Can't Help Falling in Love

42

"Yeah, well, I figured I couldn't avoid the hospital forever," she said as she reached for a tomato off his salad. "And this way I actually get to see you today."

"Always a plus," Derek smiled, squeezing her hand. "Sorry my shifts have been so crazy lately."

"It's not your fault," Meredith sighed. "I know exactly whose fault it is though."

"She's not the best boss in the world," Derek admitted.

"Or the best mother," Meredith sighed. "Are you at least getting to scrub in on lots of good surgeries?"

"Yes, Derek," Emma said, giving her son a pointed look. "How is surgery going?"

Derek cleared his throat, a tight smile on his lips. "Oh, you know," he sighed. "Surgery's surgery. I won't bore you with the details."

Meredith glanced between Derek and Emma for a moment before she frowned. "What am I missing?" she asked.

"Yes, Derek," Emma said. "What is she missing?"

Before Derek could respond, Meredith's eyes widened and she pulled away from Derek.

"What's wrong?" he asked, quickly receiving his answer when he saw Ellis Grey march into the cafeteria. "Oh."

"Maybe she won't see us," Meredith said hopefully as she ducked her head down.

"Too late," Derek sighed, reaching for her hand.

"Dr. Shepherd," Ellis snapped as she stopped at their table. "Where are those labs I asked for?"

"I'm just eating lunch, Dr. Grey," Derek said politely. "I'll have them done in the next hour."

"Nonsense," Ellis shook her head. "How do you expect to be a good doctor if you're spending your lunch flirting away with some slacking girl."

"Excuse me," Emma interrupted, standing to get closer to Ellis. "But I do not think that is an appropriate way to speak to your employee and certainly not about your own daughter."

Ellis stared at her for a moment before she asked, "Who are you?"

"Emma Shepherd," Emma said. "Derek's mother. And from what I can see, I'm already a better mother to your daughter than you ever were."

"I will not tolerate being treated like this in my own hospital," Ellis frowned. "How dare you..."

"She's right."

"Excuse me, Meredith Elizabeth?" Ellis asked, turning to look at her daughter.

"She's right," Meredith said, standing to meet her mother face to face. "You have no right to treat Derek like this. He's an amazing surgeon."

"As if you would know the first thing about being a surgeon," Ellis rolled her eyes.

"I know that Derek cares," Meredith argued. "And he graduated number one in his class from med school, on a full scholarship."

"That means nothing."

"Yes it does!" Meredith cried, tears filling her eyes. "Derek's the best intern you've got, and you're wasting his talents on paperwork and labs! And Emma...she's been more of a mother to me in the past year than you have ever been in twenty four years. She cares about me, which is a lot more than I can say for you."

"I raised you."

"No," Meredith shook her head. "You handed me over to nannies until I was twelve. And then I was always alone because you didn't want to waste your money on child care anymore. And you know what? I feel sorry for you. Because you had a daughter who only ever wanted to get close to you until she realized that her mother is incapable of love. So while you're spending your life in a cold, sterile OR performing appies, I'm going to be doing something I love. I'm making a difference in children's lives, and I'm loved. Derek and his family show me more love than I've ever known before, and I honestly feel sorry for you that you aren't capable of experiencing that. I had a miserable childhood, but now...now I'm happy. And I'm going to make sure that my children never feel unloved for a single second of their life."