Chapter 43: Reunited

Dawsyn was so excited that she could barely sit still. She sat with her knees in the couch looking out the window of the apartment waiting to see Derek's car pull up. She hadn't seen him in forever. Now, her mom said he was going to come over today and they were going out. Dawsyn couldn't wait. She jumped up every time she'd hear a car only to groan when it wasn't Derek's.

"Dawsyn...watching for him isn't going to make him come sooner." Meredith replied, scrambling around Izzie's living room as she looked for her black sweater.

"I thought you said he was coming at twelve." Dawsyn said, bouncing up and down on the couch.

"He said around twelve." Meredith opened a coat closet. Where was the damn sweater? "Did you clean up your homework?"

"It's in my backpack."

"Okay...that's good." Meredith replied, lifting up a couch cushion.

"Why isn't he here yet?" Dawsyn groaned as another car passed.

"He's coming Daws." Meredith groaned.

"Do you think he's excited to see me?"

"It's all he talked about on the phone this morning."

"He's here!" Dawsyn screamed, jumping off the sofa.

"Wait for him to knock Daws." Meredith replied, finding her sweater on a side table. She had forgotten that Izzie borrowed it two days before.

Dawsyn stood on the other side of the door, waiting for what seemed like forever, until Derek finally knocked three times on the door. "Can I open it now?"

"Yes..."

"Derek!" Dawsyn gasped, swinging the door open.

"Hey kiddo." Derek smiled, sliding his car keys into his pocket.

"You're here." Dawsyn wrapped her arms around him.

"I am." Derek laughed, hugging her back and pressing a kiss on top of the little girl's head.

"Mommy says we're going to the mall today."

"We certainly are."

"Hi." Meredith smiled walking up behind her daughter.

"Hey." Derek smiled, looking at Meredith.

"Mommy!" Dawsyn turned around. "Go finish getting ready so we can go!"

"I better...go finish."

"One thing first..."

"What?" Meredith frowned.

"This..." Derek smiled, walking up to her and kissing her.

"Mmm...hello."

"Hi..." He whispered.

"I'm just...I have to go get dressed and brush my hair but then I'll be ready."

"Take your time."

"Hurry Mommy." Dawsyn insisted as Meredith turned and left the room.

"It's great to see you, Daws." Derek smiled, kneeling down in front of her.

"Where were you?"

"I um...I was really busy and you're Mommy and I needed some time to think about things."

"Well...did you think?"

"I did." Derek nodded.

"And now you're back."

"I am."

"What did you have to think about?"

"Grown up things."

"Oh." Dawsyn bit her lip, before stepping back.

"Something wrong?" Derek frowned.

"No."

"I missed you Daws."

"I missed you too." Dawsyn smiled.

"How's school? "

"It's good...I got in trouble for talking too much but it wasn't my fault."

"Just like your Mom." Derek laughed.

"I wasn't talking."

"What were you doing?"

"I was telling Sadie and Colleen about the cupcakes Izzie made."

"Oooh...Izzie made you cupcakes?"

"Yeah and Mommy ate four of them."

"Four cupcakes?" Derek laughed as they sat down on the couch.

"Yeah." Dawsyn giggled, putting her hands on her lap.

"I bet she had a stomachache afterwards."

"Not really because then she ate ice cream."

"Did you eat four cupcakes and ice cream too?"

"I just had one cupcake and a little bit of ice cream."

"Good for you." Derek laughed.

"So did you do a lot of good surgeries?"

"I did."

"Wow...that's cool." Dawsyn nodded.

"It really was...All of them were successful." Derek smiled.

"I want to be a brain surgeon when I get older." Dawsyn smiled, as she played with her hands much like her mother. "But you knew that before you went away."

"I did know that...And I got you something special to help you out but I don't have it right now."

"Really?"

"Really."

"My Grandma Ellis is a surgeon too, but my Mommy and her don't talk because Grandma is scary." Dawsyn replied. "We nearly had to move to New York with her, but we didn't."

"I'm glad that you didn't have to move to New York." Derek said. "I might have had to come too."

"A lot happened while you were gone." Dawsyn sighed.

"Yeah...You're Mommy told me."

"We moved and now I have to share a room with my Mommy...and a bed and then we had to get rid of our apartment but Mommy got a new job so maybe we can make enough money to move to another nice apartment so Aunt Izzie can have her whole place back...then I got an A plus on my project about Africa."

"Great job." Derek smiled, a little discouraged at all the news he had just gotten from her.

"And Mommy took me to get a new scarf...because I traded mine at school for Vera Crosby's Camp rock folder." Dawsyn giggled. "My Mommy was so mad, but there are no trade backs."

"There definitely aren't any trade backs...I can't believe she didn't know that." Derek laughed.

"Mommy and I went to go look at apartments...and the only place we thought about getting...had a gross floor and their were ants everywhere! So...Mommy said no."

"Well...Did your Mommy tell you about my new house?"

"No."

"I'm building a house..."

"By yourself?"

"I'm going to design it and then people are going to come and build it for me."

"Wow." Dawsyn smiled.

"I told your Mommy that maybe after it's done...Maybe you two could move in with me."

