You've got a Way

17.

Ever since Emma's first birthday party all Derek could think about was Meredith. Instead of his girlfriend, it was her face that he saw before he fell asleep at night and when he woke up in the morning. After talking to his mom, all he could think about and wonder was what would have happened had he not left, had he been here when Meredith found out she was pregnant and had they stayed together.

He tried to shake the thoughts out of his head as he let himself into Meredith's apartment to visit his daughter. Meredith hadn't told him that he couldn't come, so just like almost everyday since he had found out about her, he was at Meredith's place. He walked in quietly, holding a small bouquet of flowers in his hand to give to Emma's mom. He knew it wasn't going to make up for surprising her with his mother, but it was an apology.

"Hey..." Derek whispered, walking in to the living room as he heard Meredith and Emma giggling as they sat on the floor playing with her toys.

"Oh....hey." Meredith's smiled faded away from her face as she held Emma's hand. The baby was standing and looking up at him with a large grin.

"Hi Emma." Derek smiled, walking farther into the room.

"Da!" Emma smiled, before falling on her bottom and giggling.

"Careful noodle." He laughed.

"Ba!" She grabbed her pacifier from Meredith and held it up high. "My Ba!"

"He knows Em." Meredith said quietly, as she held a blue toy ring in her other hand.

"These are for you." Derek breathed, holding out the flowers.

"Me?" Meredith looked up, staring at the flowers in Derek's hand.

"Yeah." He smiled softly.

"Oh." Meredith breathed, holding out her hand as he handed her a small bouquet with lavender around it.

"It's just...to say I'm sorry...again."

"Oh yeah...." Meredith looked away from him, her shoulders dropping as Emma smiled wide and looked adoringly at the plastic on her lap.

"My Ba!"

"Emma...." Meredith whispered, placing the flowers on the coffee table.

"My mom told me to tell you goodbye." Derek sighed, sitting down on the floor in front of his baby daughter.

"Oh, she's leaving already?"

"Her flight left this morning."

"Oh." Meredith nodded, looking back at the lavender before back at her baby who was now hitting her pacifier against the toy ring.

"Addison took her out to breakfast and then we were going to the airport." Derek sighed.

"Okay."

"My ba!" Emma squealed, holding the pacifier towards a stuffed bear.

"How is she?" Derek asked, leaning over and pressing a kiss on Emma's cheek.

"She's um...loud."

"My Ba!" Emma screamed.

"Noodle..." Derek chuckled. "Shh."

"My Ba?" Emma smiled, holding out her binkie towards her father.

"No thanks Em."

"My Ba, Ma?" Emma looked towards Meredith, offering her pink pacifier.

"No thanks Emma." Meredith smiled, leaning forward to kiss the baby. "So...Addison didn't go with your mother?"

"What do you mean?" Derek asked, as Emma crawled towards him.