have a good Thanksgiving everyone!

"Okay, so just to make sure, you don't walk around like that in front of Alex and George do you?"

"Like what," Meredith said with an innocent look on her face. "In a pair of track pants and a bra?"

"Yes. I do not want to have to kill your roommates for impure thoughts about you," Derek grinned.

"Don't worry; I only walk around like this when I know I'm alone in the house or when you're around."

"Good."

"Izzie's the one who can't keep her clothes on," Meredith smiled. Then she paused and made a face. "That came out wrong."

"No, I get what you mean," Derek assured her. "So I've been thinking about something."

"Am I gonna like this?"

"Maybe."

"Okay, go ahead."

"I've been thinking about what to do with that land I own."

"And?"

"And I want to build a house."

"What?"

"I want to build a house. I know you and I are no where near ready to cohabitate but the trailer's too small for me to have you all over at the same time."

Meredith smiled, "That actually sounds really nice, Derek." She smiled as she sat down in his lap. "So, how did you sleep last night?"

"Okay. I almost forgot how comfortable your bed is."

"And you were okay with the no touching thing?"

"Not really but I figure I'll get up to being able to at least hold you one of these days."

"Maybe sooner than you think," Meredith smiled. "So, I want to ask you something."

"Okay."

"How would you feel about coming to Vegas with me next weekend? I'm signing the papers to sell my condo to Mark in a couple of weeks and I want to go and pack everything up and start looking at the houses I've narrowed my search down to."

"And you want me to come with you?"

"Yeah. You should meet more of my family and you'll get to weigh in on what you think of Sam and if she and Mark are a good idea."

"Yeah, alright," Derek nodded. "Sounds like fun."

"Just promise me one thing?"

"What?"

"No breaking of my friends, okay?"

"Okay."

GAGAGAGAGA

"This chocolate," Izzie declared, "is fantastic. Seriously."

Meredith nodded. "I know. Can you believe Derek hates it?"

"That's because he's a freak," Cristina muttered, then laughed. "Kidding. He's just one of those people that loves dark chocolate."

"Yeah," Izzie agreed, "Although, too bad George isn't like that. He always takes my whole stash. Any kind."

Meredith turned from the movie they were watching to Izzie. "So he's a chocolate person?"

"Person?" Cristina rolled her eyes.

Meredith nodded. "If you like dark chocolate, then you're a thoughtful, quiet person. Like Derek."

"And if you like milk chocolate?" Cristina asked, raising an eyebrow.

Meredith scrunched up her nose. "Um, say for example, Danny."

"Danny doesn't really strike me as milk chocolatey," Izzie said, shaking her head.

Meredith rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine. Then how about Mark? Would you say he's milk chocolate?"

Cristina thought for a moment. "I'd say he's more white chocolate."

"With cookie crumbs," Izzie added, and gave a nod of agreement. "Like, it's nice, but bad for you."

Cristina turned to her. "How is white chocolate worse than milk chocolate?"

"I don't know," Izzie shrugged, "Wasn't there some research that showed it was more fattening?"

"Mark's not fat, though," Meredith said, laughing.

"This is giving me a headache," Cristina muttered. "Can we just watch the movie and eat our chocolate without trying to pair types of chocolate with all the men we know?"

"Meredith started it," Izzie shrugged.

"Hey!"

GAGAGAGAGAGA

"So Meredith is taking you to Vegas," Burke asked of his friend while they observed an orthopedic surgery performed by Callie.

"Yeah. We're leaving on Friday."

"You nervous?"

"About what? I've met her aunt, Danny, and Sam. The only ones I haven't met are Delinda, Alex's new girlfriend Mary, and some guy named Mike."

"Mike's a good guy according to Cristina."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. He's in surveillance and security with Danny but he used to be a valet. He's got an engineering degree."

"Nice."

"Yeah, he's also the one who came to tell Meredith about Ed when it happened."

