Chapter 2
"Conner, wake up." Meredith grumbled lightly shaking her son's shoulder. I'm not in the mood for this today.
"No." He screamed into his pillow digging his head further into the bed.
"Conner!" Meredith whined.
"NO!" He yelled again. Meredith groaned and pulled him off the bed. She placed him on the floor outside his bedroom.
"Go to the bathroom, brush your teeth, brush your hair, and don't get back in bed." She informed. He looked up at her and sighed.
"Okay." He grumbled. Meredith ran downstairs and printed the roommate ad.
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"Mommy, I'm hungry. What's for breakfast?" Conner asked walking down the steps. Meredith looked at him and laughed. What's with the hat?
"Why are you wearing a snow hat?" Meredith asked. Conner looked up at her and sat down at the island.
"A kid had one on yesterday. He said it was cool." Conner explained starting to eat his cereal. Meredith walked over to him and pulled his hat off.
"You don't look cool. You look stupid. It's July. No one wears snow hats in July." Meredith informed. She grabbed her travel mug and filled it with coffee. "We have to go in a minute. Finish your cereal." She said kissing his head and picking up his backpack off of the living room floor.
"Done!" Conner yelled. He ran into the front hall and grabbed Meredith's hand. "Lets go!" He said pulling her to the door.
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"Hey Mom. The people that are going to live with us?" He started.
"Yeah?" Meredith asked looking through the rearview mirror.
"Are they going to be mean and scary like the lady who lived beside us in Boston?" He asked.
"I'll make sure they're normal and nice. Okay?" She smiled and winked at him. He nodded his head.
"And they're not freaky like the lady across from us. She had weird hair and sang really loud and it was very bad singing." He said scrunching up his face.
"No, they won't be like Miss Lee." Meredith laughed.
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"Okay, bye, Conner. I'll see you later." Meredith said into his hair. She kissed him one last time before jogging into the intern locker room. She placed the roommate ad on the bulletin board and got dressed.
"Why do you have pictures drawn by a little kid in your locker?" Izzie asked Meredith. Meredith looked back at her. I steal from little kids? I have a kid!
"They're my son's. He drew them in daycare." Meredith replied. Izzie stood there staring at her. Cristina laughed at Izzie and threw her clothes on.
"Stop gawking, Barbie." Cristina ordered pushing past her and sitting down to tie her shoes.
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"Why do you put up posters for roommates if you don't want roommates? Plus you have a kid why would you want roommates? You have a son!" Izzie freaked. Meredith groaned. Stop asking!
"Yes, I have a son. I do want roommates. But I don't want to spend almost every waking hour with you then, go home and spend time with you. I don't have enough money to pay for the house. I need roommates." Meredith explained.
"Meredith, I need a place to live. My mom irons my scrubs." George begged. Meredith rolled her eyes. Too much information.
"I don't care. You're not living with me." Meredith informed pushing him away.
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"I have a thing for ferry boats." Derek said standing in front of Meredith in the elevator. Oh no.
"We're being professional." Meredith stated sounding like she was trying to convince herself more than him.
"I was being professional. Do you want me to not be professional?"
"No. Right now you're my boss." She responded.
"I'm your boss's boss." Derek reminded.
"You're my teacher and my teacher's teacher. And you're my teacher."
"I'm your sister, I'm your daughter." He mumbled.
"You're sexually harassing me." She shot out. Derek laughed and rolled his eyes.
"It's not sexually harassing if I'm riding an elevator, you're my girlfriend and you started the sex talk." Derek shot back.
"Look I'm drawing a line. The line is drawn. There is a big line." Meredith said trying to convince her and him.
"So this line. Is it imaginary or do I need to get you a marker?" Derek asked turning around to look at her. Meredith looked up at him and couldn't resist. She lunged forward and caught his lips dropping her charts in the process. Hands travels and tongues battled. They fought for dominance. They pushed each other against the wall of the elevator in a frenzy of heat and passion. The elevator dinged and they quickly pulled apart. Meredith picked up her charts and ran off.
