Driving Sideways

19.

Derek paced back and forth in the hallway as he held his wailing son in his arms. He rubbed his back as the little boy continued to cry. "It's alright, buddy... It's okay..."

"I don't want GG to go! I don't want her to go!" He sobbed, his arms squeezing Derek tightly as he held his son.

"It's going to be okay... GG is here now... She's here right now... isn't she?" Derek asked, holding his son so that he can see his face. "She's here now..." He whispered.

"Yes... but she wants to leave me..." He whimpered. "I'm a good boy... I have been a very good boy..." He whimpered.

"You have been a very good boy... you have... GG isn't going anywhere just yet... we need to talk to her more... we need to tell her that we don't want her to go... let her know we're serious..." He whispered. "We need to make sure she knows that we love her very much..." Derek said as he rocked the little boy, feeling his sobs begin to slow.

"I tell her all the time, Daddy..." He sniffled.

"Well, you need to tell her more... and you need to tell her that you would miss her..." Derek whispered as he rocked the little boy, feeling him sniffle into his shoulder.

"I do love GG... I do, Daddy... I don't want her to go anywhere..." He sniffled.

"Neither do I, buddy... neither do I..." He whispered.

"Daddy..." Richie whispered as he lifted his head, resting his forehead on his father's. Their matching blue eyes staring directly into one another's.

"Hmm...?" He whispered.

"Do you love GG?" He whispered, watching his father's eyes, he tilted his head slightly.

"More than I'd ever admit to her..." He winked at his son and made him laugh as he gave him a little squeeze.

"Can we call mommy, please?" He asked softly as he held tightly to Derek's shirt, watching Derek's eyes cloud with fear. "It's okay, daddy... mommy will make you feel better..." He said softly as he kissed his father's cheek.

"You really think so?" Derek asked as he watched his son nod.

"Mommy's got magic hugs." He said with a tiny smile.

"Those magic hugs are quite a ways away..." Derek replied.

"Well... maybe she can send them on a postcard." Richie shrugged.

"Let's call your mama before we get too technical..." Derek said softly as he reached up and wiped the tears from his cheeks. "Lets not tell her that you were crying though... She might get suspicious...and then worry about us too much..."

"Yeah..." Richie nodded as he sniffled, letting his father lift him down the hallway so that he could find a quiet room where he could talk on the phone.

Derek carried Richie into an empty exam room and walked over to the chair that was in the corner. He sit down slowly, glancing at Richie as he rubbed his nose on his arm and watched his father cautiously. "Don't worry, Daddy..." He whispered as Derek smiled slightly as he felt his son's confidence in his words.

Derek settled Richie on his lap and closed his eyes as he flipped open the cell phone. He noticed that the time was now seven in the evening and counted up to figure that it was ten in the evening in Boston. He had tried to explain time zones to Richie, but it was one of those conversations where Derek spent fifteen minutes talking and Richie interrupted with a question about dogs. It was a conversation lost in oblivion and Derek chuckled to himself as he pushed the speed dial button for home.

He had hoped that he could pull it off, talking to Meredith without giving too much information. He had hoped that perhaps he could use the other situation that they were facing, Greyson, as reasoning for his less than cheery demeanor. The only thing that he had to avoid was Meredith requesting to talk to her mother, and that never happened. The phone rang four times and was most likely about to let the machine pick up when Derek took a deep breath, hearing her breath and finally her voice on the line.