It was Sunday morning and Derek was lying in bed thinking about the day ahead and thinking about the plans he and Meredith had made for themselves and their kids to go out together to the beach. Derek smiled to himself as he continued to think about it, he hadn't told Meredith he didn't think it was the right stage in their relationship but he secretly enjoyed more than anything days where all four of them were together it made him feel normal like he was part of a big family again. He closed his eyes and grinned as the door opened, "morning daddy" Ally said as she hopped on Derek's chest. Derek groaned and opened his eyes to see Ally giggling. Derek smirked at her before Ally dived under the covers laughing as Derek quickly caught her wrapping one arm around her blanket covered midsection and another round her ankles Derek heard Ally giggling under the blanket and looked at a pair of feet sticking out near his face, "its toe time." Ally laughed loudly as she felt her daddy's itchy beard tickling her feet. Derek lifted up the blanket to see Ally's dimples, "ah there's the precious my precious" Derek said in a creepy voice.

"I'm not the precious" Ally rolled her body around to face her daddy, "i'm your daughter."

Derek brought his mouth to his daughter's ear and kissed her cheek as he made noises like a grizzly bear as Ally giggled, "of course you are my precious."

"Silly daddy."

Derek picked Ally up in his arms as he got out of bed, "is it time to do our war chant again."

Ally pumped her fist in the air, "to battle."

"Yes" Derek said loud and dramatically, "to battle come on lets go" as Derek ran through the trailer with Ally to the kitchen to make breakfast.

An hour later young Noah was looking at the sea in the distance before a thought struck him and he started to tug at Meredith's shirt. Meredith rubbed Noah's hair with her big warm hand, "honey can you not pull my shirt like that."

"Mommy can i ask a question?"

"Of course you can sweetie."

Noah took Meredith's hand as they started to walk along the street, "where was Ally and Derek this morning?"

"They were at their house."

"Why aren't they at our house?"

"Because" Meredith felt a little taken aback, "they live in their house just like we live at our house and they need to live at their house."

"But we see them all the time" Noah said as he looked into his mommy's eyes, "they should live with us."

"Sweetheart" Meredith kneeled down and kissed her son's forehead, "I know Ally is your friend and it's great you like Derek but just because we spend a lot of time together doesn't mean we should live together."

"Oh" Noah whispered with a deflated sigh, Meredith smiled "we can ask them to come to our house tonight."

Noah immediately started to smile again, "cool."

"Noah" a young voice called out.

Noah looked past Meredith's shoulder, "Ally" Noah waved as Meredith and Derek closed the distance between them. Noah and Ally ran off and started to chase each other round the nearby play equipment, "so here we are" Meredith said softly.

Derek adjusted the sunglasses on his head, "ready for a fun day at the beach?"

"I sure am so how was your morning?"

"Well I spent most of it thinking about going to the beach" Meredith chuckled, "I hope yours was more exciting."

Meredith started to walk with Derek by her side, "it took a lot of nagging to get Noah to stop playing snakes and ladders with me this morning so we could go to the beach looking at their faces" Noah and Ally were going down the slide laughing, "I think Noah was glad I pushed him to get ready."

"Is he getting pumped for school?"

"He can't wait to start, Ally has told him all about it and he's really excited I think the part he's looking forward to the most is the school excursions to the museum."

"Mommy" Noah ran and jumped into Meredith's arms with a big grin, "yes my crazy boy."

"Can we go to the beach now?"

"Are you both ready to go?"

"I am" Ally piped up. Meredith crouched down to Ally's height, "Ally do you have sunscreen on."

Ally started to grumble, "yes miss Meredith."

Meredith smiled every time she made a fuss over Ally she called her this and Meredith found it very funny, "and are you cold?"

"Warm as the sun misses Meredith and I had a bath this morning and a big healthy breakfast and I brushed my teeth until they look like white rocks."

"Good girl" Meredith patted her head with her free hand, "very well done."

Ally playfully rolled her eyes, "well do you want to look for shells" Derek muttered.

"Yes" Noah said.

"Okay honey lets go." Meredith carried Noah to the sand and Ally started to follow before Derek stopped her, "Ally."

"Yeah" Ally said as she looked up.

"Listen" Derek bent down to her level, "when Meredith asks you questions about sunscreen and wearing your seatbelt, I know you think it's annoying but it's just because-"

"I know" Ally finished, "she does it to be nice."

