As always, my thanks and appreciation for the reviews and support! I wasn't sure if I would get a chapter posted this week, with a busy 3D life leaving me little focus for writing, plus big turkey day celebrations going on in the USA. Not that it affects me, but I know lots of readers are American and I didn't know if anyone would be looking for fanfic with all the holiday stuff going on. Still, I managed to get this done, and posted, albeit a little later than usual. A little more MerDer for you, a little more murder investigation...and more drama for Derek.

Chapter 24
Life Goes On

Meredith opened her eyes, letting her gaze slide around her familiar surroundings. Soft light was filtering through the gauzy curtains pulled partly across the floor to ceiling windows, indicating it was later in the morning. The bedroom was quiet, and everything looked the same as the day before...from the luxurious king size bed set in the centre of the polished hardwood floor to the lavender and white pillows that were spilling off the bed. The same colors were echoed in the duvet and the bedding, and matched the candles in crystal holders on the armoire, which exuded a faint scent of vanilla.

Yet things were changed, in more ways than one. Paxton had been murdered in their house, and now her mother would be a widow again. Still, Meredith couldn't feel any sadness at the man's death, was that wrong?

Just then, the unfamiliar weight on the bed next to her shifted, pinning her into the bedding. "Good morning..." Derek murmured lazily, kissing the hollow of her throat. His hair was a mess of black curls, and the stubble along his jaw scratched her skin. "Much as I enjoyed falling asleep with you, I think waking up with you beside me is even better."

"Mmm...you might be right."

"Did you sleep all right?" he asked gently.

She nodded her head, slipping her arms around his back, as he moved between her legs. "It was more restful than I figured it would be…thanks to you," she replied, sighing luxuriously.

"Glad to be of service," he grinned seductively. "I think parts of me are happier to be with you than others…"

"I can tell." She felt the insistent length of his erection pressing against her, and she shifted to accommodate him. "I want you right now…so bad…" she breathed.

"Good…then I plan to make you very happy…" Watching her face, Derek slid deeply into her welcoming warmth. She closed her eyes and delighted in the sensation that was purely Derek. She loved the feel of him inside of her, and the soft sounds of pleasure he made when he thrust into her. Unlike the previous night, this was slow and exact, and his movements were designed to give her as much satisfaction as possible. She grasped his shoulders as the excitement swirled in her; her senses were swamped by the feel of his weight on top of her, while they were joined so intimately. As he whispered her name, urging her to enjoy it, she was lost to the moment.

Derek watched her come beneath him, her neck arched as throaty moans of bliss escaped her. Her body grasped him tightly, and their rhythms matched perfectly, as if they had been together for much longer. As she cried out for him, and her body trembled in the climax that he could feel, he gave up as well. Sweet pleasure enflamed him and he caught her mouth, kissing her hard and long as his own release took over.

When he could breathe again, he rolled with Meredith so they were side by side. "Helluva way to wake up," he murmured, tracing her jaw with his fingers.

"Better than coffee," she agreed. She felt content and happy; if she were a cat she would be purring. Too bad they had to get up and face reality.

They found Ellis seated at the kitchen table, calmly drinking a cup of coffee, as if it were any other day, with the paper spread out in front of her. Meredith helped herself to coffee as well, while Derek hovered uncertainly behind her. "You're here now, Derek, just do sit down," Ellis commented, looking over her glasses at him.

"Yes ma'am..." he agreed, sinking into the chair beside Meredith. He took a cup of coffee as well, but ignored the late brunch laid out.

"Sheriff Webber called, he plans to be here soon to speak with us. Then you can head back home. I'm sure you have plenty of things to do."

"We all do, Mother," Meredith sighed. "Did you sleep all right?"

"All things considered, yes. Life goes on. Instead of going to Paris for a honeymoon, I'll be planning a funeral."

They were interrupted by Skylar, who ambled into the room. "Well, here we are again," he observed. "Does anyone have a hangover from hell like I do?"

"No, we're okay in comparison to you," Meredith teased him, looking at his ripped jeans and Metallica t-shirt that had he worn the night before. "Too much tequila will do that."

