Suddenly Izzie was awake in her room and George was asleep next to her. On the other hand, I was awake and found myself eating some of Izzie's muffins in the kitchen when she wandered down, wiping her eyes.
"Hey," I said. "What's wrong?"
Izzie shook her head.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she answered.
I nodded.
"Do you want a muffin?" I asked passing her the container.
"Mmm, I guess so," she replied taking one.
I could see something was wrong, so I leaned over and held her hand.
"Try and get some sleep," I told her. "I'm going back to bed,"
I walked back up the stairs and climbed into bed where Derek began to stir.
"What are you doing up?" he asked.
"Nothing," I answered quickly as I climbed under the covers and pulled them over my head.
Derek was so tired that my response didn't faze him in the slightest. So he rolled over, put his arms around me and fell back asleep.
I laid there for a while, contemplating where my life was heading; sure, I could see tomorrow as a problematic situation; but where was I really going?
The next morning I was getting ready for a big day, with Bailey coming, I didn't have a lot of time to do what I usually would on my day off.
"Meredith!" Izzie called from the kitchen.
I walked down the stairs with a set of clothes for Charlotte.
"What?" I asked Izzie.
"Have you moved the travel mugs?" Izzie questioned.
I shook my head.
"Try the second cupboard on the left of the fridge," I told her. I looked around for Charlotte. "Where's Charlie?"
Izzie shrugged.
"Last time I saw her, she was in the lounge room watching television," she replied.
I walked into the lounge room.
"Charlie, time to get ready to start the day sweetie," I told her.
Charlotte came over to me.
"When is Randa coming?" she asked as I took off her night shirt.
"In a while," I replied.
Derek appeared at the door and smiled at us.
"Ah, it's my two favourite girls!" he said happily.
I smiled back as I slipped a pretty white top over Charlotte's head. I then pulled some leggings on her; the rain always made Seattle slightly cooler than most places. As I fitted her pink and white dress around her waist, Izzie and George strolled into the lounge room to see us before they left.
"Time for work?" I asked Derek.
"Not for me, I still have an hour," he replied.
"What time will you be home?" I asked Izzie and George.
"Not sure yet," George answered. "I won't have Bailey ragging me so it may be an early night,"
Izzie laughed.
"Okay, so I'll start dinner around seven," I told them.
"Oh god, she's going to cook," Izzie groaned.
"Hey! I can cook!" I protested.
"Mmm, sure," Izzie said sarcastically. "Just keep the fire extinguisher handy!" she warned.
I rolled my eyes.
"Have a nice day baby," Izzie said to Charlotte.
"Bye princess," George kissed Charlotte's forehead. "See you tonight,"
Charlotte waved to them both as they walked out the door.
Derek walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around me; he rubbed his hands over my stomach and around my back.
"Charlie, sweetie," I said.
Charlotte looked up.
"Just wait down here honey, mommy and daddy are just going upstairs okay," I told her. "Don't answer the door, come and get us if you hear someone knocking,"
Derek and I moved upstairs quickly where we knew we didn't have long.
"Five minutes," he said in between kisses.
"Deal," I answered pulling off his shirt and unbuttoning mine.
It wasn't a moment sooner that I found myself lying on the bed breathing heavily. Derek pressed his lips to my neck and moved up to face me.
"Wow," I said. "Quickest sex ever,"
Derek nodded.
"Mommy!" I heard Charlotte shriek as she started running up the stairs.
"Quick!" I said throwing Derek his shirt as I threw my clothes back on.
"Mommy!" Charlotte called again.
"Just a second honey!" I called back.
The doorknob rattled in her anticipation and just as I gave Derek his belt, I turned and opened the door.
"Randa's here!" Charlotte exclaimed.
I took her hand and walked down the stairs to open the door; I saw Bailey and Tuck waiting.
"Hi!" I said with a smile.
Charlotte's eyes beamed in excitement.
"Hey Tuck!" I cooed as I pulled Tuck into my arms. "How are you buddy?" I asked him bouncing him around on my hip.
Bailey walked with me into the kitchen as she set Tuck down in the lounge room with Charlotte.
"Charlie, make sure that Tuck doesn't try and eat any of the little things around!" I told her.
Charlotte nodded.
I followed Bailey into the kitchen and put the kettle on.
"So, tell me…" she sighed. "How are you?"
I shrugged.
"I'm getting by," I said.
"Getting by?" Bailey asked. "Grey, if you are just getting by…I'm worried."
I frowned.
"Worried?" I questioned.
"Meredith Grey, I've been worried about you from day one," Bailey told me.
She stood in front of me at the kitchen bench.
"I know you are tough and I get that…" she said. "I mean, they don't call me the Nazi for nothing…"
I laughed.
"Oh, Bailey…" I sighed. "I can't find a way to talk to Derek about it because I just know that he can't bear to hear it…"
Bailey put her hands on mine.
"If you tell him, he will listen," she replied. "You know you can mask all of this with the sex in inappropriate places and all the talk about babies and Charlie, but you'll never really hide it; these things have a way of coming back to bite us in the ass,"
Later that day Bailey and I were playing with the kids when Derek walked through the door.
"Bailey!" he smiled at her.
"Shepherd," Bailey acknowledged him and then looked at me raising her eyebrows as if to tell me what I was going to do next.
I looked back her and glanced at the kids in response.
"They're fine," she said.
I put my arm around Derek and followed him into the kitchen.
"I've gotta talk to you," I said to him as I sat on the barstool and pulled him close where I could wrap my arms around his waist.
"What's wrong?" he asked kissing my forehead.
"You know how I told you I was okay?" I sighed rubbing his arms.
Derek pulled the hair out of my face.
"You're not…" he answered. "Are you?"
I shook my head.
"I'm not…"
Derek pulled me close.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.
I shrugged and bit my lip, holding back a flood of tears.
"I couldn't…I mean, I didn't…I just…" I stammered. "I just couldn't say it…"
Derek pulled me off the barstool.
"Come upstairs," he said softly in my ear.
I followed him up the stairs into the bedroom where I sat on the edge of the bed. He walked in front of me, pacing around looking slightly anxious.
"What's wrong?" I asked. Typical of me to now ask him a question he was only just asking me before.
He walked over to the bathroom and then paced back in front of me.
"You know there are so many places that I thought would be appropriate for this, so many times that would fit so much better…" he said.
I looked confused.
"Derek, sex in the bedroom on your lunch break is always perfect timing in the perfect place…" I replied.
"It's not about the sex…" he answered.
I frowned, a little disappointed.
"What is it then?" I asked.
Derek stopped and stood in front of me. My heart sank because never had I seen him look so serious and so concerned.
"Derek…" I pressed.
He looked at me again and then turned away; it was in that moment I started to worry.
"Okay, fine…whatever, I am going back downstairs," I got up and walked to the door, as my fingertips reached the doorknob, I felt him pull me back. I fell into his arms and turned around.
He then did something that I never thought he would, an inevitable moment; something I had wondered about but never actually envisioned happening, for when I saw tears forming in his eyes I had no choice but to realise what he was about to do and then I, too, found tears surfacing to the base of my eyes.
"Derek…" I whispered.
He then knelt down in front of me and I took a deep breath.
"Oh my god…" I breathed.
"Will you marry me?" he asked.