Chapter 57: Meeting Derek's Mom

Meredith's head was aching, it was now seven in the morning New York time, and they were now close to his mother's house. Her body was aching after only two hours of sleep and with that, her heart was beating outside of her chest as she bit her nails. She was going to meet his mother, the woman who raised him and made him the man he was which was great, except she was officially freaking out, bad because her stomach was hurting.

"Are we there yet?" Dawsyn yawned, waking up from the back seat, she was the only one who had gotten a fair amount of sleep between the airline gate and her seat on the plane.

"Almost." Derek replied as they drove along the main road in the town Derek grew up in.

"Mommy is freaking out." Dawsyn sighed.

"I know she is." Derek said, reaching over and rubbing Meredith's hand.

"I am not! I'm not freaking out...I'm not." Meredith insisted quickly, before biting the tip of her nail.

"Relax, Mer." Derek laughed.

"I'm relaxed."

"You're biting your nails and fidgeting like a four-year-old. You're not relaxed."

"I...I'm not four."

"Relax."

"I'm sure Grandma has breakfast made." Derek replied.

"Grandma." Meredith and Dawsyn breathed in Unison.

"She probably made pancakes." Derek smiled. "Or waffles."

"I know you do."

"Just be polite Daws...and say please and thank you and...yes ma'am and no...don't say anything embarrassing." Meredith warned.

"Mommy's freaking out." Dawsyn giggled.

"I am not." Meredith crossed her arms, looking like Derek pulled in front of a house.

"Yes you are...And we're here." Derek smiled. putting the car in park.

"Oh God..." Meredith gasped.

"See...freaking out." Dawsyn laughed.

"Daws, why don't you grab your backpack out of the trunk?" Derek suggested. "Mommy and I will be right there."

"Okay." Dawsyn yawned, before getting out of the car.

"Take a deep breath." Derek whispered, taking Meredith's hand.

"I can't feel my legs."

"Mer...It's going to be okay...My mom is going to love you and Daws...just...relax okay?"

"I can't feel them, and your mother is inside and she's probably expecting some exotic model or...a saint."

"An exotic model?"

"She could be from Brazil...or you know...Spain..."

"Meredith, stop it." Derek laughed.

"I'm just saying..."

"Let's go inside."

"Inside?" Meredith gasped. "Like inside with your mom?"

"I think that's what we came here for."

"I got my bag." Dawsyn replied, opening the car door.

"Deep breaths." Derek whispered, getting out of the car and going around to her side.

"Shut up you've never had to meet your boyfriends' mother." Meredith groaned.

"I'm not even replying to that." Derek laughed, grabbing his bag from the car.

"Mommy...maybe Grandma will like you."

"Not maybe. She will." Derek said as they walked up to the door.

"Can I knock?" Dawsyn asked.

"Yup." Derek nodded.

"Oh God..." Meredith whispered as Dawsyn knocked.

"It's okay..." Derek whispered, rubbing her back.

"Oh...my..." An older woman, opened the door, her hair was slightly gray as she looked at the three standing before her. "Derek...Dear..."

"Mom." Derek grinned.

"Derek..." Carolyn opened her arms wide, pulling her only son into her arms and kissing his cheek. "Derek...Dear...oh I missed you so much."

"I missed you too." Derek chuckled, hugging his mother.

"Oh...Dear..." His mother clasped her hands together after breaking the hug with her son, immediately looking down at Dawsyn.

"Mom...This is Dawsyn." Derek smiled.

"Are you my grandma?"

"Dawsyn." Meredith put a hand over her face.

"Derek...Derek is my Daddy and you're his mom so...you're my grandma." Dawsyn smiled, looking up at the older woman.

"Oh..." The older woman chuckled, looking up at her son. "Well, then I guess that clearly makes me Grandma."

"Hi Grandma. You can call me Daws."

"Well, It is lovely to meet you Daws." Carolyn laughed.

"You too." Dawsyn smiled, giving her a little hug.

"And you must be Meredith..." Derek's Mom looked up, a smile spread across her face.

"Meredith..." Derek laughed, nudging her gently with his elbow."

"Oh...I'm Meredith." She held her hand out, shaking the woman's hand before Carolyn pulled her into a hug.

"It's so nice to finally meet you." Carolyn said.

"It's nice to meet you to." Meredith smiled, her heart beating faster.

"Derek...she's gorgeous."

"I know." Derek smiled.

"Derek...well Daddy says Mommy and I are almost the same person." Dawsyn giggled. "And then one time he said..."

"Dawsyn..." Meredith nudged her, knowing the rest of the story.

"You guys got a lot of snow." Derek said, changing the subject as they stepped inside and put their bags down.

"We did...the weather man said at least seven inches just last night."

"Is there more coming?"

"Possibly." His mother nodded, an arm around Dawsyn as she looked Meredith up and down. "Well Derek...you certainly have good taste."

"I know." Derek smiled, winking at Meredith.

"Derek isn't really my Daddy." Dawsyn said quickly.

"Oh?" Carolyn giggled, looking up at her son. "Well..."

"Daws, why don't you go get washed up for breakfast?" Derek laughed.

"Daws you have your own bedroom at the top of the stairs and I'm sure...your Daddy...would love to take your bags up in a little while." Carolyn pointed. "The bathroom is just across the hall."

"Okay." Dawsyn smiled, walking across the hall into the small bathroom.

"I um...she's chatty...sorry." Meredith swallowed.

"I don't think anybody can be chattier than Derek was at her age." Carolyn chuckled.

"I wasn't that bad." Derek said.

