Love Don't Cost A Thing

35.

Derek sighed.

There she was, her legs curled up under her as she looked straight ahead at nowhere. They were just starting to get better and now they were to square one. She looked as broken as ever.

"Mer.." Derek said softly as he walked over to the bed.

"Don't...talk, just don't." Meredith whispered as she buried her head under the pillow. Derek sighed as he lay next to her.

"Ok." Derek said softly as he pulled the pillow away from her and put his arm around her waist, pulling her to him. She was tense, she was cold. Then she started to relax the more Derek's hand roamed the side of her body, the more he pecked soft kisses on her neck. "No talking." Derek murmured as he pulled her body to frame his.

He heard a sniffle and then all the sudden Meredith was facing him.

"How can he just..." Meredith let out a sob as she buried her head in his chest, letting the sobs out as Derek held her and soothed her. "Why? Why me? Why does this have to happen to me?" Meredith sobbed.

"I don't know Mer...i don't know." Derek said sadly as he held her.

"I just want...a normal life." Meredith sobbed.

"Me too Mer, me too." Derek said as tears shined his eyes. Thatcher needed to learn a lesson...Derek couldn't believe that man would show up after being gone for 12 years. If Derek was him, he would have had common sense to stay away, especially what had happened a month ago.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thatcher stood outside of the house that used to be his and sighed.

He had to go home now and tell Suzan that this just wasn't going to work and he shouldn't have even tried. This was so stupid of him. But Suzan could tell that he missed his daughter and son that he had left. Thatcher wondered where Ben could be and what he looked like. He had already seen what Meredith looked like from the news...she had grown up to be a beautiful girl and he was so sad that that had to happen to her...the rape or the almost rape...His own daughter...that he had left. He felt so guilty.

Thatcher sighed and turned around to leave and then stopped in his tracks. Ellis was walking up the stairs. Ellis looked up and saw him, freezing.

"You just never give up, do you?" Ellis said coldly as she marched up the stairs.

"Ellis...i'm sorry...i just need to see her! She almost got raped, out daughter-"

"No! She is not your daughter, Thatcher! She stopped being your daughter when you left her." Ellis said as she marched passed him towards the door.

"Ho-how's Ben?" Thatcher asked, turning to Ellis.

Ellis stopped where she stood. He didn't know...of course he had been across the country when Ben had died. Ellis felt tears coming to her eyes...her son, her poor baby son.

Ellis turned to Thatcher slowly. He saw the tears in her eyes and his eyes got wide. Ellis Grey never showed emotion, never cared.

"He's dead Thatcher." Ellis said.

Thatcher took a step back. Ben had only been one when he left...but he had still loved that baby boy so much...

"Wh-what?" Thatcher said. "When?" Thatcher asked breathlessly.

"Almost 9 years ago." Ellis swallowed the lump in her throat.

"9-9 ye-years?" Thatcher stammered.

"Yes. Molested, raped, and that almost happened to Meredith...but he was 5..." Ellis frowned. "He was 5 and he gets molested in a park bathroom and i didn't even notice! How horrible a mother am i? I was right outside the bathroom..." Ellis let out a sob.