I can't begin to thank you all for your wonderful reviews of the last chapter (which I'm going to respond to right now)! You're all too kind - thank you! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Enjoy this next part :)

2008, Meredith

Derek held my hand while we ran through the woods, probably trying to make sure I didn't fall on my face, but also to keep me near to him. I'd realized in the days it'd been seen we'd first had sex that all I ever want to be is perfectly near him, touching him, holding him and the feeling is mutual. Derek's hands were always finding me, clinging to me, and I never wanted the feeling to stop.

We found our spot in the woods and Derek kissed me, pressing my back to a tree. I wrapped myself around him, holding onto him, and let myself melt into him. His kisses were desperate and his hands were sure, reaching beneath my shirt and inside my shorts. I gasped against him and moaned something unintelligent, my voice choking in my throat. I stared into his eyes and we shared a long look that made me feel more desirable than anything else.

Our clothes were gone quickly and I stopped him while he reached for a condom. "I'm on the pill," I whispered against his skin.

He looked at me. "You are?"

I nodded and ran my hands along his warm, tanned skin. "For about a month now. It takes a month to kick in. My doctor says I'm good to go."

"We can still use condoms."

"I don't want to."

Derek cupped my cheeks in my hands. "If you're sure."

I reached for him and he groaned."I am."

Afterwards, we lay beneath the canopy together. I rested my cheek on his chest and listened to his heart beating beneath his skin. We'd been sleeping on and off for an hour and I could tell by Derek's heavy breath that he was asleep. I smiled against his skin and allowed my eyes to close. We couldn't be like that together in a bed, so I took every moment I could curled up beside him, his arm tucked around my back and his lips poised just above my head.

The day was picture perfect: the sky was a blue sea with no hint of clouds at all. The wind was soft and blew in a gentle heat, much calmer after a brutal July. August began the next day and Derek would be leaving in just five weeks for school. I didn't like thinking about him being away, but it was coming soon. We'd promised each other we'd see one another all the time, but I couldn't help but feel the distance already. I squeezed him closer, just to remind myself that he was really, truly there.

He stirred awake and groaned, stretching his arms above his head. I looked up at him, watching his face go from scrunched up to relaxed. He looked down at me and wrapped his arms around my waist again. "What a nice way to wake up," he said and pressed a kiss to my forehead. My eyes fluttered closed. When Derek pulled away he touched my cheek. "What's wrong?"

I shook my head. "Nothing really. I'm just going to miss you."

"I'll miss you, too. More than you can ever know. But we'll see each other. I promise."

I leaned in to kiss him and he pressed me back into the pine needles. I wrapped my legs around his back and we had sex again, this time slower, gentler. He whispered he loved me again and again and I said it back, never moving my eyes from his. It was all so intimate, so incredible to be near him like that. I could feel myself handing my heart over to him, allowing him to hold it close and make sure to protect it. Maybe I was being silly or immature, but I could never see myself loving anyone as much as I loved Derek Christopher Shepherd.

We walked from the forest, redressed and pretty much put together, and continued our hike around the lake. Lexie had wanted to come, but I knew what Derek and I needed from one another, so I told her no. Derek held my hand as we walked down to the water. He picked up a handful of stones and flicked them easily across the water. I watched him unabashedly and when he caught me, he dropped the stones and swept me into his arms to kiss me deeply.

The sun was setting by the time we made it back to his car. We drove straight into town, changing out of our hiking shoes for more comfortable ones, and parked in front of his dad's store. "This shouldn't take long," he promised. Lexie, Mark, Derek, and I were going to the movies at a drive-in and we didn't want to miss the first show which just so happened to be Jurassic Park.

"We have time," I said climbing from the Jeep to follow him inside. "Why are you delivering this so late?" I asked stepping into the air-conditioned shop.

"Because my son is insistent," Michael Shepherd said from the back counter. He smiled warmly at me. "Hi there Meredith," he greeted and crossed the space to hug me. It felt strange to be hugged by my boyfriend's father, but it also felt nice. Michael pulled away and grinned at me. "Did y'all have a nice hike?"

