Hours had passed and Derek was still outside the hospital waiting for Meredith wishing he could stop dwelling on all the thoughts in his head he was still giddy about what had happened. He had imagined the moment a thousand times when he and Meredith would kiss and tell each other how they felt but he had never imagined Meredith risking herself getting fired from her job so she could pull him into an office and make out with him to be the way Derek would show Meredith his wish to be with her. He had not been given a chance to properly discuss his feelings with Meredith, after five minutes of kissing her he had realised he needed to be back in surgery and Meredith had realised she needed to be at work and Derek had reluctantly left her. His shift finished hours before Meredith's shift and he walked outside the hospital waiting for Meredith to finish so he could see her. He had paced back and forth trying to think about what to say to Meredith, he had wanted to be with her for a long time, he knew that every time they had met, laughed and touched his feelings for her had grown stronger and stronger. He felt the same feelings for Meredith that he had once felt for Addison but he was afraid too. Derek had not told Meredith about Addison and he knew that he was going to have to tell her soon, and find a way to help her understand that a big part of him was afraid of being with Meredith because he was scared of moving on from the woman he once promised to be with forever. He was also scared because he was a single parent he knew his kids adored Meredith but for Meredith to be a big part of Derek's life would mean she would be a big part of Josh and Cecilia's lives too and if things didn't work out between Derek and Meredith, well Derek didn't want to think about how his children would feel. He kept dwelling on these thoughts trying to think of a way to get rid of them and then at last the hospital entrance opened and Meredith looking as nervous as Derek felt came through the doors.
"Hey" Derek said.
"Hey" Meredith whispered as she walked slowly towards him, she looked deep into his eyes and Derek smiled, "do you want to talk?"
Meredith nodded, "I think we need to."
"Let's go for a walk."
Meredith walked beside Derek through the city streets feeling the night lights illuminating her, she kept looking at Derek trying to tell him through her eyes to stop walking and talk to her then she grabbed his hand trying to ignore Derek's squawk of surprise that Meredith had unexpectedly grabbed his hand, "Derek" she whispered.
"Meredith?"
"There's a coffee shop right there."
Derek looked sideways and smiled uncomfortably, "yes silly me."
"Do you remember last time we went to a coffee shop."
Derek's smile changed and he chuckled, "I was insisting on buying you something and then you said-
"I would buy you something" Meredith finished smiling back at him.
"That was a fun afternoon."
"Well should we do the same thing again only this time lets surprise each other?"
"Yeah sounds good to me i'll order."
"Derek I said lets surprise each other with what we order for each other"
"How am I supposed to surprise you if you're standing next to me when i'm ordering food?" Derek smirked and Meredith leaned on tiptoe to kiss his cheek, "i'll go to the bathroom."
Five minutes later Derek and Meredith were sitting with the lattes they both had ordered for the other when Derek leaned forward. Meredith sat up straight at attention and gently covered Derek's hand with her own, you can tell me anything Derek.
"Meredith" Derek said slowly, "when I first met you I felt something that I hadn't felt in years."
Meredith smiled as she remembered the day when the elevator opened up and she saw Derek for the first time bending down to pick up papers, "Derek you dropped your books in an elevator."
Derek frowned, "Meredith."
Meredith wiped her smile from her face and nodded, "sorry i'll be serious."
"I didn't know how I felt but I realised over time what my feelings were."
Meredith smiled hearing his words he had felt the same feelings as she did for Derek.
"But I also felt guilty" Derek continued. Meredith grasped his hand tightly, "Derek I already know about Addison."
Derek's eyes sparkled, "how, when?"
"Cristina told me a long time ago."
"You know everything?"
"It's why I didn't make a move sooner because I was so afraid of hurting you," and I couldn't stand doing nothing any longer that's why I finally made a move.
"Meredith I wanted to tell you what you mean to me for a long time but the part of me that felt guilty was because" Derek stopped in mid sentence, "because of Addison" Meredith whispered.
"I made a promise to love her forever and then I met you and I felt like I was betraying her in some way."
Meredith felt her own eyes brimming with tears she hated seeing Derek like this, "do you still feel that way?"
"I looked back on my past and I remembered one night me and Addison talked and we said that if something happened to either of us the other one would try to move on, and if me or her ever fell in love it would be okay I know Addison would want me to find someone else."