"Really?" Dawsyn gasped, sitting forward. "Like forever?"

"Like forever." Derek laughed.

"But where would I sleep?"

"You could have your own room."

"I want to move in now! I wish it was built."

"It's your Mommy's choice, kiddo...But I told her about it and it's okay with me."

"I don't want to live with Grandma...and I don't want to share a room with Mommy anymore. She's nice but I miss having my own room."

"I know."

"Where are you going to live until then?" Dawsyn asked. "At your trailer?"

"Yup." Derek nodded. "At my trailer."

"Can Mommy and I both come stay at your trailer one night?"

"If it's okay with her."

"Maybe when she's not working." Dawsyn replied. "She works a lot."

"I know...But she has today off so we're all going to go the mall."

"What are we getting there?" Dawsyn asked.

"Just a few things that your Mommy and I need to pick up." Derek replied, hearing Meredith drop things upstairs and laughing.

"I need new socks."

"We can get those."

"Okay." Dawsyn smiled. "Derek?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for taking me to the concert. Even if Mommy was mad at us, it was the best night in my whole life." Dawsyn breathed, before looking at him. "You're a good Dad...even if you're not really my Dad...you're a good Dad."

"Thanks." Derek whispered, choking up a little bit. "Thank you..."

"Okay...I'm ready." Meredith came quickly down the stairs. "My dryer fell then I knocked over the makeup and I stubbed my toe but I'm good."

"You're good?" Derek smirked, standing up and walking over to her.

"Yeah." Meredith whispered.

"Mommy...I have to go to the bathroom...I'll be right back." Dawsyn stood, rushing out of the room.

"I missed you." He whispered.

"I was just upstairs." She pouted, kissing his lips.

"I know...I still missed you." He laughed, kissing her again.

"Hmm..." She giggled, nipping at his lip before pulling her lips away. "So...I was thinking..."

"About..."

"How we haven't you know...for a while." Meredith giggled.

"Ohh...That..." Derek laughed.

"That." Meredith giggled.

"That's what date night is for."

"About that..."

"You have to work?"

"Someone offered up a six-hour shift...I would be working open to close but it's great money."

"Okay..."

"But...tomorrow I have a few hours off around lunch time and I was thinking I could bring you lunch."

"That sounds good." Derek grinned, kissing her again.

"While I was upstairs..." Meredith deepened the kiss, her fingers working up to his hair. "Sadie's Mom called my phone...wants Dawsyn to spend the night with her tomorrow night."

"What are you suggesting Dr. Grey?" Derek whispered against her lips, his hands going around her waist.

"In dirty terms?" She cocked an eyebrow.

"In extremely dirty terms."

"Okay..." Meredith lowered her voice, standing on her tip toes. "I want you to fuck me Dr. Shepherd."

"Tell me what time and I'll be here." Derek whispered before nipping at her ear lobe.

"I'm so hot for you right now." She whispered. "So...hot."

"Me too..."

"Hmm..."

"Mommy!" Dawsyn came running down the hallway as Meredith quickly pulled away from Derek. "Why does Izzie always have pink soap?"

"Well..." Meredith smiled, pulling away from a very uncomfortable Derek. "She's Izzie...she pukes pink."

"Right..." Derek muttered.

"Mommy can we go get me new clothes?" Dawsyn asked quickly, not noticing Derek as Meredith handed her, her coat. "Remember how you said I needed some?"

"Yeah...we'll...maybe."

"Derek said I could get new socks."

"Yeah...I did..." Derek whispered.

"I can get socks." Meredith nodded.

"I thought I was going to be in trouble..." Derek breathed.

"Not this time." She winked.

"Not helping..." He muttered.

"I didn't plan on helping." Meredith giggled.

"Mommy...I can get clothes too right? If they're on sale and cheap?" Dawsyn asked.

"We'll see Daws...Christmas is in a little over a month."

"Oh...but I want new clothes now."

"I need to...I'll um...I'll meet you guys at the car." Derek interrupted.

"We're coming." Meredith replied, turning to her daughter. "We'll see when we get there. But maybe you could just tell me what you want for Christmas and I'll know what you like or I'll tell Santa...or whatever."

"Fine." Dawsyn sighed dramatically as Meredith locked the door and the little girl ran ahead. "I should have just asked Derek."

"Oh...you hear that?" Meredith giggled.

"I would have said no." Derek laughed.

"Oh okay." Meredith rolled her eyes.

"I wouldn't want to be in trouble." He whispered in her ear.

"I bet you didn't."

"You might be in trouble though."

"Is that a promise?"

"You bet."

"I need in the car!" Dawsyn shouted from the parked car. "Unlock it!"

"Okay...okay." Meredith replied, turning to Derek. "You heard the boss..."

"You're the boss." He smirked, kissing her quickly before walking backwards and smiling at her all the way to the car.

"Let's go!" Dawsyn shouted. "It's cold out here."

"We're going." Meredith giggled, rushing around to the passenger side. They were going to the mall which seemed great. Well except for Dawsyn pleading for clothes and new things a month before Christmas but Meredith figured that was normal for an eleven-year-old. But the idea of the three of them going, seemed perfect. Completely perfect.