10 years later...

Her eyes slowly fluttered as she woke up from the blaring alarm in her ear. She turned to her side and smiled as she saw the man laying beside her. She ran her hand over his salt and pepper hair that replaced his dark brown curls. His age was slowly catching up to his feature but she still loved him, more than she ever had. His eyes fluttered as well as he looked at her. A sleepy smile spread across his face as he leaned up to kiss her.

"Big day," she stated.

"Shh, let's not talk," he kissed her once more.

"I have to get the children up," she replied and kissed him quickly before getting out of bed. She grabbed her robe and wrapped it around her body a she grabbed her phone. She walked through the dream house as she liked to call it, it had aged well for their family and it was now a home. The place where she had raised the twins, and even gained the sweetest little addition she couldn't imagine her life without. She went and started playing the song you walk at graduation as she made her way to Zoe's room first. She walked from the first floor of the beautiful house that Derek had built for their family to the four bedrooms that were on the second floor. She turned the light on and Zoe immediately woke up. She was much like her father, an early riser and very easy to get out of bed. She smiled at Meredith as she sat up.

"Morning mom," Zoe untied the dark brown bun from her head and flipped her head over and released her curly mane.

"Let's go wake up Scarlett," Meredith smiled as the both of them walked across the hall to Scarlett's room. She flipped the light on and Scarlett groaned and rolled to her stomach.

"Duh, duhh," Meredith started humming to the song as she walked over and pulled the duvet off of her.

"Today is the big day and you girls have to shower before the other three wake up and need to shower as well. You two have to be at the school in three hours so up and at em," Meredith said to her daughter.

"Mom, give me five more minutes," Scarlett moaned. Her hair was a wavy mess as she knew her mother was not going to give it up so she sat up.

"Go get in the shower then get ready girls," Meredith said as she had to walk away as she thought about what was happening today. She couldn't believe that her tiny little baby she had 18 years ago was now graduating high school. It was bittersweet, watching her and Zoe grow up together and going into adulthood. She stepped into the room next to Scarlett's where two boys were sleeping in separate beds.

"Charlie, Elliot it is time to get up," she said as she opened the curtains to their room. The blonde haired teenager sat up in the bed. Charlie was fourteen and growing way too fast. He resembled his father more and more everyday which made her heart ache, even more so that he said he had grown out of his childhood nickname and decided to go by Charlie.

"Elliot, son get up," she said as she shook him slightly. Blonde hair, blue eyed sweet baby boy was turning the eleven this summer and she couldn't believe it. She then went to the room across from them where two little girls slept.

"Elliana, Zola get up girls," Meredith said softly to the two girls curled up in Elliana's bed. Zola didn't like sleeping alone, she stayed in her and Derek's bed from the minute they adopted her when she was just eight months old until she was four and they transitioned her to Elliana's room and she would sleep in her own bed occasionally but most mornings she was in the bed with her sister. It was still a shock to her she was a mother of six children. She didn't even want one when she was a child but now she couldn't have imagined her life any other way.

"Mom, it's Saturday," Elliana groaned, she had dark curly hair and bright blue eyes. If she was seven years older she would be convinced she was Zoe's identical twin.

"I know but your sisters are graduating today," Meredith said to them. She then left the room and went back downstairs to find Derek cooking breakfast.

"Need help?" She offered, she slowly learned some cooking skills but she still wasn't the best.

"I spent way too much money building this giant home for our children for you to burn it down," he laughed and she chuckled along with him, reaching up to kiss his cheek before pouring herself a cup of coffee. She went ahead and poured a glass of orange juice for Zola since she really couldn't hold the carton by herself just yet without spilling it.

"I love this beautiful home you built for us," she replied to him with a smile.

