As I was writing the sequel, I realised I had missed this out altogether, so as an early christmas present - here's an outtake!

"I've spoken in front of thousands of people before, why am I so nervous about meeting your parents?" Meredith groaned, stood in front of the full-length mirror, pulling at and smoothing out her blouse.

"You really don't need to be nervous," Derek chuckled, moving to stand behind her, his arms moved around her, and he took her hands in his. "From the glowing review Maddie gives you every time she sees them, they love you already."

"But they haven't actually met me," she leant back against him, her head against his shoulder. "What if they don't like me and think I'm totally wrong for you and Maddie?"

"Meredith, they are going to love you," he sighed, and hugged her against him, kissing the side of her forehead.

"You say that, but you don't know that," she muttered, and closed her eyes as his head dipped to kiss her neck.

"I do know that, because you make me happy, and that means they'll love you," he chuckled.

"Fine," she groaned. "I hope Maddie hasn't been overexaggerating your mom's cooking skills."

"She really hasn't, honestly. Best food, hands down."

"Daddy! Mer! I'm ready!" Maddie came bounding down the hallway, and Derek took a step back from Meredith, as per their agreement, or more like Meredith's insistence, that they keep touching to a minimum around her. "Did my hair too!"

Meredith turned to look at her, grinning wide when she saw that Maddie had brushed her own hair, and pushed it back with a headband the same dark blue as her dress. "You look beautiful, Maddie."

"Mer! Your top is same colour as my dress!" Maddie gasped, and then giggled as she came towards them both. "Daddy, you're not ready!"

Maddie was right. Derek only had his shirt and trousers on and was not as ready as Meredith and Maddie were to go. Meredith laughed softly, shaking her head at him.

"I'm getting ready now, Princess," he chuckled. "Meredith is right, you look beautiful."

"Thanks Daddy," she giggled again with a blush. "Mer, can you help with shoes?"

"Of course I can, let's leave daddy to finish getting ready," she laughed and lifted Maddie up on to her hip. She glanced back at Derek with an amused grin, "Hurry up."

They stood at the door to Derek's parent's house. Maddie had impatiently rung the doorbell, which gave Meredith no final minute to prepare to meet Derek's parents. Her fingers thrummed against her thigh as she waited and chewed on her lip. Derek's hand found hers with a gentle squeeze of encouragement.

The door opened, and Meredith was taken aback in surprise, and shcok. Before the woman stood in front of her, or herself could acknowledge one another, Maddie had run right into Derek's mother's legs, hugging her tight.

"Granny!" She giggled, looking up at the older woman. "We bring Mer to see you."

"I can see that, little one," the woman chuckled. Her eyes settled on Meredith, crinkled at the edges, but looked exactly the same as when Meredith had last seen her, just over three years ago. "Meredith Grey."

"Carolyn," Meredith breathed, and her hand slipped out of Derek's. She could feel his questioning gaze on them, but she couldn't find the words to explain, not right now.

Meredith stepped forward into Carolyn's warm embrace and found herself held there for a long minute.

"I didn't know," she whispered.

"It's okay," Carolyn rubbed her back. "I suspected it was you, but I didn't tell him."

"He knows what happened," Meredith said. She pulled back from the embrace.

Before her stood the nurse, the woman, who had been there that night at the hospital. Who held her hand, and let her cry, and was just there. She didn't forget Carolyn. She never could. But Meredith had no idea that she was Derek's mother.

Meredith noticed Derek had taken Maddie inside, maybe having sensed the moment and giving them some space. Carolyn took Meredith's hand with a gentle squeeze. "It's so good to see you again, in much better circumstances."

"It really is," Meredith nodded with a warm smile. "We should probably move off the doorstep."

"Yes, we should," Carolyn chuckled and led her inside.

Meredith hung up her coat and slipped her shoes off, noticing the others had done the same. Following Carolyn to the kitchen, her eyes darted around the house. Pictures covered the walls, smiling faces and graduation photos. The whole place felt warm.

"What can I get you to drink? I have some iced tea made up in the fridge if you'd prefer something cooler," Carolyn offered when they entered the kitchen.

"That sounds good, thanks," Meredith said.

A force collided with her legs, and she grinned, finding Maddie attached to her. "Mer! You met granny?"

"I did," she laughed. "She's very lovely."

"She's the best granny," Maddie nodded. "Granny! I told you Mer is pretty!"

"Yes, you did," Carolyn chuckled.

Meredith blushed ever so slightly. Derek joined them in the kitchen, still with a questioning look in his eyes, but he didn't press on it now, which she was grateful for.

"Where's dad, Ma?" Derek asked.

"Oh, he's in the shed," Carolyn rolled her eyes. "Said he had some last-minute things to do."

"I get grandpa!" Maddie declared and peeled herself from Meredith.

All three adults chuckled at her excitement, and Meredith leaned into Derek when he stood closer. She was still revelling from the shock of seeing Carolyn again, but she was able to put the pieces together in her head now. She felt far more comfortable than she had a few hours ago when her nerves had been surging with uncertainty.

"So…" Derek glanced between them both. "How do you know each other already?"

Carolyn glanced to Meredith, as though to ask her permission. Meredith gave a small nod but was the one to speak. "Carolyn was at the hospital that night."

Derek's arm squeezed around her, and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "And you knew that you knew her this whole time, Ma?"

His voice wasn't accusatory, more curious if anything else. Carolyn passed Meredith a glass of iced tea before pulling a tray of cookies out of the oven.

"I only suspected. And I didn't want to say in case you didn't know. It's Meredith's story, not mine."

"Thank you," Meredith said, before she took a sip of her tea.

They were interrupted by Maddie, her hand in that of an older man as they came in from the garden, and she pulled him inside. "C'mon Grandpa! Mer is here!"

"I can see that, little one," the man chuckled.

"Meredith, this is my husband, Christopher," Carolyn said with a laugh.

"I'm glad to finally meet the famous Meredith," he grinned at her. He ruffled Maddie's hair, and she squealed as she batted his hands away. "This one does not stop talking about you."

"Oh," Meredith laughed, her cheeks slightly heated. "Maddie speaks highly of you both as well."

"Granny! You made cookies?" Maddie asked and bounded over to Carolyn's side to try and see up on to the counter.

"I always do, Maddie," Carolyn shook her head with a laugh.

"Cookies after dinner, Maddie," Derek said. His arm was still secure around Meredith's waist. "Let's go and sit down, you're bouncing around everywhere."

"Just excited, Daddy," Maddie rolled her eyes as if it were an obvious explanation.

Maddie went ahead of them to the living room, and they followed close behind. Derek's lips moved close to Meredith's ear when he spoke quietly, "Are you okay?"

"I am, yeah," she nodded, and turned her head to kiss his cheek.

They sat on the couch and Derek's parents joined them, starting up conversation about work, how their weeks had been, what they'd been up to. Meanwhile, Maddie had sourced a few items, books and pictures, and pulled herself up to sit beside Meredith. She eagerly showed her each item in turn. Pictures of her with her grandparents, and Derek, and who she assumed were Derek's siblings and their children.

Despite the brief reminder of the worst night of her life, Meredith felt comfortable here. She had worried for nothing. And it was just one more piece that fell into place, cementing her future with Derek and Maddie.