"Seriously" Izzie squealed looking at the ring on Meredith's finger.
"Seriously" Meredith couldn't help but grin from ear to ear, as she too admired the ring for the umpteenth time.
"Christina, did you see this" Izzie pulled Meredith's hand, almost knocking her off her feet, in Christina direction.
"Yeah, Yeah I saw it" Christina slammed her locker door shut.
"And I
said, well done"
"Well done is what you say to someone when
they pass a test… not get ENGAGED" Izzie squealed the last part
again.
The three interns joined George and Alex at the front of the locker room, all of them waiting for Bailey.
"Does this mean you'll change your name?" Izzie gushed excitedly.
Meredith looked at her surprised. She hadn't really thought that far ahead.
"I don't know"
"Why would she change her name?" George asked.
"George she's marrying him" Izzie replied.
"Don't you think we have enough Shepherds in this hospital?" Christina said.
"It'd be like which one do you want, Neuro, neonatal or…. Meredith" Christina laughed.
Meredith shot her a look.
"Ahhh here he is" Izzie squealed again and Christina rubbed her ear, as Derek approached.
"I'd kiss you if it weren't highly inappropriate at work" Izzie smiled.
"Congratulations Dr Shepherd" She said, and George and Alex echoed the sentiment.
Everyone looked at Christina.
"Well Done" She managed, with modest effort.
"Thanks Christina" Derek laughed a little.
"We were just discussing whether Meredith should change her name?" Izzie said, before seeing the shooting look Meredith gave her.
"Should change her name? Of course she's changing her name" Derek said looking at Meredith as if Izzie was insane.
Suddenly Christina, Alex and George were all interested in the conversation.
"Of course I'm changing my name?" Meredith repeated surprised.
It certainly wasn't that she disliked the idea of changing her name; she just didn't want Derek telling her she had too.
"Well of course you're changing it… don't you want to?" Derek was surprised by her response.
"It's not that"
"Then what" All eyes were on Meredith.
"I don't want to be told what to do" Meredith said angrily, grabbing a chart she stormed off.
Derek looked after her confused.
"Dude don't you think there's enough Dr. Shepherds" Alex joked and Derek gave him an angry look.
"I'm just saying" Alex moved away slightly.
Derek shifted his eyes to Izzie.
"He has a point," She acknowledged.
"Addison goes by Montgomery again," Derek said.
"I still page Dr. Shepherd for Neo cases" Izzie replied and she looked at the others, who all nodded in agreement.
"What can I do about that" Derek sighed.
"We all have a past"
"You can't do anything?" Izzie said.
"Except understand where Mer is coming from" Izzie walked off to where Dr. Bailey stood nearby, and the other interns followed.
It will do nicelyAddison sat in a chair looking out the window at the L.A. skyline. She looked over at Parker, his naked torso showing above the covers, she watched him sleeping and started to smile.
Then form nowhere Derek flashed in her mind and she felt sad again. She imagined them celebrating their engagement. Meredith and Derek. She hugged her legs up to her body on the chair.
"Hey" Parker's husky drawl interrupted her moping.
"Hey yourself" She turned to smile at him.
"You still leaving me tomorrow?" He asked. She had to fly back in the morning to be at work by the next day.
"I have too" She nodded.
"Then you better get the cute arse over here" He patted the space next to him.
"Please" He added with a sweet smile she couldn't resist.
She hoped up and jumped on the bed next to him, giggling.
"To my brother and the crazy girl who agreed to take him on, I wish you love, happiness and good fortune… and maybe a neice or nephew thrown in for Aunty Lily" Lily held up a glass and toasted Meredith and Derek, and everyone laughed.
It was Saturday night and they were at Joes. They being, Christina, Burke, Miranda, Tucker, George and Izzie. Alex was on call.
"Congratulations on finally getting it together" Miranda said, with a rare smile.
"We have to get home; we only have the sitter till 10" She and Tucker stood.
"Thanks for coming" Derek smiled and shook Tuckers hand.
"We wouldn't have missed it" Tucker said.
"Well I would have, but he made me come" Bailey said, only half joking, before turning to walk out.
"More Drinks, my shout" Preston said and everyone nodded.