"Good. Now start putting things on the table," he handed her a plate stacked with pancakes. Feeding six children and themselves was a task in itself. They were very shocked when they found out she was pregnant with twins a merely twelve years ago. They weren't even planning for one but they got two blessings. They thought their little family was complete until five years ago when Alex started a project for African children that couldn't afford medical treatment in their own country. Derek was assigned Zola and the moment he held her, he knew she was meant to find him and his family. It was easy convincing Meredith once she held her in her arms.

"Is your sister in the shower?" Meredith asked as she saw Zoe with her dress in her hand as she headed toward hers and Derek's bedroom.

"Yep. And of course Charlie has to jump in the other shower before I could so now I have to shower down here," she grumbled.

"You should have put another bathroom," Meredith said as she grabbed plates for the kids.

"Yeah daddy, I can't stand having to wait for the bathroom just for one of the stupid boys to stink it up," Elliana complained as she had just came down the stairs.

"We don't call your siblings stupid," Meredith said sternly.

"But boys are! They all stink, and Scarlett always has to take ten years to put on make up for no reason!" She said very dramatically.

"It's not nice, we keep mean thoughts to ourselves," Meredith reminded her.

"Fine," she pouted. She sat down next to Zola that quietly sat and ate her breakfast.

"Mommy, can I have more bacon?" Zola asked sweetly. She was the most timid of the family. She definitely had an attitude with her sisters but an angel about everything else. She knows she is the baby of the family and gets away with everything.

"You can," Meredith sat on the opposite side of her and gave her two more slices.

"Give it to me!" A loud voice came from upstairs as Elliot came flying down the stairs with a phone in his hand.

"I can't wait to go to the party tonight, Jared and Bryant are meeting up with us after we leave the house tonight," Elliot read aloud from the phone, a smirk across his face as Scarlett came barreling after him and attacked him to the ground.

"Help!" He yelled as Derek came over and snatched the phone from the both of them.

"What party?" Meredith said, her brows furrowed at her daughter.

"I uh," she said as she got off her brother.

"Oh no, young lady. I was young once. You are not going to some graduation party. They always end up bad," Meredith said.

"Who are Jared and Bryant?" Derek asked.

"Just friends," she said, her face was bright red, knowing she had been caught.

"Mom please, it's not even a party. It is a group of us just having a little bonfire," Scarlett begged.

"No," Meredith shook her head and then turned to look at her son that had a smirk across his face.

"And you, what have we told you about snooping in your sisters things? Grounded for a month," she said looking at Elliot.

"That isn't fair! I was just going to turn her language to a different one so she couldn't read anything when the message popped up!" He frowned.

"I don't care. You don't touch things that aren't yours. Go eat, now," she said to him.

"Mom please can I go? I won't be gone past midnight," Scarlett begged.

"Does your sister know about this party?" Meredith questioned as Zoe came out of their bedroom with her white dress on, her hair still in a towel.

"Oh no. Not in this," Zoe spoke before sitting at the table and began to eat.

"Spill Zoe," Derek said sternly to his daughter.

"A group of our friends are throwing this huge graduation party and I told Scarlett it wasn't a good idea since last year the cops were called and half the kids got arrested," Zoe said before she realized she had just ratted out her and her sister.

"You went to a party last year? I thought you were going to stay the night with Alyssa that night," Meredith asked, a shocked look across her face.

"We aren't talking about last year, we can settle that later. Right now we are saying no. It is too risky and you girls are not ruining your future for one night of fun," Meredith shook her head.

"Mom. It is nothing like last year, I swear it is only maybe ten people," Scarlett begged.

"I said no. Final answer," Meredith said sternly. Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door and it was then opened by a tiny brown haired, brown eyed girl that was identical to Lexie.

"Hi," she said very loudly and smiling. She was followed by an almost teenage version of Mark.

"Hi miss Ava," Meredith smiled brightly at her four year old niece.

"Ava Lane, I told you not to barge in," Lexie said as she followed behind her tiny daughter.

"I didn't barge mommy, I knocked," she said in a matter-of-fact voice.

