Author's Note: So is it just me, or am I not the only one fed up with MerDer lately? I mean, Derek was only trying to help Mer...and she keeps pushing him away. On the other hand...the preview??...Derek knows what Mer is like. She should be worried? Anyway, before the onslaught of post season fic, I'd like to get this done. Because well...This was originally a post season two fic. And this season it's been like a therapy for me. So...with that said-here is the next chapter. Reviews are great...but LONG, detailed reviews are even better...so...please?

Three weeks had passed slowly, everyone finding their own way back to normal. Elizabeth continued to go to daycare, and in the evening either Derek or Meredith would pick her up. They had an arrangement that they slowly began-Derek on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and Meredith on Tuesdays and Fridays. They decorated George's old room and made it Elizabeth's. For the time being, until the house was built.

On most nights Derek stayed at the house with them, eating whatever it was Izzie had managed to cook. Alex would come in the kitchen, as would Meredith and they would all eat around the table. It became their thing-like a family. Some nights Cristina and Preston would come by as well, though Cristina spent half the time searching for tequila. The first few times. But after she was convinced that Meredith now kept the house clean, she learned to live with it.

Meredith sat in Elizabeth's room, watching peacefully as she slept. She heard footsteps behind her and expected to see Derek. But as she turned, she realized that instead it was Izzie standing in the doorway. "Hey, Iz. You and Alex are home early."She added with a smirk.

"Well, kind of."Izzie stated dismissively. "Alex, um...he kind of hit a guy while we were at Joe's."

"Alex hit somebody?"Meredith asked, walking towards her.

"It's a long story involving the fact that a guy who had the equivalent of almost a bottle of the hard stuff in him, attempted to pick me up."

"And I take that it didn't end well?"Meredith asked.

Izzie shrugged, laughing.

"Did you see Derek on your way in by any chance?"Meredith asked, curious. He was supposed to come upstairs, but when he hadn't followed her, Meredith figured he must have had a good reason.

"Yeah-"Izzie mused. "He's sprawled out on the couch. Asleep, I guess. Anyway, I'm gonna go take a shower, okay?"

Meredith nodded, watching as Alex slipped in their room. After Izzie left, she took a look at Elizabeth before heading downstairs. She couldn't help but laugh at the sight of Derek-half on, half off the couch. "Derek-"She called quietly. "Hey, Derek..."

Derek's hands reached up, wiping the tired from his eyes. "Hey..."He said, pushing himself into a sitting position. He spotted the cordless phone on the floor, and reached to place it back on the table.

"You okay?"Meredith asked, sitting next to him.

"I've been arguing with the contractor. Well, I was. I've gotta go down to his office tomorrow. We're finally gonna actually start the work on the house."

Meredith smiled, knowing that it was a good thing. "But you fell asleep."

Derek stared back at the throw pillow that formerly cradled his head. "Yeah, sorry about that. I was trying to get comfortable...we were on the phone for a little while."

Tilting her head on his shoulder, Meredith grabbed his hand in hers. "We should go out tomorrow."

"What?"Derek asked, puzzled by her suddenly bringing the topic up.

"Yeah. I mean, come on. You've been talking and talking about this house...about the building. You've got groundwork already. Let the workers do the work...whatever. Tomorrow night...no phone calls. No contracts sprawled across the couch. Just you and me, and Elizabeth."Meredith suggested, looking into his eyes.

Contemplating, Derek finally nodded. "That sounds like a good idea."

"And no talking about it either."

"Mer-"

"No Derek, I'm being serious here."Meredith said. She knew that he needed it-the distraction. He had been so caught up in the actual process of getting the house built that he had grown so tired at night, without even going to bed.

Derek's eyes shined, a smirk playing on his lips. "Okay."

"Seriously?"Meredith asked, wanting to make sure.

He nodded.

"Okay."

Derek laughed a little, leaning in to kiss her. He let his lips linger, pulling her closer. His fingers intertwined in her dark blonde hair, getting tangled as his tongue found a way past her lips. Feeling Meredith conciously move closer to him, Derek let out a sound. A signal. He felt her nearly going limp against him, losing herself in them-in their kiss. In that moment he realized how badly he'd missed her. Getting so caught up at work, in surgeries. Calling the contractor on breaks. He missed Meredith.

Pulling back for air, Meredith's lips grew cold from the seperation. "Der...Derek."Meredith attempted to form a sentence, to just tell him. To say something that would console him, to let him know.

His mouth moved towards hers, but as Meredith edged back a little, Derek frowned. Until he saw the look in her eyes. It was one of understanding. Of acceptance, of readiness. He pulled her to her feet without breaking eye contact.

