Timeline for Part 16:
This one sets entirely through the events of episode 11x18. A lot of fluff, romance and even Derek x Omelia coming your way.
The Journey – Part SixteenAmelia spent the majority of her afternoon inside her bedroom, catching up on paperwork. She was taking nearly twice as much time to go through everything than she generally would and the reason behind that distraction was very obvious.
No matter how much she tried to focus, whenever she blinked, the neurosurgeon caught herself thinking about Owen and the amazing time they'd had together. Memories of the things he'd done to her body the previous night still made Amelia shiver. She just couldn't wait to see him again. Unconsciously, her eyes traveled through the room until they met the infamous painting Owen had bought at the auction.
Instantly, a dazzling smile lit up her entire face as she kept distractedly gazing at the unusual portrait. The image completely stood out next to the rest of the decoration, but Amelia didn't mind it one bit. She was going to keep it on her wall because every time she looked at it, it reminded her of one of the happiest evenings she'd ever had.
Her thoughts were still wandering far when three knocks on her door brought her back to reality.
"Come in."
Less than a second later, Amelia watched as her brother quickly slipped into her room with a smile on his face. She couldn't ignore the obvious fact that Derek looked happy. Even though she'd been on her own all afternoon, she knew that while Meredith was at work, her brother had spent time with his kids and that was probably adding to his good mood.
"Hey, are you okay? You've been locked here all day," Derek started but before Amelia could open her mouth to reply, he added, "Look, if you're not busy, could you watch the kids tonight?" After seeing his sister was about to ask, the neurosurgeon proceeded, "it's just that I feel Meredith and I could use some time alone to properly talk… you know? And I feel like if we sit down at a restaurant or something, we will be less distracted than here at the house."
"I guess," Amelia carefully replied, fighting an internal battle. At the same time she didn't want to say no to her brother, for she truly believed he and his wife had a lot to catch up on and some time off would do them good, she also didn't want to stand Owen up. "Hm, at what time are you guys going?"
"I don't know," Derek shrugged, knowing he hadn't even discussed it with Meredith yet. "Wait, you're not on call tonight, are you?"
"No, but I…"
"Good," Derek interrupted her with a silly smile, obviously too happy with his plans to notice Amelia's slightly confused expression. "Thank you so much for doing this, Amy, I owe you one."
And once again before Amelia could say anything, he left the room.
Roughly half an hour later, the young neurosurgeon was still pondering what to do. At the same time she couldn't see a way out of her brother's request because she knew he needed that time out and Amelia had always found it hard to say no to Derek, she also really didn't want to cancel on Owen.
Ever since she'd made it back home that morning from his trailer, Amelia had been anticipating the moment when they would be together again. Memories of the previous evening returned to her mind and she found herself smiling like a fool, nervously playing with the phone in her hands.
Choosing to be practical, Amelia took a breath and anxiously typed a quick message asking Owen what time he'd planned to see her for dinner. Two minutes that felt like an eternity passed before her screen buzzed with his response.
Amelia bit her bottom lip and tried to concentrate on a solution. She was determinate to see Owen again that evening but she couldn't bail out on babysitting her niece and nephew. Seconds later, the solution popped on her mind and it felt so obvious that she chuckled alone in her room when she finally realized it.
.
Derek and Meredith had already left the house that evening when the doorbell rang. Feeling a wave of excitement run through her body before her mind could even process what was going on, Amelia made her way to the door, unconsciously holding a breath.
"Hey," She greeted Owen with a smile, noticing his face lit up after seeing her.
Their eyes met and Amelia suddenly felt like a teenage girl all over again. It was incredibly intimidating to be facing the man who'd made her scream his name with passion just the night before, but somehow the neurosurgeon wasn't quite embarrassed. Instead, her heart felt swollen and she had to fight a sudden urge to throw herself in his arms and enjoy his undivided attention.
"Hi," Owen whispered back with an affectionate grin, promptly walking into the house and closing the door after them when Amelia invited him in.
He found Zola and Bailey already in their pajamas, sitting on a mat on the floor surrounded by blocks, dolls and other toys.