"We'll talk later!" Derek called out with a big smile on his face.
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"I have custody of a penis." Meredith stated. Derek laughed.
"I'm sorry. I wouldn't have paged if I knew you already had some company." Derek joked.
"You shouldn't have paged at all." Meredith said walking toward the door.
"Come on. We kissed in-" Derek smiled when Meredith cut him off.
"Yeah, but I was um… that was a moment of weakness." Meredith said trying to ignore the kisses Derek trailed down her neck. "Derek." Meredith warned. She pushed him away. "I have to go." She said quickly leaving the on-call room.
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"You okay?" George asked.
"Yeah. Allison's shoes are." Meredith trailed off.
"What?"
"The rape victim, Allison, her shoes. I have the same ones, in my locker. And I normally don't wear them cause they're uncomfortable, but I wore them today. And she was wearing the same shoes and it's just… stupid. And I'm tired and forget it." Meredith explained.
"You know what you need." George gave Meredith a look. She looked up and understanding flew across her face.
"No." Meredith said firmly. George's eyes went wide. "It's sick and twisted. We said the last time was the last time." George swallowed. "You've been doing it without me?" She asked surprised.
"Nancy Reagan lied. You can't just say, 'no' come on." George urged.
"Do you know what would happen if anyone knew?" She warned.
"I'm doing it. You can come with me or you can stay here and be miserable." George said pulling her chair out of the room. Meredith laughed and quickly stood to grab her cooler.
"This is so wrong." Meredith said as she caught up to George. He looked back at her and smiled.
"You know you love it." He said tauntingly. Meredith laughed and shook her head.
"Their just too cute." Meredith smiled.
"About the roommate thing-" George started.
"I don't want to talk about it. Conner told me some fears he had about who was going to live with us." Meredith informed. George nodded his head and the opened the maternity ward door. They walked in silence for a couple of minutes. "You always get quiet when I talk about Conner. Why?" She asked. George looked over at her in surprise.
"I don't get quiet I just… didn't… I don't know what to say when you talk about your kid." George stuttered.
"Oh, okay." Meredith accepted. Babies. So cute.
"Oh, look at the little babies." George cooed. Meredith laughed. "Who the baby little poka dot. Who the little baby with a yellow hat." George cooed. Meredith laughed.
"You are such a woman." She smiled. George looked over at her and she cleared her throat just before his pager went off.
"It's a code." George explained. He looked up to say something else but decided not to. "Yeah, I got to go." Meredith quickly looked over at him then back to the babies. She smiled.
"You are really cute." She whispered. She saw a baby go blue and looked around for someone.
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"I've called every hospital in the county. You know sooner or later this guy that did this is going to seek medical attention. When he does that penis you're carrying around is gonna get him." Derek informed Meredith.
"Where is her family?" Meredith asked concerned.
"Doesn't have any." Derek said walking back to where she was.
"No, siblings?" She asked. He looked up.
"No. Both parents are dead. She just moved to Seattle three weeks ago. Welcome to the city." Derek looked back at her staring at the patient. "Meredith, you okay?" He asked.
"Yeah. I'm fine. I just… have to do something. I have to go."
"Hey." Derek said grabbing her arm. She looked at him as if he was physically burning her. "Are you sure you're okay?" Derek asked gently rubbing her arm up and down. Meredith nodded her head slowly.
"Yeah. I'll… talk later?" She asked. He nodded his head.
"Dinner tomorrow?" She shrugged her shoulders and mumbled a maybe. He looked around the hall and gave her forehead a quick kiss. "I'll catch you later." He said walking into the patient room.
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"Are we supposed to be learning something cause I don't feel like am learning?" George whined. The interns sat in the tunnels trying their best to stay awake.
"Except how not to sleep." Izzie informed. Meredith looked over at them.
"I already know how not to sleep." Everyone looked at her. "I have a kid remember. Babies don't like to sleep." She explained. Their heads all nodded.