"We just wanted to stop by to give the girls their graduation gift," Lexie offered each a small box. They wasted no time opening the boxes. Each box held a silver necklace with their birthstone and the year they graduated on the back of the heart-shaped stone.

"Thank you Aunt Lexie," both girls smiled and hugged their aunt.

"You're welcome, I remember when you guys were tiny little babies. Zoe was a two years old when Mark and I started dating but I remember holding Scarlett the day she was born," Lexie reminisced on the days when she met each girl.

"Aunt Mer, can I stay with you guys tonight?" The boy asked.

"I don't mind Dalton," Meredith replied to the boy. He was the quietest of Lexie's children. He was very easy going and just went with the flow of their crazy large family much like Zola had.

"I got to get going and get ready. You girls look beautiful," Lexie smiled and kissed both of their heads before leaving with Ava.

"You girls need to eat and finish getting ready. You have an hour and a half before you have to be at the school," Meredith said as she began to pick up the dishes from breakfast.

"Where is Charlie? Derek asked, noting he hadn't come down for breakfast yet.

"Probably upstairs texting his girlfriend," Elliot fake gagged and motioned his finger toward his mouth.

"Charlie!" Meredith called up to her son. She waited a second before she went upstairs. She knocked on the closed door and went inside.

"Hey bud," Meredith said to her son.

"Hey," he shrugged, looking back down at his phone.

"What's wrong?" She asked, sitting down at the end of his bed.

"I am excited to get my own room but I don't want Scar and Zoe to leave yet," he mumbled. He was the sensitive child, he loved his sister with all his heart, "I wish I remember dad. I want to know what he was like and Scarlett use to tell me about him. I don't remember much. I love Derek and all and he is a great dad but I want to know more about my real dad."

"Your father would have loved to be here. I can tell you stories about him. It's ok to miss him even if you don't remember. You two were like two peas in a pod, nothing could separate you guys. I remember when we found out you were a boy. He was so excited to have a son. He went out and bought your first football before you were even born," she chuckled at the memory.

"I am going to miss them," he said sadly.

"They aren't going to be gone forever son. Scarlett is going to UCLA and Zoe is going to Stanford so they are just a short plane ride away," Meredith assured him. Meredith was terrified to send her daughters to college in another state but she was grateful they were at least going to schools in the same state.

"But she isn't going to be right next door. I am not going to hear Elliot bothering her all the time or listen to Zoe and Ellie sing so badly I have to put in headphone to ignore them. I don't know," he frowned.

"I promise it will be ok. You have to remember that in a few years you will be off to college yourself," Meredith reminded him.

"I know," he sighed.

"Go eat what is left from the savages you call siblings and then get ready," she hugged her son and he chuckled. She went downstairs where Derek was trying his best to put Zola's hair into two buns on the top of her head.

"Need help?" She offered.

"I am almost done now," he laughed. They had learned from Bailey how to properly manage Zola's hair and they were grateful everyday for that. Zoe and Scarlett emerged from upstairs, both with their hair curled and make up on their face. Their white dresses now covered with a purple gown, their caps in their hand.

"My girls," Meredith teared up at the sight of her now grown daughters. She took her phone from the counter and snapped a few pictures of them. Zoe had curled her hair into beautiful curls while Scarlett straightened hers. They were definitely polar opposites.

"Mom," Scarlett groaned.

"Hey get use to it, this is only the start," Meredith smiled. Another knock on the door and Meredith looked curiously at Derek, he shrugged.

"Come in," she shouted.

"Aw, you girls are so grown up," a very nicely dressed Amelia came through the door. She was followed by Owen and their two children. Riley that had bright red hair that was very curly and the Shepherd blue eyes but she looked like Owen. Blake was Zola's age, he had the dark Shepherd hair and brown eyes like his grandmother. From the pictures she saw, he was the spitting image of his grandfather.

"Pictures," Amelia smiled as she handed her phone to Meredith as she stood between the girls. She took a few of Owen and Amelia with the girls then just their kids with the girls.

