Merder: Different Circumstances

Chapter Ten

Although Ashley was dreading lunch,  she couldn't deny the fact that not only had she enjoyed herself, but was also looking forward to having Meredith come back to the trailers. The car journey home was filled with a lot more conversation than the one there, as Derek asked Ashley her opinion on Meredith.

Derek had deliberately avoided the route of the ferryboat to just create further confusion and when he looked out through his rear view window, he chuckled at the muddled expression on Meredith's face. They both pulled up next to the trailers and Ashley jumped out of the quickly, with the others following behind.

"I'll be back in five." She shouted as she ran across the land to her trailer.

"She has a close relationship my my youngest sister, and said sister has been interrogating Ash over her life in Seattle. She'll probably be giving her a call." Derek explained to a confused Meredith.

In her trailer, Ashley did exactly as Derek predicted, she pulled her phone out and dialled her Aunt Amelia's number. It only took a matter of rings before Amelia picked up and began to question Ashley.

"So, what's she like? Is she really annoying or is she just bearable? Does she remind you of your mother or does she act completely differently? What was she wearing, did she try too hard or did she look like she just rolled off a 24 hours shift?" Amelia fired.

"She's actually really nice. She is nothing like my mother, like the complete opposite and no she didn't try too hard nor not hard enough. She's actually come back to the trailers with us so you'll either get a rant off me later or I'll phone you completely happy." Ashley replied.

Perhaps before lunch, her responses would have been very different and she would have gone along with Amelia's pessimistic attitude, but now she knew Meredith, she actually liked her. Their conversation concluded shortly after, so Ashley left her trailer to join her father and Meredith on the deck of his.

The next hours were spent playing card games and laughing together on Derek's deck, and just for a while, Ashley almost felt as though she was part of the happy family she longed to have. Before the sun set on them, Derek insisted on taking Meredith for a walk around part of his land and although she did not say anything, Ashley knew he would walk her down to the edge of his land, where the sunset was visible.

Momentarily, Ashley felt ever so slightly envious that Meredith was already taking her place, but the invite was then extended to her by their guest. Ashley politely declined claiming she had homework to do, and Derek knew she had done it all earlier but silently thanked her for allowing the time just the two of them.

Meredith and Derek's hands intertwined as they walked away from the trailers and towards an opening in all of the trees. Ashley could hear their laughter as it faded into the distance and thanked whoever was watching over her and her father for finding Meredith for the both of them. Although they had only met less than 12 hours ago, Ashley knew Meredith was going to have a big impact on her life.

Through the trees was a large opening of land, larger than the opening the trailers were situated in. The lowering sun set an orange haze across anything as far as the eye could see and the water below them just reflected it.

"Wow, it's beautiful up here." Meredith breathed.

"Not as beautiful as you."

Derek turned to face Meredith and she went up on her toes ever so slightly so that their noses were touching. All it took was Derek to move forward a couple of inches and their lips caught each other in a kiss. Their kiss lasted until both needed oxygen, so when they pulled away breathlessly, Meredith just rested her head on Derek's chest.

"I love you Meredith Grey." Derek whispered into her ear.

His declaration of love took Meredith by surprise so she lifted her head from his chest and looked in directly in the eyes, looking for any signs of a joke. This hesitation caused Derek to panic and he was ready to profusely apologise for saying such a thing too early, even though that was obviously how he felt.

"I love you too Derek Shepherd." She replied, placing a shorter but just as passionate kiss to his lips.

They returned to their previous position, with Meredith's head on Derek's chest and his arms wrapped tightly around his body as they watched the sunset. Once the orange haze had subsided to a glow along the ground, they began their walk back through the opening.

Derek knew the pathway like the back of his hands, every rabbit hole and every bush, but he found amusement in watching Meredith struggle to pick her path, until she almost fell over after placing her foot on a rock. Her ankle rolled and she grabbed onto his arm to balance herself, while she didn't end up on the ground her ankle was definitely twisted.

Not liking to ask for help, Meredith convinced herself she was okay and tried to convince Derek, however he was not up for negotiating and picked Meredith up in a fireman's lift to carry her the final way back to the trailers.

"Derek put me down, we're literally back at the trailers, I could see them, I'm fine to walk." She squealed, repeatedly hitting his back.

By no means did it hurt him, but just to annoy her a little more, Derek pretended to drop her, making sure she was safely in his arms the whole time. Ashley heard the commotion and looked out of her window to see her Dad carrying his girlfriend across the land. Interested to hear what story ended up like this, she threw on some shoes and went to join them.

"I have so many questions right now." Ashley informed them as Meredith continued to hit Derek's back.

They got inside of the trailer and Ashley began to make the three of them hot chocolates, as Derek got out an ice pack from the freezer. It was obvious that Meredith had twisted her ankle, but she knew that it wouldn't be unbearable in the morning.

"I'm fine Derek, I don't need to go to the hospital. You're a brain surgeon and I'm a general surgeon, I think we're both qualified enough to establish that I've just twisted my ankle. Ashley, you agree don't you that this is just twisted?" Meredith argued with an over concerned Derek.

"I mean you're the doctors but it looks okay to me." Ashley added to the debate.

After ten minutes, the two had managed to convince Derek that Meredith's ankle would be fine in the morning, so he accepted that she did not need to go to the hospital, but bargained that she would stay the night rather than driving home. Meredith knew she would be perfectly fine to drive and he was just looking for an excuse for her to stay overnight, but she had no complaints.

The hot chocolates made by Ashley were greatly appreciated and warmed the three of them up, before she left to go to her own trailer. A hug was exchanged between Meredith and Ashley, one which was much less awkward than the other earlier in the day, and then Derek went to the door to watch her walk across.

"Remember what I said to you the other night." She said cheekily as her father placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Ashley Carolyn Shepherd. Stop giving me grief and go to bed. Goodnight, I love you." Derek scolded, not holding his threat of grounding her.

"I love you too Dad. Night Meredith." Ashley shouted in reply as she walked the short distance to her own trailer.

"What was that about?" Meredith asked.

"Teenagers being teenagers." He explained loosely, before he joined Meredith in bed.