"Ugh...I don't even really remember the conversation last night. I didn't just imagine the whole thing…there really was a murder?"

"You were sleeping through most of it," Ellis commented. "I don't suppose you recall anything from the party that might have bearing on Paxton's death?"

"No, not a thing...why was he in the library, for god's sake? He's hardly the literary type."

"Lexie said she heard voices before she found him, he was obviously meeting someone. Maybe he was paying someone off and it went bad," Meredith suggested. "The library is usually quiet, a good place to hide out, maybe?"

Derek's phone vibrated then and he glanced at the display. "It's Mom...excuse me," he said, standing up to take the call away from the table.

Ellis flicked her eyes at him as he left. It was rather unnerving to have him here, and realizing that Meredith was following him with her eyes in that intimate manner didn't make it any easier. Despite her best efforts to discourage a romance between them, it still happened. "Be careful, Meredith," she murmured. "Men aren't always reliable."

"I think I can take care of myself. I'm not involved with a married man, after all."

"What?" Ellis sputtered, nearly dropping her coffee cup. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Skylar looked from Meredith to his mother, waiting for the other shoe to drop in this conversation. Something was going on that he wasn't aware of, but he had a feeling he was about to find out. Slowly, he poured himself a cup of coffee, careful not to make too much noise to disrupt them.

"You know damn well what I mean...you and Derek's father. I know all about it," Meredith said hotly. She didn't even know why she was saying it, it just came tumbling out. "How could you do that? To Daddy, and to Emily? They trusted you as a wife, and a friend...how do you live with yourself?"

Ellis took a deep breath. "You can't judge me, Meredith."

"Why not? You're judging Derek on what his father did, and he's not going to cheat on me. So back off and let me live my own life."

Derek paused at the doorway, catching the last part of the conversation. Did he just hear what he thought he did?

"This is not the time to discuss this," Ellis said coldly. "You don't know all of the details, especially if you heard this from Derek through his mother's interpretation."

"I know that you might very well be Lexie's mother, based on the timing of your disappearance, and that Matthew could be the father. Why do you want to deny it?"

"Holy shit..." Skylar muttered under his breath.

"Why are you bringing this up now, Meredith? Don't we have enough to deal with right now?" Ellis asked.

"Because I'm tired of the secrets, and the lies, Mother. That's why I wanted to let you know that I love Derek, and I want him in my life, and I don't want to sneak around anymore!" Meredith pushed to her feet, and stormed out of the room, leaving Ellis and Skylar staring after her. For a second, he contemplated sharing his own secret, but decided that would put her over the edge right now. So he avoided eye contact with her and drank his coffee in silence.

Derek caught her as she hurried past him. "What brought that on?"

"I don't know, Derek, it just came out," she confessed. "I need some air, are you coming with me?"

"I'm not about to go back in there," he grimaced, keeping pace with her as she almost ran outside. He thought she was headed for the pond, but she kept on going, until they were in the midst of the vineyards. Surrounded by the neat rows of grapes ripening on the vines, under the warm sun, she finally stopped and waited for him to catch up with her. In his clothes from the night before, wearing the slippery dress shoes, he wasn't able to move as quickly as she did in her sneakers.

She laughed a little at how out of place he looked, and he raised his eyebrows at her. "I'm sorry…it's just…you're still dressed for a wedding…"

"Not exactly the picture of elegance right now, am I?" he smirked, rolling up his sleeves. Sweat trickled down his back as the heat of the day and the exertion of the run combined to make him uncomfortable. "I usually wear my old jeans and t-shirt when I'm out in the vineyards. I don't think these shoes will be quite the same again…" he murmured, glancing at his feet as they sank into the dirt.

Meredith smothered another giggle, and he pulled her up against him. "At least you're smiling; I wasn't sure after that little explosion in there…" He kissed her, and she sighed happily, meeting his tongue with hers. She could stay there forever, wrapped in his arms, the pure masculine scent of him making her want him more than ever. Arousal cut through her like a hot knife, and her hips shifted against him, making him groan against her mouth.

