Disclaimer: I don't own anything . . . I am nothing but a poor college student who probably is a little too obsessed with a TV show.

Thanks for all the great reviews! I really really hope to be an author in the future, I want a book published more than anything else, so hearing people love my writing is great. And besides . . . I'm happy I seemingly nailed Burke and Bailey.

And the whole speeding this up so I can get started on my new fanfic, not happening. I went to shorten it and cut out a chapter. So yeah, both will be written at once. I can multitask.

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Meredith's POV:

"I shall call him Squishy, and he shall be mine and he shall be my squishy." Dory said on the television screen.

My daughter sat in front of the screen, completely in awe with a smile that was far too much like her father's. She had never seen Finding Nemo. Because of Derek. Finding Nemo had been his. McDreamy had loved the children's movie, and I couldn't bare to watch it without him. The movie hurt.

Now it didn't.

I glanced over at him sitting beside me, laughing along with the movie. He's happy. Emily was happy.

I wish I knew if I was happy.

That night on the couch, falling asleep in his arms, I knew happiness. That night I had been happy in a way I think I had forgotten existed. But since that night, there had been nothing. No secret touches, no secret looks, no secret laughs. We had become friends. Two people sharing a child and that was all. In all the time we had known each other, even when we had been miles apart, it had never been that simple.

It never should be that simple for us.

His hand is sitting in between, just simply resting on the couch as he watches Merlin and Dory bounce between the jellyfish.

On instinct I reach out and wrap it in my own.

I feel him move, my heart races with fear that he is going to pull his hand away. It has only been a couple of days since the last time we touch, but it feels like it has been a lifetime.

He doesn't.

The movie fades into the background as we sit and hold hands, watching our daughter enjoy the ending.

Look at me, I'm way past pride

Isn't there some way that we can try

To be us again?

Even if it takes a while

I'll wait right here until I see that smile

That says we're us again.

Derek's POV:

She sits beside me on the couch, calmly enjoying the movie, smiling like she doesn't have a care in the world. Enjoying the time relaxing with her daughter. And me. It almost seems like she doesn't even know I'm here.

But it's Meredith, she knows.

I haven't touched her since Saturday. It's been 4 days of hell. No resting my hand on her back where it belonged. No brushing her hair off her face. No kisses on the cheek to say goodnight. Nothing. It's killing me.

But Bailey hit me hard. I can't hurt Meredith again, we have someone else to consider now. And as much as I love her, I'm almost too afraid.

Petrified.

Bailey was right, I didn't mean to hurt her the first time. I never wanted to hurt her. But somehow I always managed to.

I loved her.

I think she loved me.

We could work this out; we could reach a place where I could be the man she needed. But it would take time. I had been rushing since she got back. That wasn't right.

So I stopped.

Now we sit on the couch. Apart.

I feel her soft hand find mine, and make a quick move to pull it away, completely in shock. But I stop. I can't bring myself to do it. I can stop myself from touching her, but I can't pull away when she touches me.

This is the first move she has made since it all restarted. I take it as a good sign.

So we sit, holding hands as the movie fades into the background.

As the credits begin to roll, Emily runs upstairs to play with the Barbie dolls George brought her home yesterday. Her "uncles and aunts" enjoy spoiling her far too much. I turn to Meredith, to find her staring straight ahead to the now blank TV screen. Her hand tightens around mine.

My hand tightens right back. I don't want to be slow. I want to be the man she needs right now. I want to be the man she needs forever.

"Meredith," I say. I'm shocked at how shaky my voice sounds. "We need to talk."

Okay . . . I know it was short, and maybe not the most important chapter, but I like it. lol.

I felt that I had to show Meredith making a move. Everything that has happened thus far was Derek chasing her, which we all love, but I wanted to show that she was just as willing, in her small Meredith way (okay I know it's usually big Mer sex way, but she has a daughter, she doesn't sleep around anymore). So she held his hand.

More importantly, I needed to portray how much that speech from Bailey had hit Derek. He thought he was in, that Mer was going to commit to trying again with him, and someone had to bring him down. Someone had to make him realize that being with Mer wasn't going to be easy. And at the same time show that he wanted it enough to be strong.

Oh and the Finding Nemo thing . . .it's my boyfriend's fave kid's movie. And my boyfriend has been a complete sweetheart tonight, so it was my way of paying homage to my McDreamy.

I have a feeling my next chapter will be really long. And it will be posted tomorrow, so stay tuned!