So I didn't completely stand by the daily updates-thing - but I tried and it was pretty often, right? Anyways I thought I should post this epilogue with part 19. It's short and to the point, like this entire story! I'd like to thank everyone for their wonderful reviews - I've loved them =)

Part 20 / epilogue

She groaned and buried her face under the soft pillow as she felt someone jumping in her bed. "It's your turn," she murmured to the man who lay beside her, his hairy legs tangled up in her own and his arms holding her tight to him.

"It's always my turn," he chuckled into her hair.

"That's because I suck at making pancakes," she smiled.

"That you do," he laughed as his lips found hers in a soft kiss.

"Hi," she smiled.

"Hey," he murmured and kissed her again as they felt a second pair of feet joining the ones who already were jumping the bed.

"I guess I'm making pancakes," he laughed as he crawled out of bed, four little feet loudly following him down the stairs.

She laughed to herself before getting out of bed herself and following her family to the kitchen. Sometimes she still couldn't believe they actually made it. That twenty years after that summer at the Shepherd's summerhouse, sixteen years after the saddest day she'd ever faced, nine years after fade had brought them back together they were still going strong. They were happy. Derek was making pancakes in they're small kitchen as 4 year-old sat on the kitchen counter and gave him instructions and their 2 year-old sat on her lap with her tiny hands on her barely-there baby bump. It wasn't an extraordinary way of life, but it was still kind of amazing and really perfect.

Her divorce with Finn had come through only a few weeks after she and Derek had started over. They'd been married for 6 years when she'd finally woken up to the reality that she'd been using him to fill a void. He hadn't let her go without a fight though, and over the years she'd come to terms with the fact that she'd never get rid of the guilt that came along with breaking an innocent man's heart. She still prayed for him at night, that he'd find happiness.

Her and Derek had taking things slow. Or they had meant to take things slow, but as always with them things happened faster than either of them really admitted. He practically lived at her house from day one, but he didn't officially move in until a year later. Two years after that they got engaged. He'd given her his grandmother's ring, asked her on the land they later built their dream house.

They hadn't wanted a big white wedding, so they got a local priest to marry them on their land. It was only family and close friends, twenty-seven guests. His mother had made her gown out of a simple white satin. She had cried all through the ceremony, watching her son and the girl who in a way had become her daughter become one.

The house they built wasn't big or luxurious; but it was warm and perfect. It had four extra bedrooms; he'd told her it was 'just in case'. They hadn't really planned on any of them, but in the heat of the moment rationality often flew out the window with the two of them and now there was a Grey-Shepherd number 3 on the way. But it was perfect, still.

Meredith still remembered when the stick had turned blue for the first time almost five years ago. She had paced the bedroom floor for almost an hour while he had simply laughed saying it was bound to happen eventually with all the sex they were having. Then he had gone out at gotten her strawberry ice cream to calm her down.

And then a few months later a gorgeous baby boy had come into the world. It had taken many painful hours; she'd been screaming at the top of her lungs swearing that they'd never have sex ever again. But no matter how much she yelled or how tight she'd squeezed his hand he'd stayed by her side, murmuring calming words into her ear.

They'd named him Thomas Michael. Thomas after her grandfather and Michael after his father. And after all this time she couldn't get over how beautiful he was. He had dark hair and piercing blue eyes just like his father. He was independent though, and stubborn. Derek used to joke about how much like her he was.

Three months passed from Thomas' birth to the next time the stick turned blue. This time it took a lot more ice cream to calm her down as she thought it would be completely and utterly impossible to have two crying babies in their small house at once. But he did it, he convinced her they could do anything. Together. And that was just the thing. She never felt alone in anything she did. He was always right there besides her. And he was right there besides when they lost the baby. It had been an extra uterine pregnancy. He'd held her, cried with her, mourned with her.

Two years later she gave birth to healthy daughter. Allison Elizabeth. Allie. And if possible she was just as amazingly beautiful as Thomas was. Her blonde hair was curly and her eyes were green-blue. She was more quiet than him, but she was just as amazing. And Derek always spoiled her when he thought she didn't notice. She didn't mind though. She loved to watch him with the kids, he was amazing with them.

She wondered if the one growing inside her now would be a boy or a girl. This time there hadn't been any freaking out when the stick turned blue. This time Derek had picked her up, and danced around the room with her in his arms. She could still remember the look on his face. The way his eyes sparkled. The way he looked at her. Like she was his everything. In that moment she knew that he was well worth eleven long years of wait and whatever guilt she'd carry on her shoulders for years to come. He was worth it all.