"I am so sorry I had to cancel our dinner out tonight," Amelia spoke and in her tone, Owen noticed she genuinely regretted changing their plans. "My brother just caught me completely off guard but I promise I'll make it up to you."
Her concern in keeping her word touched Owen and he approached her, unable to spend another minute without touching her. His hand gently reached out for hers and Amelia quickly accepted his hold.
"It's okay, you have nothing to be sorry about," Owen assured her. It was obvious she hadn't used the kids as an excuse to bail out on spending time with him otherwise she wouldn't have invited him over.
"I know spending the evening in the company of small children is probably not what you had in mind," She added. After the previous evening, she yearned to spend time alone with Owen and imagined he probably felt the same way.
"It's been a while since I last saw these two," He casually commented, looking from Amelia to the brother and sister distractedly playing with their toys. "I don't mind it all." Owen looked back at Amelia and smiled. "Have they had dinner yet?"
"Yes," Amelia replied with a satisfied smile, watching as Zola got up and came in their direction, demanding attention.
For the following hour, Amelia watched as Owen interacted with the kids. It was obvious they knew him and felt comfortable in his presence, which was quite unusual. When she was in her latest teen years, two of Amelia's sisters already had children so she'd come to know how toddlers were usually very intimidated by grown men, but Owen had his own particular way of being caring at the same time he inspired trust.
"Zola seems to really like you," Amelia smiled at him after the little girl spent the previous twenty minutes monopolizing Owen's attention and then ran to grab a book she insisted he read for her.
"I used to babysit her sometimes when she was younger," He explained with a serene expression, looking up from the blocks Bailey was giving him. "Before you came here, they didn't have a lot of help with the kids." The trauma surgeon added, referring to Derek and Meredith.
"I thought Cristina used to be here all the time," Amelia frowned, thinking back of what she'd heard from her sister in law during the past few months. Every now and then, in casual conversations, Meredith would mention that whenever she and Derek were busy, Zola would stay with Cristina.
"She didn't really like kids," Owen informed her with an evasive grin before looking back at the blocks and then at Bailey.
Amelia noticed the subject clearly made him uncomfortable, so she decided not to prolong it.
"Well," She smiled mischievously when another trail of thoughts assaulted her mind. "I said Zola really likes you and I guess it's pretty obvious why."
"Yeah?" Owen looked up, finding it amusing when he saw the distinguished playfulness on Amelia's face. "Why?"
"Because that's the effect you have on us Shepherd girls," Amelia shamelessly flirted, enjoying the way Owen's face slightly turned red even though he tried to act normally. "Zola is not the only one whose heart you stole."
"Oh, really?" Owen chuckled, feeling flattered with the obvious meaning of her words.
"Really." Amelia smiled into his eyes and brought her head closer, nearly touching his nose with hers. The last thing she saw was a spark of delight on his face before Owen gently covered her lips with his.
The trauma surgeon felt his senses instantly igniting when Amelia completely embarked on the kiss, placing her hand on his nape to pull him closer. Owen loved it that she had no reservations to touch him. In fact, she was actually the most affectionate woman he'd ever met and he loved that about her. The way her fingers idly caressed the back of his head as she leaned over to deepen the kiss made Owen feel like at that moment she held all the power over him.
The sounds of Zola's muffled footsteps returning to the living room made the two of them break apart. After the young girl made Owen read her three different books, she finally settled for being taken to bed upstairs. Amelia carried a half asleep Bailey while her niece excitedly led the way, at the same time Owen went to the kitchen with the promise of making them something to eat to replace the dinner they'd had to cancel.
The kids were so tired from a full day of playing that they dozed off in a matter of minutes. When Amelia finally returned downstairs, she entered the kitchen to find an adorable scene in front of her eyes.
Owen looked completely distracted as he worked on something that looked like tomato sauce. The smell was delicious and Amelia couldn't stay away much longer. Silently entering the room, she stood right behind him and sneakily hugged his waist from behind. His obvious surprised made her chuckle with amused delight.
