I Will Follow You Into the Dark

CHAPTER 104

Derek was both looking forward to and dreading Thanksgiving weekend. He had everything planned. Trent and Allison were coming to visit. They were going to stay in a hotel and spend the weekend hanging out together. He was eager to see them. They had not had time to visit since the wedding. He was excited about seeing whether they seemed any different as newlyweds than they had as smitten kids. The only thing that Derek felt like complaining about was the fact that Meredith wasn't going to be there with them. He would never trade anything for time with his son, but three weeks was too long. He was aching to hold Meredith. It had simply been far too long.

As he walked into the airport to meet Trent and Alli, Derek was thinking hard and trying to psych himself up. Christmas.....we'll have Christmas and New Year's together. I'll inquire about jobs in Chicago while I'm there. Then we'll never be apart on another holiday.

Seeing Trent and his bride snapped Derek out of his thoughts. He greeted them warmly and gave them both bear hugs. They looked good. And happy. When Derek asked, Allison said that her mother was doing well in her recovery. Derek smiled and relaxed a bit. This would be fun. He'd focus on loving the ones he was with instead of just missing the woman he loved.

As both Trent and Allison took much-needed restroom breaks, Derek pulled out his cell phone. "Hey," Meredith said cheerfully. "They're here," Derek said, so relieved to hear her voice. "You're still at the airport, aren't you?" Meredith asked. "Yeah. Airports will always remind me of you."

"You, too," she said with a huge smile on her face.

"I miss you," he said, breathlessly.

"You, too," she added. There was a blissful silence as they each tried to wordlessly communicate how very much they missed being together.

"Hey, did you get your present yet?" Meredith finally asked.

"Present? I love presents—especially when they're from you," he said grinning.

Trent overheard the conversation as he returned. "Yeah. About your present...."

"Gimme," was Derek's mature and dignified response.

"We...um...forgot it. Let's go back to the gate."

Derek wondered what in the world Trent was talking about. But he turned to look back toward security anyway. Jenna and Ariella were smiling and waving at him. Tossing his phone to his son, Derek ran and hugged both girls and kissed their cheeks, taking turns to spin each of them around wildly.

He ran back to where Trent held his phone, "Hey. That's the best present EVER! Two hot babes—you should be jealous. I won't be lonely with the two loveliest ladies in Seattle besides Allison on my arm while they're in town."

"Oh really," Meredith said in amusement.

"Yeah. I'm quite the stud."

"You sure are," she said as her grin grew wider.

Derek stopped walking. "What?"

"I said you sure are," Meredith repeated. That's when Derek realized that he wasn't hearing her most loudly through the telephone. He closed his eyes as if in prayer and turned slowly.

"Oh, Meredith," he said, embracing her and holding her tightly. He kissed her tenderly and put his forehead down upon hers. They whispered "I love you's" and gazed into one another's eyes.

"Hey," Jenna said loudly. "What about us?" Ariella pouted.

"Patience, ladies," Derek said, kissing Meredith lightly and squeezing her hand before jogging over to put his arms around the girls. "There's enough of me to go around."

"Stop it," Meredith said, kicking him from where she walked behind them. "I can't help it," Derek chuckled. "All the women want me." Pulling the girls closer, he whispered to them conspiratorily, "I was purely happy to be hugging you two, you know. Your mom being here is just my bonus." They rolled their eyes and hugged him back. Derek was grinning broadly, and his grin was only surpassed by their mother's. They made each other so happy that it was both adorable and infectious.

Despite his exhilaration about Meredith being there, Derek made a point of standing with the girls and talking to them about school and boys and soccer. He always focused on spending time just with them. He had loved them for years, and he wanted them to know that he didn't view them as just the kids that came as part of the Meredith package. He was beginning to think that he wasn't just the guy they were stuck spending time with, too. After making their way through the airport and retrieving all the luggage, everyone piled into the SUV Derek had rented for the weekend. They all chatted cheerfully. Given the fact that they only had two hotel rooms booked for the packed holiday weekend, Derek decided to drop Meredith at his apartment before taking everyone else on to the hotel.

He helped her into his apartment and pulled her close, kissing her wildly. "I'll be back soon. You...are required to be naked."

"OK. I packed no pajamas," Meredith said, raising an eyebrow at him.

"This is part of why I love you," Derek said, kissing her nose and her lips tenderly. "Why surprise me? Just wondering."

"At the last minute, I couldn't take it. I had to come. I had planned to send the girls whether I could come or not, thinking they would cheer you up. And I had bought myself a ticket—only out of pure and simple hope and wishful thinking, expecting that I'd just give it up and come to see you mid-week next week or something. But I couldn't miss you on Thanksgiving. You're the one I'm most thankful for." Kissing him tenderly, she continued, "I think I sold my soul to the chief. Something about working holidays until the end of time after New Year's," she said smiling. "That and calling in a few hundred favors from other surgeons."

"Really?" Derek said concerned about the cost of her visit. "No," she said grinning, "I just have to pull a few double shifts. Nothing I can't handle."

"Oh," he said, obviously relieved.

"Go," she said, nudging him toward the apartment door. "I have to shed my clothing."

"You sure know how to make a guy hurry," he said, grinning at her over his shoulder as he ran out the door while blowing her a kiss. "I love you," she said sincerely. 'You, too!" she heard him yell as the door closed behind him.