You're Like Coming Home

29.

"Mer," Derek breathed, glancing quickly at his parents before he moved closer to his girlfriend. "Um, your dad stopped by this morning."

"He did?" she asked, her eyes widening. "Um...where is he? what did he say?"

"He left you a letter," Derek said softly. "He went back to Seattle, Mer."

"Oh," Meredith said, nodding quickly. "I guess that's...okay."

"Okay?" Derek repeated with a frown. "Mer, are you sure?"

"Yeah," she said with a shrug as she moved to sit next to Emma on the couch. "It's not like I really lost anything. And if anything, I've gained a dad this weekend," she added, glancing at Michael with a smile.

"Meredith," Michael said with a soft smile. "You know I mean what I said last nigh. but it's okay if you're upset about this."

"I really am okay," Meredith said with a nod. "I just want to go...home. Cane wew just leave? I really don't want to be here anymore. I can sign the house over to Mr. McCall."

Derek felt his heart skip a beat as he heard her refer to his house as home. "Sure, Mer," he nodded, squeezing her hand. "Whatever you want."

"We'll just take a little while to gather everything together and make sure we have everything," Emma said.

"Okay," Meredith nodded. She paused for a moment before she said, "Thank you so much for being here. I can't imagine what it would have been like without you here."

"You're our daughter, Meredith," Michael said wit a smile. "Of course we're here for you."

"Thanks," she said softly, trying to blink away tears.

"Come on, Mer," Derek said softly as he pulled her to her feet. "Let's go pack."

She smiled as she followed him up to her old bedroom. They packed in comfortable silence, and just as Derek zipped his suitcase, they heard the front door burst open and Mark bellow their names.

"How the hell does he know I'm here," Derek grumbled as Meredith giggled slightly.

"Mark Gregory Sloan," Emma's voice said as sternly as Derek and Meredith made their way down the stairs. "You do not walk into people's houses and yell for them."

Mark sighed. "It's just Grey," he muttered.

"Mer!" Addison exclaimed, moving from Mark's side to look at her best friend. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Meredith nodded, accepting Addison's hug. "I have a new family now. A real family."

"How would you like an apartment?" Addison asked.

"An apartment?" Derek and Meredith asked at the same time.

"Mark found a beautiful apartment right across from campus," Addison said, pullng a newspaper out of Mark's and and handing it to Derek. "We can move in this week."

"It's beautiful," Meredith breathed.

"Two bedrooms, kitchen, living room, balcony," Derek read. "There's even fireplaces in the bedrooms."

"It's eight hundred dollars a month," Mark said. "Divided by four, it's practically nothing."

"I'm in," Meredith said with a nod. "I can live there summers too."

Michael laughed as he looked at Derek's pleading expression. "You don't have to give us that look, son. We know you want to live with Meredith and your friends."

"Just make sure you come home once in awhile," Emma added.

"I will, Mom," Derek said with a laugh. "Okay, I guess I'm in too."