"This is revenge," she playfully told him, still not letting go of his solid torso. "You're always scaring me and sneaking up on me." Amelia smiled as she looked up with her neck turned sideways, meeting his eyes. Owen had the annoying habit of surprising her and he always found it funny the way she easily got startled. "This is so you'll know what it feels like."
"So, it feels this good?" Owen turned around in her embrace and quickly wrapped his own arms around her, engulfing her with his shadow. "I had no idea," he returned her smile, clearly referring to her touch and not the way she had surprised him.
"Very clever," the neurosurgeon unknowingly enchanted him with her dimples, unable to believe how much she was enjoying herself that evening.
They ate their meal at the small table by the kitchen. Amelia knew it wasn't necessarily what Owen had first had in mind when he'd invited her to dinner, but she could see he was having a good time anyway. A few minutes later, Owen went back home, but not without telling Amelia he absolutely expected her to join him after Derek and Meredith got home.
And it didn't take five minutes after her brother and wife had turned in for the night for the youngest neurosurgeon to sneak outside. She couldn't help keeping a smile on her face throughout the short journey from the porch to the trailer, eagerly crossing the yard in the darkness to be with Owen.
After a quick knock on the door, he welcomed her with an embrace that swept Amelia off her feet. She tried to verbally greet him, but Owen seized control of her lips, hungrily kissing her with the desire of someone who'd waited all day to do it.
Finally, he pulled apart and allowed Amelia to catch her breath. When he turned around to close the door after them, she noticed the buzzing sound coming from the TV and got distracted with the noise until she sensed his presence behind her back.
"You took too long," Owen huskily whispered, cornering her between the kitchen counter and his own body. Amelia felt his fingers unceremoniously digging through the hair at her nape and pulling her locks to the side so that her neck was fully exposed. At the same his lips explored the sensitive region below her ear, his free hand slipped inside her shirt, drowning Amelia in a mix of sensations that completely numbed her every rational thought.
Owen felt his own breathing get heavier as he gently squeezed the soft skin of her stomach beneath his open palm. He kissed the column of her neck, watching as she shivered under his touch. Owen couldn't wait to have her naked in his arms again. Amelia was so adorable, so delightfully feminine and delicately shaped that he couldn't help himself every time he saw her. Especially not when she so eagerly returned his advances, melting at his touch and encouraging him to keep going as she looked back at him with those insanely gorgeous eyes.
He left a trail of gentle bites and intense kisses on the curve of her neck and shoulder, smirking with pride when he noticed the rosy marks at the exact spots his lips had touched. Amelia had gone from once holding back her desire for him to now completely giving in to the reactions he provoked in her. Her abandon only made her look even more vulnerable, inspiring a sense of protection in him like no other Owen had ever felt before. He knew she was completely at his mercy and that only made him even more determined to give her everything she deserved and shield her from any harm.
He was still exploring her neck with his lips and her waist with his touch when her hand reached out for his. In an unplanned gesture, Amelia intertwined her fingers with his own, making Owen lose all control as he found in her trust the most amazing booster for his desire.
The way Amelia was selflessly embarking on the experience drove him crazy. Owen turned her around in his arms, cupping her bottom with his hands and roughly pulled her against his body, knowing she could tell how much he wanted her by the reaction of his body pressed against her belly.
"I was just about to go take a shower," Owen informed her, between kisses. "Get in the shower with me."
"What?" Amelia oscillated her level of consciousness, feeling his fingers sliding up on her back beneath her shirt. She wasn't sure whether he'd really suggested what she thought to have heard or if it'd just been her imagination.
"The shower," Owen whispered against her lips, guiding her through the small corridor inside the trailer. "I want you in it with me."
Amelia didn't protest and in a matter of seconds, she was unbuttoning his pants at the same time he got her rid of her clothes. She tied her hair up in a bun, losing her shoes immediately before getting into the shower. The cubicle looked incredibly small, making her wonder how Owen alone could manage his way in there, but once she joined him, she discovered why he'd thought it would be a good idea in the first place.
