If that's what it takes

50

Derek finished his meal in silence, glancing to the kitchen door as he waited to see if Zoey would come flitting in. He could feel his mood deteriorating with each second as he sighed. The phone rang as he stood up with his plate, he glanced over to the phone on the wall and smiled slightly as he walked over to it. "Hello?" He said softly into the line as he gave his full attention to the pause on the other side of the line. "Hello?"

"Derek?" A woman's voice came over the line as he sighed.

"Sarah?" Derek said as he listened to her panting slightly. "Are you running or something?"

"Morgan won't go to bed, she has spent the past half hour running around the table. "Randy finally grabbed her and Sammy and brought them upstairs to bed."

"And amidst all of that, you thought to call me?"

"I had intended to call you all along... it's not too late, is it?"

"Sarah... it's only seven here..."

"Oh... oh, yeah... stupid freaking time zones..." She said with a huff as she took a deep breath.

"What did you need?" Derek asked as he chuckled at his sister's flustered response.

"I was... we were all wondering... are you coming to New York for Thanksgiving?" She asked quickly as she listened for her brother's response. It was usually a pause, followed by a sigh, and then his apology.

Derek paused for a moment, listening to his sister's breathing on the other line as he took a deep breath and sighed slowly.

"It's alright if you can't make it, Derek. We'd understand... you had a tough year..."

"DD, are you coming?" Zoey asked as Derek turned sharply to see her standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips.

"Hang on a second." Derek said softly to Zoey as he tried to cover the receiver.

"Derek, who is that?" Sarah said over the line quickly, hearing the sound of a child in the background, and her brother's response.

"Sarah, can I call you back tomorrow?" Derek asked quickly as he swallowed.

"Derek?"

"I'll call you tomorrow... Tell Randy and the kids that I love them... I'll call you tomorrow, I promise..." Derek said quickly. "I love you..."

"Love... you too..." She said softly as her brother hung up the phone on her.

Derek held his hand on the phone for a minute, his heart pounding in his chest as he looked to the little girl standing in the doorway holding her toys. "I thought you were mad at me." Derek said as he watched her eyes on him.

"I changed my mind..." She shrugged. "I'm hungry..." She said as she ran over to the table and climbed onto her chair, setting Molly, Floyd and Mister Derek on the chair beside her, she grabbed her fork and started shoveling food into her mouth.