"So is it weird?" Cristina asks, Meredith as they sit in the hallway.
"Yeah…I mean this means it's forever. What does forever mean?" Meredith replies, smiling in spite of her words.
"You're all bright and shiny! It's kind of freaking me out," Cristina says.
"It's freaking me out too…" Meredith admits.
"Are you going to let Derek talk you into a huge awful wedding like Burke made me almost have?" Cristina asks.
"Probably…but I'm not going to leave him at the altar," Meredtih replies.
"Okay…and don't take this next question the wrong way, but well…I know I made you be my maid of honor and all that…but you aren't going to make me do that…right? You know I'm not any good at that stuff," Cristina pleads.
Meredith lets out a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad you just said that. I've been going back and forth about what to do about that. I mean…I have a sister now…and…" she says, awkwardly.
"Right! How could I forget! You have a sister! That's it. She's the maid of honor…I am happy to step aside for Lexie. Let her plan the shower, and make place cards and stuff envelopes and do all that stuff I made you and Izzie do for me. Perfect!" Cristina says, happily.
"You're still going to be a bridesmaid. Don't think you're off the hook!" Meredith replies, quickly.
"Damn." Cristina says. "No ugly dresses though…right?"
"You guys can pick the color…" Meredith says.
"Is black out of the question?" Cristina asks.
"Cristina!" Meredith warns.
"Sorry," she says. She grows serious. "Are you happy?" she asks.
Meredith thinks for a minute. "I think so. I'm not sure what that means, but yes…I think I'm happy," Meredith admits.
"Good. I think I'm happy with Owen too. I might be able to be happy with him, forever…" Cristina says, hesitantly.
"Really?" Meredith says.
"He said something the other night about the two of us being together forty years from now. I thought it would freak me out, but it didn't," Cristina says.
"I'm glad you're happy," Meredith says.
"Don't get all sappy. I'm not that happy," Cristina says, but her smile betrays her.
(Break)
Derek walks over to Mark. "So, are you and Stevens ready for tomorrow. It's Lexie's last procedure…right?" he asks.
"Yeah. We're ready. As ready as we'll ever be. Stevens is good, Derek. She's a good doctor. She's not as detail oriented as Cristina or Meredith, but she's got natural skill. She's intuitive. I don't know what it is, but I'd say she's the best resident we've got right now from her year," Mark says.
"Not everything is a contest, Sloan…" Derek says, smiling.
"You haven't stopped smiling since Big Grey agreed to marry you," Mark points out.
"True," Derek says. "Is that a bad thing?"
Mark shakes his head. "Not at all, brother…not at all."
"Good luck tomorrow," Derek says.
"I'll need all the luck I can get," Mark says.
(Break)
"I feel like I'm forgetting something," Izzie says.
"You can't be forgetting anything. You've been going over every detail of this procedure for the last week. I think I could do it with my eyes closed just from listening to you!" Alex says, kissing her neck.
"This is a big opportunity. Sloan is trusting me," Izzie says.
"And he's smart to do that. You're going to be fine. And I'll be up in the gallery thinking "That's my girl," he says, kissing her again.
"I'm glad you'll be there. I'm already nervous. I don't usually get nervous before a procedure, but I'm kind of freaking out. It's sort of like when you did the solo surgery…remember how scared you were?" she asks.
"I was a helluva lot less scared about the surgery than I was about the fact that you might now say 'I love you' back," Alex says.
"Well now you know I love you," Izzie says, kissing him softly.
"Yeah…I do," he says, smiling.
(Break)
"How are you feeling?" Meredith asks.
"I should be asking you that," Lexie says.
"Me? Why? Last I checked, you were the one with fire touching your arms and legs yesterday!" Meredith asks confused.
"Yeah…but you're the one with commitment issues and a huge shiny rock on your finger!" Lexie points out.
"I still have commitment issues," Meredith admits. "I'm sort of so happy that I'm waiting for all of it to end. But as long as it doesn't end, I'm still happy…so I go back to my original question…How are you feeling?" Meredith asks.
Lexie groans. "I hate to complain, but the pain's pretty bad today. I just want to get tomorrow over with. The good news is that in the torso area, you can hardly see the burns. The skin is growing over really well. Mark said that it looks perfect. Tomorrow is going to be scary though…I mean…it's my face…" Lexie says.
"I know. You've been so brave. I'm so proud of you," Meredith says.
"Thanks!" Lexie says, brightening.
"There's something I sort of wanted to ask you…I hope you'll do it," Meredith says, suddenly feeling shy.
"I can't do much these days, but I'll do what I can. What do you need?" Lexie asks.
"Well, I was sort of hoping that you'd be my maid of honor. Would you do it?" Meredith asks.
Lexie squeals with excitement. "Oh my god! I'd love to! Do you really mean it?" she asks.
"Of course I mean it!" Meredith replies, exhaling a sigh of relief.
Lexie bursts into tears. "What wrong?" Meredith asks.
"I just never thought we'd get here. I mean…to the point where we'd be the maid of honors in each other's weddings and everything. Thank you, Mer," she says,
"Well…at least I gave you some good material for the maid of honor toast!" Meredith quips.
"A toast!! I get to make the toast! I can't wait!" Lexie squeals.
"Okay…this level of excitement needs Izzie. You and Izzie can pick out dress colors or something…okay?" Meredith says, laughing.
"That will be so much fun!" Lexie replies happily.
Meredith slips out the door to go find Izzie, happy that she has made her sister smile.
(Break)
"So are you ready for tomorrow?" Meredith asks.
"Yes," Izzie says, confidently.
