Chapter 35: The Closet

Something wasn't adding up. Meredith would've liked to blame it on all the tequila and the awfully bad hangover, but that wasn't why all the numbers in her bank account were off. Something was wrong, she just didn't make enough money and needed to figure this out. "No...no...fine...yeah just get rid of our cable and return us to basic stuff. Only five channels? Seriously ...that much for...okay only the five basic channels...yes I'm sure. I'll just have to reenact Hannah Montana...okay...that's all..no...no I don't want...okay I'm done..five channels...thanks...bye."

Meredith slammed the phone down, before rubbing her temples. She really didn't think it would come to this. However, for the past week, things at the bookstore were slow and she was experiencing a cut in her usually forty hours. She didn't need this. Now as she heard the front door unlock, her head was pounding and cursing about those last shots the night before. "Hey you two."

"Hi Mommy!" Dawsyn came running into the kitchen, Derek following behind her.

"Hey." He smiled.

"Hey." She breathed, before punching some numbers into the calculator. "Did you have fun at Sadie's?"

"Yup! We watched High School Musical three times." Dawsyn giggled, grabbing a granola bar.

"Sounds like fun." Meredith said, tearing up a paper she was adding on and tossing it to the floor. "You know what you have to do now, right?"

"What?" Dawsyn frowned.

"Your room needs cleaned."

"Mom..."

"It's almost as messy as my room which means...you get to clean."

"Fine." Dawsyn groaned. "Thanks for picking me up, Derek."

"You're welcome, kiddo." Derek laughed, patting her on the back as she left the kitchen and ran upstairs.

"Five hundred... plus...crap."

"How are you feeling?" He asked, leaning over and kissing the top of her head.

"After five hours of vomiting all I have is a pounding headache so...I think I'm fine." She said, before biting the end of her pen.

"You had water, right?"

"Uh huh..." Meredith shook her head, overlooking the rent document.

"Do you want anything?"

"Oh um...no I'm good."

"Okay." Derek sighed, pulling up a chair next to her. "Can I help you with...this?"

"Oh no...I'm good."

"You keep saying that."

"Sorry." She pulled a check out and began paying the amount of rent due. "Crap tax and..."

"I was worried about you last night." He whispered

"I was drunk." She giggled weakly, signing the check and reaching for an envelope.

"I know...But...Nevermind."

"This calculator sucks."

"Why?"

"Oh um...just slow or something." Meredith groaned, adding up the numbers in her checkbook.

"You sure you don't want some help?"

"No...it's fine." Meredith shook her head, moving to pull all of the bills together. "It's nothing."

"I bet I can think of something better to do..." Derek smiled.

"Make the bookstore busy again?"

"Hmm...Not exactly..."

"That's unfortunate." Meredith huffed, sitting back in her chair.

"It'll make you feel better." Derek whispered, scooting his chair closer.

"Hmm...?"

"Yup..." He said, turning her chair to face him.

"Better then bills?"

"A lot better then bills."

"Mmm...okay."

"It kind of starts...like this..." Derek whispered, leaning in and kissing her.

"Does it?" She whispered, catching his lip with her teeth.

"Mmm..."

"I think I could use a break."

"Where should we go..."

"Table..."

"Mmm...Dangerous..."

"Coat closet?" She whispered between kisses. "Stairs?"

"Closet..."

"Okay."

"Okay." He smiled, standing up.

"But hurry because I have...stuff." Meredith kissed him, before rushing out of the kitchen and to the coat closet.

"Hurrying..." He said, following her in and closing the door behind him.

"Just pants off..."

"Pants..." He muttered, quickly undoing his belt and pushing his pants and boxers down.

"We just have to be quick." She replied, tripping over a pair of shoes as she kicked her panties to the side.

"Yeah..."

"Where are your lips" She giggled.

"Right...here..." He laughed, pulling her to him and kissing her hard.

"Mmm...you definitely don't hate me."

"Told you..."

"And that...oh definitely doesn't hate me either." She moaned, feeling his erection against her stomach.

"Hmm..."

"Hmm..." Meredith moaned against his lips, her back pressed against the back of the closet.

"I want you so bad..." Derek whispered, lifting her up onto him.

"Derek!"

"Ohh..." He groaned, leaning back against the door.

"Shh..." She giggled against his lips, reaching for the closet rod.

"Oh God..."

"Derek."

"I...Harder..."

"That's up to you..."

"Oh... Mer..." He groaned

"Oh..."

"Mer...Shit..."

"Oh...Derek..." Meredith gased, as she slammed her harder into the back of the closet.