"You know it's like there's this wall and the attending and residents are over there being surgeons and we're over here being…" Cristina complained.
"Lab delivering, suturing, penis minders." Meredith added.
"I hate being an intern." Alex responded. Bailey walked in and looked at them like they were crazy for trying to relax. They all hopped up and ran away.
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"You've been here all night?" Meredith asked. She fought the urge to rub his back and sit in his lap to comfort both of them.
"Hmmhm." Derek responded. "You know I have four sisters. Very girly, tons of kids. If I was in a coma they'd all be here. I'd want them here. Having no one. Can't imagine that." Sisters, really? Never would have guessed that, mister perfect hair.
"I can." Meredith informed. Derek looked up at her in shock. This time it was his turn to fight the urge to take her in his arms and take all the pain in her face away.
"What are you talking about? What about Conner and me… and your mother." Derek informed. Meredith nodded her head. "She'd be here ordering all the surgeons around. She'd fly these cowboys in from Prague, to do these amazing medical procedures. I'd try to keep up but she'd be to far ahead for me to even get what she was saying." Derek laughed. Meredith nodded her head.
"That's true. I have my mother and Conner." Meredith confirmed.
"Me." Derek added. Meredith looked back at him confused. You what?
"What?" Meredith asked.
"You also have me. Don't forget. You have me." Derek said firmly.
"Yeah, okay. I have you too." Meredith rolled her eyes at him. Derek smiled. And quickly bumped his shoulder against hers.
"So, we kissing in elevators, but we're being professional." Derek laughed.
"I knew that would come up again." Meredith smiled.
"Don't get me wrong I like the kissing. I'm all for the kissing. More kissing in the hospital I say." Derek smiled.
"I told you. I have no idea what that was about."
"Is it going to happen more? Cause if it is I need to bring breath mints. You know put a condom in my wallet." Derek whispered.
"Shut up now." Meredith whispered back. Derek laughed.
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Izzie, George, Meredith and Cristina stood around outside the nursery. Meredith watched the little babies as the rest of them fought against sleep. "Okay, fine George and Izzie you can move into the house. But you have to be pass Conner's test first." Meredith informed. Izzie and George broke out into cheers.
"Yes! Yes!" George screamed.
"I can't believe she caved!" Izzie yelled.
"Wait, we have to meet Conner?" George asked putting his hands on her shoulders. She nodded her head.
"Tomorrow." She said.
"Thank you. Thank you." George repeated jumping up and down.
"I can't believe I caved." Meredith told Cristina as Izzie and George walked away cheering.
"I blame the babies. They make you toxic." Cristina informed walking away. Meredith smiled and walked to the locker room.
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Meredith walked down the stairs with Conner's small hand in her own. She saw Derek waiting by the elevators on his blackberry. She looked down at Conner rubbing his sleepy eyes. She looked up once again at Derek and slowed their walk down a little. They came to a stop in front of Derek. He did a double take of them and Meredith took a deep breath. "Conner." Meredith said. Conner looked up at her confused and sleepy.
"Yeah?" He asked. She turned around and bent down to pick him up. She sighed and pointed at Derek's face. "Who's that?" Conner asked. Derek looked at Meredith's shocked. He opened his mouth to answer Conner's question but closed it when he realized he wanted to hear what Meredith said. She smiled at him then at Conner.
"This is my very special friend. His name is Derek but he also goes by Dr. Shepherd." Meredith informed. Conner looked at Derek in awe before turning to Meredith.
"Hi, Dr. Shepherd." Conner waved at Derek. Derek smiled.
"Hi. What is your name?" Derek asked. He knew it was Conner but wanted to play along a little.
"Conner Everett Grey." He said proudly. Derek smiled.
"My best friend's middle name is Everett." Derek said happily. Conner's face lit up.
"Really, what's his first name?" He asked. Meredith looked at Derek with wide eyes and a big smile.
