Perfect strangers

Chapter 60

Meredith had been dreading this day for as long as she could remember now. Annie was now 6 months old and it meant that it was time for Meredith to go back to work.

"Derek, does she feel warm to you?" Meredith held Annie close to her chest, pressing her hand to forehead as the Annie looked up to her and smiled.

"She looks happy to me." Derek quickly looked over and shrugged his shoulders before getting back to making their breakfast.

"Maybe I should stay at home with her, I can't go to work if she's sick." Meredith said, trying her hardest to convince him that Annie was sick but the young girl giggled slightly and shoved her small hand into her mouth. "You're meant to be on my side." She whispered softly to Annie as the young girl laughed at her once again.

"Mer." Derek slowly approached the two of him, his hand going to rest on her lower back. "We both know she's not sick. Is it because you're going back to work?"

"I just feel like I'm going to miss out on so much." Meredith turned towards him, tears shining in her eyes. "I mean she's so small, I can't be away from her...I'm not going, it's too soon."

"Mer, stop." Derek moved forward, cupping her face in his hands as he smiled softly at her. "She's going to be ok. "I'm going to be staying home with her today and then tomorrow she will be with Ma. She's perfectly healthy and happy."

"I know." Meredith sighed before moving to gently rest her head on top of Annie's. "I'm just going to miss her..."

"I get it, I do." He leaned forward and kissed Meredith's forehead. "But you've got to do this, you know you miss surgery, the high you get from it..."

"But what if I end up like my mom." Meredith admitted, tears shining in her eyes. "I don't want surgeries to become more important than her, I don't want her to grow up the same way I did."

"Oh." Derek sighed in realisation. "Mer, you're nothing like your mom, at all. I mean, Annie is the luckiest little girl in the world to be able to call you her mom. You've got this, we've got this."

Meredith watched as Derek grabbed Annie's hand, pulling a face, making the young girl giggle before leaning forward. Derek swiftly took her into his arms, kissing the young girls head before turning to smile at Meredith.

"Ok." Meredith said quietly. "I'm going to go before I'm late but phone me..."

"Mer." Derek smirked, tilting his head to the side slightly. "We will be fine. We are going to have a daddy and daughter day aren't we?" He playfully bounced Annie on his hip, smiling widely as he listened to the young girl giggle happily.

"Ok." Meredith said a bit more confidently, running her hand over Annie's back before leaning forward to kiss her head. "I love you. Both of you, so much."

"We love you too." Derek leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers a few times before pulling back, smiling happily at her. "Now go. Go, go and remind everyone incredible you are."

"Thank you. For everything." Meredith smiled softly at him, throwing her bag over her shoulder before heading to the front door. "Bye Annie, be a good girl for daddy."

With one last encouraging kiss from Derek, Meredith finally worked up the courage to go down into her car. She climbed into the drivers seat, putting her seatbelt one before looking back up at the front door one last time. She smiled widely when she watched as Derek waved Annie's small hand in her direction, causing the young girl to smile widely.

It was in that moment that she knew she could do this. She could not only be an incredible surgeon but also an incredible mother.

                              ****************
It had been a long and exhausting day and Meredith was relieved to finally to be back home. Of course she had enjoyed her first day back, to finally be Meredith Grey once again and not just be mom.

"Hey, I'm home!" Meredith shouted as she placed her bag down and pulling her hair out of her ponytail before heading into the living room. "What the..."

Meredith giggled slightly when she saw the state of the room, toys scattered everywhere as Derek and Annie slept peacefully on the sofa. Shaking her head, she walked over to them, reaching down to take Annie into her arms.

She held the young girl tight to her chest as she leaned down and breathed her in. It was all she had been looking forward to since she left this morning, was having Annie back in her arms.

"Derek." Meredith whispered softly, reaching out to run her hand over his hair, waking him up slowly.

"What..." Derek woke up, his eyes wide as he looked round the room frantically before his eyes finally landed on Meredith. "Hey, you're home."

"Yeah, I can see you've had a very busy day today." Meredith laughed slightly, looking around the room.

"I'm sorry, I'll get it cleaned up in a second." He yawned before pushed himself up, tapping the seat next to him. "How was your day?"

"It was good yeah." Meredith smiled before moving to sit next to him. "I mean it felt incredible to be back in surgery but I missed her so much..."

"But you did it." Derek reached up, wrapping his arm around shoulder and pulled her into him, kissing the top of her head. "And I'm so proud of you, we both are."

"I couldn't do this without you."

"You could but you don't have to. You won't ever have to." Derek took his free hand and cupped her cheek in his hand. "I love you."

"I love you too." Meredith whispered before leaning in to brush her lips against his, savouring every last second.

It hasn't been easy for them to get where they were today, with life constantly throwing challenges their way that should have broken them apart. But it had only made them stronger than ever.