Little Shepherd

Chapter 20

Weeks have passed and things between Derek and Meredith have escalated. Between sneaking around behind her roommates backs, and finding time without Josie getting to be alone together has been quite the adventure. Doctor Bailey even caught them sleeping together in Dereks car outside of Merediths house during a "small" get together for Izzie's hockey player boyfriend. They've decided to give up on the sneaking and embrace the fact that Derek is there pretty much every night. Izzie and George aren't stupid and were never fooled by the charade anyways. The amount of times they've been asked to watch Josie was enough to give it away. They don't mind though. Josie has become extremely close with all of them. She loves Meredith and her friends and seeing her dad so happy heals a piece of her heart that ached for so long. Addison still hasn't called, Josie hardly asks about her anymore. With Meredith filling the missing womanly roll in her life it's easier for her to push the heartbreak onto the back burner. The five of them are sitting around Merediths dining room table eating breakfast before having to get ready for work. Izzie and George are enveloped in their own conversation while Derek and Josie have Merediths full attention.

"I bought land." Derek announces out of the blue.

"What?" Meredith asks with a little chuckle, taken by surprise by the comment.

"I bought some land, I'm gonna put a trailer on it. With a deck. There's woods, an overlook with a beautiful view, a creek to fish in. I need a change, something more than a city apartment. I know a trailer seems like a downgrade, but it's really such an incredible piece of land we'll make it work." His excitement is practically buzzing off of him.

"Wow, that's..I'm happy for you." She replies. He smiles proudly.

"Daddy woves to fish." Josie tells her. "We go camping whenever we can."

"Now it'll be like camping everyday." Derek adds happily. "It'll definitely be a difference in the drive to work, but it'll be worth it in the long run."

"I can't wait to see it" Meredith says supportively.

"You're gonna love it, really, it's gorgeous."

"How do you feel about all this?" She asks Josie.

"I'm weally 'becited'. Daddy said we can have our very own swing set!"

They continue to talk as they finish up their breakfast. Derek, Izzie, and George get ready and head to the hospital early while Meredith takes a few extra minutes to get ready. She'd happily agreed to take Josie to the childcare center when she got to work. Josie waits for her at the bottom of the stairs, Meredith was supposed to be right behind her. Josie turns to yell up the stairs.

"MO.." She cuts herself off, her cheeks flushing a deep red. Meredith had just made it to the top of the steps, catching Josies slip up.

"I'm sowwy...I'm sowwy Mewedith. It was a accident" she pleads on the verge of tears. "Pwease don't get mad, pwease dont weave." She cries. Meredith hurries down the stairs and scoops the sobbing child up into her arms.

"Hey..hey.. it's okay. It's okay. You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm not upset, I'm not going anywhere." She whispers gently. She rubs josies back in little circles and sways, trying to comfort her. Josie looks up at her with big watery blue eyes.

"Weally? You pwomise?"

"I promise you. I'm not going anywhere." Josie wraps her arms around Merediths neck, resting her head on her shoulder. "I'm not going anywhere" Meredith whispers again, leaning her head against Josies.

Later that day Meredith finds Derek near a nurses station. He's looking over a patients chart when she approaches him.

"Hey." He says with a smile, looking up from the chart.

"Hey..do you have a second? Can we talk?" She asks him. His face drops.

"What's wrong? What happened? Are you okay? Is Josie?" He asks worriedly.

"Yeah, yes. Everything fine I just.." they step in an on call room for some privacy. "Josie almost called me Mom this morning. She stopped herself, and she was so upset afterwards...so afraid that I was going to leave." She tells him.

"I'm so sorry... I can talk to her-" Meredith cuts him off.

"No no it's not like that at all. I don't mind, really I think it's the sweetest thing. It's the way she reacted after that killed me. I don't want her to be afraid. I want her to be able to I don't know...call me that if she wants to."

"Really? You're serious?" Derek asks her a bit surprised. Meredith nods.

"I know it's not something to take lightly. I'm serious. I love her Derek almost as if she were my own. I see myself in her and I want to give her the love and support that I never had. I just didn't want to tell her I was okay with it until I talked to you first. She's your daughter. It's your decision. I'll completely back off if that's what you want." He stops her by taking her face in his hands and kissing her. A long gentle loving kiss. He rests his forehead against hers when they finally pull away.

"She can't bare to lose another mother figure." He whispers.

"I know. No matter what happens between us she'll always have me. I won't leave her. Not for anything." He nods.

"Thank you, thank you for loving my girl the way you do."

****

Authors Note:

Thank you all for being so patient for this update. The next chapter will be what you've all been waiting for. Addys coming to Seattle!