giving Meredith his McDreamy face.
"I can't," she sighed. "I have to go back to work tomorrow night."
"Okay," he sighed. "It's been nice having you both here."
"I suppose Ella could stay another day," said Meredith slowly. "I'll be at work tomorrow night anyway."
"You would let me keep her in New York."
"For one day, yes," said Meredith. "She loved seeing all her cousins yesterday."
"Thank you," said Derek. "I mean it really."
"You're her Da Da," said Meredith simply.