Ferry Boats and Scrub Caps

Anticipation

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the ferry boats in this story and do not make money off of this fic. The characters belong to Shonda and the ferry boats belong to the ferry boat people? I don't know.

His first recollection of being on a ferry boat was with his mother. He was four. He remembered that because it was his birthday and his mother didn't bring the stroller because he was a 'big boy' now. They were going across the Hudson, to the store. To visit dad. It was a really special memory because Kathleen was in school. And Nancy was being looked after by Aunt Liz, So it was just him and Mom.

There was the steep narrow staircase, which was hard to climb two steps at a time. His mother's warm brown eyes twinkled when he tried. "Come, Der, there's no time for that, people are waiting behind you," she chuckled, gently prodding him on.

When he got to the top, his rubber-booted feet clapped against the deck as he rushed for the railing, eager to face the bow and size up all the ships that passed by. There was the yucky ones, like garbage barges, that caused him to crinkle his nose and fake retch if they were downwind. But then there was the cruise ships and freightliners that seemed to dwarf him and cause his neck to ache as they went by.

Ferryboats brought his imagination to life. Derek was Peter Pan, enchanted by fairy dust and flying all over Neverhattan, stopping on the ferryboat pirate ship to fight Captain Hook! He would race from bow to stern, clutching an imaginary sword to fight his imaginary opponent as he parried and thrust, making swishing noises and heeyah's! With spurts of agile energy, he rolled and pounced, and jumped and climbed until he felt his mothers hand on his shoulder. "Derek, it's time to sit and eat, dear."

His expression crumpled as he was pulled from his dreamland. He started to whine in protest, refusing the simple turkey sandwich his mother. "Derek, stop that!" she chided. "After we eat, you'll be visiting your father at the store. He has cake for you."

"Cake?" he asked.

"Yes, darling," his mother ruffled his untamable brown locks "Vanilla cake, not too much icing, of course. And then we're going to Aunt Liz's for your party. Kathleen and Nancy and all your friends wii be there!"

"Oh yah!" he said, slapping his forehead dramatically, "My pawty!" How could he have forgotten his own party?

But it didn't matter, he was excited to see dad most of all. His dad and cake, he couldn't wait!

Ferryboats taught him anticipation.

A/N: More to come!  This will be a light-hearted Derek-y fic.