Chapter 14

Present time

Like his mother had said itwas a long time since he felt this happy. The love of his life is sleeping in his lawn chair in the sun and he has made a decision he hoped she would like as well. He decided it would be good to start with coffee and made a pot for them. He brings mugs out and sits down beside her. She is curled up to a ball. He stokes her hair out of her face and kisses her cheek. Her skin is so soft against his lips that he has to fight the urge to let his lips travel all over her face, tug at her earlobe and follow the line to the spot on her neck that would make her moan. If I don't stop I'm going to need a shower, a very cold shower.

"Meredith, wake up. You'll get a cold if you sleep outside. I made you some coffee."

She starts to stretch her body just like a cat waking up. He loves to watch her move. She, lying in his lawn chair is just perfect. He holds the coffee close to her nose and that gets her to open her eyes, her very green eyes. Her smile takes his breath away.

"Hi"
"Hi" she answers.

"When did you come?"

"What time is it?"

"Almost noon. Are you hungry? I caught a nice trout early this morning."

"Have you been fishing?"

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep after leaving you and I had to think. And make a decision."

"What kind of decision?"

"A road changing decision." He smiles at her. His eyes are bright and sparkly and look deep into her eyes. She has problems breaking the connection, mostly because she doesn't want to break it. Derek's phone rings and reluctantly he looks at the display. When he flips the phone open his eyes are not so bright and sparkly anymore.

"I got to answer this. Drink your coffee and I'll be back in a little while."

She watches as he turns around and walks away. His shoulders are hanging, his head is hanging. His posture looks tired and sad.

"Hi" he says and walks further away.

"Hi Derek" Rose says "you didn't come home last night."

"I told you that I am staying at my trailer."

"OK but when are you coming home?"

"Rose, we really need to talk."

Oh no she thinks, not that line.

"Rose, can we meet later today?"

"No, I'm working. My shift starts soon, have to go" she hangs up on him. She can't have him continuing that thought of line, the we need to talk line. Not when they are getting engaged on Friday. She has a lot to do to get the party going and looks at her to do list. She has to call the caterer.

Strange, Derek thought when Rose hangs up on him. They have been working almost the same shifts since last year. It was something he made possible by her request and this was his free weekend. He looks back at Meredith and his eyes are sparkling again.

"Care for a walk?"

"Yeah" she smiles at him.

They walk side by side in silence for a while. When they arrives to where their dog, Doc, is buried she gives him a look and sits down.

"You hurt me when you choose Addison."

He sits down beside her.

"I'm sorry."

"You called me names… You expected me to be waiting for you, while you tried to fix your marriage… What was in that for me? Nothing, emptiness, lone nights filled with tears… Then you left Addison but you wanted space… You didn't choose me again… Then you wanted me and you thought that I could just have total faith in you… My problem has never been the love I feel for you… That love is overwhelming… My problem is the fear of getting hurt by you… That is why it was easier to leave without a word…"

He looks at her during her ramble, tears sliding down his face. He understands the magnitude of pain he has caused her.

"Meredith, I would like you to stay here in Seattle… My head of neuro is moving to Florida in September… I will have a contract for you to sign tomorrow if you would like that… I also want to hire Cristina and Dr Hunt… But this is not an employment issue for you or your friends. If you want to continue working for the MSF, I would like to join them as well, as long as I can work with you… I am prepared to change specialty to fit into your team, infectious diseases or any kind of surgery… I'll redo my fellowship with the MSF if you love me enough to want me with you, because you are the love of my life…"

She sits quietly beside him. He looks at her curiously and nervously. Why isn't she saying anything? Suddenly she stands up and pulls him up as well. She stares into his eyes as if she is searching for something before turning and running. She turns back again and shouts.

"I'll be back with an answer."

Is she in or is she out? Derek doesn't know. Who will she talk to? Probably Yang and Hunt maybe Karev, Stevens and O'Malley. He decides to get his options prepared and calls the head of the board about permission to start negotiations for contracts. He will also apply to the MSF, keeping all options open.

Meredith is making a phone call of her own.

"Hi Adele, it is me Meredith."