Derek and I shared a look and Derek said, "Yes," although his voice sounds heavy in his throat. I simply turned away and blush.

"I'm glad to hear it. You need fresh air in your lungs and with all the cars and things around here, you can't get much of it. That's why I miss the south. Big skies, tall trees, and sweet air."

"Dad, we live in the middle of nowhere. It's not like we're in a city."

"Close enough." He gestured outside. "San Francisco is only an hour away."

Derek laughed quietly and I joined him. Michael seemed not to notice or care. "Alright, Derek, why don't you come help me? Meredith, it'd be great if you could keep an eye on the frame and make sure we don't hit anything with it, alright?"

I nodded. "Okay, but what frame?"

Michael led us back to the bed he'd shown me almost two months ago. It was the sleigh bed with the sun at the top and the moon at the bottom, so beautifully crafted. I ran my fingers over the scene, smiling at the woodland creatures running and playing in the sun and the nocturnal ones moving lazily and hunting beneath the moon. The picture was so warming and lovely, I couldn't believe I'd forgotten about this bed.

"Who bought it?"

Michael smiled at his work of art and shook his head. "No one."

I stared at him and then looked at Derek, who was smirking at me. "Well, then why are you moving it? I thought you said you loved it too much to sell it."

"I do. This might be my finest work of art ever, so I'm giving it away." He leaned into the frame and I saw so much of Derek in him then. The grin, the easy lean, the open, happy face. I wondered if Derek would look like his father when he continued to grow older. I hoped so. "I'm bringing the bed to your house, actually."

I shook my thoughts away. "What?"

Michael smiled at me, just like Derek. "I've given it a lot of thought and having this here collecting dust is just silly. I spoke you your mama and she said you have a bad hand-me-down bed and we decided you're too old for something like that."

"I can't accept this."

Derek's hand enclosed mine. "You have to, it's a gift."

"No, Michael, please, this is too big."

Michael walked around the bed and took my free hand in his. He squeezed my palm and Derek squeezed my other. "Meredith Grey, do you understand the gift you've given my son?" We both glanced at Derek and he was grinning. "I have never seen him so happy in all my life. You've brought something special to all our lives by you knowing my son and that's a gift I could never repay. I wanted to do something nice for you and this is it. I think it pales in comparison, but I wanted to give you something beautiful since you're such a beautiful person."

I couldn't help but feel tears prick my eyes. Derek pressed a kiss to my cheek and I laughed softly, stepping forward to hug Michael again. "Thank you," I said softly.

"Thank you," he said back.

The three of us navigated the bed from Michael's shop, out the front door, and into the waiting truck. I rode up front with the two of them to my house. Susan was waiting for us on the front porch and I jumped from the truck and into her arms. "Thank you!"

"You're so welcome, Meredith, but I didn't do a thing," she said and hugged me back.

Susan had already moved my bed out with my father and my things had been shifted so the new bed could be put in. I watched with excitement from the doorway to my shared bathroom as Derek and Michael moved the bed into place. Lexie stood beside me with her arms crossed over her chest. "I want a new bed."

Michael grinned at her and winked. "Yours will be next young lady."

Lexie turned an adorable shade of red.

After the bed was in place, Susan and I pulled new sheets onto my mattress and tucked my duvet into place. With my endless pillows propped up on the headboard, the bed was perfect and looked beautiful in my understated room.

"I can't thank you enough," Susan said and I nodded.

"As I mentioned to Meredith, the pleasure is all mine."

Derek smiled at me from across the room and I went to him, closing my hands in his, leaning in to kiss him. It didn't bother me that his father, my stepmother, and my sister were in the room. I knew he had a hand in this and I would never be able to thank him properly. Derek pressed his forehead to mine and for a second, I closed my eyes and pretended we were alone and this was our room and our bed.

Michael cleared his throat and we both pulled away. "Are you riding back with me to get your Jeep?"

Derek nodded and slowly moved away from me. "I'll pick you both up in twenty minutes, okay?"

