Hey everyone, welcome to another installment of our little MerDer story. I wanted to say thank you for the reviews! Also we are almost at 150 and we surpassed 10,000 views which is crazy! You guys are amazing and the support means so much.
Before we begin I want to mention that there is like a very, very minimal mature scene down below. It's barely anything, nothing like next chapter will contain. But I felt it was important to mention in case anyone didn't feel comfortable reading it but again very small.
I want to thank the following reviewers of last chapter as well; MerDer2015, TeamMerDer4ever, izgreysfan, Wiizz, , Your fan, dempsxys, Lina, Leann Nickerson, 098, Patsy, French, meredithgreys, whateverwriter, and all the reviewers from my other outlets and instagram! Thank you guys without you this story would never be completed.
Now onto the chapter.
Derek's brain throbbed. If he were to jam a single more thought into his hippocampus it may just implode right then and there. There was a ridiculous amount of events happening all at once and it made him stir crazy. How was he expected to plan a five year olds avengers themed birthday party when there was fifty million other things captivating his attention? God he was exhausted and the planning had only begun a half hour before.
He skipped his nap at noon. The day's cluster of events got the better of him and a snooze midday felt irresponsible. His exhaustion crept in the shadows. Derek did all that he could to fight it's wrath and for the most part his battle was successful. Up until now when he thought he may topple over. He didn't sleep well the previous night either. Another nightmare stroked his mind. Except this time his death wasn't plunged by body bags or a coffin. It was an elevator. He was trapped by an elevator that no one ever found him in. His death was wrung by starvation.
Of course as all his dreams came about Derek woke in a frantic sweat. Usually his wife remained conked by his left, an arm dangling over her forehead and her mouth parted to release the vapid snores. This time she found consciousness with him. Immediately her palm stretched along his back. He panted for air. She pressed her lips to his shoulder blade and they remained firm to his flesh for minutes that stretched into hours. Nothing was said but her gestures were words enough. They told him, "Hey I'm here and I care about you" which was enough to send him back to a land of happier dreams. She curled around him once he settled. Her arms and legs a monkey and his body her tree. They were forking to the contrary of their normal spoon. She cradled his head to her chest this time. Fingers combing through the sweat slicked curls of his scalp.
Unfortunately the sleep hadn't lasted long. Meredith's alarm broke his slumber which only signaled that he get up to help with the kids. Plus he was do to meet Amelia at the hospital again. He opted to ride with his wife instead of following in a separate car hours later. They showered together to strictly save time. Not a tinge of porny goodness dripped from the excursion. They were simply there to bathe and move on with their morning.
Meredith's Lexus was the last he saw of her that day. With the exception of a small wave in the hall, they didn't cross paths. Derek wasn't necessarily working for Grey-Sloan again, not yet anyways, but his day was jam packed assisting Amelia and Tom with the Catherine Fox case. That, combined with Bailey's birthday coming, and his mother and sisters flying in to see him the day crept away from him. Allotting little to no time at all to see his wife. Kicking Andrew DeLuca's ass had yet to come either. It was evident that man was doing all that he could to hide from Derek.
Plus there'd been little to no time at all for planning he and Meredith's romantic evening. No date was set but both were cognizant it should be soon. He wanted her. Derek missed his wife and her gorgeous body. The way she purred and writhed under his skin akin to a kitten. He was prepared to rediscover her carnally. Find every crevice that made her tick like a bomb. Except he couldn't do any of those things because his family was coming to Seattle and there were ground breaking surgeries to find answers for and his son was turning a year older.
Derek groaned. He slammed his forehead to the dinning table, moaning in annoyance. He's ready to slip his notebook away, shut off the lights, and make a beeline to the bedroom. Except a familiar fragrance of heady lavender fills his nostrils. Meredith's keys jingle. His ears prick when they land with a thud on the island. The noise of boots clanking to hardwood brims his drum. A sigh elicits when her fingers dislodge the black beanie from his hair. They entangle to his thick curls. Her lips find his scalp.
"Mmm." He hums. Meredith massages his curls for a few lingering moments.
Her hands slip from his hair to shoulder blade. The sound of her even breaths fill the silence. "Birthday party planning isn't as easy as it seems, huh?" She asserts, a half hearted chuckle escaping.
Derek makes a noise. Something incoherent to the rest of the world but his forearm. "Seriously. How was your surgery, Mer?" Around 4:30 when her shift was scheduled to end, a patient, a ten year old girl, was suffering complications. Meredith called Derek to alert him she would most likely be in surgery until later that night and Amelia should drop him off at the house.
Silence stretched. He lifts his head from the cool wood of their table. Redness circles her waterline. "Not good. There was too much damage. I couldn't do anything. The cancer had completely spread. I had to close her back up."
