Derek's POV
I was riding a high that could only be achieved by being with my daughter. I think for the first time in years, a smile fully reached my eyes. I hadn't had the chance to talk to Mark yet as he was wrapped up with his mentor Dr. Stanley in an early morning surgery. I couldn't wait to call my dad and tell him about my daughter and meeting her yesterday.
"Good morning you" Leah, a girl I started my internship with and who had become a good friend, said smiling as she opened the locker next to mine.
I smiled at her "Good morning"
She emptied the contents of her bag into the locker pulling out snacks and stuffing them into the small shelves.
"You seem happier or something." she stated turning her gaze my way.
"I am" I told her honestly with a grin.
Leah and I had a thing at one point. It never got serious because I didn't have it in me to get serious with another woman since Meredith. It never felt right or I never felt what I knew I was capable of feeling. I cut things off before either of us got too involved even though I know I hurt her. We've remained friends and a lot of our other friends are routing for us to give a relationship a shot. That is completely out of the question now for me but I see the way she looks at me and I know she still thinks about it.
"Want to tell me why?" she prodded.
"Not yet." I responded honestly.
"You are a perplexing man Derek" she commented with a smirk.
"I'm glad I keep you interested" I told her slyly.
"You have no idea just how interested" she continued. We would usually flirt like this and it was always harmless and meant very little to me but now knowing I had a daughter and knowing that a lot of the days I worked, Meredith was here in this building, I didn't want to do it anymore.
I nodded at her "I'll see you later" I told her, grabbing my stethoscope and making my way out of the locker room. I knew I threw her off her game but I wasn't interested in playing anymore. I made it past the nurse's station when I felt a presence.
"Shep, surgeries canceled" Dr. Peterson told me as he passed me in the hallway.
"Why?" I asked following him as he made his way through the corridor of the hospital
"No free ORs and a trauma case came in. We are the unlucky bastards who got dumped." he told me matter-of-fact.
"Dammit" I cursed. This was going to be a good one and another opportunity I got to fly solo.
"Yep. So let me use this as an opportunity to remind you that the neuro department needs your decision about the fellowship."
"Did Richard put you up to this?" I asked
"You know you need to make your decision. I'm growing impatient myself." he told me.
"Well, don't be. I'm staying." I told him.
"Really?" he looked at me surprised.
"Really" I nodded in confirmation.
"Hmmm, well alright then. You'll need to formally accept and meet with HR but I have your word?"
"You do" I told him and reached out my hand. He shook it and smiled "Good." he nodded.
"I'm going to get some sleep. I'll have the nurses page you when I get confirmation on what time we're rescheduled for."
"Thank you sir." I told him and he threw his hand up in acknowledgement as he left me in his dust.
I wasn't counting on having a morning free and decided I should probably check in with my dad. I would mostly talk to him about my life. He was easier to talk to and he saw the world differently than I did. My mom and I could be much too similar.
I could use some privacy for our conversation and left Seattle Grace to sit in my car. I made sure my pager was turned all the way up incase I got the page I was waiting for but decided this was going to be an intense conversation and I didn't want any of the gossips around the hospital making up rumors from fractured pieces of conversation they may or may not hear.
My dad answered on the third ring "Hey Derek" he greeted. He sounded like his usual chipper self. My dad chose to be happy despite the cards life dealt him.
"Hi dad" I was sure he could hear the grin in my hello.
"How are you son?" he asked.
"I'm great dad. I'm really great." I told him honestly.
"Well, I've been waiting for this call. Fill me in." he told me. I could tell my dad was truly interested in hearing about how my life has evolved since our last conversation when I dropped the bomb on him that Meredith Grey, our Meredith Grey is in Seattle.
"I talked to Meredith and um she filled me in on some huge news. I uh, I'm a dad." I told him. There was silence on the other end.
"I have a daughter. I've met her. I love her. You and Ma will love her. She's beautiful, really beautiful and curious and she does ballet and likes the color pink-"
"Derek hold on" my dad cut me off.
