A/N: Hello guys,

I love this chapter, because its quite Derek/Meredith and it's important to maintain the relationship despite hardships and all that. So I hope you like it as much as I do…it's not much but meh. Please review!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Sigh.

Chapter 10: "The Problem With The Speech You Gave Me"

Derek sat with his back pressed against the cupboard in the tearoom, and he ran his hands through his hair. What was it? Why the hell couldn't he just settle down and be happy without some shit hitting the fan? Happy with Addison. Then Mark. Happy with Meredith. Then Addison. Happy with Janine. But still, Meredith. Happy finally with Meredith and Cassy. Double whammy – Addison and Emerson. I'm too old for this, thought Derek. All I want to do is have a boring life. Is that so much to ask? That I go to bed and wake up beside Meredith every day? Get woken up –willingly- by my daughter jumping on our bed? Take her to school. Go to work. Save some lives. Go home and have dinner. Cook dinner sometimes, just as a surprise. Go on a ferryboat on weekends. Take Cassy fly-fishing. Help out at Cassy's school. Read Cassy a bedtime story. Make love with Meredith. Have another child, perhaps? It was such a beautiful fantasy.

The door to the tearoom opened, and Derek sighed internally. It was always too much to ask. Too much to ask for such a simple fantasy. Too much to ask that he could just hide in the tearoom until he could go home.

"Thought I'd find you here." Addison shut the door behind her, and swiftly made herself a cup of hot chocolate.

"Juju?" she offered, making an attempt at a smile. Derek shook his head, and Addison's smile faltered. She sat herself beside him.

"Look," she said, "I wouldn't have come, honestly I wouldn't have, if I thought there was another option for Em which wouldn't need you to get involved. But Derek, she's my baby. I'm not doing this as revenge. I'm so happy for you, that you're happy with Meredith and Cassy, I really am. Derek I'm a mom now. I don't resent you for not being there, I know you didn't know. I know if I'd told you you would have stayed. We weren't happy, were we?"

"No," said Derek. "Once we were. But not for a long time. And after Meredith, I suppose we never could have. Well - I never could have." Addison nodded, satisfied with his response. She took a long sip of her hot chocolate and looked sidewards at Derek.

He nodded. "I've already rang Paige," he said. "She's bringing the girls up tomorrow. I don't know if that's a 'yes' to any possible transplants, but it's a 'yes' to the testing, okay?" Addison nodded, and reached her hand out to take Derek's, before she pulled it quickly back. She stood up, and slowly and methodically rinsed out her mug. Then she walked over to the door and opened it.

"Thankyou," she murmured, and she shut the door behind her.

- - -

Meredith heard the front door click open at about four that morning. George was asleep with his face plastered to the couch, and Izzie was asleep in the spare room, the one that had been George's when the house of Grey was the house of Interns. Cristina had gone home to Preston and William. Meredith however had not managed to fall asleep. She glanced at the clock, and a few minutes later Derek entered the room quietly, obviously with then intention of not waking her up.

"I'm awake," she whispered hoarsely, and Derek smiled. Although it was dark, Meredith could make out the smile – she had every inch of his body committed to her memory, and recalling them was not difficult at all. He came over and kissed her cheek.

"We had an invasion," she said with a grin. "Did you know?" Derek pulled his shirt off and a pair of sweatpants on, and he tiredly climbed into bed.

"Uh-huh," he said, pulling Meredith in towards him. "I had an inkling." He kissed her forehead gently, and smelt her hair and she reached up and touched his. "I love your hair," she whispered. "Please don't ever go bald."

"I love your hair too," he said, gently tracing the contours of her body with his hand. He smelt it again. Meredith couldn't breathe when Derek smelt her hair. She sharply inhaled and could not exhale until he had finished; he smelt it in a way that made her feel he truly needed it to get by. He kissed her gently, leaving hot breath over her face, and she sighed in exhilaration. Derek continued to stroke her, his fingers so gentle yet so powerful it made Meredith shiver. How could someone's fingers have so much control over so much? They had sex – really good sex, thought Meredith, though it always was for her, and Derek rolled off her and found is way into the groove his body had made in the mattress. He spooned Meredith, for that was how they both slept best, and he wrapped his arm around her. She took is hand and lay quietly in bed, dozing, kissing the tips of his fingers without noticing. It was becoming a habit, and Meredith smiled at the thought of kissing Derek actually becoming habit. Not just a habit, but soon to be a completely legal, even encouraged habit.

"Derek," whispered Meredith. "What's going to happen with Emerson?" She felt vulnerable, and subconsciously pushed herself closer to Derek, for the warmth and support of his body.

"I called my sister," said Derek. "She's bringing my youngest nieces, Lila and Rachel to Seattle Grace tomorrow," he explained. "I can't believe you've never met Paige. Or any of my family. We have to change that, eh?"

"So Paige agreed?"

"For the tests. I don't know if she'd go through with transplant surgery. It's a big surgery for a little girl." Meredith nodded in agreement. "Will your family like me?"

Derek chuckled. "Of course they will. Mer, I was actually thinking we should visit them sometime soon, as like, an engagement meet. Bring Cassy with, stay for a few nights."

"Do they think I'm your dirty mistress?" Derek laughed again.

"I love you when you're worried," he said, kissing the back of her neck. "It's such a turn-on."

"Seriously, though Derek," said Meredith, rolling over so she could face him. "They liked Addison. They're going to think I'm the dirty mistress who broke up the golden marriage. Which…I suppose I am. But still…you got off so easily on the family side! I have a mother who doesn't recognise me, let alone my boyfri…fiancé. I love that. Fiancé. And I have a father who is basically non-existent. But you, you have a mother whose maiden name is Maloney, and a father and four sisters, nine nieces and five nephews. And I have to win them over. I mean…surgery's a walk in the park compared to that."

"You remembered all that stuff I told you?" Derek asked in amazement. "What's my favourite novel?"

"The Sun Also Rises," replied Meredith instantly.

"Favourite Band?"

"The Clash."

"Well…you won me over," said Derek kissing her forehead, still amazed at what Meredith remembered. "So you'll win them over too. I promise." Meredith nodded, content with that, and she settled back into bed, with half an hour before she needed to get up, ready to face yet another day of unrest. But she was lying in bed, and Derek was smelling her hair, so for now, that was enough.