If that's what it takes

86

Derek's smirk remained on his face as he walked through the kitchen and over to one of the cupboards. "Derek..." Sarah stammered as she stood in the doorway, Morgan reached out and poked her nose, but Sarah just continued to stare at Derek. "Derek..." She mumbled again.

"Alright..." Derek replied. "Formalities aside..." He chuckled as he reached into the cupboard and pulled out a box of fruit snacks. Morgan immediately recognized the box and held out her hand.

"Nummy!" She said as she cupped her hand and wiggled her fingers as Derek walked over to her.

"You don't mind if the girls have fruit snacks, do you?" Derek asked as he opened a pack and put a couple in Morgan's hand as she quickly shoveled them into her mouth and held her hand out for more.

"Derek..." She shook her head as she whispered, her eyes darting to the little girl who came careening into the room holding a brush and a small baggie with colored bands in one hand, and a pink bear in the other as Sammy came running into the room after her.

"DD, Sammy likes my room!" She said excitedly as she held her arms out to Derek, who lifted her up and deposited her bottom onto a barstool beside the counter.

"She does?" Derek asked as he placed the brush and bands on the counter as he continued to watch his sister.

"Oh my goodness, Uncle Derek... Zoey has so many cool stuff!" Sammy exclaimed as she rested her arms on the counter and watched Derek as he picked up the brush.

"Fruit snacks!" Zoey said as she grabbed the box and pulled a pack out. "Here, Sammy... you want one?"

"Sure!" Sammy exclaimed as she crawled carefully onto the barstool beside Zoey and took the pack that Zoey was holding out to her. "Mommy, you should see Zoey's room... it's so awesome!" She said as she watched her mother stand and watch Derek as he put his back to her as he started to brush Zoey's hair.

"So you're six, and I'm six... so that means we are the same age! When is your birthday?" Zoey asked as she watched Sammy out of the corner of her eye.

"My birthday is in June... June tenth..."

"Oh my goodness! Mine is in June too! June fifteenth!" Zoey said excitedly. "Did you hear that, DD? Did you hear that? Sammy and me are almost twins!"

"Almost..." Derek chuckled as he laughed.
"DD says you guys live in New York... I'm from New York. That's where my fake mommy and me lived for a long time till I came here to live with DD." She said as she tried to nod.

"Hold still... unless you want crooked braids..." Derek laughed as he carefully slipped a rubber band over half of the little girl's hair, as he brushed the other half of her hair up and prepared to put a rubber band in it.

"Where did you learn how to braid hair?" Sarah asked as she moved toward Derek, walking around the counter so she could see his face. "Derek?"

"Someone taught me..." Derek chuckled as he watched Sarah walk around and stand with her fingernail in her teeth as she watched the two little girls talk back and forth, the little blonde haired girl keeping the conversation so light and happy, that Sarah didn't know what to think.

"I am so... confused..." Sarah said as she watched Sammy look up at her mother.

"What's wrong, Mommy?"

"I just... I don't..."

"Mommy wants to know where Zoey came from." Derek laughed.

"Oh... Oh, mommy, don't be silly... Zoey came from her mommy. That's where we all came from." Sammy laughed.

"Derek?"

"Zoey came from her mommy." Derek shrugged. "Sounds like a good enough explanation to me." He said as he started braiding the one side of Zoey's hair. He put the rubber band around the very end and tied the pink bow from the counter at the very top of the braid as he turned Zoey so he could reach the other side.

"Derek... you..."

"Owe you an explanation?"

"Huh... yeah..." She puffed as if she couldn't believe he would even suggest not explaining the situation.

Derek finished the second braid, tying the second bow onto it, he leaned down and kissed the top of Zoey's head. "All set." He said as he held out his hand for the wrappers of the fruit snacks, where Zoey placed it and grinned.

"Thanks, DD." She said with a happy smile.

"You're very welcome." He said as Sammy put her wrapper in Derek's hand.

"Thanks Uncle DD." She said as she giggled and she and Zoey climbed from their barstools. "Let's go play with your toys!"

"Yeah!" Zoey exclaimed as she and Sammy ran out of the room.

"No running, girls!"

"SORRY, DD!" The two girls shouted as the sounds of their pounding feet could be heard going up the stairs.

"Sammy... Sammy..." Morgan grunted as she wiggled from her mother's grip.

"You can let her go... the house is kid proof... just..." Derek walked down the hallway to the bottom of the stairs. "Zoey...?" He called as after a moment the little girl's face could be seen at the top of the stairs. "Let Morgan come play too, alright?"

"Okay..." Zoey said as she came flitting down the stairs. "Come on, Morgan..." She said sweetly as she took the little girl's hand. "Let's go play with Barbie..." She said with a smile as Morgan laughed as the two little girls disappeared up the stairs together.

Derek stopped and turned his head to his sister. She could see the beaming smile on his face and the light in his eyes that she couldn't remember having seen in years. "What the hell is going on with you, Derek Shepherd?" She said as she couldn't help but smile at his happiness.

"I am so glad it's only you..." He said as he grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the couch. She sat down in the couch and he turned and sat in the recliner chair beside it. "You won't even believe what has happened in the past two months." He said as he grinned brightly.

"Humor me." She said with a smirk as the happy sounds of three little girls tumbled down the stairs playfully, and Derek settled in to tell his sister of his adventures of the last two months.