Lexie and I nodded and Derek left with his father. I ran my hands along my bed and laid in it until Derek came. Lexie lay beside me and we both stared at the wooden carvings. Neither of us said anything. I didn't know why she was so quiet, but I was still overwhelmed from the day. Between making love with Derek twice in the mountains and been given the most amazing gift ever, I just couldn't think straight.

When Derek arrived, I could tell something was wrong. He didn't come in to get us, rather he leaned against his car with his arms crossed over his chest. Mark was in the car and only smiled a little as we approached. I reached for Derek. "What's wrong?"

His jaw worked beneath his skin. I pried my fingers between his arms, breaking them from the aggressive pose. "I'm so mad."

"At me?"

He softened. "No. No, definitely not." He leaned down to kiss me briefly. Lexie walked around the car and climbed in behind Mark, probably giving us a minute alone.

"What happened?"

Derek sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "When Dad and I got back to the shop, there were some guys there. Two of them. They wanted to shop but my dad told them he was closed for the day. They looked like drifters or something, dressed in dirty t-shirts and old boots. They both had these big backpacks on. When my dad told them to come back the next day, they got in his face." He blew out an angry sigh.

"Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine. I stepped in and we both told them to leave, but they were so pushy. I'm sure they wanted to rob us or something, but my dad didn't think so. He thought it was just a power play thing, but it didn't feel right."

I walked forward and wrapped myself around Derek's middle. "But you're both okay."

Derek's hand slid over my hair. "We're fine."

"That's all that matters."

Derek seemed calmer after our talk and he was chatty on our drive upstate to the drive-in theater. Lexie couldn't stop talking about the movie and how excited she was. I was excited too, but I kept my eye on Derek, making sure he was okay. He smiled at me a few times, probably trying to be reassuring, and it generally worked. I wondered, though, what might've happened if Derek wasn't there. Michael wasn't a small man by any measure, but he was a forgiving man and if Derek had been right, maybe there would've been a bigger problem.

I forced myself to think of anything else as we drove into the drive-in, parking pretty close to the screen. I didn't want to ruin our evening. Mark and Lexie hopped out for snacks and Derek and I unloaded the blankets and lawn chairs he'd packed in the back. Derek was still thoughtful, so once we had everything laid out, I curled my hand along his arm, waiting for him to look at me. When he did I leaned into him, running my free hand over his shoulder. "I love you."

Derek grinned wide and pressed his forehead to mine. "I love you."

Lexie and Mark returned some time later with too many snacks and drinks for the four of us. Derek and I settled down onto the blanket, two cheeseburgers, two orders of French fries, a corn dog, and onion rings before us, plus two huge sodas. Lexie was already eating her burger, seated next to Mark in a lawn chair. She stared at the screen, waiting for the movie to start.

"So I'm thinking of having one last huge party before school starts up," Mark said. "Are you two in?"

Derek looked at me and we nodded. "Yeah," I said. "Sounds good."

"Can I come?" Lexie asked.

"No can do, Lex. You're too young."

She pouted at Mark. "Too young for what? Drinking? So are you."

Mark laughed and reached out to steal some of her fries even though he had his own. "Yes, but we're closer to the legal age than you are."

"Meredith isn't. I mean, she's closer than I am, but she's only sixteen."

"Leave me out of this," I said.

"Plus, she barely drinks," Derek said with a grin.

"I want to come to your party."

Mark leaned back in his chair and folded his arms behind his head. I was sure Mark was attractive to someone, but I just didn't see it. Lexie did, though, I knew that much. "What if I had a pre-party and invited you? How would that be?"

"A pre-party?" Lexie asked.

"Sure. It'll be earlier and we can do all the party stuff, just without the drinking."

"That sounds terrible," Lexie groaned.

Derek laughed and I could feel it reverberating down my arm. "It really does."

"Well you can't come to a party where everyone is drinking."

Lexie crossed her arms over her chest defiantly. "Why not?"

"You're too young."

"That's bullshit."

"Hey, Lex, language," I scolded like a mom.

