If I Knew Then

Home Is Where The Heart Is

By Absent Heart  on Fanfiction.net 

Due to that, this chapter could probably do with some more editing, however if I don't post tonight, I wont have time for a few more days, so extra apologies for any mistakes hidden away..

So here you go, this is the first chapter where the story really gets going...

Home Is Where The Heart Is

Part One

The silence that met Derek when he let himself into his parent's home felt strange after the past few days of noisy festivities. There were no children of any size coming at a run to meet him, and none of his sisters, or brother in laws voices were raised in greeting as he walked through the house towards the kitchen. Kate, Nancy, and Liz had all decamped with their families back to their own homes yesterday, leaving only Amelia which Derek wasn't too proud to admit was a relief.

Lizzie had surprisingly guessed his intention to follow Meredith, however he had no desire to try, and explain his move across the country to either Kate or Nancy. Although Lizzie had accepted it with barely a blink, and he was sure Amelia would follow suit, he knew their reactions would be the exception to the rule. From his older sisters there would be question after question, demands for explanations that he would never be successfully able to meet.

Neither Kate, or Nancy would be able to leave the subject alone until they got the truth out of him, however unwilling he may be to give it. The only way he would be able to keep to what he had agreed with Meredith would be to fall back on what he had used countless times over the past two years when they had pried, and that would be to just simply leave. However, the fact his sisters were such known quantities made it easier to plan ahead, whether it was with what to say, or how to escape from their interrogation.

The reaction he was most uncertain of, would come from the two people whose opinions mattered the most to him. There was not a doubt in his mind that his father had talked with his mother about him, and Meredith, and he wasn't sure what their reaction would be now Meredith had left. If he was confident of one thing it was that his father was the one to thank for his mother's silence so far on the subject, but with Meredith's departure yesterday he could only assume that particular ceasefire was over.

Yesterday, he had been in surgeries pretty much back to back till the early hours of this morning which meant he had missed Meredith's leaving all together. He had planned to follow her to the airport, and see her off away from the prying eyes of his family. Instead, he had emerged from his final surgery to see a simple text explaining she would call tomorrow. Now tomorrow was today, and he had been scared to let his phone out of his sight in case he missed her call.

He hated the waiting, it reminded him far too much of the previous time she had left him with no goodbye, and had gotten on a plane to Seattle. The same feeling of having no control, knowing everything that mattered, your very future was in someone else's hands. He had to constantly remind himself that this time was different, Meredith was letting him in, she was talking, where as before he had been shut out of her life long before her feet had touched ground in Seattle.

"Hello son, this is a pleasant surprise."

Derek had only just stepped across the threshold of the kitchen when his father came through the back door.

"Hey Dad, is Mom not around?"

"She's just taking some leftovers to Mr Webb over the road, she'll be back presently. Are you in a rush?"

"No rush, I'm not due in till one. Is Amy about?"

"She's gone to Liz, and Rob's. I think they both got a bit too used to having Meredith home again. Amelia actually moaned the house was too quiet last night!"