The lack of space forced them to touch through the entire extension of her bodies and the steamy hot water falling on her skin added to the delightful sensations his lips and hands were causing. Since Owen had just turned on the shower, the walls around them still felt cold and in order to avoid them, Amelia pressed her body harder against his, watching with delight the way his body immediately responded.
"Wait," She wickedly stopped him from kissing her again. "You said you were going to take a shower," She bit her bottom lip, stretching out a hand to grab a bottle of shampoo.
"Amelia…" Owen groaned, anticipating what she was about to do.
The combination of mischief and affection in her eyes seduced Owen and he stopped resisting, letting her have her way with him. Soon enough, her fingernails were playfully scratching his scalp, sending a fit of shivers through his spine.
"What is this stuff?" Amelia grabbed the bottle and quickly inspected it. "It smells so good, I will…"
Her words were interrupted when Owen stole her breath with another demanding kiss. The bottle quickly fell to the ground when her hands traveled from his hair to face. Amelia didn't take long to wrap her arms around his shoulders, pulling him nearer at the same time Owen placed his hands on the curves of her waist.
"I love the color of your hair," Amelia confessed, tenderly caressing the back of his head with her fingertips. "Sometimes it looks blonde, sometimes it looks…"
Owen's chuckle interrupted her again but Amelia didn't mind. She watched as he touched his forehead to hers, intimately gazing into her eyes. Owen couldn't remember ever being treated with such affection before. He'd heard compliments from other women through his entire life, but he could nearly always identify the hidden agenda behind them. They'd usually say what they thought he wanted to hear or give him some kind of empty praise just to achieve something.
But Amelia every now and then would make these adorable confessions that touched his heart. Her words were so spontaneous and genuine that Owen knew she didn't spend a single minute rehearsing a speech just to get into his good graces. She would simply say what was on her mind and the truthful way she stated how much he pleased her made Owen happier than any other compliment he'd ever gotten. Amelia didn't pretend to be something she was not, and the realization filled him with joy. Because she didn't need to change, neither Owen needed to adapt, seeking for a version of his expectations instead of the real one. She attracted him the exact way she was, with all her flaws, qualities and baggage.
He spent the following minutes laughing with amusement as Amelia continued on teasing him with her hands filled with soap. Owen let her rub his arms and shoulders, watching with delight as the water cascade smoothly ran through her breasts. Her small hands made their way to his chest, involuntarily making Owen contract his muscles in response to her touch. The sight of her naked body turned him on like nothing else and before he realized what he was doing, Owen had already turned her around, anxious to return what she'd done to him.
Using a handful of shower gel, he explored every bit of her body, taking his time especially on her breasts after noticing the pleased look on her face as he touched her with devoted experience. His hands sneakily made its way down, anticipating how she would respond. Even though Amelia had her eyes closed and was facing the wall opposite to him, Owen spotted the way she shyly blushed when he finally reached the middle of her thighs.
He expected her to resist his touch but to his surprise, Amelia placed her hand on top of his, not only encouraging, but also guiding. Owen took a while to process the explosive sensations she was causing. He'd planned to prolong that exchange of contact for as long as possible, but after long minutes of kissing and caressing her, he couldn't wait any longer.
Amelia felt her back colliding against the cold tiles of the wall when Owen swiftly clutched her legs up, burying himself into her. She moved her hips forward welcoming him at the same she felt his firm grasp on her thighs. Her hands wrapped around his neck, leaning on him for support as Owen continued to motion back and forth, inebriating her with the most erotic sensations.
When it was over, Amelia collided on the bed next to him, feeling too exhausted to even collect their scattered clothes that had been left everywhere on the floor outside the bathroom. They quickly fell into a deep sleep and woke up the next morning realizing the weather outside hadn't gotten any better.
Amelia spent most of her Sunday in Owen's company, enjoying getting to know a little more about him as she told him more about her. They watched a movie in television together and she felt blissfully happy and strangely protected to be his arms. After they had lunch in bed, Owen taught her how to play rummy, a game of cards he'd learned while serving in the army, only to find out Amelia was more interested in learning how to succeed at cheating than at actually playing. When he realized her bad intentions, Owen quickly gave up playing cards to focus on the much more interesting game of seducing her.