"Oh, Mer..." Derek motions to her. She comes forward and they embrace. Now he's comforting her. It's always difficult when a patient comes around and there is physically nothing you can do for them. That pain is excruciating when it comes to children.
Meredith sniffles, keeping her emotions at bay. They untangle from the hug. "I'm good. I'll be okay I just need sleep or maybe a really good distraction." The glimmer in her eyes at the mention of a distraction caused his breath to hitch.
She reaches for his hand. Their fingers interlock. Meredith scoots her seat closer. The legs of their chairs bump. She leans in for a kiss. One that snatches his breath. The kind that leaves him begging for more. Her left hand strokes his thigh. Their tongues battle for dominance. Meredith's seems to take the reigns. Their lips mesh and tug. She's nearly swallowing him whole with her cavern.
This is a tactic Meredith used long ago. Using their sexuality as a distraction from communicating. George's death comes to mind. She used sex as a way to keep herself from crying. "Hey," Derek releases her strong hold on his mouth. "You don't want to have sex now do you?"
Her face is flushed. She unravels their fingers. "Why not now?" She asks. "The kids are asleep. Maggie is with Jackson and Amelia is with Owen. We're all alone. I've had a shitty day and I just want-"
"That's exactly why we can't have sex Meredith, you're upset."
Her expression shifts. "I'm not upset. I want to be distracted I want something to..." Her voice wavers. "Oh god, I'm sorry. I-I don't know what came over me. We shouldn't, not now."
"It's okay. You lost a patient. When I would lose someone, especially a child, I would want sexual healing. I'd want you to numb the pain. It's okay." He says.
Meredith lies her head against his shoulder. His fingers strum her spine. "She was so young. It's not fair." Her voice breaks.
Derek constricts her. It breaks him to think of the nights she broke down this way when he was away. Who was there to pick the pieces up? Who kissed her head and assured her the pain would cease at some point? "You're a good surgeon. You did all that you could. Just knowing that you tried is enough. Many surgeons wouldn't have but you did. You're a fighter. Think about that."
He feels her nose touch his neck. Right over a long, winding scar the semi decorated his flesh with. Her lips peck the pudgy line. "Thank you. I needed that."
They sit through the quiet. Derek's lids dip. He could sleep just like this. Happily sleep too. With her body so proximal. Their hands touching. The soft scent of lavender making his head rush. Their feet touch. His sock clad toes migrate over her leather ankle boot. He can feel her nose scrunch. It tickles.
"I did make you dinner though." He piques in referral to their sex date processing. "It's in the fridge if you're hungry. Chicken. I put all the fattening crap on there just for you." He smirks at her scalp.
Meredith snorts. "Thank you. But I think I just want to drown my sorrows in a tub of strawberry ice cream." She removes herself from the cocoon they've created. Derek turns his attention back to the table. The scattered notebooks, papers, his iPhone laying at the far end. Noises of his wife shuffling prick his ears. The fridge opens and closes. Rattling of silverware. He smirks when she grunts in an effort to open the ice cream container. His smile deepens at her moan of satisfaction to follow.
"Ben and Jerry are lifesavers you know." Meredith asserts, her mouth permeated by the soft elixir of cream.
Meredith circles back into his view. She kicks her boots off. Her feet come to rest in his lap. "I'm sorry about nearly having my way with you on the table right here." She blushes.
"If this wasn't supposed to be our do over first time I probably would have let you." He smiles at her. "Speaking of, when do you want to, you know."
Meredith keeps her attention on the tub of frozen dessert. Derek absentmindedly rubs her feet. His thumbs push against the tendons and knots. His wife purrs. "Doesn't matter to me. Maybe after Bailey's birthday? I don't think it matters when your family is here they're staying at a hotel anyways because we don't have enough rooms at the house. Oh! Maybe your mom could watch the kids for us in case Alex can't do it."
"Do you really want to ask my mom if she can watch our kids so we can have sex?" He raises a brow.
Meredith giggles. "She won't know we're planning on being porny."
Derek scoffs. Carolyn Shepherd knew everything. His mother relished to pry in his business. When he was fifteen and kissed a girl for the first time, she knew. Secrets were a myth in the Shepherd household.
"Mer, she's going to know I promise you."
"I don't care if she does." Meredith says. "You're my husband. If I want to plan corny romantic nights where you cook me dinner and we have naughty kitchen table sex then that's my business."
Derek chuckles. Meredith has never been the type of woman who cared for anyone's opinion but her own. He admired that about her. Sometimes he felt he cared too much about what other people thought of him.
"I really want to make love to you." Derek whispers. His wife preens.
