lxii. mama shepherd
5.12

Atlas was great with parents.

Maybe it was because he was a doctor and had to deal with them throughout his surgical career.

Or maybe it was because of his siblings, and the way he grew up with his parents around all the time.

It was possible he was great with them because of Star. He was now technically a father by adopting.

Sadly, not even being great with parents was going to stop Atlas's increasing anxiety now. Derek's mother was coming down to Seattle and Atlas was scared shittles. He was marrying her son, what if she didn't like him — that particular thought was freaking Atlas out.

"What if she doesn't like me?" Atlas asked for the second or third time, he was pacing his and Derek's kitchen with a bowl of homemade cupcake mix... he was stress baking.

Derek stepped forward with the cupcake pan in hand. "She will love you."

"You've told her about me right?" Atlas stopped his pacing and stared at Derek.

Well this was a tricky question. Derek had told his mother all about Atlas, just not that they were together. That might become a problem because Derek was going to marry Atlas.

"You didn't tell her." Atlas sighed. He didn't blame Derek though — when he told his own parents that he was gay they were just so happy that he felt he could tell them, they didn't love him any different. But he knew that his parents weren't like everyone else, some didn't accept the fact that their child was gay or different.

"She knows who you are, Atly." Derek smiled weakly as he sat down on one of the dinning table chairs.

Atlas shook his head and forced a smile, "Baby, it's okay. I love you, even if you don't tell her about us."

Derek watched sadly as Atlas continued on with his baking, the conversation seemed to be over. He didn't want it to be over though, Derek felt as if they were both holding in something they wanted to say.

"Atly?" Derek whispered.

Atlas looked over his shoulder at Derek, he paused his baking. Atlas placed the bowl down on the counter before he stepped closer to Derek and kneeled down on the floor in front of him. He placed his hand on both sides of Derek's face, "I love you. Nothing will change that, okay? Nothing at all. And if you aren't ready to tell your mom, your family then that is okay. I'll support you either way."

Atlas wiped the tear on Derek's cheek with the pad of his thumb. He stood up and placed a kiss to Derek's lips. "Now, even if I'm not being introduced as your fiancé, I'm still nervous so I'm going to continue to bake."

Derek chuckled, watching as Atlas got back into the grove of baking. He stood up and went to leave the kitchen, just before he left the room his eyes caught sight of the bright blue paper. His and Atlas dream home.

It was going to be an eventful day.

╚═ ☆ ═╝

It was still a few hours away tell Derek's mother would get on a place and show up to Seattle. In the meantime, Atlas had kicked both Derek and Star out of the house, telling them to go to the zoo or hospital or anywhere really.

Since Derek had taken Star out, Atlas called Bailey and Mark over, telling them it was an emergency. They showed up quickly.

"What's wrong?" Bailey spoke right away as she opened the front door of the Lee-Sunny/Shepherd house hold. She had a key, and she used it.

Mark followed behind her. "Atly, you okay?"

Mark and Atlas were friends, they weren't as close as Bailey and Atlas were, but to Atlas that didn't make him any less special to him.

"Thank goodness your both here." Atlas stepped out of the kitchen. There was flower in his hair, chocolate mix on his cheeks, his apron was dirty dirty. He looked like a mess.

"What happened to you?" Mark asked as he held in his laugh.

"I need help." Was all Atlas said before he turned around and walked back into the kitchen.

Bailey and Mark shared a look, Mark looked more amused than Bailey did.

"Atlas?" Bailey walked forward and glanced into the kitchen, the kitchen that was by far messier than Atlas's appearance.

Atlas whipped around and placed a hand on both his friends shoulders. "Derek's mother is coming here. I'm not ready." He turned around swiftly.

Mark looked towards Atlas with a panicked expression. "Mrs. Shepard's coming? To Seattle?"

Atlas hummed. "Yeah, that's what I said." Atlas didn't stop baking.

"Oh god." Mark was almost sweating. "That woman raised me! And I'm with Lexie Grey! That woman is forbidden fruit."

Atlas spun around to face Mark. "Your with little Grey?!"

Mark didn't answer.

Bailey sighed deeply. The woman marched forward and took the bowl from Atlas's hand and set it down on the kitchen table. Once that was down she steered Atlas towards Mark. "Make sure he showers, then make sure he puts some clean clothes on — he'll change into his scrubs at the hospital anyways."

Bailey pushed the two towards the stairs before she turned back towards the kitchen. She placed her hands on her hips. "He would die without me." She muttered to herself before she got to cleaning.

Mark had practically dragged Atlas up the stairs. Once they were upstairs, Atlas seemed to be able to walk by himself, which was a good thing. Atlas lead Mark towards the master bedroom where he then pointed out his dresser. Mark grabbed Atlas a clean pair of clothes as Atlas went and got into the shower.

It was going to be a long day.

╚═ ☆ ═╝

Derek held his phone to his ear, he was talking to the person he had sent to pick you his mother. Apparently his mother wasn't there and that meant one of two things — his mother didn't get on her flight, or his mother ditched the man.

"Are you in the North terminal?" Derek spoke into his phone.

The man on the other side of the call confirmed that he was there, right where he was supposed to be.

"Well, that's where she's supposed to be. No, no, do — don't go anywhere. Just wait."

Derek held a hand on his shoulder, he turned around to find his mother standing there. "Never mind. I found her."

Derek smiled at his mother Carolyn, "You know, there's a town car waiting for you at the airport." He told her.

Carolyn smiled back at her son. "I don't need a fancy car. I just hopped on the bus. Saved you some money."