Day and night went by too quickly for both of their liking and before Amelia realized it, it was Monday already. She loved her job but sometimes, she wished she could simply call in sick and spend all day in bed, doing nothing and everything, exactly like the perfect Sunday she'd had with Owen.
The chief of surgery kept mostly busy throughout all of his morning, failing to see Amelia again before lunch. He did however run into Derek, only to find out his friend planned to be back full time to Grey Sloan. Personally, Owen approved of the idea, knowing the guy was an excellent surgeon and would be a great addition back, not to mention he was also a part of the board. But he worried about how Amelia might feel, especially considering how devastated she'd been last time Derek had threatened to steal his old job back from her. As chief of surgery, Owen held the power to stop that from happening, but he couldn't control Derek's attempts to intimidate his sister if he decided to.
"You realize all this has to be approved?" Owen asked while walking alongside Derek through the hospital corridors. He'd just made it clear he was on board with the neurosurgeon returning, but ultimately, the head of department had to sign off on it.
"By whom?" Derek asked, frowning. "I am on the board, I have privileges," He added, supposing the chief of surgery was concerned about the bureaucracy of having him work there before he had formally signed a contract.
"By Amelia." Owen replied and his sheepish tone didn't go unnoticed to Derek, just as the way the chief used her first name, instead of the usual your sister he'd generally use.
"Of course," Derek watched as Owen nodded in approval and proceeded to go back to the ER. "I'll ask Amelia," he let out a heavy sigh, not exactly happy with the idea.
.
Amelia was also having the first taste of the busy day that was slowly unfolding. But much to her contentment, a group of adorable students met with her and she had the pleasure of watching the scowl on Derek's face when one of the boys asked him if his sister was his boss and he had to humbly admit she was.
Ever since figuring out Derek had probably come back for good, Amelia had worried about what this would mean professionally for the two of them. After all, Derek was her older brother and he wasn't used to having her in a more prestigious position as him. More than once, he'd reacted badly to it and Amelia really had a hard time believing this time it would be any different. So even after hearing her brother affirm he wasn't after her job, Amelia still had her reservations for she really didn't want to have another fight with Derek and possibly compromise their relationship. Especially not now that they seemed to be getting along better than ever.
But her first proof that maybe this time things would be different came when Derek settled for taking a minor case instead of insisting on being part of the trauma team that was working on robbery victims that day. Even though Derek had to admit clipping an aneurysm wasn't nearly as challenging as working on trauma patients, he tried to keep a positive attitude after reminding himself of what had made him go back to Seattle in the first place.
His mind was processing his reasons as he prepared for surgery when the door to the scrub room opened and his boss walked in, apparently looking disappointed.
"Hey," Derek casually greeted the man, wondering why he had that look on his face.
"Hey…" Owen cleared his throat, trying to sound as natural as possible. He'd looked at the names on the board five minutes before and had come to the OR with the intention of catching Amelia before she started her procedure so he could ask her to lunch at the cafeteria after she was done. "I thought Amelia…" The chief quickly caught his slip to have called the neurosurgeon by her first name. "I was looking for the other Dr. Shepherd," he tried to fix it, sounding as professional as possible.
"She is busy with a trauma." Derek informed the other man with a grin. It was obvious there was more to the situation than Owen bothered to say, but he kept quiet for the sake of avoiding any more problems.
"Ah," The chief of surgery saw an opportunity to distract his friend from the obvious fact that he'd gone in there to look for his little sister. "Did you talk to her?"
"I did." Derek replied evasively.
"And?" Owen asked with curiosity.
"I'm clipping an aneurysm for her," Derek informed him, resuming scrubbing his hands.
"Huh." Owen frowned, clearly puzzled. "And you're good with that?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, it's a far cry from mapping the brain for the president." Owen pointed out, hoping it hadn't become too obvious he knew for a fact that Amelia would have reservations about hiring her brother.