"I won't say no to you buying" Derek joked and slapped him on the back. Burke just looked at him.
"You can help carry then" He said, and they walked to the bar.
"Darts" Christina looked at George.
"What?" He replied confused.
"DoyouwanttoplayDartsGeorge?" She asked again, in a mockingly slow tone.
"Sure" He said, getting out of the booth, leaving Lily and Meredith alone.
"So, you're going to New York next weekend" Lily smiled at her.
"You get to meet the sisters," She teased and Meredith looked at her concerned.
"Oh they aren't that bad, I'm sure they won't judge you… too harshly" Lily teased again.
"I joke" She leant across and placed a reassuring hand on Meredith's.
"You
helped Derek with his proposal, I wanted to thank you"
"It was
his idea" Lily smiled. She was just so pleased for her brother.
"Now it's my turn to ask for help" Meredith looked over and saw Derek returning to the table.
"I can't talk about it now…but tomorrow for lunch, the bakery around the corner?" She asked quickly.
Lily nodded as Derek put down the drinks.
"A Manhattan for my homesick sister, and champagne for my future wife" He kissed her.
"The future Dr. Shepherd" Meredith smiled at him. He looked back at her, shocked to hear her say it, as they hadn't had a chance to discuss their argument since the morning.
"The future Dr. Grey Shepherd" He ventured, wanting to meet her halfway.
She shook
her head.
"No Shepherd will do… it will do nicely" She leant
in and kissed him.
"I like the sound of that… it can not happen soon enough" He said, pulling back to admire her beaming smile.
My shoutLily tapped on the table as she waited for Addison to pick up the phone.
"Sweetie, call me" She left a message on her cell. Snapping it shut she took a cappuccino from the waitress and had a sip.
"Hi, sorry I'm late" Meredith arrived. She sat down, and signalled to the waitress for another cappuccino.
"I wasn't here long" Lily replied.
"So, you have me intrigued, what can I help you with?"
"Ummm a few things" Meredith looked at her mysteriously.
"Do you think you're brother would be up for a surprise" Meredith slipped a sheet of paper across the table.
Lily took a moment to read it, as she did she began to smile.
She looked up at Meredith, who was waiting eagerly, and a little warily for her response.
"I think he will love it… and I'd love to help" Lily smiled.
Meredith looked relieved, and took a long sip of the drink placed before her.
"Thanks" She said, looking at the menu to choose something to eat.
"And it's my shout" Meredith added.
Monday morning and Addison was preparing herself for work. She had just come into the hospital and her stomach was in knots. She feared that around each corner she would run into happy, blissful Meredith and Derek… and she wanted to vomit.
"Addison how was the city of Angels?" Richard spotted her looking at the surgical board.
"Fine thanks Richard" She didn't feel like giving him details or her wild LA sex romp.
As she turned to walk away she saw Derek descending the stairs. They locked eyes for a moment, and then Addie quickly walked away.
"Dr. Shep… Montgomery, the Smith babies lab results" Izzie handed Addison some results with the chart.
She looked at them.
"As we thought, continue the treatment we discussed earlier" Addison handed the notes back to her and turned to the open elevator.
Only to be greeted with Derek and Meredith laughing inside.
I should take the stairs, she thought.
But why?
So she sucked in her resolve and held her head high and stepped inside.
The tension in the air was thick and Addison coughed uncomfortably.
"So, I hear congratulations is in order" Addison said, her voice never wavering.
Derek and Meredith looked at each other, both willing the otherto speak.
"Thanks" Meredith looked at Addison and smiled a little. She could certainly appreciate the way she was feeling; she had felt similar on many occasions, as she'd watched Addison and Derek together.
"So, when's the big day?" She continued, trying to seem unaffected.
"Umm.. Soon, probably, we'll see… we're going to New York this weekend to see the family" Derek said, before realising it was probably the most hurtful thing he could have said.
"You're going to meet his family" Addison wanted to sound nonchalant as she looked at Meredith.
The elevator doors opened.
Meredith looked back at her.
"Give them my love, won't you?" She said, before turning and walking away, not allowing them to have the satisfaction of seeing her tears.