The tension and buildup to their rendezvous has subsequently made their intimacy stronger. They've never done this before. Well, scratch that, when they started dating again after the prom excursion Meredith planned that their be no sex. Except that tactic failed miserably a few days following because neither could keep their hands off each other. This is the longest they've willingly waited. Other times they've put sex off was only because of a fight broke out and they were pissed at each other.
"Me too." She whispers. "I know I just tried to jump your bones but I really want it to be special." Her toes wiggle between his fingers. Derek's heart races.
He imagines their night to be brimmed by romance. Much of Meredith's giggling when they decide to just rip off the bandaid and get to it. They'll probably bump their noses and it may be awkward in the beginning but soon they'll find their rhythm. Just like they always do.
It isn't even so much the pleasure of sex that's exciting him. It's that connectivity. The moment when the world collapses around them. He wants to show her he's there to commit. This time no force is going to break them apart.
With a clunk, his wife's ice cream rests on their table. She removed her tiny feet from his lap and soon stands, reaching her arm out to his proximity. "Lets take a bath. I'm all gooey in all the right places and we can't do the sexy thing. So, bath?"
Derek shakes his head at her antics. Twenty minutes ago he was counting down the minutes until his head could crash on a pillow. Now he's nothing but giddy to sink back in a tub with his wife's back to his chest. Their hands meet. He groans softly to stand.
"I could use a bath." He leads her to the stairs.
GA
This is heaven or pretty damn close to it. If it weren't for the children's bedrooms just behind this wall, Meredith would be moaning, loudly.
Candles flicker in the darkness. Their two pale bodies lie comfortably in a pool of bubbles. Warmth from the water surrounds their nude frames.
Derek runs a burning wash cloth down her vertebrae. It seeps into her taut muscles and makes them piles of jello instantly. Her cheek lies at the lip of the claw foot bathtub. It's cool porcelain feel a frothy contrast to her hot cheeks. His thighs confine her. She uses his knees as the perfect armrest. It's then that his lips touch her shoulder. Her body writhes.
"Do that again and I might orgasm on you." Meredith insists. She closes her eyes when the warm cloth drags down to her tailbone.
Somewhere in the background Derek chuckles at her assertion. "I haven't even touched any of your porny places." He corrects but his lips remain glued to her wet skin.
Forcefully, she opens her eyes to slits. Their clothes are strewn over the floor. Both were far to eager to drop them into the dirty clothes hamper. I'll get it later the tiny voice in her head assures. Meredith leans backward. She lies against the solid plane of his chest. A smile forms from cheek to cheek.
Derek's washcloth migrates too. From her back to front. He starts at the navel and makes a voyage to the mountains and valley of her chest. "You could blow on me and it might undo me." She sighs. It had been a while since the last Derek gave Meredith a run for her money. DeLuca was a fine lover but it was nothing in comparison to her husband. Andrew was more of a boy searching for the right spots while Derek was definitely a man taking his prey, leaving her desiring more.
A devious snicker releases from behind her. His breath pulses at her neck. The washcloth easily inserts itself across Meredith's puckered nipples. He cups her breast and tests it's weight in his palm. This time she does moan but does her best to keep it soft. His legs cradle her body. She feels his semi erection pressing against her spine. Why were they waiting again?
"I'm sorry that DeLuca couldn't satisfy you in my absence." Derek husks to her ear. His teeth grapple at skin of her ear and she quivers in his hold. Her toes crinkle. Her hands tighten around the sides of the tub.
She bites her lip. "Not like you can." She whispers. "Nothing like you."
"Do you ever try to satisfy yourself?" He questions. His question slogged through her brain. With his two pronged attempt at getting her off with the ear nibbling and warm cloth circling her puckered buds, she could barely think coherently.
"Sometimes." The word is barely a choked divulgence.
Her answer seems to intrigue Derek. He maneuvers closer. His bouncing boner sticks at her tailbone. She whimpers. "Do you think of me?"
"No, Bradley Cooper." Meredith groans sarcastically. He has her wrapped around his finger and she hates that he has so much control over her body. Except the heat in her core begs to differ. It seems to relish the newfound attention and its pleading to be released from its cage.
"That's too bad," the washcloth makes a splash into the water. His fingers replace the fabric covering her left breast. "Because I think of you."
Derek's fingertips circle her rosy nipple. They're ripe and puckered. He toys with the sensitive bud like a joystick on a game controller.
Meredith hiccups. Since when did Derek mast- "Ohhhh." She whines when his other hand trails to her leg. To the crease that connects thigh to her womanhood. His fingers never quite migrate to her throbbing center. She thinks partly to be a tease but also to remain chaste for their pending partnership next week. But none of that meant they couldn't have fun in the process, right?
