Keep Holding On

Chapter 34

Meredith was tired and her back ached from the long shift she was finishing. She couldn't wait to get home and soak in the hot tub before crawling into bed and being treated to an amazing foot rub from Derek. There was also the matter of unfinished business between them that she was more than happy to complete.

She shook her head and sighed. This was not the place to be thinking about sex with Derek. Not in this patients room and most definitely not with this doctor.

"I'm sorry, am I keeping you from something?" The unpleasant voice of the woman next to her demanded.

"Hu? Oh..uh...No, sorry." Meredith apologized, desperately trying to focus on the films in front of them.

She had waited all day for the nuero consult from Dr. Zeta, and now all she needed was for her to agree that there was nothing in the obviously clear scans and give the go ahead for discharge. But for some reason the leggy dark haired woman was stalling, and it was making Meredith uncomfortable.

Meredith tried a discreet glance at her watch once more but was caught by the steely eyes of the woman next to her.

"Don't let me make you late for the slutty sex you have with your boss." She spat out, pursing her lips together when she was done, and giving Meredith a disapproving once over with her judgmental eyes.

Meredith took a step back, hit with the snarky comment completely off guard. She stared back in disbelief and opened her mouth to counter but no sound came out.

"You know... as a much wiser...much more mature woman...I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Men like Derek, don't fall for messy little interns. Not seriously anyway. Sure right now you're probably scratching an itch for him...and I don't doubt you're very experienced and have your little tricks in bed perfected enough to fool him into calling you his girlfriend. But he'll grew bored... tired of messing around with girls... and realize he wants the real thing. A real woman."

Meredith's eyes went wide and her face paled. She wondered if she pulled hard enough would Dr. Zeta's hair fall out in chunks or strands? She imagined how good it might feel, flat palm against smooth cheek. Or better yet, tight knuckles against perfectly sculpted lashes and eye shadow.

As all the tempting thoughts swirled through Meredith's angry mind, she was brought back to the present with a cold metal patient chart being shoved roughly into her arms.

"Don't just stand there. Discharge the patient. Nothing's wrong with him."

And with that, Meredith was left in the room, focusing on breathing in and out. Focusing on not calling Cristina to get the number for her earlier mentioned contact.

____________

"Come on Princess. Why don't we find Mama and then we can head home."

Derek walked easily down the hall, Hanna's small hand pressed securely into his, eager to find his fiancée and get home.

They rounded the corner of the surgery floor, knowing Meredith would be around there somewhere and were immediately met with a tall dark haired woman wearing a skirt that was too short to be considered professional.

As much as Derek wanted to keep walking past the cat-like woman, he knew it wiser to be courteous and offer a greeting.

He nodded. "Have a good evening Dr. Zeta."

He hoped it was obvious enough that the fact that he kept walking meant he wasn't interested in a conversation, but he wasn't so lucky.

"Hello there Derek. And who might this be?" She said in a rather annoying chipper voice.

Derek stopped walking and turned to face the fellow Neurosurgeon. Hanna immediately assumed her position behind Derek, pressing her face securely into a pant leg of his slacks.

"This is my daughter Hanna. She's a little shy." He offered a lopsided grin while he stroked Hanna's dark curls comfortingly. "Can you say hi Hanna?" He tried out of polite obligation.

The young girl peaked around his leg, showing her blue eyes only a second before returning to her hiding spot.

"Oh Derek! She's gorgeous! I'm absolutely smitten! She looks just like you."

Derek offered an awkward smile. "Uh...thank you. She might have my curls and eyes, but she definitely gets her beauty from her mother."

Dr. Zeta didn't have time to question further because Hanna peaked out again, and this time something down the hall caught her attention, bringing her completely out from behind her dad.

"Mama!" She shouted and took off towards Meredith. Her mother scooped her up with the free arm that didn't carry a chart and hugged her tight, leaving kisses all over her small face as she made her way to the two neurosurgeons talking in the hall; one smiling, one standing stunned with her mouth open.

"You ready to go babe?" Derek asked as he kissed his fiancée softly on her lips.

She smiled and nodded, then all three turned back to the suddenly quiet woman.

Derek finally spoke. "Dr. Zeta, have you heard the good news?"

The woman shook her head and answered slowly. "No."

"Dr. Grey has agreed to marry me." He elbowed Meredith. "Show her the rock babe." He turned back to Dr. Zeta and shook his head. "She's so modest."

Meredith looked at Derek with large eyes before finally smiling and nodding. She held out her left hand and offered the large engagement ring that had been the topic of conversation all over the hospital since their engagement.

Dr. Zeta looked down and smiled painfully. "It's..uh... beautiful. Congratulations." Her voice was forced.

Derek looked down into Meredith's face and they shared a look. "Here, let me take Hanna. You're not supposed to be picking her up anymore remember?"

Derek easily took his four year old daughter from Meredith and looked back at the confused expression on Dr. Zeta's face.

"I guess since you didn't hear about our engagement... you probably didn't hear about our other bit of good news."

Again, the doctor shook her head, almost afraid to ask.

Derek turned back to Meredith and tilted his head proudly. He slipped his free hand under her scrub shirt, causing Meredith to bite back a giggle, as he rubbed her bare stomach lovingly.

"This amazing woman is giving me another baby. I don't know how I got so lucky."

Meredith completely forgot the infuriating woman they were putting on the show for and looked up into Derek's face full of love.

"Really?" She asked softly.

Derek looked down surprised. "Of course."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Derek closed the gap between him and Meredith and captured her lips with his. He deepened the kiss and forgot where they were until he heard Hanna giggle in his arms.

He pulled back embarrassed and looked back at an extremely awkward Dr. Zeta.

"Umm..well... we better get going. I need to get my girls home. I'll see you around Doctor."

Meredith smiled a smug grin and took a step towards the still unmoving woman. "Patient has been discharged mam."

With that Meredith pushed the chart just as roughly as it had been given to her, back into the unexpecting arms of Dr. Zeta, nearly making the woman fall over.
Meredith smiled triumphantly before taking Derek's outstretched hand and turned to leave. Hanna stared over her daddy's back at the speechless woman before finally speaking.

"Hey lady! You have something green in your teeth!"

Derek and Meredith exchanged wide eyed looks and hurried their pace to the elevator, waiting for the doors to close before erupting into hysteric laughter.