"But she's...she'll be-"

"In her room. In her own room."Derek replied to Meredith's unfinished sentence. "But only if you.."

Meredith covered his lips with hers, her own answer.

As they fumbled their way upstairs, they knew they were doing what they needed to. What they wanted to. Derek shut the door behind them, praying that for that night, for that little while, everything would go their way. His hands found the hem of her shirt, eagerly tugging. Before long, Meredith's pale skin glistened in the moonlight.

The next morning Meredith awoke, the weight of Derek's arm tightly wrapped around her. She looked over at his face and for the first time in days didn't see a single sign of stress. He seemed happy, content even.

Derek's eyes fluttered open to find Meredith watching him. "Morning."He whispered harshly, the morning sunlight greeting him.

"Good morning."

He kissed her, letting his lips linger a moment. "So where exactly are we going tonight?"He asked, planting a kiss on her bare shoulder.

"I don't know. I didn't think about the actual place, more so the actual thing."

"Thing?"

"The dinner. The family."Meredith replied.

Derek nodded, propping himself up with his elbow. "I love you, Meredith."

Meredith nodded, her hair ruffling against the pillow. "I love you, too."

The day went by, each occupied with their work. Derek had a surgery in the late morning-one in which Meredith didn't take part in, but did choose to watch a part of from the gallery. Meredith ate her lunch with Izzie, George, Alex and Cristina, while Derek spoke with Preston.

The dinner came, a small diner a few blocks from the house. To anyone else, looking in on them they might have thought that they were the perfect picture of family. A mother, father, and daughter. The daughter was still a baby, so they were just beginning. They were a happy couple. A happy married couple. To anyone who might have looked in.

And that thought didn't escape Derek's mind easily. As he reached across the table, rubbing her palm with his thumb, a smile spread across his face. "So...do you know what you're going to order?"He asked.

"Well, I would, but-"Meredith watched as Elizabeth's toy fell to the floor. She leaned down to pick it up, placing the stuffed bear back on Elizabeth's highchair. "That."

"Ah...of course. Use that as an excuse."Derek teased, grinning.

The waitress came, taking their orders. When she left, Elizabeth scribbled on a piece of paper, seemingly particularly focused on the color blue.

"You see that-"Derek said, pointing to her hand. "She's focused. Precise-"

"Der-"

"No, No...I'm serious. I think we may have a future surgeon on our hands."He said, smiling. He shrugged, playing it off like nothing. "But what do I know?"

"You know your daughter...and apparently have her future planned. So you must know something..."Meredith said.

A few minutes later, their food came and they ate. As a family. When they were done, Derek wiped off the spaghetti sauce from around her mouth, saying that she was just like him...he really enjoyed his food. As they left, Elizabeth walked between them, holding one hand from each of them. While she stumbled a little, her feet walked along the sidewalk proudly until they got to Derek's car.

"So that was fun."Meredith said as Derek started the car."

He looked over nodding. "Yeah. Anything else?"

"We could go home...watch a movie."Meredith suggested. "After we get the munchkin to bed."

Derek laughed, shaking his head. "Which could take a while."

"I'm sure you can find something to amuse yourself while we wait. Alex and Izzie have been holding nightly card games lately...maybe you could join in."She said.

"Good to know. I'll have to take that into consideration."

They watched a movie that night, Meredith falling asleep against his shoulder. When she woke up on the couch the next morning, she didn't feel too surprised-save for the fact that Derek wasn't there. But as she sat up, she saw the note on the table next to a cup of coffee.

Mer-

hey...sorry I couldn't be here when you woke up. The hospital called about one of my patients, so I had to go in early. I'll see you at work though, so see you later. I had a lot of fun last night, Mer...can't wait to do something like that again. Elizabeth was fussing when I woke up, I think she has a cold. But don't worry, she's fine. Gotta go...

Love, Derek

P.S. Izzie was rambling about something Alex did this morning...so be careful. I love you.

Setting the note down, Meredith picked up the cup of coffee. Things were normal, and for the time being, Meredith was content with it. Her and Derek were living their life, building a relationship with their daughter. From what she could hear, Izzie was arguing with Alex about one of her sweaters, and how it had stained when he threw in his red tank shirt. She was sure that when she got to work Cristina would be complaining about the interns, and how they rambled on and on, and were completely competitive about everything-nothing like they were though, of course. Resting her feet on the coffee table, Meredith decided that life was good. A little dramatic, but good none the less. She liked it that way.