"Oh...you were as bad as your sisters."

"No I wasn't!"

"You were chatty...I would say now I know where Dawsyn gets it but that's almost impossible." Meredith giggled weakly.

"Now that I've been sufficiently...ganged up on and humiliated...I'm going to take our bags upstairs." Derek laughed.

"Dawsyn's bedroom is Stephanie's old room, Derek." His mother instructed, pointing up the stairs.

"She'll love that pink room." Derek smiled, picking up the bags.

"Can I see it?" Dawsyn asked, looking up at Derek.

"Are you all finished washing up?"

"Yeah...see." Dawsyn sighed, showing off her hands.

"Derek...you should show Dawsyn and I will get to know Dawsyn's mother."

"Okay...We'll be back down soon." Derek smiled, kissing Meredith on the cheek.

"Okay..." Meredith swallowed, looking down at her feet nervously as Derek and her daughter left the downstairs.

"Can I get you some coffee, dear?" Carolyn asked as they headed into the kitchen.

"Oh um...no thanks."

"Water? Juice?"

"No thanks." Meredith clasped her hands together.

"It's wonderful to finally meet you...You and Dawsyn are all Derek ever talks about."

"It's uh...it's great to meet you too."

"Don't be nervous, dear." Carolyn smiled. "I won't bite."

"I know...I just...I know you're not going to bite me." Meredith said quickly, her face turning red. "Not that you actually bite at all but...never mind."

"It's okay." Carolyn laughed. "I know the Shepherd family can seem kind of...intimidating."

"Dawsyn...she doesn't seem worried at all...not about any of this."

"She's going to get along great with all of Derek's nieces and nephews."

"I hope so." Meredith replied quietly.

"Derek never actually told me how you two met." The older woman said, as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

"Oh um...he...I used to work in a book store and he came in...to buy books." Meredith said quickly.

"Sounds like the beginning of a great love story." Carolyn smiled.

"Oh...I um...not...well..." Meredith stopped. Cheesy. That is where Derek got all of his cheesiness. "Yeah."

"He's absolutely crazy about you."

"I um...I'm crazy about him too." She admitted.

"You sure you don't want a cup of coffee, dear?"

"I'm sure."

"Have you scared off my girlfriend yet?" Derek asked, coming back into the kitchen, wrapping his arms around Meredith.

"Why would I want to do that?" His mother chuckled, her eyes on Meredith. "She's a beautiful girl Derek."

"Hmm...Yes she is." Derek smiled, kissing Meredith's cheek.

"She's rather shy..."

"Shy?"

"She's so quiet." The older woman smiled warmly at Meredith. "Dear...your our family now. You have nothing to worry about."

"Oh...I'm okay..." Meredith frowned.

"Told you." Derek whispered, kissing behind her ear.

"Is Dawsyn okay?" Meredith whispered.

"She's great...Just checking out her room."

"Meredith...does Dawsyn like waffles?"

"Oh she loves them." Meredith let a light smile grace her face.

"Waffles are her favorite." Derek said, his arms still around Meredith's waist.

"Well since it is still early, how about I have Dawsyn help me make them?" His mother suggested.

"She would love that."

"Well...why don't you two get some rest...you look like you haven't slept a bit...both of you." His mother replied. "And send Ms. Dawsyn down here to help me."

"Oh..." Meredith looked up at Derek.

"Nap time." Derek smiled.

"Are you sure?" Meredith looked to his mother.

"It'll give me some time with my new granddaughter." Carolyn smiled. "Go ahead upstairs."

"I...your...okay." Meredith's voice shook, as Derek took her hand.

"We won't be asleep to long." Derek smiled, as he lead Meredith toward the stairs.

"Take your time!" She chuckled. "Send Daws down!"

"Okay!" Derek called, as Daws ran down the stairs past them and they headed upstairs to his room

"Are you sure this is okay?" Meredith asked, as she made her way into a room, the walls were white and blue with a small queen-sized bed in the middle.

"Why wouldn't it be okay?" Derek asked, shutting the door.

"I just...your mother thinks I'm shy and...Dawsyn isn't shy and I'm tired."

"We're taking a nap."

"A nap...right."

"Come here..." Derek whispered, slipping off his pants and sweater before getting onto the bed.

"What?" She frowned, sitting back onto the bed.

"Lie down."

"Your Mom hates me."

"Meredith..." Derek laughed. "Come here."

"I could barely even get out complete sentences."

"You were nervous. I think she understands that."

"She understands that she hates me...put your pants on."

"No...I'm taking a nap."

"She probably thinks I'm some slut who is up here giving you a blow job."

"She thinks we're sleeping...which is what we should be doing."

"In the same bed?"

"Yes..."

"Fine sleeping...but she hates me."

"She does not hate you."

"She probably thinks I'm some uneducated girl who can't talk in full sentences."

"She knows you're nervous, Mer." Derek whispered, as she finally got into bed with him.

"A nervous idiot."

"A nervous girlfriend."

"Daws makes a better first impression."

"Dawsyn isn't meeting her boyfriend's mother for the first time."

"Oh God."

"Please...please relax." Derek whispered, kissing her neck lightly.

"I'm really tired." She whispered.

"That's why we're in bed."

"Your Mom is downstairs...so don't try and pull anything funny."

"Like what?" He smirked.

"You know what."

"We're taking a nap."

"Yes, we are." She whispered.

"Sleep..." Derek whispered, kissing her cheek as she curled up next to him. Her nervousness was really cute. Totally and completely cute and just made him love her even more. Knowing that she wanted his family to like her, showed him how much she loved him and that this really was for real.