There are a few sections where you're in Conner's brain. I'll put a CCCCC in front of those for you, but it should be pretty self explanatory.

Chapter 7

"Ugh. Wake up." Meredith groaned. She rubbed Derek's bare thigh up and down.

"Pre-rounds?" He asked. What? Oh yeah rounds. How late did we stay up?

"Yeah." She moaned. Derek kissed the back of her neck. "Hmmm." She sighed. Meredith climbed out of the bed and pulled on some clothes.

"You're not going to shower?" Derek mumbled. Meredith turned around and looked at him.

"What?" She pushed the hair out of her face. "Oh yeah. I'm going to shower." She sighed. Derek nodded his head and walked over to her.

"Sorry for keeping you up." Derek sighed. Meredith grinned at him.

"No you're not." Meredith laughed. Derek pulled on his pants and laughed.

"No. I'm really not. But I am sorry you're tired. If it makes you feel any better I'm tired too." Derek yawned. Meredith shrugged.

"It doesn't. It just makes me want to drag you to bed even more." Meredith wrapped her robe around herself and walked across the hall.

"I'm going to go to my place to get some stuff." Derek kissed her cheek before they walked into the hallway. Conner stepped out of his room as they took their first steps out.

"Why is everyone up?" He whined. Meredith frowned and looked at him. Crap. He really needs to get more sleep.

"Conner, go back to sleep. I'll get you when we need to go." Meredith sighed. Conner yawned.

"Meredith, um…" Derek walked over to her.

"Yeah?" She rubbed her eyes.

"I don't have to be in until seven. I can take him with me and he can sleep. I'll bring him to you before I take him to daycare." He suggested after clearing his throat. Meredith bit into her bottom lip and stared at him.

"I um… you." She wrung her hands together.

"I'll text you or call you every half hour." Derek lifted his eyebrows. "You know as much as I do that he needs some sleep. He is five and he is sleeping half on an interns schedule and the other half is in a noisy daycare." Derek frowned.

"Every half and hour?" She questioned. Derek smiled at her.

"What did you do when you had to go to class?" Derek softly questioned.

"My next door neighbors babysat him or I'd pay one of the girls who lived in our building some money to watch him." Meredith shrugged.

"Do you know me better than them?" Derek asked softly. That's a stupid question of course I do.

"Well yes. But the last time I was at your place it was a hotel. Did you finally get something?" Meredith lifted her eyebrows at him.

"I bought a piece of land." A piece of land? "I'm getting something to go there but right now I'm staying in the hotel room until it comes which is in a day or two." Derek answered.

"Can I see the land some day?"

"Yes." He kissed her. "Go take a shower." He ordered. Meredith walked into the bathroom.

"Sorry." She quickly walked out. "I'm not going to take a shower today." Meredith quickly informed Derek. Derek laughed at her. Meredith came out a minute later dressed. "I'll help you with the car seat and Conner." Meredith grabbed his hand and dragged him down the stairs.

"Meredith."

"Hmm?" She looked back at him.

"What about Conner?" He looked around to the stairs as she dragged him to the driveway.

"We have to get his car seat into your car first. Come on. I have to get to work." Meredith sighed.

MDMDMDMD

"Mommy?" Conner sighed. Meredith kissed his head. My baby.

"Mommy's going to work and you are going to go with Derek so you can sleep some more. Then Derek is going to bring you to Mommy and we will take you to daycare." Meredith smiled. Conner nodded his head.

"Can I see you before I go to… to daycare?" He asked with a pout. Meredith nodded her head. You're so tired you didn't hear me say you can. Oh baby boy.

"Of course. Derek is only taking you for a little bit. Mommy and Derek want you to get more sleep." Meredith sighed. That sounds a bit weird, Mommy and Derek. Oh god I really shouldn't want Conner calling Derek daddy or something this early I'm too tired to think straight. She kissed his forehead. Conner nodded his head and pulled on his jeans and a t-shirt.

"Can Derek and I get ice cream?" Conner asked quietly. Ha ice cream for breakfast. I wish I could be a little kid again and that be my only wish and wonder.

"That is up to Derek." Meredith took his hand and dragged him down the stairs.

"Derek, can we get ice cream?" Conner asked with a yawn. Meredith shrugged and went to go get a few snacks and Conner's backpack.

"We will if we pass some ice cream." Derek compromised. Good compromised. Conner nodded his head as his eyes drooped. Derek scooped him up and Conner cuddled up to him falling asleep.

"I put some snacks in your backpack, Conner." Meredith said walking back to the front hall. Derek put a finger over his lips and smiled at her. Meredith quickly closed her mouth as Conner let out a small snore. Derek grinned at her and she held in a laugh. Stop making me laugh, jackass. She punched him in the chest. He grabbed onto her shirt and pulled her to him. She covered her mouth with her hand and tried to not to giggle out loud.