"Did you ever meet him?"

"Ed?"

"Yeah."

"No, I didn't have the pleasure. Why?"

"I don't know. Meredith tells me bits and pieces about her family but I have yet to get the whole story."

"Maybe you should work on that this weekend."

"Good idea."

GAGAGAGAGA

"They're going to hate me."

Meredith rolled her eyes. "Derek, seriously," she said, "It's only Dee, Mary, and Mike that haven't met you already, and they'll love you."

"Right," Derek said, and gave Meredith a frown.

"Okay, fine," Meredith admitted, "Maybe not love you, since I'm pretty sure they'll have heard about what happened between you and Danny, but they'll like you."

"Alright."

"It'll be fine," she said, and nodded reassuringly.

"So, you went to Vegas with Alex last time, didn't you?" Derek asked.

"Yep," Meredith said, "It was fun. I loved dressing up that time to go to the party."

Derek nodded, ignoring her last comment. "So Alex would know about the Montecito and all your friends over there?"

"Uh…" Meredith frowned. "So do you, since I told you all about them."

"I need an unbiased description," Derek said.

Meredith laughed. "Seriously?"

Derek looked at her. "So, where's Alex?"

GAGAGAGAGA

"Danny," Meredith shouted when she walked into the Montecito and saw him standing with Mike. She dropped her bags, ran towards him, and jumped into his arms.

True to form, Danny caught her, "Good to see you, too, Mere."

"How's the nose," she teased as he set her down.

"Cute. It's fine," he shrugged. He looked behind her. "So, you brought him?"

"Danny, you promised," Meredith warned him.

"I know."

"So, what I am? Chopped liver," Mike smiled.

"Never. How's it going Mikey," Meredith hugged him. Then she turned to Derek, "Derek Shepherd, this is Mike Cannon."

"Good to meet you," Derek shook his hand. "Heard a lot about you."

"Same here," Mike said. "So you're the one who did this to our girl," he motioned to Meredith's stomach.

"Mike, would you like me to tell that girl in accounting that you're interested in about the girls I caught you with when I was out here last Easter?"

"Talk to you guys later," Mike smiled.

"You're scary when you want to be," Derek said.

"Yep. Danny, will you tell Delinda I'll see her at dinner? We're going upstairs and taking a nap. Well, I am. Derek, you're free to explore. I know you've never been here before."

"No. I'll go up with you. We can take in the sights tomorrow."

"See you later, then," Danny smiled.

Meredith and Derek rode up to her room and found their bags already there, by way of the bellman. Meredith sat down on the couch and slipped off her shoes before curling her legs under her. Derek, on the other hand, took the opportunity to look around the room. He stopped in front of the bookshelf and smiled at the pictures. He picked up one of Meredith, Delinda, and Nessa.

"Nessa's dad's name was Jackson Holt and he was my uncle's partner for a long time," Meredith said quietly, making Derek turn around. "Her mom died when she was young so whenever Jack and Ed were on a mission Ness would stay with Aunt Jillian and Delinda. Then one day, Ed comes home and tells us that Jackson's dead. From then on, last name notwithstanding, Nessa was a Deline."

Derek nodded before he put the picture down and then sat beside Meredith.

"Right around the time I started my residency, Nessa got a call from England, telling her that her sister was in the hospital. Jack had had another family after Nessa's mom died but he never told Nessa or Ed. Anyway, Ness went to England and Delinda went with her. The details between then and the end of the story are a little sketchy. Blame the CIA training Ed got. But in the end people wants to kill him, so Jack needed to assume a new identity and Nessa and Adana, that's Nessa's sister decided to stay with him. There's no going back once you make a decision like that."

"Did you say good-bye?"

"No. But she makes contact every once in a while. The last time was white roses to let me know she was getting married."

"Do you miss her?"

"Every day."

"I wish I'd known her?"

Meredith smiled, "Me too."

6