I was silent.
"I think I need to sit down for this." he told me and I could hear him adjusting and I heard my mom coming and speaking with him. He muttered something back to her.
"Derek, I'm going to put the phone on speaker. Can you repeat what you just told me to your mom? I think she needs to hear this." my dad continued.
"Derek Christopher what is going on?" my mom asked nervously. Understandably, my family doesn't like news.
"Hi Ma. I was just telling dad that uh, well Meredith lives in Seattle. She actually has this whole time."
"Your dad did say something the other week." she responded nervously. Meredith was a sore subject and one we didn't speak about.
"Meredith and I talked and she was pregnant when I left her. I didn't know. I obviously didn't know but I do now and I have a daughter." I repeated.
"You have a daughter." my mom repeated slowly.
"Yes, she's perfect Ma. She's just so perfect." I told her and felt my eyes fill with tears.
"Are you sure?" Ma asked.
I scoffed, "Yes, I'm sure." I was firm and annoyed by the question.
"No, of course. I didn't mean to imply anything. I'm just shocked Derek, that's all."
"It's shocking news. Wonderful news but wow, we have a granddaughter in Seattle." my dad chimed in easing the tension.
"You both will love her. I already love her so much." I told my parents honestly.
"Of course we will" my dad agreed.
"How old is she? What's she like? Oh Derek, what is our granddaughter's name?" my mom asked, suddenly getting excited.
"She's four years old. She'll be five in March and she's extraordinary. She does ballet and she's funny and serious and she's so girly. It's hilarious. It's the exact opposite of Meredith. She loves pink and unicorns and she wears tutu's casually and her room looks like a princess or fairy threw up all over it."
"Oh Derek," my mom sighed. She was happy but emotional.
"What's her name, son?" my dad asked, full of emotion. If they were emotional now, I knew it would intensify after I revealed the truth.
"It's Amelia Grey." I told them quietly.
I heard my mom let out a sob.
"Our granddaughter Amelia" my dad breathed
"Meredith actually calls her Mia if that's easier." I told them quietly.
"Amelia Grey. I hope it suits her." my mom told me. She wasn't mad about the name. I think she was proud.
"It is unbelievable how well it does. I see Amy in her. When you look into her eyes, it's like looking at Amy when she was that age. It doesn't hurt like you think it would." I admitted.
"Well, we have to meet her, Derek. We need to book flights." Ma told me.
"I want you to, I want you both to come visit but this is so new. I just met her yesterday and I need to talk to Meredith about it."
"I agree. This is a lot of change for her and for Mia. You need to settle into this and once things are established and comfortable, then we'll come." my dad told me. He was always the voice of reason.
I heard my mom argue with him as she was excited and wanted to jump on the first plane out here.
"Wait Derek. I got so lost in the excitement of this that I didn't even ask. Why did Meredith keep this from you? From us?" she asked, getting passionate.
"Ma, you know why. I forgive her and she's forgiven me. Let's just focus on what's here now." I told my mom.
In all honesty, I didn't think my mother had a right to even suggest being angry at Meredith over this. My mom discarded her and our family took off. If I could move forward, so could they.
The call continued for another 30 minutes or so. Within 10 minutes of it ending, my phone started blowing up with texts from my sisters. I rolled my eyes but I expected it. Now my family knows and it felt good to share. I just needed to get through the day and then I could see my daughter and Meredith and have dinner with her family. My life was looking up.
Meredith's POV
My dad was accepting of Derek coming into Mia's life, Susan was the problem. I guess my dad felt he had no room to judge Derek's situation, when he himself abandoned a child he knew about for so many years. My dad was a lot of things, but a hypocrite wasn't one. Susan, however, was roaring and roaring loudly.
"I want to be welcoming to him, Meredith sweetie, I really do. I just keep thinking about the day you showed up here, abandoned and alone and so scared. And now, you seem so hopeful and if he let you down once, he'll do it again." Susan reasoned as she moved plates down from the cabinet for dinner. Derek would be here in 15 minutes, and she still wasn't fully onboard, but cooked a feast anyways.
