THESE TIES THAT BIND
5x8

Knocking at the door wakes both Rowan and Derek up, walking down the hall—only half awake.

"Where's your wife?" Derek asked.

"Haha," Rowan hurried down the steps to open the door, the knocking getting louder and faster. "How are your suite mates?"

Derek rolls his eyes and stays beside Rowan as she pulls the door open.

"Hi," A blonde girl with an accent Rowan couldn't place greeted.

"Hi," Rowan said awkwardly.

"Hi," Derek waved.

"Is, uh, Grey home?" The woman asked, Rowan just staring at her, her mouth open.

"Yes," Derek answered for the blonde attending.

The girl burst into the house, "Death? Come on. Where are you, Death?"

Rowan turns with a confused expression as Derek shuts the door.

"What the hell just happened?" Rowan draws her head back in confusion.

"Maybe she'll marry you," Derek said as the pair heard loud laughter coming from the main bedroom.

"I'm going to go make coffee," Rowan closed her eyes. "Hopefully I don't fall asleep in the process."

Derek follows her, "Me too. The— falling asleep part."

When Cristina makes her way into the kitchen both Rowan and Derek are sitting beside the coffee pot—Derek's actually sitting and Rowan was leaning against the counter—just barely awake.

"Derek," Rowan pushed his arm.

"Hm?" Derek groaned as his head falls.

"Don't fall asleep," Rowan whispered.

"Apparently they went backpacking around Europe together or something.." Cristina bit into a muffin she'd brought with her. "Before med school."

"Huh," Rowan nodded, only partially listening, sipping her coffee.

"You know that woman all but kicked me out of bed?" Cristina directed at Derek.

"That's terrible," Rowan said sarcastically. "Because you haven't been kicking Derek out of bed for days?"

Cristina glared at the blonde OBGYN, pushing he coffee towards Derek,  "And Death? Meredith's name is not Death. It's Mer."

"I really feel for you," Derek poured Cristina more coffee.

"You know," Cristina lowered her voice to a whisper, Rowan sitting on a stool across from Cristina and Derek. "she's never even mentioned this woman. I mean, how much of a friend can she be?"

"Good enough to get us all out of bed," Rowan gave a tight lipped smile as Derek poured Rowan and himself more coffee.

"Welcome to my world," Derek whispered.

All three sip their coffee in peace.

💍

The last thing she wanted was to go back into the marriage conversation with Lexie, but she needed her charts, and Lexie was reading at the particular nurses station she needed.

She grabs her chart, the chart brushing Lexie's sleeve.

"Ouch," Lexie whispered, grabbing her arm in pain, she pulls her white lab coat sleeve down, "Um.. these are s— um, scratches from my kitten. He's a crazy scratchy scratcher."

"You're a cat person?" Rowan asked curiously.

"Does that change your mind?" Lexie smiled, making Rowan shush her. "Sorry. Does that change your mind?"

"Definitely not, Dr. Grey," Rowan's eyes look down at Lexie's sleeve and back at her face.

"I— I meant hairbrush," Lexie covered for herself. "It— it— I have a crazy scratchy hairbrush."

Rowan doesn't fully believe her, but she lets it go since she has patients to get to, "Solo surgeries coming up, and if we get to put a good work in on interns, you are mine, Dr. Grey. But they won't let you if your injured, got it?"

"I'm— I am on top of my game. Really," Lexie assured.

"Okay," Rowan jerked her head forward, Go on."

💍

Rowan slightly slouched in the office chair behind the nurses station, her half-eaten package of yoghurt in her hand as she watches Derek write in his chart.

"What if," Derek looked up.

"Nope," She shoved a spoonful of yoghurt in her mouth.

"Hear me out," Derek put his hand up defensively. "You dont marry Addison, you marry Lexie."

"We've been over this. It's Addison or no one," Rowan joked.

"Come on Ro," Derek's lips pinch together with annoyance.

"No!" Rowan threw her empty yoghurt package into the trash. "Also, I'm mad at you."

"What did I do?" Derek faked confusion. "Which part? Me telling Mark or me telling Lexie?"

"Both," Rowan spun the chair slightly. "Now I have Dr. Grey up my ass. She actually, genuinely wants to marry me."

"Well, we need someone to marry our sweet, and loving Rowan," Derek smiled. "Hey, when you finally except Lexie's proposal and finally get married, can I walk you down the aisle?"

"That's a fight you would have to fight with Dr. Sloan—if it were to happen. Which it wont," Rowan tilts her head, picking her crossword up off the table in front of her.

Derek sighed, "Whatever Rowan."

"Whatever Rowan," Rowan mocked. "Why don't you marry Lexie? Blah, blah, blah. Can I walk you down the aisle? Blah. Blah. Blah."

"You know what—" Derek stopped himself, flashing the younger Grey sister a smile when she grabbed a chart off the rack. "Hi."

Meredith rolled a cart towards the nurses station, "I hit the titanium mother lode."

"Hi," Lexie gave Derek a surprised smile.

"Hey," Rowan picked her head up out of her crossword.

The attending's look at the older Grey sibling, "Oh, come on, really? Why can't Rowan ask? Aren't you supposed to marrying her?"

"Dr. Shepherd, add that to the list of things to be mad about," Rowan pointed her pen at the neurosurgeon.

"Do you think your wife-to-be can change the fact that you're so formal at work?" Derek leaned down on the counter.

"One, not my wife-to-be," Rowan put her hands on her chest, "I am so sorry you had to hear it from me."

"Oh, screw off," Derek rolls his eyes.

"Two, this will never change," Rowan pointed to herself.

"I just think it's weird you call your roommates by their last names even when you aren't around patients," Derek shrugged one of his shoulders.

"It's a formality thing," Rowan shook her head. "Try having Eleanor and Luke Potter as your parents for a day."

"I don't think I want to," Derek gave a sympathetic half-smile. "Just so you know, if they ever visit, they aren't staying at the house."

"Oh yeah, your girlfriend's made that quite clear," Rowan chuckled.

"When did she talk to you about that?"

"Uh, about five months ago," Rowan raised her eyebrows for a second. "We came about it in the same way, actually."

"You needing a wife?" Derek joked.

"Very funny," The blonde rolls her eyes. "No, she wanted to know why I was so formal too. Simple, Eleanor and Luke Potter are assholes."

Derek raised his eyebrows, telling her to go one.

"Somehow, they know I may be getting deported and are, and I quote, 'Elated for your arrival.'" She impersonates her fathers tone. "Matter of fact, they're probably sending Natalia here as we speak."

"How much you want to bet?" Derek stood straight.

"Twenty," Rowan smirked. "Because I know I'm right. The next few days, I'm telling you."

this will have to hold
you guys over for a
bit. i think my mental
health is getting worse.

i'll update soon.