"Hi sweetie"

"Are you and Richard home right now? I would like to talk to you if possible."

"We are always here for you. Come right over."

"I'll be there with in an hour."

She ate lunch with the Webbers and they answered her questions about Derek, Rose and the hospital. They spoke about her work and her life. It was almost 4 pm when she drove towards her house. Cristina was watching one of her mother's surgeries and Owen was watching Cristina with an unreadable face.

"Hi guys, where are the rest of the gang?"

"Izzy is grocery shopping with Alex and George is with his mysterious girlfriend."

"I have some stuff I want to talk to you about. Can we have a sit down in the kitchen before the rest arrives home?"

"Sure Mer."

Owen follows Meredith into the kitchen and picks a beer each from the fridge.

"You want something Cristina?"

"No thanks. I'll be with you in five."

"So what did you do today, did you see the Space Needle?"

"Yeah, I have only seen pictures of it before. It is amazing. We also saw the ferries."

"Ferryboats"

"OK and then we drove along the coast for an hour or so. Stopped at a beach and had our talk."

Cristina is entering the kitchen.

"What's up Mer?"

"I first of all want to tell you that we are getting job offers from Seattle Grace Hospital. Would you guy consider that?"

Owen looked at Cristina.

"What do you say Cris?"

"Mer, I am not totally sure yet… but we may keep this baby."

"You are? Great I am going to be an aunt!"

"But we don't think a campsite is a very good place for a baby, so we talked about looking for normal jobs."

"Then you would consider this job offer?"

"Yeah, we would. What about you?"

"I don't know. It depends of your decision but also of Derek, if I can trust him this time."

"What has he said? What has he promised you?"

"He said that I am the love of his life. Then he offered me head of neuro or that he would join the MSF if I love him as he loves me."

They sat in silence for a while, each in their own thoughts until Owen says;

"Cristina, you have to make up your mind, but as Derek told Meredith, you are the love of my life."

The front door burst open before she had a chance to answer.

"Later" she whispered with a smile. Izzy and Alex came in carrying groceries.

"Do you need help?" Owen asks while giving Cristina's hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Yeah" Owen follows Alex out to the car.

"I'm going to make Chicken Teriyaki. We can eat at 6" Izzy says.

Meredith went upstairs. She had a lot think about. She made a list in her head, Seattle versus MSF. Cristina made a similar list. She wanted to give this baby to Owen but wasn't sure if she would be a good mum. She put a video of a heart surgery on the TV. Owen took a walk together with Alex and Izzy cooked. Just before dinner George arrived together with his girlfriend Lexie.

Meredith had fallen asleep during list making with no decision made yet. Izzy wakes her up and she walks into the kitchen. A pretty, young woman with dark hair is chatting with Izzy as George is looking at the girl with puppy eyes.

"Oh Meredith, this is Lexie. Lexie this is Meredith."

Lexie stares at Meredith for so long that Meredith thinks she had a big pimple on her nose or something.

"Hi" she says to try to break the stare. "You work at the hospital, right?" That seems to work. Lexie stop staring and answers.

"I'm a fourth year resident and specializes in ENT."

"Then you must work a lot together with Dr Sloan."

"Yeah, he is the best."

Alex walks into the kitchen.

"So, how is little and big Grey doing?"

Meredith looks at him with questions in her eyes.

"What?"

Alex realizes his mistake.

"No one said anything?" he asks staring at Izzy, George and Lexie.

"No" they answer "we haven't got to that yet."

"Mer, Lexie Grey is your half sister" Alex continues.

"Do I have a half sister?"

"No you have two, me and my sister Molly." Lexies says.

"But I'm an only child."

"Our father Thatcher remarried Susan. He has told us about you since we were little."

"Half sisters" Meredith says again. She has trouble concentrate during dinner. Lexie seems very nice and very chatty.

The seven friends spends the rest of the meal bantering each other. Rose spent her afternoon planning the party. Derek is completing his CV and all application forms for the MSF. He also speaks with Richard Webber about references. The Webber then has a long talk about Derek's intention with Meredith and Rose. They are both were happy with the prospect of Derek leaving Rose but both want Derek and Meredith in Seattle and not half way around the world.