It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

58.

Derek pulled his car up to Ellis Grey's home, nervously tapping his fingers on the steering wheel as he waited for a moment. He wasn't about to honk the horn, he knew that would be a mistake, so he climbed from his seat and began to walk towards the front door. In a moment, the front door opened, and Ellis stepped out. She was holding a briefcase in her hand as she quickly locked the front door. Derek took a step back, moving to the passenger side door, he opened it and stood beside it as Ellis turned and walked towards the car. She had her head down as she walked swiftly, her head swinging up as she slowed, her eyes moving up to Derek's face. "Well look at what we have here..." She said sternly, though a tinge of teasing could be heard. "Derek Shepherd is a genuine gentleman."

"Yes..." He paused as a small smile began to appear on his face. "Yes, he is." He replied, watching as a slow smirk appeared on her face as she gave him a knowing look as she climbed into the car, allowing Derek to close it behind her. He shook his head and grinned as he walked around behind the car, opening the driver's side door, he glanced to Ellis as she made herself comfortable. "We have to make one stop before we head out..." He said as he glanced to her. "If you don't mind, of course."

"Do whatever it is you have to do to get me there." Ellis said, waving her hand at Derek as she opened her briefcase and pulled a few papers out.

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Derek pulled up to Mark's apartment complex. He glanced to Ellis and excused himself from the car as soon as he saw Mark coming down the steps from his apartment. He caught up with him as he stepped out onto the sidewalk. "Did you get everything?" Derek asked as he caught his breath, stopping Mark for a moment.

"Camera, gifts... anything else?"

"One thing..." Derek said as he glanced to the car. "I forgot to tell you that I..."

"Is that the chief in your car?" Mark asked, his eyes widened as he took a step back.

"I promised Meredith's mother that I'd bring her to the ceremony."

"Derek! Don't you think that you could have told me this ahead of time?"

"What? There's nothing wrong with her... Meri wanted her there... she agreed, we're not looking a gift horse in the mouth."

"I thought Meri hated her mother." Mark whispered furiously.

"No...Meri thinks that her mother hates her..."

"Whatever... Derek... I don't think I can do this..." Mark huffed as he looked back to the door to the apartment.

"Oh, stop being a goddamned baby and get in the fucking car." Derek growled as he pushed Mark towards the car.

"You are so going to owe me for this!" Mark called as Derek scowled at him as he followed him to the car.

"Shut up and get in..." Derek said as he walked around the car to the driver's side. Mark glared at him over the car as he climbed in.

Derek sat down in the driver's seat and glanced to Ellis, who was reading through a medical journal, writing notes. "Doctor Grey, you're familiar with Mark Sloan." He said as he put his seatbelt on, glancing to Mark in the back seat through the rearview mirror.

Ellis didn't look up from what she was doing. "No, I can't say that I am." She replied.

Derek started pulling the car from the parking lot and smiled. "He's one of your surgery fellows... works in plastics..." Derek shrugged.

"Ah..." Ellis replied as she continued writing her notes. "I have a lot of doctors on my staff, Doctor Shepherd... I can't keep track of all of them." She replied, her eyes shifting to Derek as Mark sighed from the back seat.