NEVER LEAVING YOUR HEART ALONE

LOSS

"Ian, what's wrong?" Meredith said in a panic. Derek looked over at her in confusion.

"Ian? Why is Ian calling?" Derek snapped. Jealously washed over him as he looked at the concern on her face.

"Ian! What is wrong?" She insisted again, ignoring Derek.

"Dad- It's dad. He's- He's dead." Ian said quickly before the sobs began again.

"What? Oh no..." Meredith said sadly as her eyes teared up. "Why? What- What happened?" She asked compassionately. She and Ethan were close he was the closest to a father that she had ever had before Richard.

"It was an aneurysm. Brain aneurysm." He spat out as he continued to cry. "They're both gone. My mum and dad are both gone..." He trailed off.

"Ian. It's okay, you're okay." Meredith said softly as she wiped her tears. "Everything will be fine."

"Meredith, I'm so sorry." Ian said apologetically.

"For what?" She asked with a bit of confusion. Now what was he going to tell her?

"I never realized. You don't have a dad. You don't have a mum. He was your dad too. I'm so sorry..." Ian said sadly. "You never know what it's like until you lose them."

"I have a mom and dad, they're not dead. They're just not present. It's different." Meredith explained. "His dad died." Meredith muttered to Derek as she covered the phone.

"Goodnight." Derek muttered as he laid his head down and rolled over.

"He loved you like a daughter. He was so upset that you didn't come back with me. He said he just wanted to see his Meredith again. And now that's never going to happen..." He explained.

"Ian..." Meredith said as she began to cry harder. She looked over at Derek and crawled out of the bed, heading downstairs.

"I'm sorry I called...I didn't have anyone else." He told her softly. Meredith opened the front door and walked out to the hammock.

"I'm glad you called. You can always call." Meredith said as she rolled herself onto the hammock.

"Do you remember how bloody pissed my mum was when I brought you home?" Ian asked with a laugh.

"She hated me. She was so mad." Meredith laughed, thinking back.

"Dad wasn't. He loved you from the second he saw you. He would fight her to the death over you." Ian explained happily.

"He was my dad..." Meredith muttered as the tears began to fall again. "He was proud of you. He complained, but he did love, you Ian."

"I was a disappointment." Ian stated quickly.

"No. He didn't feel that way. You were his son." Meredith told him compassionately.

"You think?" Ian asked hopefully.

"I know." Meredith answered as she wiped her tears again. "When is the funeral?" Meredith asked.

"Next Tuesday." Ian told her.

"I'll be there." Meredith said sure of herself.

"Mer...you don't have to..." Ian said quickly. "It's far away...You don't-"

"I'm coming. I need to get a flight. But he was my dad. I am coming." She told him firmly.

"I appreciate that." He said with a smile. "I have to go make some arrangements. Call me when you find out when you're coming."

"Okay. And Ian, it will never go away, but it will get easier." She said softly.

"Thank you. Thanks, Mer." He said as he hung up the phone. Meredith flipped her phone shut and put her hands over her head. She never thought it would hurt so bad.