Never Too Late | Grey's Anatomy AU

6 | Cry Me a River

Riley POV:

Derek, Jonathan, Jo, Meredith, and I were discussing what had happened. I didn't want Meredith there, but I let her stay because she's the one who found me passed out and I probably would've been dead right now if she hadn't.

"So he's still somewhere out there, hopefully he doesn't find me and come after me again..." I say worriedly.

"You're safe with us now. Nobody is gonna hurt you again, I promise that we're gonna take care of you" Derek rubs my cheek.

"Um guys, is it okay if Meredith and I have a word, privately?" I say and everyone leaves so it's just me and my mother in the room. Meredith closes the door after Jo exits. She sits on the bed and looks at me in my eyes. She looks sad and broken, guess that's karma for you.

"Riley I'm so sorry about everything that I did and that I said to you and about you. I'm sorry that I didn't let you be a part of our family at first, but I'm willing to change that. I want to have a relationship with you just like how Derek does. He loves you so much. We want to take care of you and we want you with us so please..." Meredith says and I interrupt her.

"Please what? Forgive you for treating me like crap? Forgive you for being a whole bunch of words that I wanna say, but I'm not that rude. How do I even know that you mean it, hm? Are you just sorry that I heard, or sorry that you said it? Meredith, I gave you my heart and you ripped it into pieces! You broke it, you ruined everything. You hurt me when you gave me up, when you didn't show up, when you talked bad about me behind my back, I'm just done with you, I don't want to be involved with you anymore. I will be with Derek, and the kids, and everyone else, but you. Leave now!" I shout. I see her shed a few tears and she walks out.

Meredith POV:

I leave and I see Derek down the hall. I pass him and run to a supply closet. I'm so frustrated. Why couldn't I be a better mother to her, it's what she needed. She needs a mom, she needs someone to hold her and rock her back and forth and tell her that it's okay. She deserves to be loved, to be happy, to be appreciated. I don't wanna lose her. It took me a while, but now I see what Derek does. When I saw her lying there on the sidewalk that night, I couldn't breathe. I realized that I couldn't let her die without her being a part of my life. I would regret not knowing her and be the worst human being in the world. I was petrified for my life. I don't think that I would ever forgive myself if she had been gone. I love her so much and I'm willing to do anything to prove that to her.

I start to let out all of the tears and I kick the shelf with all of the IV kits. The door opens and I see Derek pouting.

"Meredith....." He sits beside me on the floor

"I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you. I should've given her a chance. I should've respected her as a person. I should've done a lot of things different Derek and I should've never given her up. It was ultimately my decision because you were still with Addison and you wanted to work out things with her." He wipes my tears and holds me against his chest.

"We have to give her some time, maybe she'll come around. She just wants to be alone right now" He says cupping my cheek. I can say that I have the best husband in the world. He cares so deeply about the kids and me. I got lucky with him. He still manages to love me, even when he hates me, just like he promised. He would never run and he would stay on my side till death do us part. I need to find a way to earn Riley's trust and respect back. I doubt that it's going to be easy because there's half of both Derek and me in her, and we can be relatively difficult to persuade at times, but I'm up for the challenge. After all, she's my daughter, the same one that I hurt a bunch of times and then some. I'll do whatever I can for her, and I won't waste another minute without her in my life ever again.