With reluctance Meredith had agreed to go home with Derek after his weeks of asking and weeks of sympathy, so now she was sat in the passenger seat of his rental car as they drove to his childhood home from the airport. It felt strange being back in Seattle, not that she remembered much about the city but even now 13 years later she felt that horrible feeling that she had never quite let go when she thought of the place. When she was here she didn't see much, mostly her 4 bedroom walls, her school and the hospital where sometimes she'd be left in a locked gallery when her baby sitter wasn't available and her mom had to work.
She was anxious about being back, everything was new to her really and she had never been a fan of change and now she had to spend a week with Derek's family who she didn't know with no privacy, and from what she gathered his family was close knit and praised the ground each and everyone of them walked on. She didn't think they would be horrible to her, at least she hoped they wouldn't be but that didn't mean she still wasn't nervous, she wasn't the type of girl parents liked, she was awkward and dark and craved tequila when she was sad, not exactly a moms bucket list wish for her son. Hell, her own mom didn't even like her so she was really screwed for luck. He had a big family, she knew that, a bigger family than most with 4 sisters and nieces and nephews, she almost smiled at the thought.
"We're about 20 minutes out." Derek smiled, resting his hand on her thigh as he drove.
"Ok." She hummed still staring out of the window.
"Do you want to stop and get something to eat? Or drink?"
"I thought you said your mom was cooking?"
"Well she is but you look like you're about to puke all over this car so if you need to stop we can."
"I'm fine. Just keep driving." Meredith told him with a tight smile.
"Just relax Mer, they're gonna love you I promise."
"You can't promise that. I mean what if I make a kid cry or what if I upset your mom if I don't like her cooking... not that I think she'll be a bad cook or anything but moms don't like me Derek I'm not a mommy person and your a mommy's boy but my mom hates me so how is your mom gonna like me and what about your sisters? They're gonna wanna interrogate me and I can't hold back on what I can say nor do I think about what I say so it's probably best you just drop me off at a coffee shop somewhere and tell them you forgot me and then we can meet up later when your done because..."
"Jesus Christ Mer." He laughed loudly.
"What?" She breathed finally, a frown denting her face.
"Take a breath and calm down. I'm not leaving you at a coffee shop and I'm not telling my mom I forgot about you. You're coming, you're here, you've made the biggest step and I promise my family will love you." He smiled, his hand rubbing her thigh.
"How do you know that? What are you psychic?"
"I just know they will."
"No you don't."
"Yes I do."
"Don't."
"Do."
"Don't."
"Do."
"How?"
"Because I love you." He said quickly, his eyes widening when he realised.
He knew he loved her, he had known for weeks that he was in love with her but he didn't want to scare her so he hadn't told her except now he had. He arguably told her at the worst time possible but he couldn't take it back and honestly he didn't want to.
"What?" She breathed, staring at him deeply.
"I know they'll love you because I love you." He admitted, smiling gently at her.
"Yeah I heard I just.. You love me?"
"I do Mer." He nodded. "I really do."
"Oh." She stared ahead.
He couldn't deny his slight disappointment at her response but he didn't want to force her into anything and he respected that she didn't say it until she knew she was ready. As he drove, the rest of the car ride was silent but he could see Meredith's leg bouncing in the corner of his eye, he knew she was nervous and he didn't blame her although he had a feeling that most of her anxiety was coming from just being back in Seattle, after their fight Meredith had sat down with him and told him about her childhood and what she had experienced and his heart ached for her and that's what made this trip so special for him - she had still agreed to come home with him, putting him before herself.
It wasn't long before he pulled the car up onto a drive way, his childhood home looking back at him as he smiled small. He heard Meredith take a deep breath as her eyes closed.
"Hey, listen to me." He turned and grabbed both of her hands pulling her body to face him.
"If you feel that uncomfortable or you don't want to be here any longer we can go, but I promise you Mer, you will be fine and everyone will love you." He squeezed her hands.
"Okay." She nodded, leaning in to kiss him softly.
"Good. Are you ready?" He asked, brushing a piece of hair behind her ear.
She nodded her head and they both got out of the car not taking in the surrounding area and missing the familiar sense of it. Derek waiting for her as she walked to his side towards his house. Before he even got up the stairs of the porch the door opened quickly.
"Derek." An older woman smiled, she was wearing an apron over her jeans.
"Hey ma." Derek chuckled giving his mom a hug.
"You're hairs longer." She examined him.
"It is."
"You must be Meredith. It's lovely to meet you dear, Derek's told me so much about you." She smiled as she pulled Meredith in for a hug too.
Meredith was surprised by it as she watched Derek hold in a laugh at her reaction.
"You too Mrs Shepherd. You have a lovely home."
"Thank you dear." She smiled, "she is gorgeous Derek, you better keep hold of her."
"I know ma." He nodded.
"Well, Amy is inside and the others aren't here yet but they should be here soon." Carolyn told them as she stood next to Meredith closely.
