"But you came along, and you changed everything."

After their tea party and dinner, they play with Amelia in her room. It was a lot like witnessing a tornado. One minute she wanted to play a card game, the next she wanted to play with her doll house. It was exhausting, but also made Derek laugh. She was like a living, breathing perpetual motion device. He turns to see Meredith smiling right along with him. He was accustomed to Amelia's mile a minute personality, but it overwhelmed most people. They didn't take the time to appreciate her, and Meredith was. It was nice to see.

"This is a very nice doll house, Amy." Meredith says, rearranging doll furniture to Amelia's liking. The mere fact that Amelia was allowing Meredith to call her Amy said something special.

"Thank you." Amelia nods. "My Daddy made it from a tiny, old bookshelf."

"What a great idea."

"Do you have a doll house?"

"I did when I was your age." Meredith shares. "My Dad gave it to me for my fifth birthday."

"What happened to it?"

"We've moved a few times since then." Meredith says. "I let another girl have it to play with."

"Did she take good care of it?"

"She did."

"Good." Amelia smiles. "Derek, that chair goes in this room."

"There's already an identical chair in that room, Am."

"That chair goes in the kitchen." Amelia giggles.

"How can you tell?" Derek shakes his head. "They look exactly the same."

"They're my chairs." Amelia explains. "I know which is which."

"Okay, Am." Derek obliges. "How did all of the furniture get out of the doll house anyway?"

"They had to get new furniture."

"Why?"

"Fire."

"Oh no."

"It's okay." Amy tells them. "The Mommy saved the baby and the Daddy."

"She's one brave Mommy." Meredith laughs. "How did she save them?"

"Well, the Daddy and baby were trapped in the baby's room. The Mommy kicked the door open." Where she came up with this stuff, Derek would never know.

"There aren't any doors in this doll house." Derek notices, and Amelia frowns.

"Derek..." Meredith elbows him in the side.

"Did the firemen have to knock them all down to put out the fire?" Derek asks his sister, making her smile again.

"Uh huh." Amelia hands them each a plastic doll. "I'll be the baby, Meredith will be the Mommy, and Derek, you're the Daddy."

"I'll try not to get trapped in the baby's room." Derek smirks, and Meredith shakes her head.

"If you do, I'll save you." Meredith laughs.

"And the baby too?" Derek jokes.

"The baby gets saved first." Meredith gets a snarky smile on her face. Something about it makes his heart race. He coughs, trying to mask catching his breath.

"The Daddy and baby get saved together." Amelia orders, placing the plastic baby in her tiny crib.

"Together." Meredith agrees, having the Mommy doll pat the baby doll's back. "Let's hope there isn't a fire tonight."

"The house is fireproof now." Amelia decides. "No more fires. And it's the morning for them. The baby just woke up. Mommy..."

"Uh." Meredith cannot decide what to say. "Good morning. How are you?"

"Hungry."

"Time for breakfast?"

"French toast, please."

"She's a baby..." Derek comments, while Amelia and Meredith move their dolls.

"It's her favorite." Amelia giggles.

"Yeah, and the Daddy is cooking, because the Mommy has no idea how to make french toast." Meredith adds.

"I think you use eggs." Derek laughs. "French toast, coming right up."

"Make sure you use cin'min." Amelia reminds him.

"Cinnamon? Sure."

"Thank you."

"Everything alright in here?" Nancy stands in the doorway.

"We're playing with my doll house." Amelia reports. "Want to play, Nance?"

"Not right now, Am." Nancy turns, and walks away.

"My name is Amelia." Amelia grumbles.

"French toast is ready." Derek tells her, and she shrugs.

"Nancy never wants to play with me."

"We're playing with you." Derek says sweetly. He did not handle it well when any of his sisters were sad.

"Can we play hide and seek now?" Amelia asks, no longer interested in playing with the doll house.

"Sure."

"Not it." She giggles, and runs out of the room.

"Stay inside the house, Amy." Derek calls after her.

"So, are you it, or am I?" Meredith asks, and Derek shrugs.

"Meredith, I'll show you the best hiding spot!" They hear Amy yell, answering their question.

"I guess I'll start counting." Derek laughs, and Meredith stands up. "Thank you for being so nice to her."

"She's an awesome kid." Meredith shrugs. "Now count, and no peeking."

"Are you calling me a cheater?"

"How would I know if you aren't?"

"Meredith..." Amy runs back into the room. "...did you hear me?"

"Let's go hide." Meredith takes Amelia's hand, and they run off. He gives them a few seconds, and begins counting to thirty. He knows exactly where they'll be hiding, but he humors Amelia anyway. He looks other places, and then makes his way up the stairs to the attic. The old steps creak, and he can hear Meredith and Amelia.

"Shh!" Amelia attempts to whisper. She hadn't exactly gotten the hang of it, and he was fairly certain she never would. "I think Derek found us."

"Shh!" Meredith says, making Amelia giggle. Derek stops midway up the stairs, wanting to surprise them. It's silent for a few moments, and Derek savors it. His house was typically the opposite of silent. "I think we're okay."

"Derek hasn't found us?" Amelia asks. He isn't sure why, but he doesn't move.

"I don't think so." Meredith says. "I haven't heard anything."

"Are you going to marry Derek?"

If his family didn't learn to keep their gigantic mouths shut, he wasn't ever going to marry anyone.

"I have no idea, Amy." Meredith laughs. "I'm not even in high school."

"I think you'll marry him, and then I'll have a real sister again!"

"You have real sisters."

"Kathy moved away, and Nancy sucks, and Dani..."

"I know." Derek can see the silhouettes of his sister and friend embrace. "I don't have to marry Derek to be your sister."

"Really?" Amelia seems unconvinced. "You should marry him anyway."

"If you say so."

"Derek's other girlfriends were lame."

Thanks, Amy.

"I'm not his girlfriend." Meredith giggles. "I'm just his friend."

"What is he waiting for?"

"You'll have to ask him."

"Would you be his girlfriend?"

Why did Amy have to be five going on twenty? Oh, right, his other sisters.

"I..." Meredith pauses. He needed to end this conversation now. He did not want to hear her answer.

"Is someone hiding up here?" Derek says, loudly climbing the remaining stairs. He turns the corner, and sees Meredith and Amelia underneath his grandmother kitchen table. "There you guys are."

"You found us."

"I'll be it." Amelia slides out from under the table. "Hide with Meredith, Derek."

"Okay, Am." Derek shakes his head. Meredith laughs, and he helps her up from the floor.

"Is she seriously only five?"

"If I didn't know it to be fact, I wouldn't believe it either."

They leave the attic, and help Amelia get ready for bed shortly after. He doesn't know if she wants to be his girlfriend, but she lets him hold her hand while they watch a movie, and again in his Dad's truck when they drive her home. He's pretty sure his Dad notices, but he doesn't say anything.