"Ok, we have to get going," Scarlett said. She kissed her mother's cheek as she and Zoe started out the door.

"They are so grown up," Amelia commented.

"I know, it's sad," Meredith replied.

"I came to pick up Charlie, he wants to ride with us," Amelia said.

"Oh ok, I think he is up getting dressed now," Meredith just finished her sentence when her son came down the stairs. He had a purple button down shirt and khaki pants.

"Fancy," Amelia smiled. She had a special connection with Charlie, she was there at some of his weakest moments and he always ran to her for everything.

"Thanks," he smirked as he fixed the collar of his shirt.

"I want to go with you guys!" Zola huffed.

"Ask your mom," Amelia said to the little girl.

"I guess but you have to go get dressed and brush your teeth!" Meredith said. She quickly bolted to her room. Meredith had already laid out her dress for the occasion.

"Is Cristina going to make it?" Amelia asked.

"I don't think so, I hate that. She is holding some conference in Germany that was planned months ago so she couldn't bail on it. The girls are flying out there in a few weeks to see her," Meredith said.

"I don't see how you are letting them go," Amelia chuckled.

"I'm not a fan but they are both adults now," Meredith said. She looked at the clock on the wall and realized what time it was.

"Well I have to go get dressed," Meredith said her goodbye to Amelia and Owen before hurrying off into her bedroom to curl her hair. Having to make sure her three youngest were ready was always the hardest part of everyday. They were each always forgetting something which just made things harder but she wouldn't imagine it any other way.

"Hey," Derek smiled as he came into the room.

"Hey," she breathed. She wasn't going to cry. It was a happy day, she was about to watch her daughters close a chapter in their lives.

"How you holding up?" He asked, knowing by the look on her face exactly how she felt after spending the past thirteen years with her.

"I'm good. I mean I feel ok. I don't think I'm ready," she said honestly as she watched him go through his closet and pull out a blue button down shirt.

"I'm not either. My first baby is graduating high school," he breathed, "and I know it's crazy to say but I do wish Rose was alive to see this."

"I wish Charles was here just to witness it. I mean it's normal to say that, right?" She asked.

"Yes. I know that's like saying we would have never met but I would like to thing even if we weren't together and they were still alive, our paths would have crossed and we would have been amazing friends," he replied.

"I couldn't just be your friend," she felt guilty saying that, but it was true. She loved him in such a way that was indescribable.

"Me neither," he chuckled, "I love you too much. I will always say that we were meant to meet and fall in love."

"'Me too," she smiled weakly at him before walking to him and enveloping his lips into a deep kiss.

"I love you," he whispered against her lips.

"And I love you," she replied and placed one last quick kiss before pulling away from him. They both finished getting ready and found the twins in the living room watching the television. It was rare they had just the four of them, it was different.

"You guys ready?" Derek asked the two of them.

"Yep," they both said in sync. They followed Derek out to his car and got in. It was a quiet drive on a beautiful Seattle day.

"You guys want to go to the top deck?" Derek asked as he put the car in park on the ferry.

"Yes!" They both happily unbuckled their seat belts and jumped out the car. Meredith loved how much they enjoyed the simple things in life much like Derek. They followed the twins up to the deck as they raced to the top.

"Now that Zoe and Scarlett are leaving, I am going to get pretty bored," Elliot smirked at his sister.

"No. I will kill you!" Elliana replied.

"You can't do that, I'm older than you!" He quickly said.

"By like five minutes! It's ok though I'm the smarter one," she smirked proudly.

"Alright guys," Derek chuckled at the two as he put his arms around the both of them. Meredith smiled at the three of them, they had such an amazing bond it was unreal. They stood next to the rails as you could see the ferry glide through the river. The breeze was nice as the wind blew Meredith hair all over the place. As the ferry started to dock, the four of them went back down the their car and drove to the high school. It was completely packed, their graduating class was a total of 327 people. They parked and walked to the entrance on to the field where they were graduating. They found Amelia, Owen, Lexie, and Mark standing together with their kids along with CJ.