"It's not about me Susan, it's about Mia." I told her quietly. Mia was just upstairs playing with her stuffed animals and having quiet time and I didn't want her overhearing any of this.
My dad came in from his library "It smells good in here. Roasted Chicken was a great idea." He told Susan and kissed her cheek.
Susan smiled at him tightly.
"It's about you too. I would die if I ever had to see you that heartbroken again." Susan continued as she stirred the mashed potatoes and checked on the carrots.
My dad looked between us and smiled at me sympathetically "Susan, this was Meredith's decision. We have to support that decision and we do." My dad told her. It was a weird line because Susan was my stepmother, but my relationship with both were equal due to the long period of time I didn't have a relationship with my father.
"Of course, we support our daughter." Susan responded frustrated. She treated me like I was hers when she really didn't have to, and I was grateful.
"I'm okay Susan and Mia is more than okay. I'm just asking you to give him a chance as nothing more and nothing less than Mia's dad who wants to be in her life now that he knows about her." I told Susan
My dad looked at Susan "You can do that" he told her softly.
"Yeah, I can try to do that. I'm still not 100% on board with this and I think he has a lot to make up for." Susan relented, her hands on her hips and her brow furrowed. This wasn't going to be easy.
"He does, but let's give him the chance to." Thatcher commented and gave me a patient look. He walked a fine line with me, but he had been nothing but supportive when I came to him five years ago, and slowly we've been able to build some sort of relationship.
Susan nodded, still not 100% happy but at least in agreement to not murder Derek upon his arrival.
She held her hands up in surrender and I looked at her sternly "Just be nice, for Mia. I'm just fine and I'll be just fine Susan. Give me a little credit here" I reminded her again and ran upstairs to grab Mia before she could respond. I was strong and I would be strong whether Derek was in my life or not. I needed her to get that.
Mia chose a baby pink unicorn dress for dinner and asked to put her flower crown in her hair, I of course obliged and kissed the top of her head. She was precious.
"Mommy, can we go outside and dance around the blueberry bushes like we did last week?" Mia asked.
"Sure!" I told her with a grin. I would do anything to keep her happy and innocent in this life.
Mia meandered around the yard, and I spun her around each time she asked. She was magical and I had no idea where she got her spirit from, but I enjoyed every moment of it. When I was with my daughter, nothing else mattered and my sole focus was on her and being the best mom I could be. I lost track of time and tended to block out the outside world, like the fact that Derek would be arriving any moment and I wanted to be the one to meet him outside and give him the warning about Susan. However, I got caught up in Mia and barely heard Derek over her laughter as I twirled her, and her dress did the swirl thing that she loves so much.
"Hi" I heard, and I looked over to see his grinning face. Derek was standing there with a lightness in his face, I hadn't seen in a very long time. He looked genuinely happy.
"Daddy!" Mia screeched and ran into his arms. He hugged her tightly. Susan and Thatcher came out of the house and Susan had her arms crossed. Both seemed surprised at how bonded Mia and Derek already seemed. They looked taken aback. Susan dropped her arms to her side and my dad smiled slowly.
Derek spoke with Mia softly who nodded enthusiastically at everything he said. In one swoop he picked her up and held her against him.
"It's beautiful out here." Derek stated to all of us
"Thank you." Susan replied simply and smiled slightly.
"Do you like blueberries, Derek?" Thatcher asked to which Derek responded that he loved them. It sent my dad on a 10-minute tour of the blueberry patch. Derek held Mia against him as he and my dad walked through the bushes and dad gave him a full tour of his garden and the entire backyard.
Susan ushered me inside "Come help me with dinner, Meredith." She stated and I followed her into the house.
"Derek brought those and these" Susan stated pointing to the flowers on the countertop and the pie on the stove.
"That was nice" I told her.
She nodded "It is. Mia seems pretty taken with him." Susan told me.