"Amy's here? Is she not at school?" He frowned, his sister was also a second year med student like Meredith except she was in Dartmouth.
"She is." His mom answered simply. "So hurry up because she's dying to meet Meredith."
Meredith giggled as Derek rolled his eyes and they walked through the hallway to the kitchen, she smiled as Derek held her hand.
"Hey Ames." Derek hugged his sister as she jumped off the kitchen stool.
"Hey derbear." She smirked.
"Amy." He said warningly.
"What?" She played dumb. "Meredith, right?" She turned to Meredith.
"Yeah, um hey." Meredith smiled awkwardly, her fingers playing together.
"You're prettier than I excepted, how did you manage to end up with my dork of a brother." She laughed.
"I guess it was the charm." Meredith giggled.
"Or the tequila." Derek nudged her.
"Shut up!" She stubbed his toe with her foot.
"The charm? My brothers a charmer? Well, well, well derbear." She teased her brother.
"You have your father's charm do you Derek?" His mom joined in.
Meredith laughed at the dynamic between them.
"He did before he spilt all my coffee." She joked.
"Ok now you're just lying, we both know who spilt the coffee." He played with her.
"Maybe it was all in your plan."
"Maybe it was." He laughed.
"You really are a dork Derek." Amelia rolled her eyes.
"Shut it." He played punched her arm.
"Ow!" She shouted as she pinched him back.
"Guys stop it." Carolyn shook her head, "Meredith come sit down hun." She said as she pulled out a chair.
"So, Derek tells me you're a med student too." She smiled.
"Yeah I am. I'm in my second year." Meredith agreed.
"I'm in second year too, in Dartmouth." Amelia joined.
"Really? I actually got into Dartmouth but decided to go to Columbia last minute."
"Do you like it?"
"Yeah, it's busy but."
"Mer is top of her class." Derek smiled proudly with his arm over the back of her chair.
"That's amazing. You know I raised 5 children and 4 of them turned out to be doctors." His mom told Meredith.
"That's pretty cool though! What does your other daughter do?"
"Kathleen's a primary school teacher."
"Oh yeah I remember Derek telling me about her. I wanted to be a teacher when I was younger."
"I think every little girl does."
Carolyn got up to make them all a drink, checking on the chicken that was cooking at the same time.
"Derek told me chicken Alfredo is your favourite Meredith so I made that for today."
"Thank you Mrs Shepherd, you didn't have to."
"I love to cook dear, anything you want just let me know and I'll send you some meals down to school!"
"Mom makes the best cookies ever Mer." Amelia nodded.
"Oh I might need some of those." Meredith laughed.
"Guys stop shouting and just get in the house! Grandma is waiting to see you all." A voice came from the hallway followed by a herd of tiny footsteps.
"Here's trouble." Carolyn said after sitting the cups on the table.
"Grandma! Grandma!" Three kids came running through the door.
"There's my babies." Carolyn bent down and hugged them.
"Grandma look at my tooth!" A girl said as she opened her mouth showing her gappy smile.
"You lost it!"
"Yeah! And I gots money because the tooth fairy wanted it!"
"Wow Ava."
"Hey mom." A dark haired woman walked in.
"Hey Nance. Where's Kath?"
"She's on the phone to Michael outside."
"Ok. This is Meredith, Derek's girlfriend."
"Oh. Hi, I'm Nancy." She observed Meredith quickly.
"Nancy is the oldest sister." Derek told her.
"It's nice to meet you." Meredith smiled as Nancy hummed back making Meredith sink back into her seat.
"Don't be rude Nancy." Carolyn pointed.
"I'm not." She said as another woman entered the kitchen.
Instantly to Meredith she looked familiar, she was heavily pregnant but she definitely looked familiar but she couldn't place it so she shook it off.
"That's Derek's girlfriend." Nancy whispered to her.
"Oh, it's good to meet you. I'm Kathleen." She smiled, although a frown held her face as her head tilted slightly.
"Hi." Meredith shifted uncomfortably.
"Kath come sit down hunny." Carolyn pulled a chair as she helped her daughter sit down.
Meredith could feel the gaze on her from Kathleen. It was awkward, she felt like she knew this woman but she definitely didn't.
"I'm sorry Meredith for staring, you just look so familiar. Where are you from?" She leaned into her chair.
"Oh, I- I'm- I grew up in Boston but I'm actually from Seattle."
"You don't sound like you're from Seattle." Nancy said with tension in her voice.
"I moved to Boston when I was really young." Meredith looked at her lap.
"What's your last name Meredith?" Kathleen asked again, rubbing her stomach.
"Uh- Grey. Meredith Grey." She stuttered.
Both Derek and Meredith watched as his mom's head turned to Meredith quickly.
"What?" Carolyn asked, her hand going over Kathleen's.
"Oh my God." Kathleen breathed staring at her.