"Have you guys seen Alex and Jo?" Meredith asked.

"Not yet, he said he was almost here," Lexie said just as Alex appeared with Jo. They had a little boy tagging along that was a clone of Alex.

"Hey, are we late?" Alex asked as he fixed his shirt.

"Just in time," Derek smiled as he patted his back in a friendly manner.

"Hey Nick," Meredith greeted the six year old boy.

"Hi aunt Mer," he smiled. Just as they were talking, Addison and Jake appeared with Henry. He was one year younger than CJ but he skipped a grade and was now in CJ's class and the two had become best friends.

"I'm glad you guys could make it," Meredith smiled as she hugged Addison. Never in a million years would she imagine she would become such good friends with her OB who was also her husband's ex girlfriend.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Addison smiled.

"Let's go find our seats," Derek said as he lead the crowd into the bleachers, finding a place almost in the front row. Meredith looked around her, at her giant family she had gained through the tears. Everyone was making small talk, the kids were playing with one another as they were waiting patiently on the ceremony to begin.

"Oh I think it's starting," Derek said as the principal of the school got on the stage. He began to speak and the crowd went silent. Derek and Meredith watched closely as they saw their daughters to their seats. They both looked up, smiling and waving.

"And introducing our Valedictorian for the class of 2029, Zoe Rose Shepherd, who is graduating Seattle Prep with the highest GPA every recorded at this school. She received acceptance letters from Harvard, Stanford, University of Washington, and countless other schools. She will attend Stanford in the fall, majoring in Biology and hoping to follow in her parents footsteps in becoming a surgeon. She was also a member of the debate team which won state the last two years as well as her accomplishments in track and field, volleyball, and basketball. She is an amazing student and we are all grateful to have her as our valedictorian. he said and everyone in the group clapped and cheered. She smiled happily as she walked to the stage. Meredith glanced over at Derek who gleamed with happiness that his daughter had become such an outstanding woman.

"My fellow graduate friends, it was only four years ago that we entered here and it is already time to leave. Time really passed in the blink of an eye. All the knowledge instilled in us by our teachers would surely prove to be immensely valuable to us in our future endeavors. The most significant value that I have learned is teamwork and collaborative approach. I am sure we would not measure the time we have spent here in years but in the friendships we have built and the memories we have made. I am grateful to each and everyone of you, especially to Coach Wilson who would always find a way to keep our team motivated and always have our backs during games, Mrs. Nally who helped me study every day for three months before my SAT and encouraged me to follow my dreams, and I couldn't forget Mr. Cooper who could make all of us laugh even on our worst days and found a way to make school enjoyable. I can admit I was terrified to stand up here today and give this speech because let's be honest, there are so many ways to mess up but we have grown together as a class and as a family. I am having mixed feelings at the moment- the feeling of relief for being graduated and the feeling of leaving amazing teachers and I am today is all because of the wonderful teachers and friends I met here. I would like to congratulate all the graduates on finishing their final year as a high school student. It is surely a great accomplishment and something in which you can take pride. I wish everyone many congratulations once again and good luck for a bright future," she said and everyone in the stadium applauded her. The principal got back up and thanked her for her amazing speech. He continued on and introduced the salutatorian who also made a small speech before they went on and began the commencement ceremony.

"Graduating with honors, Scarlett Marie Fuleki," the counselor said as she had the biggest smile on her face as she walked up and accepted her diploma. The group began cheering loudly for her. They went on some more before they called Zoe. Everyone cheered again. Meredith couldn't be more proud of her girls accomplishments. She couldn't help but fall into memories from their childhood as she raised them the best she could and this was proof she did just fine. She looked over at Derek who now had Zola in his lap as she cheered along as they called Zoe's name. She looked at Elliana and Elliot, her miracle babies who she never knew she needed but couldn't imagine her life without her crazy, messy, happy, blended family.