"Good. Derek says that I have to trust Mark that you are capable of not destroying my sister's face," Meredith says.
"Well…thanks…I think…" Izzie replies.
"So, I have two favors to ask you…" Meredith begins, sounding uncertain.
"Sure. What do you need?" Izzie replies.
"Ummm…I need you to be my bridesmaid," Meredith says, quickly.
"YAY! I love weddings! I can't wait. We can have a great bridal shower and I'll cook all the food. I have a great idea for favors…and the flowers will be so pretty if we…" Izzie gushes until Meredith cuts her off.
"Iz – there's a second favor…" she says.
"Oh…what is it?" Izzie asks.
"Go to Lexie's room and squeal with her. I'm still kind of freaking out about all this!" Meredith admits.
"Okay! See you later!" Izzie says, running off to share her excitement with Lexie.
(Break)
Cristina and Owen lay in bed staring at the ceiling.
"So, Meredith asked me to be a bridesmaid," Cristina says.
"I figured she would," Owen replies.
"Do you think Derek will ask you to be a groomsman?" Cristina asks.
"I hadn't really thought about it. Why do you ask?" Owen asks.
"I don't know…because I just thought…well…I don't know. Forget it," Cristina stammers.
"You thought we'd get some practice walking down the aisle together? I like the idea!" Owen says, smiling and kissing her neck.
"Shut up," Cristina says, halfheartedly, not even able to pretend not to be thrilled at the idea.
(Break)
Derek sits next to Mark. "How are you feeling about tomorrow?" he asks.
"Scared to death. I was scared for the last two times, but this time, Stevens is doing the whole thing…not just a part of it and the control is out of my hands. The control of all of it is out of my hands, Shepherd…you know what I mean?" Mark asks.
"Yeah. I know. But look at you. You're scared because you love a girl enough to be scared for her. I like you and Little Grey. I think she's good for you. Really good for you. I'm happy for you, man," Derek says.
"Thanks," Mark replies.
"Can I ask you a favor?" Derek asks.
"There you go…always thinking about yourself. With everything going on in my life, you are going to as me for a favor…" Mark teases.
"I know you've done it before, and you may never want to do it again because of how things turned out last time, but well…there's no one I'd have standing next to me on my wedding day but my brother. Will you be my best man…again?" Derek asks.
"Why do I feel like you just proposed to me?" Mark asks.
"Because you secret harbor fantasies about me?" Derek replies, smiling.
"Of course I'll be your best man…again! But this is the last time, Shepherd…you screw this one up, and you're on your own!" Mark says.
"I'll try not to. You could help me by not sleeping with her, though," Derek replies.
"Hey…I've got the only Grey I need," Mark says.
(Break)
Meredith and Derek lie in bed together later that night. Meredith smiles as she feels the warmth of Derek's body against hers. She feels safe and warm.
"So, did you pick your bridesmaids?" Derek asks.
Meredith nods. "I did. Lexie is my maid of honor and Cristina and Izzie are my bridesmaids. How about you? Did you pick your groomsmen?"
Derek nods back. "I did. I'm going with Sloan for best man," he says.
"I'm glad," Meredith says.
"Good," Derek replies.
"Who else?" Meredith asks.
"I was thinking of Hunt. He's a good guy, and the more I get to know him…I think he's a good friend," Derek says.
"Me too. And Cristina really loves him. She's all happy and stuff. It's weird…in a good way," Meredith says.
"And then I was thinking about Karev…" Derek says.
"Alex? I thought you never really liked him. You and Mark always thought he was kind of a jerk…" Meredith says.
"He's not. That first day in the gallery, while you were with Lexie during her first procedure…he was shaking, he was so nervous. The guy has feelings…he's a lot like Mark…he doesn't always say the right thing, but he's there when you need him," Derek says.
"Besides, he's really good to Izzie," Meredith adds.
"So that's our wedding party…" Derek says.
"We're getting married. We have a wedding party. It's really happening…" Meredith says.
"It is…" Derek says, then adds, "Are you okay with all of this?"
"I'm more than okay," Meredith reassures him with a huge smile.
"Good. We're going to be bright and shiny!" Derek says, as Meredith hits him with a pillow in response.
(Break)
Mark climbs into Lexie's bed although she is already asleep.
"Mmmmm…" she moans.
"Shhhh…go back to sleep," he says, softly.
"What are you doing here? You should be home, getting your sleep for tomorrow!" Lexie says.
"No. I should be right here with you, making sure you sleep before tomorrow," Mark says.
"Can we talk about anything BUT tomorrow?" Lexie asks.
"Sure," Mark says.
"Meredith asked me to be her maid of honor," Lexie says, proudly.
"Really? Derek asked me to be his best man," Mark replies.
"So we're going to be best man and maid of honor? We're going to be hotter than the bride and groom? Is that a problem?" Mark asks.
"Mark…" Lexie warns.
"What? Meredith has to know that you're the hotter Grey sister!" Mark says, smiling.
"Stop it! I'm not…I mean after the fire…I'm just not…well…" Lexie's voice trails off.
"Look at me, Little Grey," Mark says, tipping her chin up to look in his eyes. "You are the most beautiful thing in my life. And after tomorrow, you're going to start to heal, and when your outside matches your inside again, hopefully you'll remember how beautiful you are," Mark tell her.
Lexie closes her eyes. "I love you," she says.
"I love you too. Now get some sleep…" Mark says, leaning her head on his shoulder.
*******
Review, review review!!! It's what I have to look forward to this week since there is NO NEW GREYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This chapter was fluffy, but the next one will be full of drama and intensity! You're going to love it!!!