"Are you kidding me?"

Meredith kicked off her shoes and threw her jacket on the couch across the bed. It had been a while since they had argued. A while since their raised voices were aimed at each other and since his angry glare was aimed at her.

Derek unbuttoned his shirt and threw it on the bed, "No, I'm not! Amy and I are trying to save your ass-"

"Oh please! You and Amy are saving your own ass just as mu-"

"Hamilton is yelling at the entire staff-"

"You are exaggerating!"

"While you're out playing with Nick Marsh!"

Meredith stopped undressing and turned to him, "I was not off playing with anyone! "I. Was in. A surgery! I was updating him when you walked in!"

Derek scoffed and walked into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. She could hear the shower turn on behind the door. They'd been going at it since he had found her in the changing room with Dr. Marsh. He'd asked for a favor. A surgery for his childhood friend.

Marsh had been a patient of hers years ago. He was nice. She remembered that he had asked a lot questions. About the surgery. About the hospital. Her research. Her kids. And then he got very quiet when she mentioned her husband.

It took her such a long time to realize that the man was flirting. He was flirting with her and she had very briefly allowed it.

And he tried it again. Today.


Meredith walked into the changing room. She shouldn't have agreed to the surgery. She shouldn't have agreed to let him in.

She sat on the bench across from Nick, "They're settling Brian into the PACU now. Tumor is out. There was minimal bleeding. No damage to the kidney at all and he'll need a follow up. But he'll recover nicely."

Nick sighed in relief, "When my mom died, I basically lived at his house."

Mark. Meredith thought. Derek would've done the same thing for Mark.

"This is exactly why you shouldn't have been in there," Meredith shook her head.

"I know, I know, I-" he shook his head in frustration, "I just-"

"Look, I've been the daughter in the waiting room. The friend, the sister-" Meredith gulped, "the mom and the wife."

Nick listened.

"I've had all hats on and it never gets easier. And those last two, are arguably the hardest," she continued, "so with every patient, I am personally invested. I talk to the families, spouses, daughters, sons, partners. I learn their story. And if I don't know their story then I make one up."

Richard taught her that. And ever since then, Derek was the one she'd see on the table when a John Doe showed up. When she didn't know the story.

The patient on the table was a good man. A loving husband to a stubborn wife. A doting father to three overly enthusiastic children. An overbearing brother to four sisters and a good son. He was temperamental. Cared too much. He was a good friend and a shoulder to lean on if you needed one. He was a good man with a whole life ahead of him.

Nick smiled gently, "Thank you. I owe you."

"Meredith?"

Meredith turned as she recognized the voice at the door.

Derek looked between Nick and Meredith, "Amy and I need you in the lab."

He walked out of the room. His steps heavily resounding as he left.


"Morning," Amy muttered as she entered the elevator.

"'Morning," they grumbled in unison.

Amelia stood awkwardly between the pair, "Well you two are a bright bunch. Not that I didn't hear any yelling through the paper thin wall last night."

She earned no reaction.

"I don't like awkward. I don't do awkward so I ramble, okay?"

Again, nothing.

"Is it weird if I say that at least the other sounds that usually come from your room-"

Derek rolled his eyes, "Amy-"

"Okay, okay, I'll stop," Amy raised her hands. The elevator dinged as it opened to the hotel lobby. She quickly muttered, "those sounds don't cause awkward elevator rides is all."

As they each stepped off the elevator, Derek walked ahead of them to answer his phone.

Amelia turned and frowned at Meredith, "What is his deal? What did he do?"

Meredith rolled her eyes, "Your idiot brother is pissed because I was in a surgery-"

"Oh. The transplant guy," Amy nodded.

Meredith raised a brow, "So he's talked to you about him?"

Amelia shrugged, "It is kind of weird how he always seems to run into us-"

"Amelia-"

"Hey, I'm just sharing an opinion with my sister," she shrugged again, "Look the guy came looking for you on your first official day in the lab here. He's constantly hovering. Just- I don't know, maybe keep your distance?"

"So I'm not allowed to have any friends? Because it bruises Derek's ego?"

"Not the kind that look at you the same way your husband does," Amelia answered seriously, "and that's coming from me, Mer."

Meredith rolled her eyes again. Derek had never once mentioned this bothering him until last night. He never once doubted her and she never gave him a reason to despite their history.

"C'mon Meredith, don't tell me you haven't noticed it? Ever since Derek started staying in Seattle more often, he's been around."

That was true. After weeks and weeks of traveling back and forth, Derek had made the decision to stay in Seattle and work remotely. Grey Sloan had a physician shortage and he could provide his input and monitor progress from Grey Sloan. Their kids had more stability and Chief Bailey wouldn't rip her hair off. It was a win-win.

