New Beginnings

Chapter 5

The bar was busy, music was blaring whilst people danced and sang a long. Glasses were hit together as people cheered with one another, it was loud in here. Derek didn't know why he was here, today has been a slow day, filled with paper work and not much cutting, putting him in a bad mood.

"Shep cheer up!" Derek heard as he felt his best friend, Mark, walk up and slap him playfully on the back. "I mean come on, look at all these beautiful women. What about that one?" He asked Derek as he pointed towards a brunette at the other end of the bar, who was smiling at Derek.

"Hm." Derek shrugged his shoulders before lifting his glass to his lips and savouring the taste of the scotch as its slipped down his throat. He wasn't denying she was pretty, she was, she just wasn't his type. Placing his now empty glass down on the bar, he pushed himself to his feet and grabbed for his jacket.

"You can't be leaving already, you just got here!" Mark complained, frowning as Derek put his coat on.

"Mark, we aren't 21 anymore. I'm not interested in coming to the bar and picking up random women." He looked down quickly at his watch. "Look, I need to head home, early surgery. See you later." He waved a quick goodbye and headed out of the bar, grateful to be hit with the fresh, crisp evening air.

It wasn't as late as Derek expected it to be, but he just needed an excuse to get out of the bar, he loved Mark he did but he was always trying to set him up and he just wasn't interested. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he smiled as he saw the name displayed on the screen.

"Hey ma." Derek spoke cheerfully, always happy to hear from his mother.

"Derek, finally. I've been trying to get a hold of you for days! You better not be spending all your time at that hospital. You need life outside of that place." Carolyn rambled on, giving her the same lecture she always did.

"Ma, relax." Derek giggled to himself. "I've been busy working, yes that's my job, you know, being a surgeon. But I've been spending a lot of time helping Meredith get settled in and get ready for the baby so, plus I've just been out for a drink with Mark." Derek simply replied, kicking a stone down the street.

"Oh that's brilliant son." Derek heard her sigh with relief before pausing, knowing she was about to ask a million questions. "Tell me if I'm being nosey, but who is Meredith exactly?" She asked, mischief in her voice.

"Ma, before you start, she's just a friend. She moved into the apartment opposite me, I've been helping her out as she's all alone. Nothing more, nothing less." Derek frowned as he heard shouting coming from the outside of his apartment building. "Hey ma, I'm going to phone you back." He didn't give her time to answer before he finished the call and tucked his phone into his pocket.

"Meredith Grey I swear if you don't let me in, I'm going to come up their and kick your ass. Pregnant or not." The women continued to shout.

"Can I help you?" Derek asked, frowning at the women standing in front of him.

"No." She turned to face him quick before swishing her head back round, her dark curls falling back over her shoulders. "Meredith!" She screamed again.

Eventually, the main door swung open and a very flustered Meredith stood at the door, her hair in a mess, panting as her was pressed to her stomach.

"Finally!" The young women exclaimed before moving her way past Meredith and inside.

"Cristina, I swear you're going to get yourself arrested one day." Meredith shouted after her, turning back to smile at Derek. "Sorry about that,
actually, sorry about her." She laughed to herself.

"She's a friend I take it?" Derek asked as he, himself, stepped into the apartment.

"Best friend, believe it or not." Meredith smiled, her face wincing up as she placed hands on her back.

"You're back hurting you?" Derek asked, his own hand drifting to her lower back, applying pressure and listening as she sighed in relief.

"Honestly this is why I keep you around." She laughed as leaned into his touch.

"Oh, is that the only reason, nice to feel appreciate." Derek jokingly rolled his eyes, before smirking at Meredith.

"Meredith!" Cristina's voice rang down the steps. "I didn't come all this way to stand and watch you be all over McDreamy! Get up here now!" She shouted, never one to hold back.

"Mcwhat?" Derek asked, confusion displayed on his face. He watched as Meredith's cheeks turned red, clearly embarrassed.

"Ignore her. Just ignore her. Bye Derek." She moved from his side and quickly climbed the stairs as quick as she could. "Cristina I'm going to kill you!" He heard in the distance before the sound of door shutting rang out.

Smiling to himself, he headed into his apartment and threw himself down on to the sofa. It was times like this where he wished he had someone to come home. His own little family. A wife, maybe a couple of kids and a dog, but no. He had made this decision and he had to live with it, which was getting harder and harder as the days passed by.

His heart started pounding as heard Meredith's giggle outside, clearly going out. He couldn't help but smile, glad she wasn't alone, that she had another friend. Seeing her happy made him happy.

Deciding he wanted to surprise her, he pulled out his laptop and started searching for some new born baby essentials. He wanted her to be prepared and he was willing to spend his money of her, she deserved it. They both did.

When he was finally happy with all of his purchases, he pushed himself up and headed into the shower, ready to wash this day away. Climbing out of the shower, he wrapped his towel around his waist when he heard a knocking at his door. Frowning, he walked across his apartment and pulled open his door.

"Hey Derek, we went for ice cream so I..." Meredith'a words drifted off as she noticed his outfit. Or should she say, lack of outfit. The water running down his chiseled body and disappearing beyond the towel. "Coffee ice cream." She took a discrete gulp and handed over the ice cream.

"Amazing thanks, you remembered." He smiled at her, watching as her eyes drifted up and down his body. "So, is that all you came for or..." he asked as he began to lean on the door frame.

"Yeah, I'm going now, bye." She turned quickly and nearly tripped over her own feet. "Yeah bye." She took one last glance at Derek before disappearing behind her door, allowing her head to fall back and hit against it.

She could feel her daughter kicking like mad, clearly not liking how quickly she had just moved but she had to get out of there. Just looking at Derek, just made her want to, yeah.

"He's just a friend, he's just a friend..." Meredith whispered over and over again to herself, trying to remind herself that it couldn't go any further. She couldn't lose him as a friend, she just couldn't.

It didn't help that her hormones were on overdrive right now though. Deciding that she had enough excitement today, she headed to bed. Each of them unaware that the other had fell asleep dreaming of one another.