Bright and Shiny

Chapter 37

While Derek had a meeting with Dr. Chow to discuss Derek taking over this case, Meredith did the intern thing and handled the patients chart and came back up to wait for Derek outside his office.

She was sitting in the uncomfortable chair next to his secretary's desk as the older woman was giving her looks. Smiley looks, Meredith groaned and sunk further in her chair when she realized why. The secretary heard them, heard them having their "discussion" yesterday after Derek's surgery. While Meredith sat there mortified, she was silently glad they were here among strangers in Seattle and not in New York where everyone knew them and would have teased them for days and days.

Mark was coming tomorrow, the first person from their New York life to come here other than Chief Webber who didn't count since he now lived in Seattle. She couldn't help but remember how he initially took them leaving.

"Seattle?" Mark repeated, facing Meredith and Derek. His best friend, his brother and his little sister. His sister in-law.

"Yes, Seattle. Richard Webber our old Resident, he called me and offered me the Head of Neurosurgery position at Seattle Grace. You know this is huge Mark, it's the biggest teaching hospital on the west coast." Derek tried to reason with him when it looked like Mark was going to blow his lid like one of those cartoons where the character turns red and steam comes out of their ears.

"Yes, I know Derek. It's the best on the WEST COAST." He yelled out stressing the West. "Not East coast where we live, but WEST COAST." He continued on ranting.

Meredith just decided to hide behind Derek and let the guys hash this one on one. Choosing to be a piece of furniture in this discussion among the brothers.

"What's wrong with the hospitals here in New York? Or New England even if you feel the need to travel out of state. Hell what about Maine? Vermont? Pennsylvania? All at least are close by."

"Because this offer is in Seattle. Mark, I can't turn it down. It's one of those offers that if I did, I'll always wonder "what if." Derek softly said to him, while hurting himself over the realization he'll be on the other side of the country and be living away from his family for the first time ever.

"What about Mom, the girls, the kids, Meredith. Meredith is going to be an intern, she got into Sinai. You're going to be so selfish to make her move and give up her career?" Mark lashed out, he was trying to pick a fight now and was not really listening to Derek.

Meredith's head popped up at the way Mark was trying to use her as a weapon against Derek. She had to step up to protect her husband, so she took a step forward placing her hand on Derek's arm that were folded over each other against his chest to silence him.

"Mark, I won't be giving up anything, I also got into Seattle Grace's intern program. I didn't just apply to Sinai, I applied all over the country to the top hospitals and even if I hadn't gotten in. Where Derek goes, I go. This is a move he needs to make and I support him completely, Mark you're his brother, he loves you. You're a top of your field doctor also who gets tons of offers. You have to understand this is something he needs to do and it is so hard to do also." Meredith calmly said to him in a tone that was soft and nurturing, motherly even.

"Fine, go. You're minds are made up anyways." Mark huffed and stomped out of the room broodingly.

"I understand Dr. Shepherd, there's no need to apologize." Dr. Chow said stepping out of Derek's office, startling Meredith out of her trip down memory land.

"I feel there is, this was your case." Derek solemnly said, Meredith knew it hurt him to pull rank like this especially after only being Chief of the department for just a few days. "You will assist and be in that OR. I will see to it." Derek added. Dr. Chow smiled at that, realizing that Derek wasn't one of these all for one guys who didn't care who he stepped on to get ahead.

"Thank you, Dr. Shepherd." Dr. Chow departed the area nodding a hello to Meredith still sitting in her uncomfortable chair as he left the wing. Derek hunched back against his door leaning against it, looking defeated. Meredith jumped up over to him, wrapping her arms securely around his waist letting his body engulf hers.

"You're the best Chief. Any other one wouldn't have cared at all about taking over a doctor's case like that, and Dr. Chow knows this. You care not only about your patients, but your doctors as well. Don't beat yourself up for this." She whispered comfortingly to him, still wrapped in his arms and soothingly rubbing her hands up and down his back.

"How do you always know what to say to make me feel better?" he asked in wonder looking into her glistening eyes. Tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes, just because he was sad and that hurt her.

"Cause, it's my job to know." She smiled at him, blinking away her tears. "And because I love you so much." She whispered leaning up to him to kiss him softly on the lips.

"That's good, because I love you so much too." He mumbled against her lips. Before capturing them again and pulling her into his office in one swoop while kicking the door shut with one foot.