Except, Meredith wasn't too pleased. It was a loss for her.

This was a project she took after he insisted. Taking on the job meant sacrificing a lot of time but he told her they would make it happen. It took a lot of sacrifice and time from the kids but it had also turned into quality time between the two of them.

And now that he had taken a step back, they were seeing each other less and less. And when they did, one was too tired or the kids were in the middle. Phone calls weren't enough. There was a disconnect. Some neglected intimacy.

"If Derek is in Minnesota, he disappears," Amy continued, "But if word gets out that Derek is in Seattle he makes his way through the halls."

Meredith mulled on her words for a moment.

"And Derek noticed a long time ago," Amelia turned to her brother and then back at her, "he just didn't say anything. Because he trusts you. Not him"

Derek made his way back to them, "That was Bailey. She needs one of us back there, I can fly out-"

"We have the huge presentation with Hamilton today," Meredith reminded him.

"Oh, I am more than confident that you and Amy can handle it, Dr. Grey," he glared at her, "they love you here, and I'm not just talking about Hamilton."

Amy's eyes widened at his comment, "Derek!"

Meredith scoffed, "Nice."

Her phone rang. She glanced down to be greeted by Link's image, " Link and Scout. I gotta take this. Play nice."

As Amelia walked away, Derek turned to his wife, "I'll call you when I land."

Meredith watched as he began to make his way down the lobby, "Derek!"

He turned and walked back, "What?"

"You're getting on a plane," she whispered.

His face softened. He leaned in closer to her and gently kissed her, "I'll call you when I land."

He walked away again. He was still upset. But he was getting on a plane and she wasn't. Their problems had to be set aside.

But the uneasy feeling wouldn't go away. He replayed the first time she mentioned him over and over in his head. And now he had another moment to replay.


"I had a patient today," Meredith bounced a little as she leaned over the nurses station. Derek was sitting on the chair typing away on his tablet.

He chuckled, "I kind of expect that. You are a surgeon, after all."

Meredith giggled, "Well this patient was a surgeon. A transplant surgeon. From Minnesota."

Derek looked up at her, "Did he volunteer his own organs? Is that why he was your patient?"

Meredith laughed at his deadpan, "No!"

"Oh," Derek went back to his tablet.

"He was a bit of a flirt," she whispered before leaning in closer, "And he asked me if I was married."

Derek snapped his head up immediately. His wife had a brow lifted in amusement.

"And you said?"

"I said I was very married," Meredith nodded, "Post-it married and court house married."

"Okay," Derek leaned back, "And?"

"And I think we're gonna have to get us wedding rings," she teased, "We can't have people constantly flirting with us because they don't know we're married."

"No," he tossed the tablet on the counter, "We can't."

Derek stood from the chair and walked around to stand in front of his wife. He leaned against the counter.

"Are you jealous, Dr. Shepherd?" she asked with a teasing glimmer in her eye.

"I don't get jealous," he retorted.

She laughed a little as she recalled the first time he said that to her.

"Mmhm," she hummed, "Well, just in case you are, let me reassure you- you have nothing to worry about."

"Good," he nodded.

Meredith bit her lip in amusement. She was pressing some buttons and she knew it. She raised her brow before he leaned in and kissed her thoroughly. He hands cupped his face as she laughed into the kiss.

"I thought you don't get jealous!"

He shook his head with a smile on his face, "I don't. I just wanted to remind you that you are, in fact, very married."

Meredith giggled, "I gotta go, it's my day to pick up the kids."

"Okay."

He watched as she turned around and walked away with a bounce to his step. His smile slowly faded and some sort of nagging feeling gnawed at him.


"Mommy!"

Ellis ran towards her mother with wide arms as. Meredith closed the door behind her and bent down to greet her daughter as the other two ran towards her. Derek watched from behind the sink.

"Hi babies! How was your day? I missed you!"

"Daddy picked me up from school today!" Ellis beamed.

"Yeah and we had pizza for dinner!" Bailey informed her.

"Pizza?" Meredith said surprised, "Your daddy brought pizza?"

Zola's eyes widened, "Dad said he had a long day. But we saved you some!"

Meredith turned very briefly to Derek. He briefly made eye contact with her before turning back to the kids, "Thanks, guys. But I think I'm gonna skip pizza tonight."

"Okay guys, let's give your mom some space to settle in," he announced, "Showers and PJs, please."

Ellis and Bailey made their way to their rooms. Zola briefly glanced between her parents, confusion settled in her eyes. She shook her head and walked away catching up to her siblings.

"He called her mom. He never calls her mom. I think they're mad," Meredith heard her loudly whisper.

Derek must've heard too as he shook his head. Nothing got past Zola.

"You never called," Meredith broke the silence, "I just got a message saying you landed and never got a call."

