Merder: Different Circumstances

Chapter One

"I'm gonna go upstairs and take a shower, okay? And when I get back down here, you won't be here, so, um... goodbye um..."

"Derek"

"Derek. Right, Meredith"

"Meredith"

"Yeah"

"Nice meeting you"

"Bye Derek"

Meredith ran up the stairs with a stupid smile on her face, dropping the towel and letting her breath release when she closed the bathroom door. Derek's mannerisms were incredibly similar, exhaling and pulling his phone out of his pocket once the door closed behind him, all with a grin.

After a call to the local taxi company, simply to be drove from Meredith's house back to the hospital, Derek phoned the person who must be the most important in the world to him. It took three rings before she picked up and his nerves calmed.

"Ash, sweetheart, how are you? Did you have a good time at Brooke's? Her parents were okay with you staying weren't they?" He asked all at once.

"Hi dad. Yes I'm fine. Yes I had a good time. And yes they didn't mind me staying." Ashley replied, sarcasm dripping off of her every word at her father's protectiveness.

Once arrangements had been confirmed for Ashley to meet Derek at the hospital after school, he let her go and waited in silence for only a matter of minutes for his taxi to eventually arrive. With one last look back to the house he spent the night at, the taxi drove off back to the hospital.

Though his mind was somewhat hazy from the abnormal amount of scotch he had drank last night, Derek went through his recent major life choices, only hoping that he had not made a huge mistake.

Last month he and Ashley had moved to Seattle from New York, leaving behind his ex-wife but more importantly his daughters mother. During her pregnancy, Addison had been so excited for the arrival of their daughter, but once she arrived no bond was formed. In a hope to resolve the happy family they had once dreamed of, Derek and Addison got married when Ash was four but once their honeymoon phase was over there was no improvement in family relationships. They lived in denial for 8 years, until Derek caught his wife in bed with his best friend, and a divorce became evident.

Although Ashley had always been a girl obsessed with makeup and clothes, similar to her mother, she was obviously a daddy's girl. When Derek and Addison split, she made sure everyone was aware that she was moving in with her father, much like when she had an ear infection when she was three and would be restless unless she was in Derek's arms. A series of events led to Richard offering a job to Derek in Seattle, and after many weeks of consideration he took it, of course with Ashley following him from close behind.

Whilst she would never admit it, Ash was grateful to be getting a fresh start. She adored a new pair of shoes, or buying herself the latest style of clothes, but she felt as though she never fit in with the other girls at her private school. They all had happily married parents and found spa days relaxing. She had messy parental relationships and would rather sit in an OR gallery than have hot rocks placed on her back.

It took some convincing but Ashley was adamant on moving with her father, despite how reluctant Addison was of the idea. There was a tearful goodbye between the two of them, although Ash had always been closer to her father she would obviously miss her mother and the girly gossips they would share on their nights together. Addison had promised to visit before school started and stuck to her promise, returning home after six days: claiming the hospital needed her, but Derek knew it was because she struggled to see the life they were building for themselves without her.

School had started the previous week, and the girl who Ashley was shadowing soon became a good friend to her, reliving her of staying the night with Adele Webber whilst the intern mixer was happening and welcoming her to stay at hers. Derek was pleased to see how easily Ashley was adjusting to this major life change and how easily she was making new friends, it was now his turn to do the same.

An uneventful morning at work made him grateful for Ashley's late lunch time visit. After being introduced by Richard and then introducing himself in slightly further detail, nothing else had happened for Derek, as his scheduled surgeries were only due to begin the next day. As the father and daughter duo sat in the canteen, Derek noticed the obvious side eye he was receiving from his colleagues but opted to ignore it and focus on the stories Ash was giving him from the night before.

"What was the intern mixer like Dad, as boring as you and Mom make it sound to be every year?" Shed asks, knowing their usual moans about their obligation to attend.

Memories of the night before flashed through his mind for a brief moment, from escaping the mixer after an hour, to the girl in the bar, to waking up on the wooden floor this morning - he decided it wasn't quite the appropriate story to share. Instead he chuckled through his breath and smiled.

"Same as always, interns trying to suck up to those above them. Only good thing is that no one knew who I was, so nobody bothered me."

"I saw some of the interns before when I was coming to meet you, they look as nervous as anything and annoying as hell."

"Language young lady... but yes they are." Derek said making them both laugh until his pager went off "911, first actual work of the day. Can you find somewhere to do your homework, an OR gallery or a waiting room, and you can come home with me?"

"Yep that's fine Dad, go be awesome" Ash said, briefly leaning into her father's kiss on her head before watching him jog off.

Derek ran down the corridor to the room he was paged too. Nurses were rolling, who would now become, his seizing patient onto her side as another doctor stood reading over her charts.

"Dr. Shepherd." He said, standing in front of the other doctor.

When she looked up, his breath caught in his throat, similar to the way it had earlier that morning when he shook hands goodbye with the same person. Her mouth grew into a wide 'o' shape as her eyes widened, but his smile grew wider by the moment.

"Dr. Grey." Meredith said, clearly trying to maintain her professional demeanour, but struggling to hide her surprise.