"Shh." Derek whispered. He smashed his lips against hers and grinned as he pulled back. "That shut you up." He whispered. Meredith's mouth dropped open and she slapped his chest.

"Jack-" Derek covered her mouth and shook his head no. She glared at him and licked his hand. Derek quickly pulled his hand back and looked at her in shock. "Ass." Meredith whispered. Derek frowned at her. She giggled and quickly slipped by him.

"Meredith, can I have a ride?" George asked glaring at Derek. Meredith looked back at him.

"Yeah, I'm leaving now though." She informed grabbing her purse. George nodded his head and waited by the door. Meredith walked over to Derek. "Be good for Derek, Conman. I love you, baby." Meredith kissed his cheek and looked up at Derek.

"I'll text or call you every half an hour with an update on what's up with the monster." Derek nodded his head. Meredith smiled and leaned up to give him a kiss.

"Don't hurt him." She whispered against his lips. Derek leaned their foreheads together and smiled.

"I will never hurt him on purpose." Derek informed. Meredith smiled and kissed him again. "Go to work." Derek slapped her butt and Meredith laughed. "Love you, sweet cheeks." He said following her out the door.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Meredith slipped into her car and rolled down her window. She waved Derek over to her. George slipped into the car beside her and stared out he window.

"I do love you." Derek informed seriously. Meredith grinned at him.

"I love you too. When Conner wakes up tell him I put a chocolate bar in his backpack." Meredith smiled. Derek laughed and gave her another kiss.

"I'll tell him." Derek backed away from the car and went to his own putting Conner in the back. You trust him. You trust him with yourself. You trust him with Conner. You trust him so why do you still need him to call you every half an hour. You didn't make the other babysitters to that. What is wrong with you? Do you not trust him? No. No I trust Derek. God! Everything will be okay. Everything will work out for the best. Great. Now I sound like Derek!

MDMDMD

"Hey, where's the duckling?" Cristina said walking up to Meredith. Meredith raised her eyebrow and looked at Cristina. "What?" She shrugged.

"Duckling?" Meredith asked. Cristina sighed and looked at the floor for a seconded.

"Couldn't think of anything." She pouted. Meredith giggled and shook her head.

"That's sad. The duckling is with Derek." She said. I hope that was full of confidence.

"Derek…" Cristina slowly stated. Meredith nodded her head and stepped onto the elevator. "Doctor Derek Shepherd." She gaped. Meredith nodded her head.

"Conner needs more sleep." Meredith informed. A few people behind them shifted and coughed. Meredith looked back and then quickly at Cristina to warn her not to speak.

"So you put your son in…" Meredith stepped on Cristina's foot and shook her head. "Okay." Cristina shoved her off. "Hey, George." Cristina sighed. Meredith shook her head and laughed.

"What are you laughing at?" George innocently asked. Oh come on. Did you not notice that Cristina just said hello to you so she could change the subject and frankly it didn't work.

"Nothing." Meredith stopped laughing and looked down at the floor. All three of them raced to the locker room.

CCCCCCCCCC

"Mommy." Conner mumbled. Derek quickly turned around in the car and smiled at the little boy who just opened his eyes. Derek?

"Good morning, Conner." Derek gently smiled. Conner rubbed his face. Where's Mommy?

"Where's Mommy, Derek?" Conner asked sitting up in his seat. Why are we in the car?

"Conner, do you remember this morning?" Derek asked stopping at a stoplight. Oh, I spend the morning with Derek.

"Yeah. Mommy said you were going to take me so I could sleep. And then we could go get ice cream. After ice cream we would go to the hospital to see Mommy and take me to daycare." Conner informed. Derek nodded his head. See I remember.

"Yep. We haven't passed any ice cream yet. You slept for a good hour and a half. Do you want to see my secret land?" Derek asked excitedly. Like a secret fort?

"Is it like a secret fort, Derek? And I mean a cool secret fort. Not like Henry Stemson's secret fort. Like one no one knows about or that's really cool."

"Well I know about the land and the person who sold me the land knows. But your Mommy doesn't know where it is. I'm planning on taking her soon. If you're okay with it tonight." Derek informed.

"Like what Jessica calls a date?" Conner asked raising his eyebrows.

"Who's Jessica?" Derek asked laughing.

"My old babysitter." Conner stated. Derek nodded his head and grinned.

"Yes, a date. Maybe you could help me set up for it." Derek asked. Conner tilted his head to the side. It has to be a surprise. Cause Mommy watches movies and those girls like surprises. But Mommy likes candy so he has to have lots of that.

"I can't tell Mommy about the land." Conner informed.

"Why?" Derek asked confused.