"Mark." Derek answered. Conner smiled at Derek then looked at Meredith with a confused face and a question on the tip of his tongue.
"Yes?" Meredith asked.
"What's a very special friend? Is it like a best friend?" Conner asked. Meredith looked at Derek and Derek gave her the same frightened look.
"Um…" Meredith thought.
"I'm also your Mommy's boss." Derek jumped in. Meredith looked at him like he was crazy. Conner looked back at Meredith.
"Derek is…um… Do you know how when you really like someone?" Meredith asked. Conner nodded his head.
"Like Emily at preschool?" Conner asked.
"Yes, but I like Derek even more than you liked Emily." Meredith explained.
"So you want to do more than give him candy and hold hands with him and kiss him." Conner said loudly. The elevator dinged and they got in. There was another attending in the elevator with them.
"Yes." Meredith informed. Conner smiled and poked Derek's arm. Derek looked over at them and smiled at Conner.
"Do you like my Mommy too?" Conner asked loudly. The attending behind them raised his eyebrows.
"Um… yes. Just the same." Derek whispered into Conner's ear. Conner giggled and cuddled up to Meredith.
"Mommy, he said just the same." Conner whispered loudly into Meredith's ear. Meredith smiled and looked over at Derek. The elevator stopped and the attending behind them stepped out.
"Dr. Shepherd." He nodded and walked away. Derek looked up at his name and nodded his head in return.
"Who was that?" Meredith asked. Derek looked over at her and shrugged.
"I think another neurosurgeon. Not sure though." He answered. Conner looked in-between Meredith and Derek.
"Do you kiss?" He asked. Meredith and Derek broke their eye contact and looked to Conner.
"Um… why?" They asked together. Conner looked at them and smiled.
"Because you like each other. Kai said his Mommy and Daddy kiss and hug and sleep in the same bed all the time, because they love each other. But you guys only like each other so you can kiss and hug. Tammie said her Daddy has a girlfriend and they sleep together and kiss but they don't hug. Quinn told me that girls and boys can kiss, hug and hold hands if they're dating. What is dating?" Conner rambled. Derek laughed and Meredith looked shocked.
"Dating is when you go out together, but you don't call each other boyfriend and girlfriend." Meredith said slowly. Conner nodded his head.
"Conner, your Mommy rambles too. That's another thing she gave you." Derek said chuckling. Conner looked at him then back at Meredith. The elevator came to a stop and they all unloaded. Meredith looked at Derek and smiled a goodbye.
"I'll see you tonight?" Derek asked. Meredith looked back at him and smiled.
"I'll call you." She answered. Conner cuddled up to Meredith and yawned.
"I'm tired, Mommy." He informed. She sighed and pulled him tighter against her. As she walked out of the building she saw the other interns walking, laughing and talking together.
"Hey. Wait what?" Meredith asked adjusting Conner on her hip. George and Cristina were fighting about something and Cristina started to explain.
"Is that Conner?" George asked pointing at the child in Meredith's arms. Meredith smiled and looked down at Conner.
"Yeah. He didn't get a lot of sleep at daycare." Meredith explained the fact that he was quietly sleeping on her shoulder.
"Izzie, that's Conner." George called to Izzie. Izzie turned around and looked at him.
"Oh, he's really cute. How old is he three, four?" Izzie asked.
"He's five." Meredith corrected.
"Oh, he's small for his age isn't he?" She asked. Meredith nodded her head and Cristina laughed at her face.
"Yeah, he's small. He just turned five three months ago." Meredith said softly. Izzie nodded her head. Or maybe you don't know how to guess children's ages.
"When do we get to see the house?" She asked. Meredith walked toward her car.
"You can come over now. Just follow my car." Meredith said placing Conner in his car seat.
"Great, I need to pack my stuff, but I can move in tomorrow." George said excitedly. Meredith smiled flakily at him and got into her car.
"I'll wait a few minutes. Then just follow me, okay." She explained. They raced to their cars and Meredith pulled out.
