Sweet Nothings : A MerDer fanfic

Tooth Fairy

"But, Daddy, how does she keep track of which tooth is whose?" Zola popped up another question.

Derek sighed, out of answers and looked to his wife for help. Meredith smiled in understanding and said, "ZoZo, sweetie, why don't you ask the Tooth Fairy all those questions in a letter? She'll be able to answer you better than Daddy can. And now, you have to go to bed, because if you don't go to bed, how will the Tooth Fairy come and visit you?"

Zola pouted in annoyance and said, "But, I don't wanna go to bed. I wanna meet the Tooth Fairy!"

Meredith laughed at her daughter's antics and said, "ZoZo, what did I tell you just now? The Tooth Fairy comes in only when everyone is asleep. You can't meet her."

"But I wanna meet her!" Zola said with a stubborn pout.

"Princess, if you don't go to sleep now, the Tooth Fairy will never come to visit you. Is that what you want?"Derek asked his daughter, hoping she would fall for the trick.

Zola wrinkled her eyebrow in confusion and thought for a minute. Finally, she said, "Fine. I will go to bed. But if I sleep, Tooth Fairy will come and give me gift, right?"

"Yes, sweetie, she will. Now, c'mon, I and Daddy will tuck you in bed," Meredith said as she picked up her daughter in her arms and carried her towards her bedroom with Derek in tow.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After finally putting Zola down, Meredith and Derek tiptoed back to their bedroom and shut the door. Meredith propped herself on the edge of the bed as Derek shut the door and smiled at her.

"What are ya thinking?" Derek asked as he came and sat down beside his wife.

Meredith gave him a small smile as she leant into her husband's warm body. Resting her head on Derek's shoulder, she said, "I was just thinking that...when I lost my first tooth, no one was there to feed me the legend of the Tooth Fairy. My Mom made it clear to me at the age of five that Tooth Fairy, Santa, Easter Bunny and all those other stuff didn't exist. She told me to stop dwelling on such foolish, impractical things and start being mature and pragmatic. I just - today, when Zola was so excited about losing her first tooth and meeting the Tooth Fairy, I couldn't help but wish that I had the opportunity to enjoy these kinds of little moments too." A single tear slipped down Meredith's cheek as she remembered her own childhood days.

"Oh, Mer," Derek whispered into her hair as he wrapped a strong arm around his wife and rubbed slow, soothing circles on her back.

Meredith raised her hand to wipe the tear away and then laughed. "Look at me, I am crying like a silly baby over the Tooth Fairy," she joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Derek cupped his wife's cheek and looked straight into her grey-green orbs. "Mer, I am so sorry that you spent your childhood like that. Every child has the right to grow up with these sweet little legends and traditions of Tooth Fairies and Santa, and I hate your mother for ripping that away from you at such a young and tender age. She was a horrible person. I wish I could go back in time and change things for you," he said as he pressed his lips to Meredith's forehead.

Meredith shook her head and said, "I know. But, Derek, believe me, I - I think I can live the childhood I never had through my children. By making them happy, by giving them the childhood I never had, I will experience all the joys that I missed out on. After all, that's what kids are for, right? So that we can fulfil our unfulfilled dreams through their eyes?"