"She does it because she cares about you."

Ally smiled at the comment, "I like Meredith to."

"I know you do, come on lets head for the water."

An hour and a half later after they had found several dozen shells by the ocean Derek was sitting on a deck chair with Meredith beside him while they watched the kids building small sandcastles in the distance. "You know" Meredith whispered as she leaned back, "it doesn't get much better than this."

Derek rubbed her hand in his, "tough week at work huh?"

"All those surgeries, all that constant pressure, the late nights, the long days really wears me out and then coming home to my second job of being a parent. It's so good to be able to just kick back and watch the water knowing everything is right in the world."

"I can't imagine how it feels doing your job, the pressure of it all."

"Well what if we swapped jobs."

Derek kissed her hand, "if it would help you relax than yes."

Meredith sighed with happiness, "that's very sweet"

"Yeah" Derek said as he closed his eyes Meredith did to after a while she opened her eyes to check on the children, she looked around her seeing Noah making a moat for his castle but she couldn't see the other little one she looked around and saw something small in the distance that made her grin, "i'll be back." Derek just silently nodded not opening his eyes Meredith walked up into the sand dunes and next second with a chuckle had pulled off a beach towel to find Ally crouched down in the sand wearing a guilty face, "well well well what do we have here."

"Um hi" Ally whispered.

"Were you spying on me and your daddy?"

"Um no."

"Really" Meredith bent down, "you were watching us with your hands in circles over your eyes." Meredith imitated Ally and Ally turned red, "I was looking for... the icrecream truck."

"Right" Meredith ruffled Ally's hair before she stood up and Ally grabbed her hand, "wait."

"Yes Ally."

"Is this the first date?"

"First date?"

"We made a deal" Ally said slowly and loudly, "remember in the shopping place you and daddy go on five dates."

"Yes" Meredith said with a smile, "this was our first date and I must say it was very enjoyable."

"But daddy's asleep" Ally protested.

"It still counts." Meredith wandered back to the beach and Ally came running after her, "where are you going?"

"I'm going to go swimming with Noah maybe if you woke up your daddy he could play a game with you."

Ally continued to point, "but that's... poop."

"You shouldn't say things like poop" Ally crossed her arms and pouted, Meredith smiled as she brought her face close to hers, "it's okay honey we still have four dates left."

"No" Ally said, "your leaving before the date finished so you have four and a half left to go."

Meredith chuckled, "okay four and a half." Ally grinned as she ran down to the water as Meredith smiled after her before heading back to Derek he slapped his tummy and Derek shot up, "what."

"Come on dear we're going to have some fun with the kids."

"Sure" Derek rubbed his stomach, "are we going to scare them the same way you just scared me."

Meredith chuckled, "you and your daughter are quite the comedic pair you should tour the states."

Meredith swam with Noah riding on her shoulders for half a hour and finally when Noah was shivering Meredith had wrapped him in a towel and was now building sandcastles with him while Ally had been busy burying Derek in the sand. Ally put more sand on her daddy's chest and patted it for the hundredth time while Derek patiently lied in the sand. Ally crawled over on her hands and knees to his face, "daddy can you move."

"Not an inch" Derek said as he tried to move his body, "you did a great job."

Ally grinned and kissed her daddy's forehead, "now to cover you with shells."

"Sure i'll be here resting." Derek looked at the clouds and saw the sun was getting ready to set, "Ally its getting a bit late and we need to be going soon can you dig me out."

"Aw" Ally said.

"I know i'm having fun to but I think its going to get dark soon and we had better be in the car."

"Okay" Derek heard sand being chipped away until a giggle got his attention.

"Daddy."

"Yeah" Derek said as he looked at the sky.

"Do you like to laugh?"

"Yeah sure why."

"No reason" Ally said with a big cheeky grin. Derek furrowed his brows as Ally dug her hands into the sand, "oh no wait wait wait Ally ahhh" as he felt Ally's fingers reach his feet, "its toe time" she sang.

"Ahhh" Derek called out as torturous little fingers tickled his soles "ah ah all all ally". Ally giggled as she tickled her daddy's feet, "No no no... Noah."

Noah soon came waddling over with Meredith carrying a shovel, "Derek."

"Noah Meredith" Derek gasped, "help."

"Help what?" Noah asked.

"Help me Noah" Ally said as her arms were almost complety emerged in the sand, "we're playing a game."