Meredith's heart fluttered at Derek's use of the L word, "are you okay than?"
"I am."
"So what now?"
"Well I really want to do this again" Derek leaned in to kiss Meredith and Meredith feeling her heart no longer fluttering and instead filling with happiness kissed Derek back.
Hours later Derek walked into his house late into the night with a wide smile that refused to leave his face he hanged up his jacket and resisted the urge to whistle as he headed for the stairs walking and hopping simultaneously. He stopped when he heard a click and glancing sideways saw Amelia sitting in a recliner chair in the living room with the light from an adjustable lamp bathing her in a bright yellow glow, "Amelia you still up?"
Amelia rose from the chair and started to move slowly towards Derek like a cat stalking a mouse, "it's time we had a little chat" she said softly
"Sure" Derek muttered as he shrugged his shoulders, "about what?"
"Well sit in the chair and we'll talk."
"Sure" Derek muttered again as he sat down in the recliner. Amelia carried a wooden chair over from the kitchen and then adjusted the lamp so the light was shining in Derek's face. Derek put his forearm in front of his eyes, "Amelia what in blazes."
"We're doing this properly Derek I have some questions that you alone will be allowed to answer and you are not going to bed until i'm properly enlightened. Now Derek you have known me all my life and if there is one thing that you should know by this time is that every time I get a new niece or nephew I swear to myself that I will do anything I can to put big smiles on their small faces. In the case of Cecilia and Josh I know what would make them happier than anything else in the world so the first question i'm going to ask you is Meredith what is your current status with her."
Derek looked at her funny, "what do you mean status am I meant to bring criminals to justice with her or something."
"Dude" Amelia said loudly, "will you wake up and smell the beer this woman is like an angel she is here to help you change your life, and your kids adore her they want to see the two of you together."
"They do huh?" Derek said as he started to smile with amusement.
"Yes you dumb lug nut so i'm going to tell you this if you don't ask Meredith out on a date and not have Cecilia do it for you, I am going to hunt you down and believe me." Amelia index finger and thumb grasped Derek's chin tightly, "you don't want to know what I will do to you."
"Okay" Derek squeaked with pain. Amelia released her hold on Derek's face and raised her eyebrows, "what do you mean okay?"
"Okay I will ask her out on a date, we'll go out tomorrow night."
Amelia's eyes widened with amazement, "wait what?"
"Tomorrow night" Derek stood up smiling like a employer proposing a business deal with a potential employee, "can you babysit?"
Amelia's bottom jaw was hanging, "did I miss something?"
"Amelia" Derek said grinning, "can you watch-"
"Yes of course I can, look did you ask her out already?"
"We kissed in the hospital and one thing lead to another" Amelia sat still as a board on the chair feeling the penny drop then she jumped into Derek's arms and hugged him tightly, "big brother that's great, oh i'm so happy for you."
"Jesus Amelia will you be quiet my kids are asleep, we haven't even gone out on a date yet, it's not like we just got engaged."
Amelia smirked as she drew back, "well not yet anyway."
Derek tried very hard to stay calm at Amelia's statement, "Amelia look can you not tell Cecilia and Josh."
"Is this one of those don't get their hopes up things."
"That's exactly it if they're okay with this than i'm glad, but I want to wait until things between Meredith and myself get more serious before I tell them."
"You know they're going to get serious don't you."
Derek nodded as he smiled widely, "I just have a good feeling that's all."
The next night came quickly and Derek was straightening his hair nervously in the mirror, he tried to smile at his own reflection and then a knock on the door alerted him to Amelia's presence. His little sister smiled at him, "looking good big bro."
"Thanks, Amelia do you remember the plan?"
"Absolutely you have told your two little darlings that you are going to work and if they ask me I will remind them you are at work."
"Thank you, and please don't tell them where I am really going as soon as I leave."
"Do you think I would do that?"
"Amelia I have known you all your life and-"
"Okay dude" Amelia raised her hands in surrender, "don't dwell on ancient history focus on the job on hand."
Derek smiled as he gave his sister a hug, "thank you."
"If you're not back tonight than I assume all will be going well."
"Amelia have you ever heard of the you shouldn't kiss on the first date idea."
"Yeah i've heard of it and i've also heard people say you should always wear undergarments when going out on the town but that has never stopped me from going commando."
