When The Truth Unfolds

Starting of Being in the Mood

Just as he was closing up, Derek was surprised to see Meredith and Ellis watching him in the OR gallery. Unknowingly, he waved at them and Ellis quickly waved back, noting she was smiling excitedly. He then turned to look at Meredith who looked like her mind was somewhere other than where she was currently. He noticed her retorted back to reality and looked around the people who were looking at Ellis and her. She cringed at that sight.

That brought a chuckle out of him. The people at the OR turned their gazes at him, including his sister Amelia who was standing beside him.

"Can someone tell Dr. Grey to wait for me in my office? I'd like her to check on something," he said, trying his best to hide his amusement.

Then a Nurse walked over the intercom.

"No, no," he stopped her, and then turned to the interns who were watching him and saw Lexie at the far corner, "Dr. Grey, can you do that for me? Up there in the gallery."

Lexie hesitated and stared at Derek for a moment wide-eyed but still went anyway.

Derek realized what he had done. A couple of days ago, when he found out Meredith and Lexie were half-sisters, Lexie had asked him a favor not to tell Meredith as she would like to tell it to herself because they never met each other. He then learned that Meredith found out about her father's other family a few years ago in San Diego and that it did not go well. That was all had Lexie told him.

"That's the girl...," Amelia spoke.

"Amy, not here," he cut her off, aware by the fact that all ears inside the OR were on them.

"She has a child. And you seemed close with her daughter," she added.

"Dr. Shepherd, if you are not going to shut up, get out of my OR," Derek barked at his sister, infuriated at how she was acting.

Amelia winced, "It's done anyway," she said, then shrugged as she walked out.

He looked up again and noticed Meredith was frowning at him, probably wondering what just happened. Then Lexie approached her and whispered diffidently. Meredith nodded and muttered 'thanks' to her unknown sister as she stood up, carrying Ellis with her.

Meredith had probably gone through a lot in the last five years, he thought. Not just by being pregnant, giving birth and taking care of her child alone, but she was also taking care of her sick mother and the deal with her father. That softened his heart for her but not that it wasn't before, it was more on understanding how scared probably she was as she stated to him before. And imagining her in that state, it pained him truly.

Having a kid meant you always feel worried. But if having a kid also meant this happy, Derek would bet it all. He doesn't regret it. Not at all. He knew he hurt Meredith before and they both had suffered deeply from it. But something beautiful came out of it. Ellis, he thought. Although he understood what Meredith was coming from, he still wished he was there since the beginning. From the moment he learned he was going to be a father, being born, first cries, cutting the umbilical cord to the nights where sleep was not possible because of her being fussy.

But if circumstances should've allowed him, he wished something more. What if the fiasco never happened? Meredith would've told him she was pregnant upon finding out. He would have been there. He would have been the one buying her her cravings, doing her foot massages, and rubbing her back. Meredith would have probably throw things at him, yells at him, and cries because he couldn't get what she wanted from him. What if that happened? Wouldn't they be happier?

Right after the surgery, Derek went straight to his office knowing that Meredith and Ellis were waiting for him. As he walked, he couldn't remove the stupid smile on his face thinking back the scene earlier where his daughter and her mother was watching him and were waiting for him at the moment. This must be the feeling of those Doctors he knew that had a family waiting for them.