If that's what it takes

48

Zoey waited in the kitchen for a few minutes as she waited for Derek to return with Mark. The plates were on the table, as were the silverware, and she could hear her tummy growling as she waited. A few more moments and she heard Derek's voice raise slightly, the frustration in his voice was not something she usually heard, and she had not heard him speak to Mark that way before. She ventured toward the kitchen door and slowly opened it, poking her head around the corner as she peered down the hallway toward the front door.

"You're not welcome here." Derek's voice boomed through the house.

"Derek, don't be ridiculous. I just wanted to come by to talk to you." The woman's voice floated through the air, hitting Zoey's ears. She recognized that voice. She couldn't quite place it, but she had heard it before. Derek moved slightly to the side and she caught sight of the woman at the door.

"I didn't want to talk to you at the hospital, and I most certainly don't want to talk to you at my home. Rachel... You took yourself out of my life... we work in the same building, but I haven't seen you in months... and suddenly, you're interested in how I am and you want to talk to me as if we're old friends? I don't think so... I don't think that's a good idea." Derek replied.

"DD? Who is at the door?" Zoey asked innocently as she shuffled her feet into the room and grabbed hold of his hand.

"Daddy?" Rachel raised her eyebrows at Derek.

"Rachel... I don't have time for this... She needs her dinner and bath, and then she has to go to bed... I really, really don't have time to deal with having a conversation with you right now." Derek replied.

"She called you Daddy? Derek, I've known you for..."

"Rachel... seriously... now is not a good time. I'm sorry..." Derek replied as he lifted the little girl into his arms. "Maybe we can talk another time." He said, trying to be polite.

"Maybe not." Zoey chimed in, shrugging.

Derek's eyes passed to hers as she gave him a mischievous grin. "Rachel... please."

"I just want to talk to you, Derek... it won't take long."

"I'm so hungry, DD..." Zoey whined into Derek's chest as she held him tightly. "So, so hungry..." She whimpered.

"Derek, who... why are you..."

"We have to go." Zoey said, reaching for the door, to swing it closed.

"Alright... none of that..." Derek said as he shifted her slightly in his grip before she grabbed the door. "Go on and get the cups on the table..." He said as he lifted her to the floor. "DD will be in there in a minute."

"Okay." She sighed as she glared up at Rachel.

"Say goodbye to Miss Rachel." Derek said softly as he watched the look on her face.

"Um... no." She said defiantly as she turned and ran toward the kitchen.

"Charming little thing..." Rachel replied as she watched the kitchen door slam.

"She's been through a lot in a very short amount of time, Rachel... and I'm trying to help her work through some things... and I know that you have questions and you're just trying to be friendly... but right now, I don't have time for friendly. I'm not trying to be rude here. I just really don't have any time."

"I'm sorry for interrupting your dinner." Rachel said softly as she tilted her head. "Maybe we could talk at lunch?" She asked softly as she tilted her head.

"Sure... lunch sounds good...thank you for stopping by." Derek said, much calmer than he had been when he first opened the door to her.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Derek." Rachel said softly as she leaned forward and kissed his cheek, noting his flinch as he took a step back. She nodded and took a step backwards as Derek slowly closed the door.

He sighed deeply and swallowed as he listened to her feet walk down the steps and down the sidewalk as he walked toward the kitchen. He stepped into the kitchen, surprising Zoey as she stood on a chair at the stove with a plate filled with pasta. She started when she heard the door close, sending the plate to the floor with a crash. "Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!" She exclaimed as tears began to flow down her cheeks.

"What on earth are you doing?" Derek asked as he approached her quickly to clean the mess, watching as she flinched, he simply lifted her quickly and looked down at the mess. "Look at this mess..." He said as he looked at the sauce and pasta all over the floor.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She exclaimed, hiding her face as if she were going to get slapped.

"It's alright..." Derek said softly as the little girl trembled in his arms as she sobbed. "It's alright, it's alright..."

"I was hungry! I was so hungry, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She exclaimed as Derek set her in her chair and moved toward the mess on the floor as she cried at the table, grabbing Mister Derek in her arms as she sobbed.

"No more crying... it's fine..." Derek said as he cleaned up the mess, listening to Zoey as she cried. He lifted the other plate from the table and scooped some pasta onto it and placed the plate on the table, moving it toward her. "Hey... hey, your dinner is ready..." He said softly as he watched her lift her face up, her cheeks were bright red, her eyes filled with tears.

"You..." She sniffled. "You didn't yell..." She sniffled again.

"You didn't do anything that yelling would solve..." Derek replied. "Now hush your tears... and eat your dinner before Mister Mark really does get here and eats it all up." He said with a kind smile as she sniffled and cuddled Mister Derek, grabbed her fork and began to eat. "Good girl..." Derek said softly as he finished cleaning the mess and filled his own plate for dinner.