It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

51.

Confrontation, Realization, Graduation-

"Doctor Grey, I love Meredith with all of my heart and I feel awful that we had to tell you this way, but we felt that it was important that you know that I have every intention on taking the best care of both Meredith and our child, forever." Derek said softly, his eyes on Ellis Grey as she continued to stare at him. Her steely gray eyes were burning into his skull as she placed her fork beside her plate. She continued chewing the bite that she had eaten and swallowed slowly as she continued to stare at Derek.

"Mom?" Meredith whispered, watching as Ellis' hands began to tremble, her forehead wrinkling in such a way that Meredith knew for a fact that if they didn't do something quickly, her mother was going to explode. She couldn't run from this, but she couldn't sit here while Derek took the brunt of what was coming. "Mom, it's not his fault..."

Ellis' head snapped in Meredith's direction. "It's not his fault?" Ellis growled. "It's. Not. His. Fault.?" She growled, her teeth clenching in anger as she now glared at Meredith. "Are you stupid, Meredith?"

"Doctor Grey..." Derek said, trying to stop her tirade before she went completely off on Meredith.

"Don't you Doctor Grey me, Derek. I trusted you! I trusted you with my child, and look what you did to her!" Ellis growled. "I trusted you to take care of her... to be her friend and companion, and what do you do? You ruined her!" She exclaimed. "You ruined my daughter, you goddamned fucking bastard!" She screamed as she slammed her chair from the table, standing quickly.

"Mom!"

"Don't you ... don't you dare call me 'Mom'... you're on your own now, Meredith... I will not be a part of this... I will not be a part of this!" She exclaimed as she growled at both of them.

"Stop! Stop, Mom... just listen!" Meredith exclaimed, tears springing to her eyes as she tried to grab her mother's arm.

"No! No! This is unacceptable! This is unacceptable and I don't want you in my home any longer! You are no longer welcome in my home, either of you! I want you out... get out of my home!" She shouted as she pointed towards the door, the anger in her body was building.

"Mom! Please! Listen! Derek is going to take such good care of us... he is a good man... just listen to us, please! He loves me! He can take care of me, but I needed you to know that I'm having..."

"Don't say it, Meredith. I don't even want to hear it... I don't want to acknowledge it... I don't even want to look at you... or you!" She exclaimed as she pointed at Derek. "And if he can take care of you so goddamned well, then he can finish paying for the waste of medical school that I put you through! It's a waste! It's a waste, Meredith! You are a waste! I am going to the hospital... when I get home, I want every trace of you out of this house... every single trace! You're goddamned lucky that you got that internship, Meredith... because if I could, I would take it away from you... You don't deserve to be a surgeon... squandering your talents on raising children and God knows what else... and you..." She growled as she pointed at Derek. "You're going to pay for this, Derek Shepherd... I'm going to have so many hoops for you to jump through, you're going to think you're a part of the Ringling brother's circus!" She exclaimed as she stared both of them down. "I can't even stand to look at you!" She exclaimed as she turned and walked out of the room, ascending the stairs, she left Derek and Meredith sitting at the table in shock.

Meredith's eyes moved to his, and though he could see the fear in her eyes, he could see something more within the depths of her soul. There was a tiny tinge of hope as she swallowed hard, refusing to cry.

"Either... that went better than I expected... or... I can't feel the stab wounds over my adrenaline rush." Derek whispered, his head tilting to the side as he watched her resolve slowly grow. "You're bigger than this, Meredith." He whispered. "You're not her..."