A/N I am so sorry about the wait between updates and I am really struggling to finish this fic, my muse as decided to disappear on me, and I am so busy with work. There is only one more chapter left and an epilogue to come. Enjoy!

Chapter 38- Tonight I am going to Ask.

Derek was pacing the lounge, waiting for Meredith to come down; Ava was sat on the floor in her dress watching Dora the Explorer, while they waited for Meredith. Derek thought back to three months previously when his mother was in town and he started seriously thinking about proposing to Meredith.

flashback

Derek walked into his mothers hotel room, and saw her sitting on the bed, Derek saw her holding her engagement ring in her hand.

"Hey Ma" he said leaning against the doorway.

"Derek" she murmured, looking up "You looked just like you're father"

"You okay, Ma?" he asked her, sitting down next to her on the bed.

"Yes dear, just thinking about your father. I still miss him"

"I know Ma, so do I"

"He would be so proud of you, Derek"

"I hope so Ma"

"He would love Meredith, Derek"

"I think so"

"Derek, I have never seen you look at anyone the way you look at Meredith, and vice versa. I know you have met the person that you will spend the rest of your life with, and I want you to take this" she said pressing her engagement ring into his palm.

"Ma, I can't take this, it is your's"

"Derek, after you were born, your father told me that one day I would have to give this to you when you meet the right person, obviously I didn't give it too you when you married Addie. I knew she wasn't the woman that you were going to spend the rest of your life with. You see things in black and white Derek, Meredith doesn't; you need a taste of that. I love you son"

"I love you too Ma" he said with a huge smile and Carolyn knew in that in moment that Meredith was the girl for her only son.

And ever since his mom had pressed that ring into his hand, he hadn't been able to get the idea of proposing out of his head, but he wanted it to be perfect. And he knew when his mom had called him, a couple of days ago and saying that the sisters wanted to meet Meredith and Ava; he knew it was the perfect time. Tonight I am going to ask Meredith Grey to marry me.

GAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA

Meredith was surprised when they pulled up outside the Space Needle; she noticed how quiet Derek was on the way over from the house.

"You okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine"

"That is my line Derek" she said with a smile. Derek leant over and gently captured her lips with his own.

"I love you" he murmured against her lips.

"I love you too. Your family will be waiting for us"

"Yeah" he said with a smile, and climbing out of the car. Meredith smiled at him and turns behind her to let Ava out of her car seat who automatically climbed over the seat and sat herself in her mommy's lap.

"Daddy" she said has Derek opened the door for Meredith.

"Hello princess" Derek said taking Ava from Meredith and wrapping his free arm around Meredith. "You ready to meet Auntie Kathy, Nancy and Liv"

"Jojo" she asked, causing Meredith to giggle.

"Yes Ava, Josh will be here too" he told her, and could hear Meredith laughing next to him. "What is so funny?"

"She is meeting her family and the only one she cares about is Josh"

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"A little nervous" she admitted to him.

"My sisters will love you; Nancy maybe a bitch at time but ignore her"

"Nancy was friends with Addison, right?"

"Yes, she introduced us at college, but none of that matters now and beside mom and Amy loves you and at the end of the day that is all that matters" he said kissing her gently before leading her into the space needle.

"You sure about this Meredith, this is our last chance to run" he said as the entered the restaurant.

"Derek Shepherd, this is your family we are meeting, we are not running anywhere" she said to him, taking Ava from him, right now she needed her baby, her little girl, anything that would stop her from taking Derek up on his offer to run.

Derek put his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him, he wasn't going to let her go. Looking down at Meredith, he knew that he was just as nervous as she was. This would be the first time that she would meet Kath, Nancy and Liv. He would rather it was separate but his sisters had insisted and he couldn't say no when Kathy asked him.

"Derek" he heard Kathy called his name and saw his oldest sister walking over to him.

"Hey Kathy" he said letting her pull him in to a hug but not letting go Meredith and Ava.

"You must be Meredith, I am Kath, and this must be Ava" she said.

"Nice to meet you Kathleen, Ava you going to say hello to your aunt" Meredith to said her daughter, who was hiding her face in her mother shoulder.

"It's okay, Derek was exactly the same the same when he was that age" she told Meredith, as she reached out and touched Ava's curls.

"Ava" Josh called across the restaurant and ran up to his uncle and Meredith; it caused Ava to look up from Meredith's shoulder and smile.

"JoJo" she called, wriggling in her mother's arms to get down and Meredith placed her on the ground, and she threw little arms around her cousin who hugged her back.

"They are really closed" Kathleen commented, watching Amy and Josh.

"Ava adores him" Derek said to his sister, before turning back to Meredith. "Let's go and meet and the rest of them" he pulled her close to him as they walked over to the table where his family was sat.