Last time Derek had quit the brain-mapping project, he had let his ego move him and ended up bruising his sister's feelings with his careless actions and hurtful words. Owen still remembered how Derek had left Amelia hanging out to dry after she'd been mercilessly exposed about her drug addiction in front of the entire hospital and secretly, the memory still made him want to punch his friend. But a lot had happened after that and he'd learned it from Amelia herself that the two siblings were in better terms.
"She's been talking to you."
Derek's words let Owen know the neurosurgeon had picked up on unsaid information and he didn't bother lying. For Amelia's sake, he would keep their relationship private until she felt comfortable disclosing it. But he wasn't going to pretend something wasn't true.
"A bit." He answered evasively, not really lying but also not telling the full extension of what those words meant.
"I'm good with it." Derek informed him. "Actually, I am a little nervous."
"You sure you want to tell me that?" Owen asked goodheartedly.
"No, I mean, it's a good nervous. A good, excited…" Derek trailed off. "I just haven't operated in months, and… It feels really good to be back."
"Well, I'm glad to have you back." Owen replied sincerely, turning around to leave.
"Hey, Hunt," Derek stopped him. "We should hang out more. Do you fish?"
Owen was surprised by the question and chuckled in response, wondering if Amelia had said a word to Derek about them the previous weekend while he'd been at the hospital to see his mother. But since he didn't know for sure, he avoided talking about it.
"Never. Never have."
"You should." Derek added with a smile. "We will."
"Okay," Owen agreed, strangely satisfied with the outcome of that conversation. He planned on going forward with what he and Amelia had started and spending more time with the people who loved her seemed like a good way to do that.
"All right. Okay." Derek smiled, immediately going back to what he was doing when Owen walked out.
.
Amelia's day got progressively worse as they not only lost two injured cops during surgery, but also had to see the liver of one of them going to the person who had most likely shot them. The whole situation brought to surface bad memories about the way her father had been coldly murdered and even though gunshot patients were relatively common in a busy ER, that particularly case got to Amelia because not only she had to watch the victim die, exactly like her father had, she also saw the man believed to have been the responsible get away with a organ donated by the cop, of all people.
It also didn't help much when she stood outside an ICU room, talking to her unwilling sister in law about her brother. Meredith seemed to believe Derek really was willing to start over and even though the conversation didn't go exactly as the neurosurgeon planned, she decided to give her brother another chance.
Amelia was still processing everything about that day when Derek walked outside, meeting her on the porch of his house.
"It's cold out here."
"It's quiet out here." Amelia responded to her brother's words, despite agreeing with him about the temperature. Secretly, she'd been waiting outside to see when Owen would finally arrive so she could met him at his place but that wasn't something she would share with her brother.
"Mmm."
"Ever since you've been back, you guys have been reconnecting. Vigorously." Amelia took that opportunity to pester her brother, even though she had to confess she hadn't spent that much time in the house in the past few days to really be bothered by his bedroom activities. "You should have built thicker walls." She added, taking a sip of her coffee.
"You okay? Derek asked with concern. His sister's teasing remark didn't surprise him, but she lacked her usual lively energy and bright smiles. Something about her attitude was off.
"What do you mean?" Amelia asked with a sheepish smile, after realizing he looked honestly concerned.
"I didn't want to ask you, and I'm not supposed to big-brother you. And you don't need me to." Derek explained, thinking about the heart to heart conversation they'd had in his living room after he'd been a jerk to her and how he'd admitted it scared him how Amelia didn't need him to protect her anymore. She was a grown adult and he fully acknowledged it. But she was still his little sister, and he would forever worry about her wellbeing. "There was a robbery, two shootings, and you declared two men dead." Derek summed up the hell of a day they'd had. "I kept thinking about dad." He confessed, looking straight into her eyes. "I wanted to know if you're okay."
Amelia looked away, trying to think of what to say, but the wound was still very much open and she didn't want to discuss it at that exact moment. Even though she appreciated her brother's concern, Amelia didn't want to deal with emotions about their father at the moment. Especially not when she was counting the minutes to be with Owen again and find in his arms the comfort for that particularly dreadful day.
