Looking at you side ways

52

Meredith walked slowly to the Chief's office.[i] She wondered what she had done wrong.[/i] His door was open and she stepped in and said softy, "You wanted to see me Chief?"

"Meredith. Close the door and come in."

She closed the door and stood there expectantly.

"Sit down Meredith."

She sat and waited.

The Chief coughed and said, "You have been avoiding me."

[i]She didn't deny it. Every time she saw him in the hall she went in the opposite direction.[/i]

Sighing, he asked, "How's your mother?"

"She's good."

"Meredith. I want your permission to see her. I think it helps when she see's a familiar face."

Meredith replied a little sarcastically, "I'm her daughter and most days she doesn't know me, but she seems very familiar with you."

"Do you have a problem if I stop by the nursing home once in a while?"

Meredith thought about it.[i] She wanted what was best for her mother.[/i] "Why don't you talk to her caseworker and if she agrees that it would be a benefit.....well then I guess its okay."

"Thank you Meredith. Maybe I'll go today after work. Take some of the burden off of you."

Meredith just raised an eyebrow at that.[i] She'd ask Derek what he thought about the situation.[/i]

She asked as she stood up, "Do you need anything else. Work related?"

The Chief sighed as he stood up and said, "Great job the other day with the people on the pole. The attendings were very impressed by you."

"Thanks.

"I am not the villain in your life Meredith."

As she walked out the door she turned and said, "Visit her if you think it will help, but don't do it just to erase any guilt. I'm guessing you are not going to bring Adele with you?"[i] Meredith remembered his wife had always been so sweet to her when she was little.[/i]

The Chief didn't respond.[i] He hated her disapproval. He always felt like a father towards her. [/i]

She said, "I didn't think so."

[i]Addison was pissed. After rounds, everyone had got into a surgery but her. Dr. Bailey had her charting. She was fuming more about Derek and Grey. Maybe they just had a one night stand thing. Or more probably, Grey was just convenient. I mean they lived together. Probably just friends with benefits. She had never had to work hard at anything and found it improbable that Derek would prefer Grey over her. Men had always fallen at her feet and she decided when to dump them. With a big sigh, she realized she would actually have to put in a little effort to snag Derek Shepherd. She had her father's assistant investigate Derek and his family. Derek was perfect marriage material. He'd tire soon of Grey, but that didn't mean she couldn't help them go down in flames faster. She smiled as she came up with different scenarios on what to do.[/i]

Derek didn't see Meredith all day. They both had been in surgery. They were changing in the locker room getting ready to leave for the day. Burke and Cristina were changing too.

Cristina asked, "So how did it go with the Chief this morning? What did he want?"

Addison walked in and caught the tail end of the conversation."Yeah Grey. What did you do to get called on the carpet with the Chief of all people?"

Meredith chewed on her lower lip not really knowing what to say. Derek said, "I'm sure he was thanking her for coming in on her off day with the commuter train crash. He talked to me too."

Cristina caught Derek's nod and said, "Oh yeah right. I forgot he thanked me too."[i] Cristina was liking Shepherd more and more for how he protected Mer.[/i]

Burke slammed his locker and said, "Well I would have been here too, if someone hadn't taken my phone!" He stalked out of the locker room [i]irritated that the Chief knew who was there for the crash and who wasn't.[/i]

Addison frowned and realized [i]that she really should have called in that day. The Chief was keeping tabs on them?[/i]

Meredith smiled gratefully to Derek and whispered to Cristina, "Cris; I'll call you later and tell all. Thanks for covering."

Addison asked, "Anybody up for Joe's?"

Cristina said as she left the locker room, "Not me. Going home with the new research journals."

Derek said as he put his hand on the small of Meredith's back, "No thanks. We need to pick Mark up at the airport."

Addison looked around and realized[i] that she was drinking alone again tonight.[/i]

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Derek settled Meredith into a small table for two at Joe's and went to the bar. He came back with their drinks and gave her a quick kiss.

He said, "God. I have wanted to do that all day."

She smiled and said, "Thanks for covering me with Addison."

"I could tell you didn't want to tell her anything. Can you tell me?"

Meredith twirled her hair with a finger and said, "He wants my permission to visit my mother."

"Does he need it?"

"Yeah. My mother signed a form with approved visitors. That would be me. And only me. She didn't want anyone to know."

Derek asked with confusion, "But I went with you the other day?"

"I can add people to the list."

"Oh. Well, she did seem to respond to him."

"I know and that is part of the problem. She's a different person around him. She's almost happy and flirty. I mean if she has a better quality of life, I guess I have to. I need to get over my feelings about the Chief."

Derek cupped her face gently and smiled. "What kind of feelings?"

"Anger, disappointment, disgust. I mean he might be the reason why my parents divorced. He might be responsible for my father leaving. And I like his wife, Adele. I remember them both being so nice to me when I was little. Now that I think about it, Richard was around a lot. Or maybe he was just around my mother a lot. I saw them at the hospital together all the time."

Derek sipped his wine and [i]was happy that she was opening up to him so much, but sad that she had all of this to deal with.[/i]

"Meredith. You can't control the past. You have to just deal with it as best you can. You can control the present and the future. You don't have to decide tonight. Take your time and what ever you decide, I'll support you one hundred percent. Let me help you."

She sipped her wine and looked into his caring eyes. [i]It felt good to talk about it with him. [/i]

"Thank you Derek."

He cupped her face with both hands and gently gave her little kisses.

Addison walked into Joe's and looked around the crowed place.[i] Did he not say they were going to pick up Sloan? Derek had his tongue down Grey's throat! Damn it! [/i]She walked up to the bar and ordered a double gin and tonic.

Derek looked at his watch and said, "Come on Meredith. Mark's plane should be arriving soon."