That's How Love Moves

11.

Derek had slept at Meredith's apartment for the last four days straight. He had even started keeping clothes and his toothbrush there because he was at her place so often. When he wasn't at the hospital, he was at her apartment helping with Laura so it made no sense to keep going back and forth to this home to change. And for the fourth morning in a row he was getting Laura ready for the day while Meredith sat in the living room.

She hadn't bonded with Laura the way he would have expected at this point. It had been almost three weeks and still Meredith seemed very detached from the situation, like she didn't want to accept it. And when the happened, Derek took care of her Laura. Not that he minded doing it thought. He had always liked babies and Laura was very cute. She would kick and giggle and smile as he made faces and tickled her while he gave her a bath, changed her diaper, or in the case of that morning, got her dressed.

It was a little disappointing to him that Meredith hadn't come in and helped him. While it was nothing to him to help out, he felt like she should be more involved. After all, this was her niece and her half-sister had chosen her to take care of Laura. But it looked like Meredith wanted to pretend it wasn't real and he wanted to help her form a relationship with Laura so it wasn't a struggle every time they were by themselves.

"Look who's all ready for the day." Derek smiled, as he carried Laura out of the bedroom, dressed and with a clean diaper.

"Oh yeah...." Meredith looked up, before looking back down to her magazine.

"She wanted you to come choose her outift."

"She doesn't talk, Der." Meredith replied, looking up and smiling at him.

"Then I must be hearing things." Derek laughed.

"Hmm...is that dress new?" She asked, looking back down to the paper.

"Yeah." He nodded, sitting down on the couch, Laura facing him on his lap.

"Oh...I don't remember it."

"That's because I just bought it for her."

"It's pretty." Meredith replied, looking at him.

"I know." Derek smiled.

"You're sweatshirt, the one with the flag on it is sitting on the dryer." She replied, turning the page in her magazine.

"Did you wash it?" He asked, making faces at Laura as she giggled.

"I did...again...I'm sorry Laura spit up on it."

"That's okay. It's not a big deal."

"I know it's just...I cleaned it."

"Thank you." He smiled at her.

"So...did she take a bottle for you this morning?" She asked, reaching forward for her coffee.

"She sure did." He said, bouncing her on his knees.

"That's good."

"I think she wanted you last night when she woke up."

"You obviously got her calmed down though." Meredith breathed, eying Laura as the baby's eyes looked at her in wonder.

"It took a little while...But a few badly sung lullabies and she was out." Derek laughed.

"Did she stay in the crib at all?" Meredith asked.

"For a little while."

"That's better than nothing."

"Yeah...I think you should try getting up with her though."