He continues to flick his thumb and forefinger across her breast in an attempt to get her off. His ministrations seem to pay off though when her body starts to tremble. Meredith's feet slip and slide against the bottom of the tub. She's floating except Derek's arms tighten around her waist to keep her grounded. Spots color her vision. Her silhouette tightens and contracts with need. This climax isn't loud and doesn't involve her usual bit of screams, but is still all as powerful. He managed to get her off without a single touch to the cluster of nerves between her legs. How had he done that? Maybe the pent of sexual tension had gone to her head. Maybe her bad day had needed a bit of sexual healing. Maybe she just missed him more than she was letting on.
No matter the cause of her orgasm, it was really freaking perfect. His hands combed through her now sweat slicked locks. He brushed perspiration from her forehead away. "Thank you." Her gratitude was nothing more than a wrecked whisper.
"Hmm." Derek murmurs to her hair. They lie like that, constricted to the tub for a while longer.
Minutes that feel like ages seem to pass. The rest of their bath is brimmed by small kisses and chaste touches. Derek ends up washing her hair for her and she does the same to him which ends in both of them giggling at her gesture.
"What time is your family supposed to be here tomorrow?" She asks when pulling on a pair of panties.
Derek is clad in gray boxers, towel drying his hair. "Uh, I think only my mom is coming tomorrow. Nancy has a critical patient, Kathleen and Lizzie should be here the next day though." He retorts. He passes her to placate the cream towel back on its hook. She watches when he blows out the remaining candles in the bathroom and picks up the remnants of their clothes from the floor.
She grabs one of his Bowdoin shirts from the drawer. It's freshly washed and smells like Downey fabric softener. Swiftly the garment goes over her head. "I'm excited to see her." Meredith admits and this time she's being honest. Memories from when she initially met Carolyn strike.
You're wearing an alarmingly high pony tail.
Your mother is coming!
"I think she's excited to see you and the kids. It's been a while."
Suddenly Meredith is flooded by guilt. That's partially her doing. When Derek died she couldn't particularly bring herself to invite Carolyn down to Seattle or make a trip to New York. At the time, anyone close to Derek sent her on a rampage. It's why she and Amelia couldn't get along for so long. She was the wrong Shepherd and that pained Meredith for so ions. And then, once she was able to get over herself, time slipped away from her.
"I'm sorry." Meredith admits. "I'm sorry I haven't had her around."
The mattress squeaks when Derek climbs to the bed. He pulls down the comforter and slides in next to her. "Meredith it's okay. I get it, you were grieving. If the tables had been turned I wouldn't have wanted your family around either. You don't have to apologize for that." She takes his hand at the finish of his spiel. Admittedly it does make her feel better.
She too settles into bed. Crisp sheets cocoon her. The television runs in the background, Jimmy Kimmel is their evening white noise. "I want our kids to know their grandmother. They don't have any grandparents and it's a shame. Whether you were dead or you weren't I should have never kept her away like that. I'm sorry."
"I swear if you say sorry one more time I'm going to get up and call my mom in New York right now to tell her not to come." He laughs softly. Their eyes meet. Derek moves forward to kiss her forehead.
"Okay I won't say it again." She says. "I am happy she's going to be here for Bailey's birthday Saturday."
"Me too. How is he five years old? It feels like just yesterday he was a baby and..." his voice depletes. This is what crunches Meredith's heart. It must be one of the most excruciating feelings to have missed so much. The most critical years of their children's lives were completely gone from Derek. She can only imagine if she herself was in this type of situation. How terrible she might feel if this was her.
In an attempt to bring him solace Meredith kisses him. Not a sexy kiss that leaves him panting and begging but the sort to reassure him that things were going to be alright. "I'm so happy you get to be here for his fifth birthday." She whispers.
"He's five Mer, five years old. The last I saw him he was just a baby. He still sat in a high chair." Tears fill his eyes. The only thing she knows to make the situation any better is to wrap her arms around his body.
"I know. I know it really freaking sucks." He holds her back. "But you have to live now. Because if you don't live in the moment then you'll just miss even more. Live in the moment, Der. It's good." With his hands encased around her lower back they continue their quiet embrace.
She thinks this might by in the top three of things she missed most about Derek being here with her. Now that he's back it's lovely how they're able to comfort again. To bring each other serenity in times of ache.
Derek seems beat. Literally exhausted from the appearance. His lids are nearly shut. He suffered a nightmare last night. The kind that left him begging and gasping for air. It physically broke her heart watching him suffer that way. Through pain he so did not deserve. She thinks physical contact helps or might help.
"Hey, Der?" Meredith coos. Derek's orbs open. Fatigue laces them.
"Mm, yeah?"
She sifts her fingers through his damp hair. "Turn around. I wanna be the big spoon tonight."
He seems puzzled by the statement. "What?"
