New Beginnings

Chapter 20

Meredith sat at the at the kitchen table, filling out application forms. Morgan was fast asleep in her bouncer as Meredith sighed in frustration.

"What you doing?" Derek asked as he walked in, buttoning up his shirt as he walked over to Meredith and kissed the side of her head. He quickly looked over her shoulders and reached for her mug. "Jobs applications?" He asked in a questioning tone.

"Yeah." She said reaching back for her coffee. "I know Morgan is still young but I will eventually need to go back to work, I can't keep sitting round as my brain will turn to mush." She sighed as she relaxed under Derek's touch as he began massaging her shoulders.

"I thought you wanted to be a surgeon? I mean you've completed medical school so why don't you come and speak to Richard?" He said as he took a seat next to her.

"It's a lot of hours, I mean I would be away from Morgan so much. I don't want her to forget about me, I don't want to turn into my mother." Meredith replied, allowing Derek to see her vulnerable side for once.

"I get it, but you aren't alone. You've got me, I will reduce my hours until yours are relaxed. I mean it will be a few years, but I've had my time to shine, it's your turn now. Then when I have surgeries, we've got my mom and dad, I mean, there's Finn as well." Derek said, forcing the last sentence out.

"You'd do that for me?" Meredith asked, reaching out to squeeze Derek's hand.

"Of course." He smiled at her, reaching up to brush the hair behind her ears before leaning to kiss her quick.

They were interrupted when they heard the knocking at the door.

"Expecting someone?" Derek asked as he frowned with confusion.

"Oh shit, Finn. I completely forgot." Meredith stood up out of her seat and moved towards the front door. Derek following closely behind.

"Hey Finn." Meredith said as she opened the door, smiling politely at him.

"Hey Meredith. Derek." He turned to face him, staring him down.

"Finn." Derek approached him before reaching his hand out. "Fresh start? For Meredith and Morgan's sake." Derek said as he waited for Finn to shake his hand.

Meredith stood back and watched as the two of them settled their tension, finally shaking hands.

"So Morgan is actually sleeping at the minute but you're welcome to stay until she wakes up." Meredith said as she moved to Derek's side, wrapping her arm around his waist.

"Oh well." Finn looked down at his watch. "I'm actually meeting my girlfriend in a bit, so I was just hoping to see her quick. But if she's sleeping then I will just come and see her next weekend." He said as he took out his phone and began typing quickly.

"What?" Meredith asked as she frowned at him.

"Well I don't want to make her and I do have plans so." He simply shrugged his shoulders as he put his phone away.

"That's your daughter." Meredith pointed out.

"Yeah and?" He simply replied back, clearly struggling to see Meredith's point.

Feeling Derek make a move towards him, Meredith pulled him back, grabbing his hand that was balling into a fist.

"You should go." Meredith said as she opened the door, waiting for Finn to leave.

"Yeah, right, might see you next week then. I'll let you know. See you round Meredith." He said as he walked out the door with Meredith slamming the door behind him.

"He just makes me so fucking angry!" Meredith exclaimed loudly, her body filled with rage.

"I get it. I do, it's not your fault. He has priorities messed up and he will live to regret it, but Morgan has you so she is the luckiest little girl in the whole world." He said as he cupped her cheeks in his hands.

"And she has you." She said leaning into his touch. "I couldn't ask for a better father for our little girl. Just thank you." She leaned up and pressed her lips to his, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I love you." Derek said in between kisses.

"I love you too." Meredith replied as they pulled apart, their foreheads resting against one another's.

Their moment was eventually interrupted by Morgan's soft whimpers, causing them to pull apart.

"I'll get her." Derek said as he moved out of Meredith's arms and heading to grab Morgan.

"Here she is." Meredith cheered, as she watched Derek cradle Morgan in his arms, walking towards her. "Come to mommy."

Derek handed her over and watched as Meredith leaned down and kissed Morgan's head, listening as she gurgled back to them.

"We can do this can't we?" Meredith asked as she turned to face him, referring back to their earlier conversation.

"Of course we can. We are a team. A family." Derek replied as he wrapped his arm around Meredith's shoulders.