"It has to be a surprise, Derek. You have to give her lots of candy and um… she really loves hugging and cuddling. But she won't tell you she loves it. And when you ask she'll say nothing or that she doesn't. And don't ask Aunty Cristina about Mommy and cuddling or hugging, cause Aunty Cristina will say she doesn't like them a ton." Conner informed seriously.

"So it has to be a surprise, I have to hug and cuddle, and I have to give her lots of candy." Derek asked. Oh, oh, stars!

"Stars!" Conner yelled. Derek looked at him through the rearview mirror.

"What?" Derek said concerned.

"Mommy loves stars. Whenever we see a picture or some stars somewhere she stares." Conner explained. Derek nodded his head.

"I think I can do that." Derek informed. Conner smiled at him.

"Then Mommy will like it. How do we set up?" Conner stated lifting his hands up.

"Well it gets really cold there and I don't have a place to go so we have to put firewood around and chairs. When we get there you can tell me what you think we should do." Derek said. Conner nodded his head in a determined way.

MDMDMDMD

"Grey!" Bailey yelled. Meredith quickly turned around and stood up straight.

"Yes." She answered. Bailey walked over to her and glared. "Is there something wrong, Doctor Bailey." Meredith felt a shove from Cristina in the back.

"Cristina, don't shove other people. I thought you went to kindergarten." Bailey growled. Cristina hung her head as George and Alex snickered. "Karev, Doctor Burke wanted you on his service. Cristina, there's a patient in the pit. George, Grey, you're going on rounds with me." Bailey stated. George looked over at Meredith with wide eyes. Oh crap. I think Doctor Bailey heard about Derek and I.

CCCCCCCCCCC

"Wow!" Conner squealed. Derek chuckled at him. Pretty.

"You like it?" Derek asked.

"Yes!" Conner screamed. "Can we get out?" He asked excitedly. Derek laughed. It's so big!

"Yeah." He stopped the car and went around to open Conner's door. Conner quickly jumped out and ran past Derek. "Don't go far." Derek informed.

"How much land did you get? Did you bye your own country? Did you bye your own town?" Conner ran over to him jumping up and down. Derek opened the truck of his car and got out two folding chairs.

"I got forty acres which is a lot of land. Not my own country and not my own town though." Derek informed. Conner smiled at him.

"It's big!" He exclaimed running a bit over to his left then right. "Where do you want to go?" Conner yelled over to Derek.

"Where do you think Mommy will like?" Derek asked walking over to Conner. Conner looked around the space and suddenly took a double take. He pointed to the spot that was a good ways away. "Over there? That clearing?" Derek asked. Conner nodded his head and started walking.

"Lets go." Conner ordered waving his hand. Derek stopped and huffed.

"Con, I have some things in the car that we need to set up. Can we drive a little closer so it will be easier and quicker?" Derek asked hopefully. Conner quickly turned around.

"Okay." Conner quickly got back in the car as Derek put the chairs back and hopped in. "Stop here!" Conner instructed. They were a couple of yards away from the clearing. They got out of the car again and went to the trunk. Conner followed Derek. Does he have candy and cookies?

"Can you carry this bag?" Derek asked. What's in here? Conner set the bag down and started to sip it open. "Come on, Con!" Conner quickly looked up and ran after Derek.

"What's in here?" Conner asked. Derek looked down at him then shuffled some of the things he was holding in his arms around.

"Stuff to make a fire and um… some hats to keep warm." Derek answered. You don't have candy?

"Where's the candy?" Conner sighed. Derek turned around and started walking backwards. Wow. How do you do that?

"I have to buy the candy when we go to the hospital." Derek answered.

"Can I get some?" Conner smiled. Derek nodded his head and turned back around. Why did you stop, Derek?

"Don't tell your Mom though." Derek informed. Conner giggled. That's what everyone says about candy and treats. They don't know Mommy doesn't care unless she has to deal with me at nighttime after they gave it to me.

"How do you walk like that?" Conner asked turning around and stepping backward before he tripped and fell onto his butt. "Ouch." He mumbled. That wasn't fun.

"You okay?" Derek asked bending down slightly. Conner nodded his head and stood up grabbing the bag again. "Do you want to set up here?" Derek asked looking around and finding it was a good spot.

"Yeah. What do we do?" Conner said dropping the bag.

"First we just put everything here. We have to go get a small bag with some flashlights and water in it and I have to carry a big bag of firewood there. Then we can set it up to make a fire, put the chairs up, and cover the firewood so it won't get wet." Derek informed. Conner nodded his head and turned toward the car.

"I'll race you." Conner grinned. Derek looked down in surprise.

"On three. One, two, three!" Conner sprinted toward the car with Derek jogging behind him.

"I… won." Conner panted. I'm faster. Derek smiled and gave him a high-five.