"Just do it. You're always spooning me to bed and tonight I want to spoon you." Meredith kisses the tip of his elongated snout. Derek always protects her. Keeps her safe from harm with his arms twisted around her waist. Can't it be her turn to do that for him? After everything he's suffered through, the least Meredith can do is try for him. Try to make things better.
To her surprise he obliges to the request without argument. She reaches to turn out the lamp first and then she moves to his silhouette. Her breasts mash to the dips of his dorsal. It's awkward at first. Her body is entirely smaller than his. But Meredith does what her frame will allow to make do. She circles a leg around waist and can't help but smile when his hand curls at her thigh. She presses each hand over his beating heart. Her nose touches the nape of his neck, just where feral curls flare out.
"Comfy?" Meredith asks.
A relaxed sigh elicits. "Mm, very."
She feels for his heart rate. The organ slowly grows steady. Derek's breathing pans out. If she can take the stress away for even ten minutes, she wants to. Even on the nights Meredith doesn't wake up to help him through a PTSD contracted nightmare, she knows he has them. She's hopeful physical contact might help him. Maybe subconsciously his brain will indicate the protection of someone else or she's optimistic it will.
Meredith's near the land of dreams herself when Derek's fingers connect with hers. They rest comfortably at the apex of his chest. She sighs happily.
They remain that way for the rest of the night.
GA
Carolyn Shepherd silently grinned to herself when the taxi pulled up at Harper Lane. The last she had seen her son and his wife was at the old home Derek built. She was still fuzzy on the details behind that. She made a visit just after Bailey was born. Carolyn desired to see her newest grandchild who in fact was no girl this time around and that excited her.
The meeting was curt and Carolyn barely spent any time with the children before she was rushing back to New York. Since then, only phone calls and Face Times have been made. When Derek passed she briefly saw Meredith at the funeral but the poor woman was too distraught to even look her mother in law in the eyes.
She couldn't quite blame Meredith. Carolyn had been through something similar. She lost her husband and that was enough to shut every person she cared for at the time out of existence.
It was a shock to system a month ago when her youngest daughter called. Amelia was choking back sobs to inform Carolyn that Derek was alive and well. Initially Carolyn didn't want to believe Amelia's antics. She assumed maybe Amelia was back on the drugs or a terrible dream had awaken her that her brother was here. Except she herself knew that the youngest wouldn't be so inclined to make a phone call to Carolyn unless it's importance was sky rocketing.
Then she passed the phone to her son and every bit of emotion she'd kept at bay flooded outward. Hearing Derek's voice again struck a nerve with Carolyn. He'd always been special. Derek stuck out like a sore thumb in the Shepherd household, mostly because after Micheal passed he was the only testosterone left. Derek was different from his four sisters in every way. While they tended to be loud, gossipy, and popular, he was shy. Derek kept to himself during his adolescence. To put it bluntly her son was an outcast. Not that it mattered to Carolyn. She admired he migrated to his own beat.
Always he was going about life differently than the rest of the clan. At first Carolyn couldn't help but be bothered by it. Moving to Seattle with no goodbye. No Shepherd left New York. Then he met Meredith Grey and suddenly she could accept his new life across the country. It was a miracle her son was able to enjoy the prospect of living now.
She kindly thanks her driver, hands him a tip, and exits the yellow cab. It's a gorgeous morning in Seattle. The sky is crystal clear, not too brisk, and the sun beams bright. Her watch reads 11:30 AM. Derek was supposed to have plucked her from the airport an hour earlier but he never showed. Carolyn hadn't put much thought in it, assuming something came up at the hospital.
Except her irises stick on the silver Lexus and Black Porsche Cayenne sitting poignantly in the driveway. Had they forgotten? Carolyn wonders. She wheels her bag up the sidewalk and to the front porch.
A knock elicits. No answer. She sounds off the doorbell. Nothing. What the hell was going on in there? It was then that she concluded the front door was unlocked. Carolyn lets herself in.
The abode is quiet. Aside from the grandfather clock near the stairs ticking back and forth. No giggles or squeals relinquishing from the children. Carolyn makes a trail to the living area. It's clean with no evidence of anyone having been there this morning. Then she checks the kitchen but only finds her sons phone and a stack of papers on the table.
Her numerous texts fill his notifications.
The only plausible option she can think of is that they're sleeping. She's been to this house a handful of times. Just enough to give her information of where the master bedroom might be. The staircase creaks with every step she makes. Mentally she's berating the contraption, in hopes the croaks don't wake the couple if they're slumbering.
If Carolyn knows her son, she knows he has to be completely wiped in order to over sleep or even sleep at this late of an hour. She can assume the accident has taken a load out of him and the process of getting reacquainted in Seattle must be exhausting.