Lexie narrowed her eyes at me and I could see it would take a lot for us to win this fight. If Lexie didn't get to come, she'd probably rat us out. She'd gotten better over the last few months, but she was still my little annoying sister. I sighed and pulled my legs to my chest. "Maybe she can come just for a little while," I said to Mark. "I'll bring her and then we'll leave after an hour." I looked at Lexie. "How does that sound?"

"Two hours," she bartered.

"My parties don't even start until nine. Isn't that your bedtime?" Mark teased.

"Don't treat me like a little kid," she said and I could tell she was upset.

"Mark, make your party start at eight. Lexie, you can have until nine-thirty, latest, but you have to run it by Mom and Dad first."

Lexie looked pretty pleased. "Okay," she said brightly.

"She runs a hard bargain," Derek said quietly to me.

"She's a Grey. It's in our blood."

I watched Mark reach out and take Lexie by the shoulders, drawing her into him. The gesture was strictly platonic and comforting, but it didn't seem that way to Lexie. She smiled reverently, much as I did when Derek put his arm around me. Lexie and I shared a lot, our strong personalities, our noses, and a love of the men in our lives. Maybe I should've warned her to move away from him, but Mark was a good friend to Lexie and I didn't want to come between that.

The movie started and Derek pulled me close. I'd seen Jurassic Park countless times, but there's something about seeing it on the big screen to really pull you in. I could feel Derek's breath on my skin as he watched me watch the movie, and we were probably supposed to make out like the teenagers we were, but I was so invested. During a lull, I heard him laughing and I glanced at him. "What?" I asked.

"You're very cute when you're watching a movie."

I rested my hand on his upper thigh. "I'm not supposed to be cute. You're supposed to find me sexy and alluring and mesmerizing."

"Oh I do. But I also find you cute." He kissed my cheek. "And adorable." He kissed my nose. "And completely endearing." He kissed my mouth. If it weren't for Lexie throwing popcorn at us, (seriously, how did she eat so much?) I would've kept kissing Derek all night long.

By the time the movie was ending, I was exhausted. Lexie and I sat in the back seat on the way home and I slept most of the way. I woke with Derek opening my door, his face close to mine. "Wake up," he whispered and I smiled sleepily at him. Lexie was being coaxed from the car by Mark and the two of them walked up to my front door.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Nearly midnight."

"What time exactly?"

Derek checked his watch. "It's 11:42."

"Let's go on the swings."

He laughed at me. "Really?"

I climbed from Mark's car and waved to him as we passed. Susan was watching and I motioned to the swings in Derek's backyard. I was still tired, but the cool evening air felt good and I wasn't ready to leave Derek yet. I sat down on one of the swings and Derek sat on the other. We both began pumping our legs, reaching higher and higher with each pass. I grinned at Derek and he laughed with joy.

As we reached the absolute top, Derek jumped high and far from his swing. I watched his legs kick out and the brief look of fear before he landed on his feet with a shout. I shushed him, reminding him how late it was.

"Jump," he called.

I shook my head. "Heck no."

"Come on. I'll catch you!"

"Are you crazy?"

"A little bit." He held his arms out in a wide circle and waved me forward. "Trust me."

I continued to pump my legs, going as high as I could. I stared down at Derek and I figured there was no way he could ever catch me. But I decided to trust him. I moved my arms around the ropes and as I reached the top, I leaned forward, propelling myself towards Derek. I screamed and closed my eyes, waiting to fall to the ground with a broken arm or leg. But no. He caught me. Derek's arms wrapped around me and I hit with a hard thunk. I winced and he made a noise, but neither of us was actually hurt.

Derek put me down onto my feet and smiled at me. "You trusted me."

I nodded. "I did."

He walked me back to my house at 11:59 and kissed me goodnight at the back door. Susan and Lexie had gone to bed and my dad was busy in his office, so I headed right upstairs. Derek was already in his room, changing in front of the window with his lights on. I paused to watch him pull his shirt off, feeling like a voyeur. And then Derek looked over at me and grinned.

I removed my clothes while he watched, reveling in the intimacy of it all. After I'd changed into my pajamas and Derek had changed into his, he called me. We lay in our own beds and whispered to each other for another hour at least. I fell asleep with his voice in my ear.