Chapter 47: Man to Man Conversation

Derek had no idea there were so many places to rent around Seattle. It was probably because he lived so far out of the city, in the trailer and never really thought about getting another place. Now, it was a reality. He was looking up school districts and places closer to Dawsyn's school, making calls to see how much the rent was and if there were any apartments available. He had just gotten off the phone with one place, when there was a knock on his office door.

"Come in!" Derek called, as he opened up a new webpage with even more apartments listed on it.

"Derek...Derek..." The Chief came in, apparently ready to end the work day early.

"Chief." Derek smiled, looking up at his boss briefly before beginning to click through the website.

"What's new?"

"Not much...What about you? How's Adele?"

"Adele persuaded me to get a small yappy dog." Richard sighed, sitting in the chair across from Derek. "Don't ever get married again."

"Good luck with that." Derek smirked.

"I swear...they persuade you to do things. Did you know Adele convinced me to paint the upstairs bathroom pink?" Richard shook his head. "Pink Derek...Pink!"

"Do you know what that's called? Being whipped." Derek laughed.

"Ugh..."

"Just tell her it's not manly enough for you."

"You know...I'm lucky we never had kids."

"Addison wanted kids."

"You dodged a bullet...with my luck I would have had all little girls."

"Little girls are great." Derek smiled, thinking of Madison.

"They are." The Chief nodded. "I love my nieces. I bet if you had kids...you'd have a spoiled little girl Derek."

"Yeah...I um...Yeah."

"So...are we on for drinks tonight or are you busy?"

"I actually can't make it."

"Oh...I see."

"Another time though?"

"Yeah...of course." He nodded. "Date?"

"Not exactly." Derek replied, sitting back in his chair, looking at the computer screen.

"Oh well...can I ask what you're up to?"

"I have an appointment to look at an apartment."

"You're leaving the trailer?"

"No. I'm keeping the trailer."

"Why do you want to look at an apartment?"

"I'm building a house on the land, so I need a place to stay..."

"But you're not staying in the trailer?"

"It's...She wants me to keep the trailer too." Derek smiled.

"She?" The Chief cocked an eyebrow.

"Meredith."

"Meredith...Meredith?" The older man shook his head. "Wait...isn't she the woman...the Mommy who doesn't want anything to do with you? That Meredith?"

"Things change..." Derek shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips.

"What things?"

"Things like...I'm taking her to New York for Christmas."

"Oh wow."

"I want to get a place so she and her daughter can come stay while the house is being built...she doesn't have her own place right now."

"And you're in her daughter's life?"

"Yeah I am." Derek smiled, stopping at one site. "This one is perfect."

"Derek..." Richard slightly raised his voice as he leaned forward. "You're involved in her daughter's life. This isn't going to be easy."

"I know that."

"That's a lot of responsibility to take on."

"She's like my own, Richard." Derek sighed.

"I'm sure she is and I'm sure she's really great. But what about the times when you have to lay down the law?"

"I've done that already."

"What about financially?"

"That's...been discussed..." Derek breathed.

"You just...if you love those two like you really say you do...you have to support them." The Chief sighed. "I don't know Meredith's situation or how financially stable and secure she is, but if you want to build a life with them, her daughter has to be your responsibility too."

"How financially stable she is...she's a waitress...she lives at her friend's apartment and shares a room with her daughter...and that makes me love her even more." Derek replied.

"That's good...for you to be that happy with her that's great." The older man nodded. "And I don't think there is anything wrong with her situation; she clearly is working to make things work with her daughter. But you're a successful brain surgeon, I pay you...a lot of good money."

"The board pays me."

"The board pays you." The Chief nodded.

"She's just...We're taking things slowly right now and figuring things out."

"That's great, but if you're going to live together...and build a house..."

"I'm building the house anyway."

"You might be building that house anyway...but it's more about who you're living in that house with."

"We're doing this like a normal couple...what's mine is hers...what's hers is mine."

"And you're going to pay for things together?"

"Yeah...Look at this place." Derek said, trying to change the subject.

"It's nice." The Chief said quickly. "Listen...I'm not trying to butt in or make you uncomfortable. I believe you love Meredith's daughter and Meredith...but you have to realize that if you take this where I think you want to take this...you have to be ready."

"I'm about to rent this place...I'm ready." Derek smiled.

"How old is her daughter?"

"She's eleven...She'll be twelve in a few weeks."

"So, if you and Meredith are raising her...she's going to have birthdays with presents...in a few years...well more then a few she's going to have school dances she's going to need dresses for...Meredith is going to want to redo kitchens..." The Chief replied. "Well not if she burns cookies but my point is. You can afford to take care of them and make them happy. But are you ready to?"

"That's all I want to do." Derek whispered.

"Then you my friend...will be whipped too." The Chief laughed, shaking his head a little.

"I already am." Derek laughed.

"Welcome to the club...care to share your initiation story?"

"I'm buying a condo."

"You are officially whipped. Meredith's idea?"

"Her idea was a hotel."

"A hotel? You can't raise an eleven-year-old in a hotel?"

"I think she was referring to place for us to have sex."

"Oh...I see."

"Too much information?" Derek laughed.

"A little bit." The Chief nodded. "Well, if you actually plan on marrying her or something you should probably introduce her to Adele. She would march down here and kill you if she couldn't meet Meredith."

"You haven't even met her."

"I'll just meet her when Adele does."

"She's amazing." Derek smiled.

"I'm sure she is." The Chief replied, looking down at his watch.

"Somewhere to be?"

"I have to pick up salt and lunch meat on the way home."

"See now that...I don't have to do." Derek laughed, closing his laptop.

"Yeah well you're going to have to deal with two women...have fun with that."

"Two amazing...beautiful women."

"You're wrapped around their fingers."

"I did take her daughter to a concert that her mother grounded her from..."

"Before you know it, you're going to be dancing to that Hannah Montana character and knowing all the words." He laughed, before looking up at Derek. "You..."

"What?" Derek smiled.

"You know all the Hannah Montana character's songs, don't you?"

"No..."

"I've known you since your intern year Derek...you're lying to me."

"I am not...I know no Hannah Montana songs."

"Then what do you know?"

"High School Musical."

"You're beyond repair." The older man shook his head. "You have fun with that."

"I'll have fun with my condo that I probably purchased just for sex." Derek smiled.

"You always make it so easy for me to walk out of our conversations." He said, walking to the door.

"Enjoy your pink bathroom!"

"Enjoy your smaller bank account!"

"Yeah, enjoy your new family...I hope you don't spoil your new daughter too much!"

"Don't worry about that...take care of your dog!" Derek laughed, as the Chief closed his office door. As much as Derek had wanted to avoid the conversation Richard was trying to have with him, it made him realized just how committed he was to this. Just how much he wanted to take care of Meredith and Dawsyn for the rest of their lives.