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"It's um… dusty." Was the first thing out of Izzie's mouth the second she walked into the house.
"Yeah, I still have to clean." Meredith made up an excuse. Izzie nodded her head.
"Mommy?" Conner asked. He lifted his head from her shoulder and rubbed his eyes.
"Hey, baby." Meredith whispered. Conner rubbed his face and dug his head into her neck his eyes just barely able to see the other people in the room. "Conner this is Izzie Stevens and George O'Malley." Meredith said pointing to each of them. Izzie waved at Conner and gave him a big smile. Conner looked over at George and saw him looking around the house then staring at Meredith. His eyes flicked over to Conner and he gave him a small smile.
"Hi, Conner." Izzie said happily. Conner smiled a little at her then tightly griped Meredith's shirt.
"Conner, I'm George." George said putting his hand out for a high five. Conner smiled and gave in a weak high five. "Come on you can do better than that." George taunted. Conner hid his eyes against Meredith. Meredith looked down at him confused and quickly replaced it with a happy face for her friends. What's up with him? You were so excited to meet Derek. Maybe George and Izzie aren't the best people if he doesn't wan to talk to them.
"He's tired. There are two rooms. We have to move my mother's old desk and some boxes out of one, that's down here. And the other one is upstairs next to Conner's room. It has some boxes but we can move most of them into the attic or basement." As Meredith said Conner's name his head popped up and he leaned his forehead on her cheek.
"Does the room down here have a closet?" Izzie asked. Meredith nodded her head and walked in the direction of her mother's old office.
"Yeah, the closet is a little smaller than the room upstairs. There is a half bath down here and then a full bath upstairs." She explained. Izzie and George nodded their heads and Meredith led them up the stairs. "Okay, so this room is Conner's." Meredith said pointing to the room with foggy glass that you couldn't see through on the door and the same foggy glass windows into the room. "That is the room open." She said pointing to the other room. Izzie opened the door and smiled.
"I call this room!" Izzie yelled. Conner giggled and wiggled in Meredith's arms. She let him down.
"Mommy, I like them. They can live here." He said walking into his room. Meredith walked in after him and pulled out his pajamas to place on his half made bed.
"Thanks for letting me know. Can you help me show Izzie and George around the house then you can have a bath and go to bed." Meredith said smiling. Conner nodded his head and walked back into the hall. He grabbed Izzie's hand and dragged her to the bathroom.
"This is the bathroom. Downstairs we go! Hey Mommy it's the morning." Conner yelled dragging Izzie down the stairs and to the kitchen. Where did his energy come from?
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"Good morning, Con." Meredith whispered into Conner's soft golden blonde hair. "Sleep good." She whispered walking out of his room and into her room. She collapsed onto the bed and hugged her pillow tight. "So tired." She moaned into the pillow.
An hour later the phone rang and she pleaded that Conner wouldn't wake up. She answered the phone and cleared her throat. "Grey."
"Grey, this is Shepherd." Meredith heard Derek said in a professional voice. She let out a quick laugh. Really you're going to do that?
"Okay, what are you doing calling me during my sleeping time?" She asked.
"Oh, I didn't mean to wake you up. I'm sorry. I was wondering if you wanted to do something later today. Conner can come and we can go out together or something." He asked. Meredith heard the nervousness in his voice and she laughed.
"Yeah, I guess. Where did you plan on taking us?"
"I don't know? Maybe take you to ride a ferryboat then have some hotdogs and be tourists for the day." Derek said trying to make his plan sound like it was the most exciting thing in the world.
"Okay we can do that." Meredith answered. She sighed. "Give me three hours to sleep and stuff and will meet up after lunch."
"Where do you want to meet?" He asked excited.
"You can come over here and pick us up or something." She said with a yawn. I think I'm too tired for anything else.
"Great. Get some sleep and have good dreams. See you later, Mer." Derek said.
"Bye, Derek." She said just before they hung up.