Never Too Late | Grey's Anatomy AU

3 | The Long and Winding Road

Three Weeks Later

Riley POV:

Derek sees something in me that no one else does; he thinks I'm indescribably beautiful, and he genuinely wants to be friends with me. Someone has suddenly helped me feel beloved. We've hung out a few times and had a great experience, but Meredith has yet to show up. On the first day we were together, I took a photograph of the four of us and printed it out. It was the most clear headed I'd felt in a considerable length of time. I've had such a splendid week at school that I'm beginning to feel like myself again. Jonathan notices my happiness and rejoices with me.

"So you have a brother and a sister, how old are they?" he asks.

"Zola is two, turning three soon and Bailey will be a year in a few months, they're adorable" I show Jonathan pictures of them on my phone.

"Bailey looks a lot like you. I'm glad you found your parents, hopefully, one day I'll find mine" he sighs and I rub his shoulder.

"You will, but always know that I'm here for whenever you wanna eat take out and watch Law and Order until we have school the next day, I'm never letting you go" I smile

Author POV:

Riley has had a good time thus far in her life. She's doing well in school, in both of her jobs, and her life has improved since she initiated her quest for her birth parents, but she has a vague notion that something is missing, and that "something" is her mother.

Meredith POV:

Derek has been ignoring and avoiding me since I told him I didn't want Riley in the house. He's just known her for two minutes and has already developed thoughts and emotions for her, but I can't blame him because he's a father. He clarified he loved me and that he'd do whatever I wanted, but it doesn't affect his feelings about Riley. I'm curious as to what it is about her that makes her so unique. Why is Derek so enamoured with her? She's merely another adolescent, like any other, and that's all there is to it.

Maybe she's had a traumatic childhood, but that doesn't mean we have to intervene right now to ameliorate it. He's going above and beyond with this. He continues to bring the kids with him twice a week to hang out with her while I'm at home alone. I don't have anything against Riley; she hasn't done anything wrong that I'm fully cognizant of. However, things were going so well with just the four of us a few weeks ago that I don't want to incorporate another child to the equation.

Derek POV:

I'm having a lunch break and make the choice to decompress in the attending's lounge. I whip out my phone and dial Riley's number to find out what she's up to. As I see Meredith emerge, there is sudden reduction.

"Hey Ry, whatcha doing?" I ask

"Just sharing a sub with Jonathan for lunch, how about you?" she says

"Just resting, tell Jonathan I said hi, how's school? I say

"Really good! I scored perfect on my biology exam!" She says with excitement in her voice and I'm so proud of her.

"So proud of you honey, great job!" I congratulate her.

"Thanks Derek, is Meredith there? How is she?" she asks and Meredith sits next to me.

"She's great, you know, just really busy with patients" I lie to her.

"It would be so much joy if she came over to hang out with us tomorrow! Maybe we could spend some time as a family together since I haven't seen her in a while?" Meredith does not appear happy and content with her proposition.