"Now who's dwelling on ancient history?"
"Beneath that nice smile of yours" Amelia's finger tapped Derek's forehead, "is a brain my brother."
Derek walked out he saw his children watching Toy Story and he bent over the couch to kiss the kid's foreheads Cecilia looked up at him, "daddy will you be home soon from work?"
"Soon Cecilia soon."
"Miss you" the girl whispered.
"Me too" her brother added.
Derek smiled warmly, "I will miss you both very much."
"Okay daddy" Cecilia said grinning, "have fun at work."
"I rather be here with you too than at work." Derek put on his jacket and walked out the door to his car, "okay Derek its show time."
A half hour later Derek had driven to Meredith's apartment and walking up the stairs to her door he knocked on it and breathed out clapping his hands together than he saw a small note on the door Derek check your messages. He looked at his phone and read Meredith's message sent over an hour ago, i'm catching the bus to the restaurant if your car breaks down again call me. Derek chuckled to himself, "our first date hasn't started and she's already giving me hoops to jump through."
Derek ran to the restaurant's front door in the rain keeping his jacket over his head he walked through the front door and the first thing he saw was Meredith looking amazing in a red dress elegant shoes and dry hair smiling at him, "you see" she said softly as she walked slowly towards him, "this is why I took the bus and got here early because I checked the weather report."
"And you thought hey I should be here before the rain starts so that when Derek arrives I can gloat at his drowned state?"
"No" Meredith said smirking, "my motive was I wanted to show you that in our relationship you will be the one who looks pretty and I will be the brains."
"Really" Derek muttered as he smiled, "well i'm as wet as a shaggy dog who just been for a swim and you're looking breathtaking."
Meredith leaned up and kissed him gently on the lips Derek held her close and drew back, "so much for the just hold hands on the first date rule" he whispered.
"First date" Meredith said grinning, "this is our second date."
"It is, that's funny I can't seem to remember our first date."
"Well according to your little angel the time your car broke down on the way to this restaurant was our first date."
"Well I better make sure I do things properly this time."
"Derek" Meredith said gently, "you don't have to order an expensive bottle of wine."
"You're reading my thoughts."
"I just feel like I know you very well."
Derek and Meredith sat at their table and talked for a long time about anything that they could think of. Derek was listening to Meredith talk about a movie she recently went to see with her friends when he saw her hands sitting on the table. Derek slowly moved his hands forward and took hers in his, "Meredith I don't know how to thank you."
"Thank me?" Meredith muttered.
"For this it means a lot."
"Derek you're not making sense."
"I just um" Derek started to sweat, "that came out wrong." Meredith quickly put her hand on his bicep, "Derek don't go all Derek on me just relax."
"Look I didn't mean you're giving me something and i'm. I didn't mean to say it like that."
"Relax" Meredith whispered.
"Yeah um."
"Shhhh" Meredith placed a finger on his lips, "relax" she said softly with a wide smile. Derek took a deep breath, "i'm relaxed."
"Good" Meredith said smiling with him. Derek saw the waiter coming with their food and he released his hands, Meredith immediately took them again "Meredith?"
"I was enjoying holding hands with you."
"Our food is here."
"So eat it without your hands"
"Meredith."
"If the rule is only hold hands on the first date than I intend to hold hands with you as much as I can."
"It's not our first date" Derek muttered.
"It's not" Meredith said with wide eyes.
"No its our second."
"I can't remember the first."
"Look" Derek's mouth opened wide in a grin, "you know you really are the brains."
"I'm glad we agree on that."
They had their dinner and walked out into the restaurant's balcony, "i'm glad the rain stopped" Derek muttered.
Meredith nodded as she stared at the glowing stars in the sky, "its magical."
"It is you know last time we went out on a date we did dancing."
"We did" Meredith said her eyes glowing as she remembered.
"And there's no one here except for the stars."
"We have no music" Meredith pointed out.
"That doesn't matter" Derek said as he offered his hand to Meredith who gently took it and started to sway gently with Derek, "I missed this" she whispered.
"Me too" Derek whispered back.
"Do you want to walk along the beach."
"That sounds good" Derek said as he started to walk with Meredith down to the water. They walked closely side by side walking on the sand and Meredith closing her eyes felt happier than she had ever felt in her life.