If that's what it takes

24

Zoey changed into her pajamas and walked out into the hallway silently. She looked down one way and back the other. "Just Derek?" She whimpered as she stepped out into the hallway, hearing a sound in one of the rooms, she jumped back, slamming the door.

"Zoey?" Derek said as he stepped out into the hallway from his bedroom, closing the door, he walked down toward her closed bedroom door. "Zoey?" He said as he knocked on the door. He waited a moment and she didn't answer. "Zoey, baby?" He whispered as he opened the door and peeked inside, finding nothing but a lump in the middle of the bed beneath the blankets. It was a tiny lump, but a lump just the same, and it made Derek concerned that she would hide from him. "Are you hiding on me, little girl?" He whispered, hoping that it was a game, though knowing from the way the little lump was shivering, that it was not a game at all. "Zoey..." Derek said softly as he knelt beside the bed and watched the little lump tremble.

"Don't pull the blanket off me." She whimpered under the covers.

"Okay... I won't..." He said watching her carefully as she continued to tremble.

"Don't touch me!" She exclaimed.

"I'm not going to touch you..." Derek replied. "Zoey... just... just look at me..." He whispered.

"I don't wanna!" She exclaimed. "You left!"

"I was in my bedroom, Zoey... we can't always be in the same room..."

"Yes we can!" She exclaimed, pulling the blankets down off her face, it revealed her red, sweaty, tear streaked face. "Yes we can, yes we can!" She exclaimed.

"Zoey, stop this right now." Derek said sternly as he shook his head with a concerned scowl.

"No! No! No!" She exclaimed, watching Derek stand up. "Where are you going?" She exclaimed desperately as she reached for him, tears continuing to stream down her cheeks.

"There are things that you have to understand here, Zoey..." Derek shook his head as he knelt beside the bed again. "This isn't Lexie's house... this isn't Lexie's rules... this isn't the same as anything that you have had... so you have to stop expecting something is going to sneak up behind you... or hurt you... or leave you... you have to trust me, Zoey...do you trust me?"

"Yes..." She whimpered.

"Am I going to go anywhere far away for a long, long time?"

"I don't know..."

"Probably not... and do you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because I love you... and I want to take care of you... and I need you to trust me...I need you to stop being afraid of me, Zoey... I've never done anything to make you cry... if you need me, you call me... and I'll try my best to be there, or send someone important to be with you... now are we going to tell his story, or are you going to lay under those blankets like a bump on a log?"

"A bump on a log?" She giggled.

"May I sit beside you on the bed?" He asked politely as she nodded, moving over, she patted the spot beside her as Derek climbed onto the bed beside her and lay back as she cuddled up against him. "So how do we start the story?" He whispered as she looked up into his eyes.

"Once upon a time..." She said with a smile. "There was a beautiful princess named Meredith..."

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"Meredith... it was her..." Cristina whispered as she stood above her friend's bed and watched her resting body. "Your little girl... you're little princess, and you moved for her... you moved for her, Meredith...Did you hear her voice? You'd be so proud of her, she sounds just like you... I wish you could just open your eyes and see her... you stubborn pain in the ass... I wish that you could talk to her... hold her, love her... She calls you 'Sleeping Beauty..." Cristina whispered. "I just wish it were possible for her to wake you with a kiss... I miss you, Meredith..." Cristina swallowed hard as she leaned forward and kissed her friend's forehead, gently placing her hand to her side as she watched her friend as she slowly made her way to the door, taking one more look at her friend before slipping out into the hallway to go to sleep.

I miss you too, Cristina.