"Yeah, I wasn't sure how it would go yesterday but he's good with her. It's a little annoying." I told Susan honestly.
She laughed "Mia's happier. I mean she's a happy child, but somehow, she's happier. I didn't think that was possible." Susan told me, finally seeming to understand why she had to give Derek a chance.
"Yeah" I breathed. It hurt a little to think that I wasn't enough. I know that in a way I was, but I couldn't make up for two parents and I couldn't make up for a little girl needing her dad. I knew it was an important relationship, I was still repairing my own relationship with my dad.
The backdoor opened and my dad and Derek and Mia came bounding through the door and into the kitchen.
"Mommy!" Mia screeched and reached for me. I held her tightly against me. She was getting bigger, but I relished in the moments she wanted to be close to me.
"Papa said daddy can come pick blueberries with us this weekend, but we gots to get up really early because daddy has an early surgery." Mia told me animatedly.
"That sounds fun, but it's have baby, not gots" I corrected her.
Mia rolled her eyes and we all laughed. There was something adorable about a kid that size emulating a teenager. She snapped out of it quick, too excited
"And then Papa said that Nana can make us a blueberry cobbler!" Mia continued.
"Oh yeah?" Susan asked and cut a glance at my dad who just shrugged with a sheepish grin.
Derek smiled, he seemed comfortable with the entire situation and always had this magnetism that other people drooled over. It appears my dad wasn't immune to the Derek Shepherd charms himself.
Thirty minutes later, we finally sat down for dinner and there was an awkward silence when Mia stopped chatting and began to eat. She was a quiet eater, who would eat everything on her plate and didn't like to talk until she was done.
I realized just how good my four-year-old was at making conversation when everyone sat at the table not sure what to say to each other. As we ate, I would catch Derek glancing at me quickly before turning to look at our daughter or either of my parents.
"This is great. Thank you for having me." Derek spoke looking at my parents with a smile.
"I'm glad you like it." Susan replied before pouring some more wine into her glass. She was on glass number three now and I was getting worried that brutally honest Susan was about to rear its head.
She offered some to the group, and I happily obliged for more. She winked at me knowingly and I felt a warm blush come to my cheeks. I wasn't sure if it was from the wine or from having Derek at my dinner table.
"So, Derek, Meredith said that you two grew up as neighbors." Susan stated trying to make conversation.
I watched Derek visibly tense. I hoped that Susan wouldn't bring up Amelia, but I didn't exactly tell her that conversation was off limits.
"We did" he told her.
"You and daddy were neighbors!" Mia gasped. She always listened intensely.
I smiled at her "Yeah, we were back when we lived in Boston. I could see right into his bedroom from mine." I told Mia with a smile and looked over to see Derek smiling but there was a worry behind his eyes.
"Did you play together all the time?" Mia asked.
"Your mommy was younger than me, so we didn't really play together until we got older." Derek told her and smirked at me. We certainly did "play" a lot.
Mia nodded like she understood, but we both knew that she didn't.
"What was Boston like, daddy?" Mia asked.
"Oh, it was amazing. Your mommy and I lived in a smaller town there and we had a large river and riverbank that passed through our backyards. There's not as much nature as there is here though. My dad owns a furniture store, and he makes everything." Derek told her
"Wow!" Mia squealed.
"Yeah, it was something, maybe one day I can take you to go meet your grandparents back East." Derek continued.
Susan made a noise, like she was completely opposed to the idea, and I honestly hadn't even thought of it yet. I wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of Derek talking to Mia about traveling back East. We weren't there yet.
"Meredith said that your parents looked out for her a lot back then." Susan stated. I could tell the wine was making her a little too honest and the conversation around Carolyn and Michael was one that always made her mad. She felt like they turned their backs on me and she was unforgiving of it.
Derek shifted and brought the wine glass to his lips. He was uncomfortable and I tried my best to shoot daggers at Susan to stop and change the subject.