"Can I play to?"

"Yeah you tickle daddy's feet and he laughs."

"How do you tickle people?" Noah asked.

"Its easy" Ally pulled her arms out, "do this with your fingers" Ally demonstrated and dug her hands back in the sand Noah followed suit and Derek yelped.

"Wow" Noah smiled, "he does laugh."

Derek laughed like crazy as Noah and Ally giggled he turned his head and saw Meredith sitting in a armchair chuckling, "Meredith help the rugrats are torturing me."

Meredith just rested her fingers on her knees and smiled as she chuckled at the scene, "that's nice honey."

Derek gasped as he tried to break free of the sand with no luck, "come on dig me out."

"Here" Meredith put a shovel in his mouth, Derek moaned and looked at her as if to say are you kidding me.

"You better hurry Derek your turning pink."

Derek with tears in his eyes and kids giggling in his ears started to dig and chip away at the sand until at last one of his arms popped out.

"No no" Noah stopped the torture and put his whole body on Derek's arm as Derek's other arm came free from the sand.

"Relax daddy" Ally grabbed his other arm, "go to sleep."

"No" Derek pushed himself out of the sand and looked at the little angels with a twinkle in his eyes, "no relaxing no sleeping, its time for laughs, time for squeals time for kid tickles." Derek tickled a kid with each hand making loud raring noises as Ally and Noah rolled around laughing in the sand, "ha ha ha ha" Derek said.

Meredith looked at the kids rolling around laughing their heads off in the sand as Derek tickled their bellies until she drew an arm around his shoulders signalling for him to stop, "you two kids ready for icecream."

"Yes please" Noah gasped as he sat up.

"Ally what about you?"

"Uh" Ally said as Meredith looked at her, "okay."

"Good girl."

"Hang on just one moment" Derek said as he without warning picked Meredith up in his arms and carried her out into the water while Meredith squealed loudly, "Derek Derek."

"Payback time watching me getting tortured and enjoying it."

"The kids were having fun" Meredith protested as she held on tightly to Derek's neck.

"Yeah" Derek wadded deeper into the water, "and now so am I, surfs up babe."

"Derek i'm not wearing my bathing suit anymore." Derek started to lower her into the ocean Meredith kicked her feet in the air, "Derek."

"Nah i'm not that mean" Derek smiled and started to carry her back to shore before he tripped over a rock on the ocean floor and fell with Meredith in to the water. He came up spluttering with Meredith beside him, "sorry Meredith I tripped over a rock in the water."

Meredith glared at Derek before she jumped on him pushing him back down into the water. Derek came up spluttering as Meredith continued to ride him, "surfs up dude." Derek coughed and tried to pull himself to his feet as Meredith continued to jump on his shoulders laughing, "this is fun." Derek gasped and kept falling into the water as the kids cheered from the shore.

"Yeah mommy get him" Noah called as he jumped up and down

Ally pumped her fist in the air, "go Meredith it's your birthday, kick his but like it's your birthday."

"Meredith" Derek gasped and spluttered as he kept falling over, "I give up I give up."

Meredith laughed and climbed off him as they walked back to the sand, Derek collapsed on the shore, "jeez."

"You okay honey" Meredith said with a grin.

"Good" Derek muttered, "whooo."

"You won mommy" Noah said as he grinned.

"I did" Meredith said as she rubbed Noah's back.

Noah smiled, "now we can wrestle Derek."

"Kids" Meredith smiled, "he's a bit sore."

"A bit" Derek gasped as he struggled to get up.

"Lets get him" Ally jumped on to Derek's stomach and tried to tickle his neck.

"Oh no come here" Meredith said as she grabbed each kid with her arm and started to tickle them as they laughed wildly in her arms, "raaarrh" Derek sat up, "here give me one of those." Meredith handed Noah to Derek Noah laughed as Derek tickled him while Meredith tickled Ally before they lied back with the kids giggling on their stomachs as Derek and Meredith gasped tired from their own wrestling match and their fun with the children, Derek looked at the red clouds, "well the sun is starting to set."

"It is" Meredith said as she patted Ally's tummy, "why don't we go back to my place and make dinner."

"Sounds good" Derek felt Noah hugging him, "just as long as we're not torturing each other for the night."

"No just a quiet night dinner and a movie."

"Good" Derek said as he and Meredith exchanged a long loving look between them.