If that's what it takes

87

Derek's smirk slowly disappeared as he sucked in a slow, steady breath. His gaze was averted to the arm of the chair he was sitting in as he listened for a moment to the infectious giggle of the little girl upstairs. "It's not an easy story, Sarah." He said as he watched her lean forward slightly, resting her elbows on her knees as she cradled her chin in her hands.

"Try me, Derek." She said as she watched him carefully. "How long have you been... taking care of her?"

"It has been a little less than two months now." Derek said as his eyes lifted to his sister's.

"Why haven't you said anything to us... why would you... why would you invite your family here if you knew that it would be hard? You looked petrified when you saw me at the door."

"Well... I wasn't ready just yet. I hadn't mentally prepared myself... or anything, you know? There is an order of things that I wanted to be sure that you understood... and besides... Mom knows."

"Mom knows?"

"She does." Derek shrugged. "Zoey answered the phone."

"I just saw Mom... I mean... we see her every weekend, she hasn't given any indication that anything was..."

"I asked her not to say anything." Derek replied, watching his sister sigh. "It's just... it's a sensitive matter... her situation is sensitive, and... her safety is very important to me. Her happiness is very important to me."

"But Derek... what on earth do you know about raising a child?" Sarah asked, sitting up straight as she watched her brother's eyebrows raise.

"Probably just about as much as you did when you had your first child, Sarah. Maybe a little more than that." He said with a slight huff. He was insulted that she would insinuate that he didn't know what he was doing. "Now stop sounding like Nancy, and start being the good sister again." He said stubbornly as she gave him a faux glare.

"That was a cheap shot, Derek."

"What's wrong? You can dish it, but you can't take it?" He asked as he challenged her. "Sarah... she's good for me." Derek explained.

The two of them talked for a while, the story of how Zoey came into his life, his heart, his home and his soul was whispered in a delicate manner. The gasps of her life with Lexie and the horrific episode that brought her back to him were caught in her throat as she felt the little girl's pain, she couldn't imagine such a precious and happy child having gone through that. His story then moved to the little girl's mother, and the lies that shrouded the woman that had lay motionless for six, excruciating years. He told her of her communication, her thoughts, her pain, her laughter that he was sure was hiding within the walls of her mind that he couldn't hear out loud, but he knew was right beneath the surface. He spoke of his vow to her, the MRI, the blood tests and the threats from the chief of staff. He told her of his promise and his words to his boss and the young woman's friends as he promised to take care of her, promised to save her, promised with all of his heart to take care of her beautiful child.

He told her of the therapist who had come to prove that she was of sound mind, and that she had chosen someone to care for her, to love her, to hold her through the pain. Someone who truly understood what was important to her, not easy for everyone else to have to deal with. She had found Derek, and he signed those papers with such pride and such strength. He whispered about his feelings of love, admiration and hope for the young woman, and when he spoke of their goodbye to her, she watched as he slowly crumbled before her very eyes as she moved to his side and held him as he cried, unable to make it through the story without breaking down completely.