Jump Then Fall

29.

Derek Shepherd knew he had made a mistake. A few weeks ago he had a made a promise to his son and to his son's teacher and the woman he was seeing that he would be at his son's Student Body President speech. Instead he had gotten stuck in a budget meeting that had turned into a meeting about changing hospital rules and regulations. And two hours later, he was finally at the school. Except his son was no longer there and he hoped that Meredith was so that he could try to explain to her what had happened. Walking down the hallway to her classroom, the school was nearly empty except for a few teachers in their rooms grading papers or looking up their rooms for the day. "I'm sorry...." Derek breathed, opened the door to the familiar classroom where Meredith was sitting at her desk, sitting back in her chair with her arms crossed, staring straight ahead.

"Get out."

"Let me explain."

"There is nothing to explain." Meredith snapped, keeping her arms crossed.

"You don't have to talk to me. Just listen." Derek sighed, closing the door as he stepped inside.

"I don't have a lot of time."

"I didn't have any control over this...I may be the Chief but when the hospital board says jump..."

"Bullshit."

"Meredith."

"You told me you emailed the board and told them...Callie told me it was something you could have reminded them you couldn't do it...you broke your promise! You fucked up! Don't blame a board of people...my own mother wouldn't have been able to pull that over on me!"

"Oh Callie told you?"

"Yes so don't pull your bullshit over on me and tell someone who believes you Derek."

"I tried to leave...they told me the meeting would be over in time. "

"I spoke to Callie!"

"Callie wasn't in the meeting!"

"She spoke to you before you went in to the meeting...she told me everything!" Meredith shouted right back, her chest turning red under her black dress.

"She wasn't there! I tried to leave!" Derek dropped his briefcase on the floor.

"I don't believe you!"

"I didn't come here to fight with you."

"And I am telling you to get the hell out of my classroom."

"No." Derek refused.

"Derek." Meredith groaned, crossing her arms in the dress she wore especially for him.

"This isn't...I wanted to see my son up there more than anything. I just couldn't get out of this."

"Then you never should have made two promise you couldn't keep!"

"When is his next speech?"

"There isn't one for parents to watch."

"I'm sorry."

"And oh newsflash...thanks for telling me your mother was going to be there because my introduction to her was not smooth at all so you really fucked up!"

"You met my mother?"

"She introduced herself as the woman who knew what we were up to because Leighton always fills her in on when I come over!"

"I forgot she was coming." Derek sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I would have told you."

"Really? Because you told me you were going to be there for Trevor and that was a lie."