At the end of the hall, a bedroom door is cracked. Lavender walls poke her vision. A large bed at the center of the room and in the apex lies a tangle of limbs.
Two people are entangled to one another. Faint snores elicit from Meredith's mouth and Carolyn does all that she can to keep from giggling. Her sons nose is pressed to his wife's forehead. They're wound so tight to each other it nearly makes her awe at the imagery. The power must have gone out the previous night without either of their knowledge. Judging by the flashing 12:00 AM on the clock, their alarm never sounded off.
They look so serene lying together. Carolyn doesn't have the heart to disengage the two from sweet dreams and a peaceful rest. Instead, Carolyn leans forward to place a soft kiss to her sons head and her daughter in laws. Derek shifts and mumbles unconsciously. Meredith moves closer to her husband.
They remind her much of she and Michael. Helplessly in love decades and decades before them. Carolyn's thrilled that the only difference in their love stories is that Meredith's husband came back. Their love hadn't halted permanently.
"Sleep well." Her voice is a gentle whisper. The couple remains unaffected by her words and continues their slumber together.
Carolyn exits the bedroom and migrates down the hall to her gorgeous grandchildren's bedrooms.
GA
Derek's eyes are sticky. The taste in his cavern is gross and his subconscious demands he plant a mouthful of Crest to his teeth. The second coherent thought he has that morning is that he slept. He slept well without a single nightmare captivating him.
That alone was enough to jolt him from the tangle of blankets and sheets. Primitively, he's alone. Meredith's side is empty aside from her pillow. There's no noise of the shower running. No light illuminating from under the bathroom door. She must be downstairs with the kids. He thinks. They opted to keep their children home this Friday. With Bailey's party tomorrow and his mother flying in today, a skip day wasn't the end of the world.
"Fuck!" Derek hisses. Suddenly he remembers exactly where he's supposed to be or supposed to have been earlier this morning. When he glances at the alarm it's flashing a random time. That makes his stomach roil. His job was to get his mother after her flight landed. Clearly that hadn't happened.
In a frenzy he bolts from the bed. Icy hardwood plunges against the soles of his bare feet. Derek's in too much of a frantic haze to bother slipping socks or bedroom shoes on. He slips from bedroom, to hall, to the staircase.
"Meredith!" Derek shouts. His heels create a rhythm of thumping with every stomp he makes. "Mer, we overslept we forgot-"
The sight he's greeted by is one he didn't expect. His mother, decked out in an apron, and Meredith wearing a black one, are standing by the stove. Zola, Bailey, and Ellis are plopped at the kitchen table. They're coloring. Well Zola is coloring while Bailey and Ellis nearly scribble on the placemat.
His wife is still wearing clothes for sleep. Except she's pulled on some leggings and her hair is tied back. There's the smallest dollop of pancake batter decorating her pink cheek. Meredith's smile brightens when his presence is known. "Hey, Der!" She asserts quickly before returning her attention to the bowl she's mixing batter in.
Meredith cooking was... odd. His wife couldn't cook. She could barely whip up a pop-tart without burning it. And yet there she was decked out in an apron labeled kiss the cook and it was all weird. Then there was his mother who seemed to be assisting Meredith in the pancake making process. They were laughing together, smiling, having a good time.
What the hell had the universe done with Meredith and when did it replace her with this pod person? She didn't even seem like she was struggling. Usually, Derek could easily decipher when his wife was pulling a facade. Except right now she didn't seem miserable at all.
"Hello, sweetheart!" His mother beams from across the kitchen. She drops her spatula and adjust a couple settings on the stove. "Watch those for me, dear." She coerces to his wife. Quickly, his mother hurries for the threshold where he's been standing the entire time, dumbfounded.
Her stout arms embrace him. Derek reciprocates her hug without encouragement. "Oh my, darling it is so wonderful to hug you again." Derek's fingers curl at his mother's shoulders. She's warm and soft just as he remembers. How had it been almost four years since he last hugged her?
They'd spoken on the phone after popping up in Seattle. Then she offered to drop everything and come out to visit but it was he who insisted that wouldn't be necessary. An agreement was made that she along with his army of sisters could fly in near Bailey's birthday and stay through Thanksgiving.
He nuzzles his nose into his mother's nearly white tendrils. their embrace lasts for a couple of minutes. It was the moments like these that he found himself grateful. God hadn't let him leave and lose people like Meredith and his mom. His time on earth wasn't finished.
He wasn't finished yet.
"It's so good to see you, ma." Derek whispers.
His mother sniffles. "You too, sweetheart. How are you?" He untangles, pulling a seat out for she and himself at the kitchen table. "Oh no, I'm good. I'm helping Meri over here make breakfast. Well, more so lunch it is nearing 12:30." She adds with a grin.