"Hi Ma" Derek said as his mother got up and gave him a hug.

"Derek" she greeted him, before turning to Meredith and pulling her in for a hug. Meredith was surprised at first, letting her arms hang their limp for a second before hugging Mrs Shepherd back.

"Mrs Shepherd"

"It's Carolyn, dear" she said pulling away. "Meredith, you have already met Kath, this is Nancy and Olivia"

"Nice to finally meet you Meredith" Olivia said with smile, reaching out and shaking Meredith hand, Liv could see how uncomfortable Meredith was with her mother's open display of affection.

"Nancy" Derek said, coming over to her and giving her a hug. "Please don't be a bitch Nancy, she means a lot to me"

"Fine" she said "I will be my normal charming self"

"Oh god" he murmured.

"Derek, I am joking with you. I can see she means a lot to you" she told him, Derek gave his sister a kiss on the cheek before rejoining Meredith and Ava who was talking to Amy. Meredith smiled at him as he leant in a kissed her gently on the lips.

"Let's sit down. And I am really sorry but you will be sat next to Nancy" he said quietly in her ear.

"I am sure it will be fine Derek" she said, letting him pull her over to their seats, taking Ava out of Meredith's arms.

"Mama" she cried out, not wanting to leave her mommy around all these strangers. "Mama" she sobbed. Meredith took Ava back from Derek and sat Ava in her lap.

"Mommy got you babba" she soothed into Ava ear, who immediately curled into her chest, hiding her face from everyone at the table, Nancy leant over to Meredith.

"Is she alright?"

"Yeah, I think it is a little overwhelming for her, around a lot of people that she doesn't know" Meredith cringed inside, waiting for a sarcastic comment from Nancy that never came.

"My eldest Sophie was exactly the same; I take it she is usually like this around new people"

"Yeah but she doesn't usually cling to me like this"

"It is her way of assuring herself that you are still here" Kath quipped from the other side of the table.

"Kath, please don't psychoanalyse my daughter" Derek said rubbing his hand across his daughter's back who had stopped crying but still hiding her face in her mother's chest.

"Ava, there are people here that want to meet you" Derek said gently to his daughter.

"No...want mama" Meredith took Derek free hand and squeezed it gently.

"Ava, daddy want a cuddle, give daddy a cuddle"

"Mama"

"Mama isn't going anywhere Ava, and if you sit with daddy you can talk to Jojo" she said to her, using Ava name for Josh.

"Jojo" she sniffled.

"I am over here Av" Josh said not moving from his seat, making Ava look at him. "Why you crying?" he asked, as most of the adults except Amy, Derek and Meredith carried on with their conversation.

"I awaid" she said, Josh walked over to her and held his hand out to her.

"Come and sit with me, Ava, I will look after you" he said, Ava looked up at her mother who nodded and she climbed off Meredith's lap and took Josh hand.

"They are very close" Nancy commented watching as Derek sat Ava on Josh's lap.

"Like i told Kath, Ava adores him"

"Do you have any siblings?" Nancy asked her.

"No, I don't, my mom barely had any time for me"

"Grey, your mother was Ellis Grey?"

"Yep"

"Wow, fantastic surgeon, but very cold hearted"

"Yes, that is certainly one way to describe Ellis Grey" she agreed.

"Nancy, are you feeling ill?" Olivia asked her, amazed at her sister's personality transplant.

"No. Why?"

"Wow, you not being a bitch" Amy said.

"I will have you know..."

"Girls, stop" Carolyn told them in no certain terms. I will have to apologise for their behaviour Meredith, the twins and Nancy are always like this. I am glad to see the girls getting along normally after all this time" Carolyn said, smiling, she was just relieved that they were all getting along.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After dinner, Derek sat back and watched his girlfriend talking to his sisters, and he was glad that after a view tense moments that Meredith and sisters got along very well, he loved that she seemed to fit in with his family and that was when he knew it was the perfect time to ask.

"Excuse me" Derek said standing up. "I have something that I want to say; firstly it is so nice that after all these years that we are finally together as a family" he said looking at all of his sisters and lastly his mother. "Meredith" he said turning around and facing her. "I love you so much, and I couldn't imagine my life without you. These past six months are the happiest I can ever remember being. Before you came back in my life I knew a huge part of me for missing, only I never knew how much until my memory returned, and although I still don't remember everything about us, the one thing I do know is that without you, I would still be lost. Meredith Grey, will you marry me?" he asked getting down on one knee. Meredith was gobsmacked, she was not expecting him to propose, not this soon, but knowing what it was like to live without him, saying no was never an option.

"Yes" she said, tearing prickling at her eyes, as he placed the ring on her finger, standing up he pulled her into his arms and kissed her hard.

"I love you"

"I love you too" she said kissing him again.