"Fuck..." Derek groaned, burying his head in her shoulder to try to keep from screaming.

"Mmm..."

"Meredith..." Derek muttered, his legs shaking.

"Come on..." She whispered, her fingers tangling in his hair.

"I'm...Oh..." He moaned, barely able to hold her up as he came.

"Fuck...fuck..." Meredith came against his body, her legs shaking around his body.

"Oh god..."

"Oh..."

"You..we...closet..."

"I...yeah..."

"We should..."

"Do that more often." She giggled.

"We should do it in bed more often..." He laughed, lifting her off of him.

"Hmm..." She giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck. She had been stressed when he got here and for no reason, she felt like she needed him to hold on to her. "I don't remember anything last night...but apparently I thought you might hate me or something."

"Did I prove you wrong?"

"Yeah..." She whispered, closing her eyes for a second, her legs were still weak. "I just don't remember last night."

"You were...drunk isn't in the right word."

"I don't believe Izzie...Cristina went home with some guy but Izzie said I told the cab driver that nobody loved me and nobody wanted to have babies with me because I was drunk and fat."

"You were drunk...you're definitely not fat."

"I'm sorry. I was so embarrassed."

"Don't worry about it."

"Did I um...I didn't say anything about us...or like...embarrassing did I?"

"I...You told me..."

"Yeah?" She whispered as he tensed up, their bodies close.

"Never mind." Derek breathed.

"It was the baby thing wasn't it?"

"No...No that wasn't it."

"Good...that's really good because it's only on my mind because Dawsyn and I just...usually I talk a lot about things when I'm drunk."

"It wasn't that."

"Okay...okay." Meredith took a sigh of relief, a small giggle escaping her lips. "Good."

"I um...We should probably...Before Dawsyn comes downstairs..."

"Yeah..." Meredith pulled away, bending over to feel around for her pants.

"Yeah." Derek sighed.

"Oh and we're good...for Wednesday night?" Meredith asked, pulling her pants back on and nearly stumbling in the closet. "I have to work until close and if you can't watch her it's okay...Izzie can."

"No. It's good. We're um...Dawsyn and I made plans already." Derek smiled weakly.

"Oh that's great...she's still a little down about being grounded from the concert." Meredith replied. "So, if you can keep her busy...by all means...do it."

"Mini golf."

"Mini golf?"

"Yeah. We're going to play mini golf." Derek said, redoing his belt.

"Okay." Meredith smiled, kissing him again.

"Love you." He whispered.

"Hmm...thanks."

"Yeah..."

"Okay...come on."

"Coming." Derek breathed.

"Shh..." Meredith opened the closest door before stepping out. She smiled at Derek before turning around, just as her eleven year old walked down the stairs, looking at them strangely. "Crap..."

"Hi...Daws." Derek said, quickly shutting the closet door.

"What are you guys doing in the closet?" Dawsyn looked at both of them.

"We um...we..."

"Cleaning." Derek said quickly.

"In the closet?"

"It was dusty."

"Very dusty." Meredith replied, her voice fading out at the end.

"Are you done cleaning your room?"

"No." Dawsyn shrugged. "I'm hungry."

"Right..."

"I um...I can make you an oven pizza...is that okay?" Meredith asked her daughter, her cheeks still an embarrassed pink color.

"I guess. Do we have chicken nuggets?"

"No...we're out." Meredith answered.

"Then I'll have pizza." Dawsyn sighed.

"Okay...you go finish your room and I will get the pizza going."

"Finish cleaning the closet!" Derek said.

"Right." Meredith nodded. "Anything else?"

"No...Why is your face all red?" Dawsyn asked.

"What?" Meredith put a hand to her slightly warm cheek. "Oh...nothing I was just...you know you should just go clean your room."

"Derek's is too..."

"Oh um..."

"It was hot in the closet." Derek replied.

"Then why did you shut the door?" Dawsyn asked.

"Chemicals." Derek spoke.

"Chemicals?"

"Cleaning chemicals." Meredith added.

"Right." Derek said.

"Dawsyn...if you go finish, I can get the pizza done and you can eat and then we could...watch a movie." Meredith suggested. "So, you'll go clean?"

"Yeah..." Dawsyn said, looking at them again before running back up the stairs.

"Well..."

"That was close."

"You know as okay as my daughter is with me seeing you...that may have ruined her childhood." Meredith giggled.

"She didn't know." Derek laughed, kissing her.

"Hmm...I'm just going to go put a frozen pizza in the oven." Meredith smiled, kissing him again before pulling away and leaving him for the kitchen.