"I think we're getting insatiable, but this isn't the best time…" he warned her. "I'm all for hot, sweaty sex, but…"

"I know, we can finish this later, after the Sheriff is done with us," she grinned up at him. "Let's just walk for a bit, I haven't had a chance to get out here lately." She linked her arm in his, and they spent some time wandering among the rows, talking about what the upcoming harvests would bring. Anything but discussing the death and its impact on their lives at the moment.

Finally they could see the distinctive black and white of Webber's vehicle making its way along the driveway. "Guess it's time..." Derek said, just as Meredith plucked one of the grapes to sample. The succulent fruit was just about perfect, and she made a little sound of approval at the taste.

"Mmm...here, taste this..." She offered one to Derek, but he cupped her face in his hands instead, and kissed her deeply, his tongue searching for hers. She tasted of grape juice and felt sun-warmed against him, and she moaned softly, pressing against him, so that they touched everywhere.

"We should go in," he reminded her, relinquishing her mouth slowly. Resting her cheek against his chest, they stood for a few more moments.

"Thank you for this, for just being out here with me. I love you, Derek. Whatever happens, whatever Mother does, we have each other."

"I love you, too, honey...and I'm glad we have each other. And I think, once all of this is over and done with, we should go away for a few days and recharge. Somewhere private and secluded, where we can indulge ourselves, what do you think?"

"Can we go now?"

Derek chuckled softly, before sliding his arm around her waist, to walk towards the house. "Let's go get this over with then, before we're considered hiding from the law..."

They found Sheriff Webber holding court in the family room again, with Ellis and Skylar on the sofa. "Ah, there you are. Please, have a seat."

Avoiding her mother's eyes, Meredith sank onto the leather sofa, with Derek next to her. She felt a little flushed from the sun, and she smoothed her hair self-consciously. "Sorry, lost track of time."

"Fine. Now, my deputy is here to help out and take fingerprints from all of you so that we can rule you out from other prints that we find. It's standard procedure, nothing to be concerned about."

"When will you be finished with the library?" Ellis asked.

"Hopefully soon, then I will need you to tell me if there is anything missing."

"You don't believe it was just a robbery gone bad, do you?" Derek frowned. "Paxton owed a lot of money to somebody, based on his gambling losses."

"I see, and you know this...how?"

Meredith spoke up then. "I found betting slips in his desk from Golden Gate Fields, and he was losing a lot."

"Interesting, but we don't know for sure that someone was loaning him money, do we?"

"He didn't have a lot of his own cash," Ellis admitted. "And he didn't ask me for a loan, so someone had to be behind it. I admit, he gambled quite a lot when I first knew him, but he swore he cut back. Obviously he lied."

"There's a few men I know who are in the 'lending' business, so to speak," Webber mused. "But what good does it do to kill him? He won't be able to pay back what he owes as a dead man. There has to be another person wanting him out of the picture."

"His son, Alex, was doing dirty work for him," Meredith offered. She quickly filled Webber in on what Lexie found, and how Mark was trying to unravel the details of the business deals.

"Dear god, Meredith, are you sure?" Ellis asked, her eyebrows raised. "I mean, I had questions about some of the companies that he was using, but I really didn't suspect it was to his own end. I should have known better..."

"I will question young Karev about that, don't worry. I got the impression last night that he wasn't on good terms with his father, just as he accused you all of hating Paxton." Webber looked at them over his glasses again. "Did any of you have a reason to want him dead?"

"No!" They all exchanged shocked glances.

"I will need to take your statements on your whereabouts at the time of the murder, after the fingerprinting. And then of course the list of the caterers, the photographer and other staff brought in to help."

Ellis held up a binder. "I have all of the contacts here who can provide the names of their staff. I'm quite sure all of them are bonded and reliable."

"Of course they are. But I do have to cover all the bases, Mrs. Karev, er, Grey."

"I'm sure you do."

At that moment, the deputy popped his head into the room. "Finished in the library, sir."

Richard nodded. "Good, you can scan their fingerprints now, and take statements."

"How long will this take?" Derek asked, checking his watch. "I have my own business to look after."

"Not long, Mr. Shepherd."

"I'd like to go and visit Lexie, too," Meredith spoke up. "She must be anxious to find out what's going on." She avoided looking at her mother, realizing Ellis would still be fuming over their earlier conversation.