"I'm happy for you." Amelia swiftly changed the topic of the conversation, not really answering Derek's question. "That you're back, you're making it work." She explained and hesitated before adding, "that you're not running."
"What do you mean, running?" Derek asked with a frown.
"Hey, I am not judging." Amelia replied, this time with her usual good humor. "We are runners. I ran from my engagement. You ran from Addison." The youngest neurosurgeon looked down at her lap, recalling the many situations in her life when she'd ran away whenever something she didn't want to deal with started to happen. It had been the same when she joined her fellowship, when James had asked her to set a date for their wedding… And she wasn't the only one. Even though in a lesser scale, their three sisters would also react the same way to adversity. "I think, after dad, if something scares us, we sprint, as fast as we can." Amelia clarified. "But you turned around this time." She picked up her mug, trying to see the silver lining and added with a mischievous smile. "That's something. I'm inspired."
Derek smiled, processing her words and realizing they were nothing but true.
"Did mom tell you I went to go see her?"
"No. Wow." Amelia was genuinely impressed as she watched her brother take a seat at the table next to her. "How did that go?"
"She said I was tired and miserable, which I was." Derek confessed, hearing his sister's amused laughter. "Told me to get it together."
"No sympathy." Amelia leaned back against the chair and folded her arms in front of her body to keep her hands warm. After the loss of their father, their mother had toughen up a lot and now Amelia understood that she'd needed to do so to be able to raise five kids on her own. But Carolyn Shepherd's practical ways could sometimes be a bit too harsh and unforgiving.
"Oh, no, never. She said, 'Derek, take a good, hard look at your life. If it's not working, shut up and fix it.'" Derek confessed, once again hearing Amelia's delighted laughter. He also was very aware of their mother's rough but loving personality. Nodding his head in denial, the neurosurgeon added, "Amy, I've been missing out on everything in my life. I mean, I'm watching my kids grow up on a computer. I don't want to miss my family. I don't want to miss another second." He confessed, watching as his sister seemed to approve of his words. The two of them had grown without a father and they knew how incredibly painful it could be. It wasn't fair to Bailey or Zola that they had to go through something similar when Derek could very well be there. And it was obvious he had just realized he very much wanted to. "I want to coach soccer, go to ballet recitals. I don't need to change the world. Clipping aneurysms, stopping bleeds, that's the fun. That's changing the world with our hands." Derek affirmed as Amelia analyzed his words. "When did that stop being enough? Saving someone's life? That's more than enough."
"I'm glad you're back." Amelia repeated, thankful for his insight. She agreed with everything he'd just said and was glad to hear it being put into words. And she was genuinely happy for Derek that he'd turned around and come back before it was too late.
"Me too." Her brother said, playfully touching his beer to her coffee to simulate a toast.
From a distance, Amelia heard the discreet sound of Owen's truck arriving. The sudden realization that after an extremely difficult day all she wanted was to be with him scared the hell out of her. Owen's company had proven to be irreplaceable. His words and his touch were comforting like anything else she'd ever experienced and the way he could unconsciously lure her into feeling safe in his presence was highly addictive.
Touched by the way her brother had chosen to open up to her about his struggles, Amelia decided to finally confess.
"I think I'm falling in love with Owen Hunt." She admitted, unable to look Derek in the eye as she said the words. The impact that new reality had in her was too intense and she needed some time to get used to the idea. Every single time something as good as Owen had ever happened in her life, it had ultimately turned out to be a complete disaster. Amelia was done losing. She wasn't sure she could endure any more loss in a lifetime. And being with Owen meant also living with the risk to have her heart broken again. "And I'm really afraid that it's going to destroy me." She explained, finally turning her neck to look directly at her brother.