"A pain in the behind is how he is." Meredith interjects somewhere in the background.
Derek scoffs at the admission. "Haha, you weren't saying that last night now were you?"
His wife's face is blooming with blush at the comment. It's evident Carolyn is suppressing laughter. "What happened last night, daddy?" Zola asks after putting down her crayons.
"Yeah, daddy what happened last night?" His wife lifts her brows, a smug smirk stretched at her cheeks.
Derek bends to the best of his ability. His hand strokes Zola's hair. "Mommy was being nice last night because we were cuddling. You know how much you love to cuddle with me? Well mommy does to."
Meredith murmurs something under her breath. He can assume it's something unkind toward him but Derek can only beam. It's a glorious feeling that he and Meredith can tease one another again just like they used to. Not every moment has to be permeated by seriousness.
"Alright guys, what about you guys go get your shoes on so we can eat the pancakes Mommy made and then we'll all go to the park?" Carolyn suggests. All three Shepherd's squeal with delight and hurry from their seats at the table and out the kitchen door.
"You are such a jackass!" Meredith snarls when the children are out of sight. He chortles when her dish rag collides with his shoulder. He's backed into the island, her tiny fists pounding at his chest but they're barely leaving a dent to his torso.
Derek yanks the towel from her hands. The scrap of fabric lands somewhere behind them. His fingers grapple at her waist and he takes the reigns. "Stop it!" She giggles when his fingers tickle her tummy. Her shrieks of exultance eliciting beyond the kitchen walls.
Their actions halt when Derek finds his mother peeping at their charade, a thin smirk lacing her features. "Oh don't stop on my account dear, I know how it is." She gestures her chin to them in an attempt to further her point. Derek feels bile collect at the back of his throat.
"Ma, we weren't really doing anything last night." Derek says.
"Right we were just-"
"Oh you two don't have to make up a cover story. I know what it's like to be happy and in love. Meredith, dear, your husband died and then he came back. It's perfectly healthy if you two are spending a lot of quality time together."
Derek unfurls his grip on Meredith's hips. Suddenly feeling beyond awkward in the midst of this conversation. He steps away and distracts himself with the contents of the fridge. It's when he's snagging a carton of orange juice that he hears Meredith stirring a conversation with his mother.
"Actually, Carolyn," Meredith sighs. "I wanted to ask you about something. Things have been really great since Derek has been back I promise. But with our busy schedules and all, Derek and I haven't really been very intimate."
Derek's flesh burns. "Meredith stop." He blurts to pause the ongoing conversation.
"Derek, your mom doesn't mind! The point is, I really want to be with my husband. It's been so long but we can't ever find the right time. I want a night with no distractions. Plus, my birthday is next weekend so I was just going to ask if you could watch the kids then. Would that maybe be okay?"
His mother smiles softly. "Oh dear, of course I will. I can take them back to my hotel room for the evening or maybe we could spend some time with Amy, Liz, Nancy, and Kate."
"Great! that means so much to me."
"It's not a problem, Meri." His mother assures. Derek takes a swig of juice but would almost rather it be a dose of scotch at this particular moment. "You and Derek take the entire night if that's what you need."
Derek carries his string of embarrassment through the remainder of his day. How awkward was it to ask his own mother if she could watch their children just so he and Meredith could have sexy time together? However when the following morning rose the only thought consuming him was his son.
Derek Bailey Shepherd was five. That was insane, right? There would always be this place in Derek's heart that throbbed every time he thought about missing three years of his children's lives. But as Meredith put it, dwelling on the past wouldn't give him time. It only took present memories away from him.
Their day began a little hectic. "The Hulk" cancelled on the party, something regarding a nasty head cold. Then Jamie's mother one of Bailey's friends mother wasn't able to take the group out to the park. Luckily his own mother improvised and offered to take over whilst he set up at the house with Link.
That guy wasn't all bad. Maybe his sparkling grin somewhat hurt Derek's retina but he was a good person. If it weren't for him the party would have never been put together in time. With Meredith being called in for emergency surgery, it left him in solitude.
"They should be here any minute." Meredith pants, rushing down the staircase, adjusting her ponytail. She was able to make it home with just enough time to change out of scrubs and into something casual. "How do I look?" She questions.
Derek's breath catches in his throat. Even in such a minimalistic outfit, Meredith manages to still be exquisite. With her stone wash skinny jeans and the undone button down, his heart swelled.
"Beautiful." He strokes her shoulder and steals a soft kiss from her red lips. She tastes like lemonade. He hums at the delicacy. Link can be heard in the background, in awe of their lip lock.
"You two are just so cute!" He gushes.
Meredith giggles. "You never said that when I was with DeLuca."