"All in good time, Miss Grey," Sheriff Webber acknowledged, as the deputy began the process of fingerprinting. Unlike the old days, this was electronic and efficient, without all the messy black ink to contend with. After a short time, they were completing their written statements, and handing them over as well.

"Excellent. Now, if you can spare a few more moments for me...?" Webber indicated they should follow him to the library once more.

"Very well," Ellis sighed, getting to her feet. "When we will be able to contact the funeral home?"

"That depends on Dr. O'Malley. He has to finish the autopsy."

Meredith shivered at the thought, and Derek squeezed her hand in support as they headed into the library. Now the curtains were open and sunlight flooded the room, and it was difficult to miss the blood stains on the Aubusson rug where Paxton's body had lain. For a moment, they all stood silently, contemplating the evidence of death. "Now, if you can take a look around for me...is there anything missing that you can tell?" Webber inquired.

Ellis took a brief walk around the perimeter, her expression grim. "Here..." She stopped in front of the glass case where the jade figurines were kept. "There are some missing from here, the most valuable ones, of course."

"What...seriously?" Meredith frowned, going to look for herself. "Daddy brought those from Japan. I loved those..." The missing items were the exquisitely carved horses that Thatcher had bought not long before he passed away.

"No sign of damage to case," Webber noted. "Did Mr. Karev know the value of these pieces?"

"Of course he did, Sheriff. Maybe he used them to pay off part of his debt." Ellis shook her head. "Damn the man, why didn't he just tell me what was going on?"

"As with all addictions, the guilt drives a person to hide what they're doing. We'll check with the pawn shops and see if someone tries to sell them."

Derek's phone vibrated again, and he glanced at the display. "Sorry, I've got to take this," he apologized, stepping away from the group. "Mom...what's going on?" His expression changed as he listened to the call, and concern darkened his eyes. Meredith caught the changes, and moved a little closer to him as he ended the call.

"What is it? Is Emily all right?"

"She's fine, but I have to go." He ran a hand through his hair distractedly, looking over at Sheriff Webber. "Are we done here?"

"I think for now, yes. I know where to find you if I have any further questions."

"I may not be that close for a few days," Derek admitted. "I have to fly to Boston."

"What's going on in Boston?"

"It's my sister, Aria...she's gotten herself into some trouble, and I need to fly out to help her."

"Oh my god, Derek...is she all right?" Meredith asked quietly, touching his arm.

"I think so, Mom was understandably upset, but it seems that Aria has gotten herself arrested for drunk driving and having alcohol in the car," Derek muttered. "Apparently, it's not the first time she's been stopped...I think Dad's death has sent her into a bad place emotionally. I should have talked to her more often."

Webber nodded sympathetically. "Of course you need to see her. I know too well how life spirals out of control when you drink too much. Just keep in touch while you're away, all right?"

"Absolutely." Derek turned to leave, and Meredith walked with him to the front door.

"I'm so sorry, Derek. If there's anything I can do...?"

"Check in on Mom, would you? I hate that she'll be alone, even for a few days, with all of this crap going on."

"She's not going with you?"

Derek shook his head. "Not immediately, anyway. If this drags on, she will definitely deal with Aria, but for now it's up to me. And with harvest coming up soon, one of us needs to keep an eye on things." He pulled her against him, and hugged her tightly. "I hope I won't be gone too long."

"Do whatever you have to. She's a good kid, Derek, I'm sure she's just having trouble dealing with everything," she assured him. "I'll miss you, but I know it won't be for long."

"I'll miss you to, Mer. Just be careful, and promise me you won't put yourself into danger. I don't trust Alex, and I don't want you to be alone with him."

"I promise." She lifted her face, and his mouth covered hers, kissing her softly, as she molded herself against him. She inhaled deeply, wanting to keep this moment, this feel of him, in her memory. His arms held her close, and he lifted her off her feet slightly, as she kissed him back. "I love you...have a safe trip...call me..." she whispered, reluctant to let him go.

"I love you too, honey. I'll call you when I get there..." He broke away from her, and made himself walk away, pulling out his cell phone to arrange the first flight out he could find. As if things were complicated enough...