"Mia, do you want more carrots?" I asked, trying my best to get the topic changed but Mia just nodded her head no and watched the table. She understood that something was happening with the conversation and at this point, I was wishing hard that I didn't have such an observant child.
"When she showed up here and told us what happened, as a parent, I was disturbed, and I appreciate you being here Derek. You seem like a very nice guy, but I know a little more than the average person would about you and your parents." Susan stated.
Derek nodded thickly "That was the worst time period in my life and the worst for them as well." Derek told her evenly. He was uncomfortable and didn't want to have this conversation. Mia watched intensely.
"It wasn't exactly a walk in the park for Meredith either. Her best friend died. She was abandoned by you, abandoned by her second family, abandoned by her mother, pregnant, alone and forced to move across the country." Susan said with a scoff.
"She's the strongest person I've ever known." Derek stated and looked directly at me. I held his gaze before Susan spoke and brought his attention back to her.
"She is, that we can agree on. Are you even sorry for the role you played?" Susan asked with her voice slightly raised. My dad was silent. I wished more than anything that he would speak up and shut this down.
"Mia, let's go outside please." I stated, moving from the table to grab my daughter. I didn't want her hearing about any of this and I knew that Susan was being protective, but I asked her to be nice for her granddaughter. Mia wanted to stay, but I grabbed her and left the room. I felt Derek's eyes on us as we left.
Twenty minutes later, Derek emerged from the house. He looked tired.
"Hey" I said to him as I pushed Mia on her swing set.
"Hi" He replied, offering a slight smile.
"I'm sorry about Susan and leaving you there to deal with it. I didn't want Mia-" I started.
"You don't have anything to apologize for. Susan and I are fine now." He told me but I didn't fully believe him.
"You are?" I asked and his smile wavered, not wanting to lie to me.
"I think it's going to take some time. She's protective of you and I get it." Derek told me.
I nodded, conscious that Mia was looking at us.
"Mia, do you want to show your dad the park up the street we love?" I asked her and her eyes lit up.
"Yes!"
"Come on then" I replied, and Derek took her one hand, and I took the other. We told him where to go and I enjoyed hearing him and Mia chat. They were both big talkers and I liked just listening. It was nice.
Mia loved the park and entertained herself with the slides, the monkey bars and seesaw. Derek was so present for it all, he played with her, and her laughter filled the air. I watched them from a park bench until Mia made it known that she wanted my participation too.
The slide here was pretty big and I sat her on my lap, and we went down the slide together, Derek stood at the end and took a video of us, grinning the entire time. A while later a boy around Mia's age joined her and Derek and I took a seat on the bench, watching.
"How rough was the conversation with Susan and my dad?" I asked.
Derek scratched the top of his head "It was more eye-opening than anything." He told me.
I looked at him and he gazed ahead watching our daughter.
"Eye-opening?" I asked
"Yeah, I uh - I'm in awe of you." he told me and his eyes held an emotion I hadn't seen before.
I blushed.
"I am. You're a force of nature. I was lucky to love and be loved by you Meredith. I really was and I took it for granted and even now, the fact that you're even conversing with me after everything."
"Derek, I told you before, I don't live there anymore. My life is happy and it's full. I move forward."
"You do and you get the rest of us to move forward too. Susan and I don't have to be best friends and her feelings are valid. It is not going to deter me from being in Mia's life or yours."
"It's not?"
"Of course not. I love our daughter and I will always love you."
"You shouldn't say that." I told. I didn't think I could handle those words.
"Why not? It's the truth. I never moved on Mer. I'm not capable of loving another woman. I would be with you right now if-"
"Derek, don't say it. It's just the wine and I can't handle you meaning any of this." I told him with a sad smile.
"I won't say it if you don't want me to but it's not the wine. It's you." he told me
"I want to talk about ballet." I told him shifting so I could see Mia better.
"Okay, let's talk about ballet."
"Mia's good. You're actually in for quite a performance."
"I bet I am" he told me with a grin.
We talked about our daughter and it was simple and pure and exactly what I needed.