A Healing Heart

Chapter 29

That night Derek was home late after being caught up in an emergency surgery which meant that for the evening it was just Meredith and Ellyse which didn't quite go as she had thought. They had gotten into the pattern of Derek putting her to bed and obviously tonight that couldn't happen and Ellyse had gotten herself into quite a state.

"Baby shh. It's okay, mommy will put you to bed, it's okay." Meredith tried to calm her daughter down.

"No, no, no, noo! Daddy! I want my daddy!" she screamed.

"Ellyse, calm down." she stroked her hair calmly.

The young girl was now hysterically crying for her dad and Meredith had no idea how to calm her down, they had never been in a situation like this before and it wasn't until that moment Meredith realised just how attached Ellyse was to her father. It had just been the two of them forever until a few months ago and in that short space of time she had clearly loved having him around.

"D-daddy." she cried.

"Ells, daddy is at work, let mommy put you to bed."

"No! No! No!" she screamed as she threw herself out of Meredith's lap, leaving Meredith sat there running her hands over her face.

She decided it was best for the girl to calm herself down, not wanting to overcrowd her, so she left her alone for 10 minutes until she heard her cries begin settle down. Following the hiccups and sniffles she found her curled up in the closet.

"Come here." Meredith opened her arms up and Ellyse flew into them.

"D-d-daddy leave again." she muttered into Merediths shoulder.

"What? No, baby, no." she frowned sadly.

"He is-isn't here because he l-left."

"Oh Ells, daddy will be home soon. He is working being a doctor to help make all the sick people better."

The girl shook her head, still cuddled into her mom. Merediths heart broke as she pulled her back and looked at her face, the tears rolling quickly as she thought her dad had left them, in her words, again.

"Look at me, Ells. I promise, daddy will be home later." she smiled trying to keep her own tears at bay.

"Pwomise?" she hiccuped.

"I promise." Meredith said kissing Ellyse's forehead. "How about we try to call daddy?"

Feeling her nod, Meredith picked her up and took her to her's and Derek's bedroom.

"Hey Mer, everything okay?" Derek's voice came through the phone.

"Daddy!" Ellyse answered. On the other end of the phone, a wide smile was plastered onto Derek's face.

"You're up late Ell." he chuckled.

"I know daddy but I miss you sooo much. Are you coming home to bed?" she asked sweetly.

"Of course I am. Daddy will be home soon, I'm at work making people all better."

"See there you go." Meredith winked.

"Mer, I have to go. Ell's daddy will come kiss you goodnight later but go to sleep now because it's very late. I love you both." he said before quickly ending the phone.

Meredith turned to Ellyse and smiled as she smiled widely wiping the ends of her tears off her face, a yawn took over her body as she had exhausted herself by crying. Meredith decided that she could stay in her bed tonight, she thought that she needed the comfort and the reassurance that she would never be alone, that her mom and dad would both always be there for her. As she laid in bed, holding a sleeping Ellyse she couldn't stop her heart from breaking as she thought of the reason why Ellyse had gotten so upset, the girl was terrified of losing her dad and Meredith couldn't help but feel guilty that she had starved her of this relationship for so long. They were both over and moving forward from their past, but it was times like this when she realised the effect that her actions had so blindly had on her daughter.

Closing her eyes she joined a sleeping Ellyse, pulling her closer to her, leaving room for Derek to join them once he got home.

***

It wasn't much later that Derek finally got home, taking his shoes off by the door he sighed as he could finally relax, he grabbed himself a bottle of cold water from the fridge and made his way to his bed, the sight greeting him as he got there warming his heart. He watched with adoration as both Meredith and Ellyse slept closely together, his girls. He would be forever grateful to Meredith for giving him this life.

"Hey." a tired voice broke him from his trance. He didn't even notice Meredith waking up.

"Hey. Do you want her to stay in here?" he nodded towards Ellyse.

"Yeah. I think she needs it." she said.

"What do you mean?" he asked, getting into bed the other side of Ellyse.

"She thought you left, Der." Meredith whispered sadly.

"What?"

"She thought that you weren't home because you left, she didn't believe me when I told you that you were working and that's why I called you. She was sobbing when I put her to bed, or when I tried to put her to bed should I say."

Derek looked at Ellyse who was soundly sleeping. What Meredith had just said made him sad, it made him feel awful that he wasn't here to comfort his daughter, he had no idea why she thought that he had left them but it broke him that she did.

"Why would she think that Mer?"

"She said that you left again. I'm so sorry Derek." she sighed.

"Shh, it's not your fault Meredith. We just need to give her more reassurance." he watched as Meredith nodded.

"You know that I'll never leave either of you, right? You know that." he asked.

"Derek, don't promise things like that."

"Meredith, look at me." she did. "I promise you. I'm never leaving."

She smiled, leaning over Ellyse to kiss him gently.

"Good. I love you Der."

"I love you too, so so much. Goodnight, Mer." he smiled at her, stroking her jawline with his thumb.

"Goodnight." she muttered, quickly falling back asleep, her family all together.

***

I finally had some energy to post, I hate this chapter and a shorter chapter to what I would normally write but that's all I can find the energy for right now. I'd like to thank you all for all your support and well wishes on my announcement a couple of weeks ago, I appreciate it more than you ever know. I'm still at the hospital and not finding this recovery easy but I'm working on it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy.