Disclaimer: Since my last update I won the lottery and literally bought Grey's Anatomy. It is now mine. Expect Derek and Meredith to get McMarried and have lots of McBabbies. And a lot of shirtless McSteamy. Okay . . . yeah, obviously just kidding.

Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! I love to know that people are liking it . . . as I put way too much time and effort into thinking it all up. Lol.

This chapter will be good. You will all love it and be happy.

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Derek's POV:

The walk was short, less than 10 minutes away from where my trailer sat. I was silent the whole time, just listening to the pounding of my heart. Nervous in a way I did not know existed. In all my times performing life saving operations I had never felt this nervous. Not when Tucker was on the table, not when Burke was on the table. Never. This. Nervous.

Meredith made me nervous. My job was my job. Meredith was my life.

Things had been going well for us, really well. We had gotten the moving slow thing down to an art. Just small kisses, small touches, and a lot of big smiles. It felt right. Perfect.

But she said she loved me.

Tonight was going to be fast.

I couldn't mess this up again.

"Derek, it's a hole. Albeit, a big hole, but a hole." Meredith pointed out to me as we reached our location. She looked over it, looking confused and maybe a little disappointed. Wonder what she had been hoping for?

"It's a basement."

"No, basements are the bottom level of houses, Der. This is not a basement."

"Well, it's going to be one." Thud. Thud. Thud. My heart pounds.

"You're building a house."

"I'm building a house.

"You finally figured out what to do with all this land?"

"Yes. I did." Thud. Thud. Thud. My heart pounding is almost making it impossible for me to talk.

"And you're showing me because?"

"It's yours." I mumble, looking down at my feet.

"What?"

"It's yours."

"It's mine?" She's looking over the hole again, no longer looking disappointed but looking more and more confused.

I take a deep breathe and decide it may be best to ignore the volume raising from my chest. "My family has a tradition, and you missed it."

"I missed it?"

"Every woman gets a gift after they give birth to the first child. Something substantial, something that means something. Not diamond earrings. Not a picture frame. Something big. My mom got sent to college to finish her degree."

"I missed it."

"You got a house."

"Why did I get a house? I have a house."

"Mer, you don't have a house. You have a community center for wayward Seattle Grace surgeons. It's fun for her right now, but think about when she's older and she bring friends home. Dates home. She can't live there."

"You have a point."

"I know," I say, slowly nodding my head. "She loves my land. It would make life easier. On all of us." My heart's thudding is getting louder, so I feel myself getting closer to the very big part of this all.

"It would," Meredith responds, slowly turning away from the whole and looking around.

"Do you want it?"

"No. Yes. Crap."

"Which one is it?" I take a deep breath. "You can take time and think about it if you want." This will delay the rest of what I have to say.

"Yes. Yes I want it."

"Good." I smile as my heart goes haywire in my chest.

"Derek, it's on your land."

"This is why you're a good surgeon, Dr. Grey. Very observant."

Meredith rolls her eyes. "What does this mean?" The question. The question that has haunted me since that night in the exam room. The question which I had always wanted to take back, to just say what it meant to me. The question that changed my life.

Tonight it was going to change my life again.

"It means one of two things. One, you and Emily can live here. It will be your home. I can build another house, a smaller house somewhere else on the land and we can live as neighbours. Two, and the much more appealing of the options, I can live here with you and Emily. Be with you."

And we can only see each other

We'll breathe together

These arms will not be taught to need another's

And we're the special two

I'll step outside my minds eyes, for a minute,

And I look over me like a doctor looking for disease

Or something that could ease the pain.

But nothing cures the hurt that you, bring on by yourself

Just remembering, just remembering how we were

Meredith's POV:

"Two, and the much more appealing of the options, I can live here with you and Emily. Be with you." Derek said, in a shaky voice. I was hoping he'd say that.

I knew my answer.

But I remembered the drama of years earlier, of him saying there was no problem and he'd sign the papers. And then telling me he needed time to think. And not signing them at all. McDreamy needed to sweat a little.

"Please tell me it's not an exact replica of Em's dollhouse."

Derek laughs a little. Nervously. "No, not at all. That's something Izzie would do. Maybe George. Not me. Or you." Derek had really become closer to the other interns after I had left, he really knew them. I loved him.

"What's the view like?" It higher up on his property than we had ever spent time.

"Breathtaking. It overlooks the water. It's probably the best view on the whole land. Well right after the clearing, but I couldn't dig up Doc's grave."

"So I'll be able to watch the sun rise every morning?"

"You will. There's going to be a picture window in the master bedroom facing the water just for you. I know you have a thing for sunrises."

"That sounds nice."

Derek just makes his noise. The noise I had always thought of as the McDreamy noise. Somewhere in between a sigh and an affirmative sound. It had always sent shivers down my back. He looked at me, the McDreamy look; I could tell he was dying to know what option I had chosen.

"I love you, Derek." I meant to say it this time.

"I love you, Meredith." He sounded strong, confident.

"We have been through a lot, Der. We've been through hell. More than any couple in the world deserves to have to put up with."

"I know. If could take it all back, Mer, I would."

"I wouldn't. That hell, it's makes us Meredith and Derek. I thought our love story is epic. Spanning years and continents. Lives ruined and blood shed."

Derek laughs. He always loved my melodramatic side. "You really think a relationship should be that hard?"

"No one writes songs about the ones that come easy."

"True." He pauses for a moment. I'm not sure if he's waiting for me to say something more or just gathering thought. "So."

"So."

"Mer, you have to give me more than that."

"I know. I want …" I pause over a lump in my throat. It's been a long time since I had ever gotten what I really wanted. I hadn't been given that chance since the first time the love story began. "I want you."

"You want me?"

"I want you to live with me. Be with me."

"You're sure, Meredith?"

I smile and think of that night in the bar when we first met. He had asked me that question that night as well, after I had jumped on him during darts. After I had asked him if he wanted to come home with me that night. I was sure than. I'm sure now.

"I'm terrified, Der. But I'm sure."

"Is it just for Emily, do you want her to have a dad that badly?"

"Derek, no matter where we lived she'd have a dad. I could move to Japan, and you'd still find a way to be a good dad. This isn't for Emily. The last five years have been for her. This is for me."

"I love you."

"I love you, too." I say, feeling a smile spread across my face. I had smiled for 5 years without him; it had never felt this real.

"Mer, we should still take this slow. No rushing."

"No rushing."

"We'll take this relationship step by step. We can't . . . I can't . . . destroy this one again. I don't think I could go another 5 years without you." He runs his hands through his hair, looking stressed, reminding me so much of our daughter. She had picked the mannerism up, long before she had ever seen her father do it.

"Derek, we can go slowly; but not snails slow. It's been too long Derek, far too long. And since we agreed to be slow, it's been to slow. I need some speed, some excitement.

"I just . . ."

I cut him off, not wanting to hear him tell me he's sorry yet again. I know he is. I don't want more promises of how he'll never hurt me again. He may, but I will know he didn't mean it. I don't want the stress that has always been our relationship. For once, I want the happiness. "I know, Derek. But let's just be us. And happy for once. We deserve the happily ever after."

"What if I hurt you again?"

"What's an epic love story without a little more bloodshed?"

"I love you so much, Meredith. I don't think I could ever say how I feel. It's one of those indescribable all-consuming type of things.

"I know, Derek. I love you too. Just the same way."

"Can I kiss you? Really kiss you?" He's still sounding a little like the unconfident Derek I had come back to, but it's getting strong. It's getting better.

We're getting better.

I lean my head back and laugh. "God damn it. Finally you figure it out."

And he kisses me with all the passion of the last nearly 6 years apart. With all the pain that we've both gone through. I feel myself melt into his arms, as my knees go weak and I am grateful he is there to hold me up. When that kind of love is held onto for so long, it becomes explosive.

We were exploding.

Kissing him I think of all that we have gone through, all that has shaped us. And I wonder how we're still holding onto it, the us that makes it all worthwhile. The us that is the most important.

As he pulls away and gives me the McDreamy eyes and the McDreamy smile, I realize it doesn't really matter. "Let's go home Derek."

"Yeah, Em's probably fallen asleep by now."

I laugh. It feels brand new.

"Yeah, we have to get both of you home to bed. And me on the couch."

"Der, if you promise to be quiet, you don't have to sleep on the couch tonight." I say, a sly smile spreading over my lips as I grab my hand. That kiss had left me wanting more.

"I'm not the noisy one."

"I beg to differ."

"Tomorrow we should go look at paint chips."

"Can't. Promised Cristina I'd help her with the starting of the wedding plans."

"She sure moves fast."

"She's Cristina."

"Mer, when are we going to get married?"

First . . .that last part, from I'm not the noisy one on . . .if it was an episode, picture that whole conversation being them walking as the screen fades to dark and the "Grey's Anatomy" thing comes up. So Derek is saying "When are we going to get married?" at that screen.

Second . . .this chapter was probably extremely cheesy. And I don't care. They had a lot of angst in this fanfic. They deserve cheese.

Third . . . there may be Veronica Mars fans reading this, so I am giving credit where credit is due. That "epic love" story thing . . .I stole it from that show. Because I love it . . .I think it may be my second favourite show. And I love Logan and Veronica. They ARE my second fave tv couple. So yeah, I stole it good.

Fourth . . .I don't think there's too much explaining that needs to go on for this chapter. It's pretty much just a really beautiful Meredith and Derek scene. I think you get that. As for Derek being unconfident about it all . . .I really like the idea that Meredith broke him when she ran away. And a broken Derek would be unconfident. Because it would be a switch from the cocky arrogant bastard that we all know and love.

Fifth . . . I don't know if I want this to be the last chapter or not. I am toying with the idea of adding one more chapter . . .a "Another 5 years into the future" type of thing to show where they all end up. Because I HATE when books leave out the happily ever after. I think I may want to show the happily ever after. However, at the same time . . .I liked how this ended it. So opinions? One more chapter or leave it at that?

So you know the drill . . .read, love, review.

(I have a big final thing to say, but as this may not be the last chapter I'm not writing it yet . . .if it is, I will add the final thought on as another thing)