"Good job. This is light." Derek handed him the small bag and hosted the firewood onto his shoulder. "Lets go, monster." Derek said starting off toward the set up area.

MDMDMDMD

"Hey, you got the pit too." Cristina stated walking over to Meredith. Meredith slowly nodded her head and sighed. Bailey didn't have to be so harsh. The chief was okay with it. I mean Izzie, George, and Cristina know about it. Alex probably won't even care. It's not like Derek and I are keeping it a secret. We just show professionalism during work. When we're off Bailey has no control over me. Well that's not true. I have my pager, but other than that she can't tell me I can't date someone.

"What happened to your patient?" Meredith asked snapping out of her mind.

"Oh, nothing. She just had strep." Cristina shrugged. Oh okay. Well that's not bad. "What did Bailey want with you?" Cristina asked looking around the pit. She found a patient and went toward it with Meredith behind her going for the patient next to Cristina's already silently called one.

"She found out about Derek and I." Meredith sighed. Cristina snickered a bit.

"How?" Cristina asked bored.

"I don't know." Meredith shrugged. "It might have been Burke." She informed. She felt Cristina freeze for a second.

"Why would he know?" She asked.

"The other night I had Conner and Derek needed to go get something from his office. Burke saw me standing outside waiting for him. Derek had Conner's backpack and he did something. I can't really remember. I was really tired." Meredith stated.

"Oh." Cristina sighed. Meredith's phone went off. She smiled at her patient. It's Derek, yes.

"Okay, you're done here." Meredith informed placing a bandage over her patient's sutured arm. Meredith quickly grabbed the patient's chart and walked over to an empty gurney off in an empty hallway. "Hey." Meredith smiled.

"Hello." Derek responded. "Conner is awake and playing in a park right now." Derek informed. "Conner, don't swing so high. You're going to fall off." Derek yelled out.

"No I'm not!" She heard muffled. Meredith laughed.

"Derek, he's fine." She laughed. "How close are you to the swings?"

"I'm on the bench closest to them. Con can scream pretty loud, Meredith." Derek informed.

"I know." She answered.

"Anyways, Conner is having fun and we got some ice cream after I fed him some breakfast. In a little bit after he is basking in the park with no kids in it because it is almost six thirty in the morning we will be on our way to the hospital." Derek informed.

"Thank you." Meredith said quietly. Derek chuckled.

"I suggested it. And it gave Conner and I some time together." Derek said softly. Meredith smiled. You did need some boy time with out me there.

"I'm glad he's having fun." Meredith stated opening the chart and pulling out a pen.

"Yeah. He wants to talk to you." Derek said. Really!

"Mommy!" Conner squealed. Meredith laughed. Yep, that's my little boy.

"Hey, Conner." Meredith said lightheartedly. "Did you have fun with Derek?"

"Yeah! He took me to get pancakes and then we got ice cream. Then he took me to the park and no one is here so I get to play everywhere. Derek played with me until he said he needed to call you. Derek is funny, Mommy. He can walk backwards and he can juggle." Conner said with every word laced with excitement.

"I have to see him juggle." Meredith informed. Conner giggled and jumped off something.

"Derek says we have to go see you know." Conner stated happily. "He's awesome, Mommy! I love you, bye bye." Conner stated.

"Love you, too." Meredith said before she heard the shuffle of the phone.

"Hey." Derek said.

"Hey. You're good with kids, aren't you?" Meredith smiled.

"Yeah, I have nine nieces and five nephews." Derek informed. Meredith hummed and wrote some words on the chart.

"I can't wait to see you juggle." Meredith smiled. Derek laughed at what she said.

"Yes, well you have to be nice to me and not throw another thing at me in the middle like Conner did." Derek said seriously.
"He did what?" Meredith said chocking on the air.

"It's no big deal I caught it and went on but I don't want you to do that. Coming from a cute five year old who apologizes right away and coming from the woman I love who will most likely not apologize right away is way different." Derek informed.

"Fine." Meredith pouted.
"We will see you soon." Derek informed.

"Okay, see you soon." Meredith stated.

"Oh, wait." Derek stopped her from hanging up.

"What?" Meredith asked.

"This morning when you were with Conner I asked Izzie if she would babysit Conner tonight. She said she would. I'm paying so don't get mad at me or anything. She said she would be happy to do it. Go out with me tonight." Derek said with playfulness.

"Um…" Meredith bit her lip. I really want to, but I didn't spend a lot of time with Conner today or lately for that matter.

"Mommy, please go out with Derek! Please!" Conner yelled. Meredith laughed.

"You got the little one on your side." Meredith grinned.

"Well how else would I get you to come out with me?" Derek answered.

"I'll go. I am in the pit. See you."

"See you." Derek hung up right before Meredith.