Derek heard her words and studied the expression on her face. He knew his sister had been through a lot. Amelia was one of the strongest people he knew and she certainly deserved to be happy. Earlier that day, Derek had picked up some hints that something he didn't know yet might have been happening between Amelia and their boss. Derek knew Owen for quite some time now and even though the guy had his own issues, he was a decent and kind person. And even though Derek couldn't know for sure that Owen would never hurt Amelia's feeling, he was sure his friend would never be reckless on purpose.
"It wouldn't be love if it didn't." He said with a supportive smile, watching in Amelia's face how relieved she seemed to have voiced out her fears. Relationships could be complicated but they paid off and Derek was being reminded of it at that exact moment in his life. After taking another sip of his beer, he went on with the conversation. "You know, we never got to talk about this, but you did something remarkable with that astrocytoma."
Amelia knew he was talking about Nicole Herman's surgery and even though Derek did seem much less egocentric since his return, she still didn't expect to hear such compliment.
"Thank you," She frowned, unsure of how to react.
"I am not sure I could have done it better," Derek added, confusing her even more.
"Really?" Amelia showed her disbelief, playing with the coffee mug in her hands. "Are you really saying you don't think you could do what I did? Did I live to see this day come?"
"Don't push it," Derek grumpily replied and when their eyes met, both siblings started to laugh. "You know, Amy, I do think you did an amazing job but I am not talking just about the surgery." He confessed. Amelia kept looking into his eyes, wondering what he meant. Her cell phone buzzed on the table at that exact moment and since it was dark around them, it was obvious Derek could read Owen's name on the screen as his text popped up on her screen. Taking a deep breath after looking from the phone back to his sister's face, Derek offered more of insight. "You had a situation that seemed impossible. Every time you'd been faced with stuff like this before, trying has failed. So you had every reason to believe it was hopeless this time too." He added, smiling tenderly at her.
"I guess," Amelia shrugged, not really giving it much thought.
"You know, the thing about an Astrocytoma as challenging as this one," Derek looked at the phone very suggestively, clearly not talking about the tumor, "is that they don't come our way that often, you know? Sometimes they happen only once in a lifetime. In fact, some people live their whole lives without ever encountering one this big. The regular ones are out there by bunches but they don't really cause any impact on us, do they? They don't move us. You and I, we need the big, intense, intimidating ones to be happy. "
"What…?" Amelia frowned, interested in what he had to say but not sure she was following his line of thought.
"My point is that even though you weren't expecting it, it came your way…" Derek explained and Amelia was unsure if he was talking about Herman's tumor, her feelings for Owen or both. "You didn't see it coming, you weren't looking for it, but one day you woke up and realized it was there… And you didn't run." He smiled at her, using the same points she'd made to cheer him up to try to console his sister. "You didn't freeze in fear of what seemed impossible." Derek added with an encouraging smile. "You built a plan. You saw the light, you saw a way. I am sure it wasn't easy, there were probably several setbacks down the road. But it once looked unreal, unachievable, and yet you succeeded. You decided to make it work. You gave it your best," Derek tilted his head. "And eventually it paid off." He concluded. "It was an absolute success and you should be proud. I am proud." Derek added, finishing his beer under his sister's attentive eyes.
Amelia was in silence for long seconds, processing the literal and metaphorical meaning of his words.
"Are you really comparing Herman's cancer to my feelings for Owen?" Amelia smiled with amusement, unwilling to admit Derek's insight had genuinely offered a new perspective, but she felt really grateful for it.
"See, you got it!" He teased her back, "You really are smarter than I ever thought."
"Shut up, Derek." Amelia tried to sound offended but her smile betrayed her.
"Don't let fear freeze you." He advised, getting up from the chair with the empty bottle of beer in his hands. "You saw the amazing things that can happen when you don't." Derek added with a smile. At that exact moment, Amelia's phone buzzed again and Owen's name appeared on the screen as if that whole situation had been somehow orchestrated all along by the universe. "You should answer that." The oldest Shepherd said, not bothering to hide he was peeking at the screen.
"Good night, Derek." Amelia teasingly sent him away, picking up the phone as her brother made his way back inside.
"Good night, Amy." He replied with a smile, closing the door at the same time Amelia finally picked up her phone to answer Owen's call.
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