Can't Help Falling in Love

13

Meredith sighed as she walked into her classroom after school had ended the next week. It had been an amazing week, full of sleepovers with Derek, dinner dates and him surprising her twice by bringing her coffee in the morning when he dropped Meg off. She was slowly starting to fall even more in love with him, and she wasn't sure how she'd allowed herself to become this girl, the one who fantasized about marrying her perfect boyfriend and dreamed of a happily ever after. Her past had never allowed her to be that happy person, but she knew that Derek was changing that. She was slowly becoming stronger and more confident, the kind of person she really wanted to be, and that was because of him.

"Meg?" she frowned as she saw her usually happiest student sitting at her desk, her chin cradled in her hands as she stared at the wall with a frown on her face. "Did you miss your bus?"

"No."

"Were one of your parents supposed to pick you up?"

"No."

"What about one of your aunts or uncles?"

"No."

Meredith frowned. Meg usually was one of the happiest, and most talkative students in her class, but right now she was barely responding to what she was saying. She couldn't imagine what was wrong, and she felt her heart speed up in panic at the thought that something might be wrong with Derek. "Meg," she said softly, sitting down at the desk beside her and resting a hand on her back. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not going home," Meg sighed dejectedly. "Because my parents are the meanest people in the entire world."

Meredith smiled softly. "I'm sure that's not true," she said. "Why would you think that?"

"Because," Meg rolled her eyes. "We have to go to my stupid Grandma Scott's house for Christmas."

"Well, that sounds like fun," Meredith smiled. "Why don't you want to go to your grandma's house for Christmas?"

"Because she's not as fun as Grandpa and Grandma Shepherd," Meg explained. "And my cousin Dan is a boy. He's gross. So I'm not going home."

Meredith frowned. "Are your parents working right now?" she asked.

"Probably," Meg frowned. "Cause they're stupid and mean."

"Alright, I'm going to call your Uncle Derek and have him come pick you up," Meredith sighed. "And while we're waiting for him to get here, you and I are going to have a little chat, because I know you know the difference between right and wrong."

"Fine." Meg frowned as she buried her face in her arms as they lay crossed on the desk.

Meredith tried to ease the panic in her head at what she had just found out. If Meg was right and she wasn't going to be at the Shepherd's for Christmas, that meant that Derek could take her home. And as much as she loved him...she hadn't been planning on meeting his family any time soon.

"Hey Mer," Derek picked up the phone almost immediately, and she could hear the smile in his voice.

"You need to come here," she said without thinking.

"Is this a booty call?" Derek laughed. "Cause I love that."

"No," Meredith rolled her eyes. "You have problems. I need you to come here because your niece refuses to go home. And her parents are both working right now."

"Is she okay?" Derek asked.

"She said something about being mad that she's missing Christmas at your parents," Meredith said, hoping she sounded casual. "Apparently her parents are stupid and mean and she doesn't want to go home."