Link's face wrinkles. "DeLuca is a swine Meredith. Plus why would I rather you be with someone like him when Derek Shepherd is literally standing right here? This man is a walking legend!"
Derek and Meredith share a glance. It's easy to tell the desire of bursting into laughter is eating them alive. Strange how their biggest supporter is a man they only recently met. Not that Derek was complaining. Anyone rooting for he and Meredith was someone he admired.
A group of screaming children disengages him from that thought. They're wearing masks but he can easily depict Bailey from the crowd. His light blonde hair contrasts against the darker colors.
"Happy birthday Bailey!" Meredith and Derek shout in unison. Their son flies to their arms and they each twirl him around. Derek smothers him in kisses while Meredith tickles his tiny belly.
Their sons attention diverts to Link who is happily cheering along with the adults and swarm of children. "Are you Thor?" He asks in a soft cherubic tone.
Link stands still for seconds at a time. "I am!"
"Oh cool!" Bailey squeals.
"Now, which one of you kids stole my hammer?!" Link grunts before picking Bailey off the ground.
Meredith, Derek, and his mother remain smiling as they watch the scene unfold. Derek is more than euphoric to experience this moment. To think just a few months ago, none of this existed for him. There were no children or wife or mom or pack of sisters. He was alone. In a foreign place that no one knew him in.
He's grateful that God gave him this opportunity. Because there are so many others in this world who weren't or aren't as lucky as he is.
This ponder carries with him through the rest of the party. The cluster of kids remain a pack of wild animals in the other room when he, Meredith, Link, and his mother enjoy cake and wine back in the kitchen.
"You eat more junk food than any surgeon I've ever met." Meredith snorts watching Link devour another slice of double chocolate delicacy.
He swallows a thick piece coated in royal icing. "One perk of being a cancer kid I get to eat whatever I want and no one can tell me no."
Derek's brow scrunches. "How do you not have diabetes or heart disease or way four hundred pounds?" He asks.
Meredith and his mother snicker. "I run a lot. What are you some kind of healthy guru? Do you drink green tea and inhale salads?" Link smirks at him.
"Oh no, he's worse." His wife says. "The biggest health nut I've ever met. I'm shocked he's even eating the cake."
"Hey, I ate chocolate pudding that time."
Her irises roll. "That was a fluke. You were wounded and wounded people eat whatever they want. A fluke Derek!"
He gouges on a slice of chocolate. The sweet elixir melts on his tongue and easily glides down his esophagus. He moans in appreciation. "I'm eating cake right now, aren't I?" He nuzzles his nose close to her much tinier one. Their gazes are intense.
"Alright you two I thought we were holding off until next weekend for that." His mother peeps.
"Holding off for what?" Link asks.
Derek unwinds from his wife. "Nothing." He says. "Nothing at all."
"A little romance is all." His moms eyebrows wiggle. Derek's face cauterizes.
Link's plastic yellow fork drops to his plate. He glances between Meredith and Derek. A sly grin forms. "Oh, so like a sex date?"
"Stop." Derek growls.
Link mimics a thrusting motion. "A little 'uh uh' huh?"
Meredith hides her face to keep from bursting with giggles. Derek on the other hand finds this situation anything but humorous. "I will strangle your neck." He asserts.
"Oh my neck isn't the only thing being strangled I see."
This time, Meredith does laugh. "There are children in the other room!"
"My mom is sitting right here." Derek addresses. Carolyn seems unbothered, almost entertained by the ordeal.
"She doesn't care. I bet the sex is hot though. Is it hot?" Derek buries his face into his forearms.
Meredith's fingers touch his spine. He doesn't lift his head but feels his heart quicken in beats when she leans forward to his ear. "Very." Her breath husks to his ears only.
He tilts head to the left. She's smirking, ear to ear.
Oh it will be. Very, very, very hot. He thinks to himself.
Okay I got this chapter out in three days since the last one, I think that deserves some kind of applause! The amount of support and love for the last chapter was astounding. I appreciate all of your kind words they always motivate me to keep writing.
This chapter was MerDer heavy but I mean who's really complaining anyways? I wanted to quickly say that it mentions Derek talk about God a few times in this chapter. I think he is more of a believer than Meredith. He I feel like grew up going to church and I think his mother is religious. This really has nothing to do with the chapter but I felt it was important to bring it up in case any of you were curious.
Next chapter will be strictly MerDer. No other characters involved for purposes I'm sure you can assume. I also decided to make it Meredith's birthday because Ellen Pompeo's birthday is in November and this is when the chapter is set!
Give me your thoughts on the chapter! There will definitely be more Shepherd family to come so stay tuned. Thank you for the reviews and support guys, I love writing for you all.