Derek looked around for Atlas, who was not around. Before he answered his mom he sent a quick message to him, hoping he would reply and not be in surgery or with a patient. "So this cruise... you just happened to have a layover in Seattle?"

"Well, I've always wanted to check out the space needle." Carolyn shrugged.

Maybe Atlas could take his mother to the space needle. Derek asked himself as his mother talked on about the space needle.

Mrs. Shepherd looked away from her son and towards the lobby, there standing awkwardly hidden away was Mark and Atlas. "Mark Sloan!" Carolyn called out.

Derek sent a very panicked look to Atlas. Atlas only stuck out his tung then smiled, walking forward with Mark.

Carolyn smiled at Mark, sadly, Mark looked to his pager and pretended to have been paged. "Oh, Mrs. Shepherd. You look great. Oh, damn. Catch up later?" He walked away quickly in an attempt to not have to tell her about Lexie.

"Mom." Derek said catching his mothers attention. "This is Atlas."

Atlas stuck his hand out for the woman to shake, Carolyn shook Atlas's outreached hand. "It's so nice to meet you." Atlas have a grin.

"It's wonderful to meet you, too, Atlas. My son has told me all about you." Not the fact that we're engaged. "Do you have time to grab a cup of coffee? Maybe show me around dear?"

Atlas looked to Derek who nodded. "Of course, Mrs. Shepherd. Let's get going."

Carolyn placed a kiss to her sons cheek before she turned around to walk beside Atlas. They walk in silence for a minute or two before Atlas looked to Derek's mother. "How long are you in Seattle?"

"I leave tomorrow morning." Carolyn nodded her head in thought. "I'd like to see the space needle before I leave though, have you been?"

Yes, with Derek once and the other time with my family. "Yes, once. With my siblings and parents."

Carolyn smiled, "Are you close with them — your family I mean."

"Yes. My two younger siblings are doctors here too. And my mothers retired now." Atlas told the woman beside him as they neared one of the hospital coffee carts — one of the best coffee carts in the hospital.

"Hi, what can I get you two?" A woman around Eliza's age beamed as Carolyn and Atlas stepped up towards the cart.

"Can I have a coffee please?" Carolyn asked kindly.

The woman behind the cart nodded and typed the order in. "And for you?"

"Can I please have a green tea?" Atlas asked as he pulled out a few bills, enough to cover both his and Derek's mothers drinks.

"Oh dear, you didn't have to do that." Carolyn said but smiled non the less

"Oh no, it was no problem Mrs. Shepherd." Atlas took his tea into his hand and Carolyn was handed hers. The two walked away through the hallway of Seattle Grace, neither really said anything beside the occasional "this is this" and "that is that".

Accidentally the two passed the day care. Atlas wanted to stay clear of the day care because he knew if he walked by he would mention his daughter, and unfortunately he did. "Would you like to meet my daughter? She's just inside."

Nice.

"I'd love too." Carolyn beamed, she barley knew Atlas but her son talked about him all the time.

Atlas walked into the day care and bright Carolyn in with him. He looked around the room until he found Star playing with a thing of blocks. "Hi sweetheart." Atlas cooed and kneeled down beside Star, Carolyn stood there for a second before she knelt down herself.

"Oh she's adorable." Carolyn cooed and reached her fingers out, Star immediately grabbed them.

"Yeah, she is." Little do you know, she's your granddaughter! "Her name is Starlee, but everyone calls her Star."

╚═ ☆ ═╝

Derek exited his surgery with a bounce in his step, that was until Atlas ran right into him. "Derek." Atlas sighed in relief, he had been wondering the hallway in hopes Derek would just step out.

"Atly." Derek smiled and kissed Atlas.

"Thanks for the kiss, but your mother would like to have lunch with the both of us." Atlas pointed out with a look — a she knows look.

Derek gave Atlas's hand a squeeze as they moved to go towards the cafeteria. "Everything will be okay."

Both Atlas and Derek entered the cafeteria together, but neither were holding hands. Neither of them noticed their engagement rings either. They walked forward and took a seat with Derek's mother.

Carolyn glanced at the two, she opened her mouth once, ready to say something but she was cut of by Derek.

"Atlas is my fiancé." Derek blurted.

Atlas whipped his head to the side, his jaw had dropped. "Der..."

Derek's mother hadn't said anything yet, she just looked between the two. "I need a minute." She muttered to neither of them. She wasn't mad, no, she was shocked — she didn't think her son was going to tell her like that.

A minute passed when Derek finally spoke up. "Mom?"

"I saw the rings." Derek's mom started. "And I took notice of the way you too looked at each other — it's the same way me and your father looked at each other."

"Mom."

"I love you no matter what." Carolyn reached out her hands to grab her sons and hold them.

╚═ ☆ ═╝

"Mrs. Shepherd!" Atlas yelled out to the woman as she got ready to leave the hospital.

Derek's mother turned around to face Atlas, she smiled warmly. "Yes, dear?"

"I love you son, so very much." Atlas breathed out. "And we're already engaged, but I would like your blessing."

Derek's mother nodded, "You have my blessing."

"Thank you Mrs. Shepherd." Atlas held his hand out for a handshake but Derek's mother pulled him in for a hug.

"You make his so happy. Thank you." She whispered before she stepped away.

"I'll talk to you soon." Derek's mother said before she got into the car that would take her to her hotel.

Atlas was happy with how the day turned out.

He made his way back though out the hospital until he found Derek. He brought Derek in for a long hug.

"I love you." They whispered at the same time.

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long chapter !
what do you people thing about this one?