Chapter 9:Plans
"You told him what?"
Meredith rolled her eyes, "Cristina, it's not that big of a deal."
"Not that big of a deal?" Izzie interjected, "It's a huge thing! You're getting married! As in, in sickness and in health forever married!"
"Guys, seriously, shut up."
"See, this is what happens when Alex performs brain surgery," Cristina responded, "Next thing we know you'll be quitting your job to raise your seven children."
Meredith stopped packing and looked at Cristina doubtfully, "I'm not quitting my job. And I don't know when Derek and I are getting married."
"That ring really is an engagement ring isn't it!" Izzie accused.
Meredith looked down at her ring, "No, it isn't. It could be, but it isn't," Meredith explained.
"You so want it to be," Cristina teased.
"What's wrong with wanting to marry the man I love?" Meredith asked, "I was supportive of both of your marriages. You could at least be supportive of the idea of mine."
"We are supportive," Izzie answered, "I'm just hormonal and Cristina, she's Cristina."
"She has a point," Cristina agreed.
Meredith closed her small suitcase that Derek had brought her and looked at her friends, "Okay, I am seriously ready to get home and out of this hospital."
Meredith's friends dropped her off at the apartment she'd made her new home. Derek had left the hospital a few hours before her, claiming that he needed to send his sisters home and clean up his mess in the apartment. She'd been reluctant to see him go, but she didn't mind being able to spend some time with her friends.
She walked up to the apartment and put her key in the door. She unlocked it and walked into the dark living room, taking in the familiarity and savoring it. She dropped her bags off at the couch and headed to the bedroom, hoping Derek would be inside.
When she opened the door, she was slightly upset to see its emptiness. She figured Derek was still with his sisters and that he'd be home soon. She pulled off her jacket and threw herself down on the bed.
She wasn't really happy to remember the depressive days she'd spent in this bed, but she was extremely happy to be back in it. She'd missed their little home and everything about it. Especially the bed. You tend to miss a good mattress and sheets with ridiculously high thread counts after being in a hospital for over two weeks.
She threw her arm over to the nightstand to grab the remote, knocking something over in the process. She looked over at the floor and found another brown bag. She picked it up and saw the small sheet of paper taped to the top of it.
"Thought you might enjoy another one of my corny gifts. And no, I'm not trying to make you fat. I'll be home as soon as I can. I miss you already. Love, Derek."
She giggled at the beginning, a smile covering reaching her eyes at the end. She sat back on the bed and opened her favorite candy as she turned on the television.
Lying on her bed, watching the evening news, and waiting for the one she loved the most to come home and join her was something she'd never thought she would do. It seemed like something only normal people did and Meredith found out a long time ago that she was far from normal. But in this moment, she felt like her life was heading from awfully dramatic to normal. And she couldn't of been happier to be spending her normal life with Derek.
Derek walked into his apartment and dropped his coat next to Meredith's before following the soft murmurs of the television into their bedroom. He pushed open the door and found Meredith's head lying against his pillow, her eyes shut.
He smiled as he sat down next to her, kissing her gently on the forehead. She stirred a little before she opened her eyes, seeing him looking down on her with his head tilted a little. She smiled and pulled his hand into her own.
"Hey Mer," he said quietly before kissing her on the lips, "Hungry?" She nodded a little as she slowly sat up; surprised that she'd even fallen asleep. "Wanna go out?"
"Where?" she asked as she ran her hand through her hair to check for any knots.
He continued smiling at her as he spoke, "Just that little place down the docks that we used to go to."
She looked at him suspiciously for a moment, knowing he had some motive besides food, but she decided not to press it. "Sure, just let me change." Derek nodded as she pulled herself from the bed. He got up as well and went into the bathroom. Within twenty minutes, they both were ready to go.
"You look beautiful, Mer," Derek said as they walked to their car.
Meredith rolled her eyes as he opened the door for her, "Yeah, you're just saying that because you haven't had sex in two weeks."
"You may be on to something there," he joked as he shut the door and walked to his side of the car. He got in and looked over at her, "But either way, you look amazing tonight."
She blushed at his comment, but didn't respond. He led them to the main road and comfortably placed his right hand on her thigh. She still couldn't get the notion out of her mind that Derek had something on his mind: something that he wasn't telling her.