"I got caught up at the hospital," he muttered as he put away some dishes.

"And when you were done there?" Meredith sat on the edge of the couch facing him, "I called you-"

"Meredith, I'm not gonna fight with you tonight," he grumbled in a low voice, "I had a long day and I'm not up for it."

He closed the fridge behind him and walked towards the room, "I'll stay on the couch tonight. I'll be up late working anyway."

"Seriously? You're that pissed?" Meredith's eyes widened. The last time he had stayed on the couch was years ago. Before D.C.

He gave no answer. Instead he walked away.


The bed was empty. The bed was empty and yet he was a few feet away. On the couch. In the living room.

Meredith had been turning over and over, unable to get any sleep. She glared the at read numbers staring at her. 3:47. She'd have to be up in less than three hours and she hadn't any sleep yet.

The damn bed was empty.

Meredith pulled herself up and wrapped herself in the light blanket she had been using. She walked down the hall silently stopping at the first room.

Ellis. She was fast asleep. She was doing that little smile she had inherited from her father. He smiled in his sleep too every now and then. She gently closed the door and opened the next one.

Bailey. No loud snores tonight. Light ones but he had kicked off all the blankets off of him.

And the last door was Zola's. She has fast asleep. Her journal on the bedside table with her pen on top. She picked up on everything and her parents did what they could to hide their disagreements. But she was too smart for that. Way too smart.

Meredith walked over to the living room. He had told her the truth. He worked late, but that had The light was off but his computer was still on his stomach along with a highlighter and a medical journal he had scribbled some notes on. His glasses were thrown on top of the keyboard. She walked around the couch and stood in front of him.

"Derek?" she whispered. She nudged him softly until he let out a sharp breathe as he opened his eyes. Derek blinked several times, adjusting his eyesight to her.

"What?" he muttered as he stretched. He moved everything to the coffee table.

"I can't sleep."

He shuffled under the blanket, "Did you try some melatonin? There's some in the cabinet-"

"Derek!"

He rolled his eyes as he glared at her. He wanted to tell her to go back and push her away, but he couldn't. She was wearing the striped pink pajamas and her hair was in a bun. She was wrapped in a soft brown blanket and had that face she'd make when she wanted something.

"C'mere," he pushed the blanket away and opened his arm to welcome her next to him. She laid next to him in the small space wrapping one leg aross his hip and tucking her head in his chest.

"I don't like sleeping alone," she cuddled closer to him.

"I know. Me either."

Meredith looked up at him, his eyes were glued to the ceiling, one hand above his head and the other wrapped around her shoulders.

"Are you jealous?" she whispered again, "About-"

"No," Derek answered after a moment, "I'm not jealous. I'm pissed."

"Why are you-"

"Remember when you asked me why I thought Addison had cheated?"

That was years ago. Too many years. Addison was in the past, at least their relationship was. Derek and Addison were friends and she and Addison were friendly, but they were in the past.

"I told you I was a little absent," he continued, "Remember?"

Meredith quietly answered, "I do."

"Am I being absent? Am I-?"

Meredith took a beat to answer. She thought of the past few weeks when she traveling back and forth and he had stayed put in Seattle.

"Am I?" Meredith whispered back.

Derek shook his head and closed his eyes, "What is happening to us? We were doing really well."

Meredith turned her head towards him and rested her chin on the hand atop his chest, "I don't know."

"We took a whole week off with just us and the kids, we spent time with the kids, kept up with our dates, I mean-"

"We got busy again," she murmured, "You're spending more time here and I'm spending more time in Minnesota."

Derek pressed his lips together and hummed. He had noticed it too. But he didn't want to hold her back. He didn't want to tell her how he couldn't sleep without her. How they seemed to be missing each other's phone calls more often. He thought he owed it to her to give her the opportunity she had all those years ago. He refused to get in her way.

"I don't want to-," he sighed, "I don't want to hold you back or stop you. I don't ever want to do that to you."

"I know, but it's not working," she whispered, "And we need to make it work or just put a stop to it."

She could see him nodding in the dark, "We agreed that if it got to be too much, we would pull out of this project. We come first and the kids come first-"

"You can't leave this project. It's a huge project and we are so close," he argued.

"So then I'll tell him we have to do the surgery here," she shrugged, "The surgery will be done at Grey Sloan, Bailey will love that."

Derek chuckled.

"And you and I get more time here," she smiled but he wasn't looking at her, "We're both home with the kids and we're here together."

She could see his brain thinking. He was thinking about the other problem. So she risked it.

"Derek, Nick doesn't-"

He removed his arm away from her and rubbed his face with both hands, "I don't want to talk the stupid transplant guy."

"We have to," she insisted. Meredith propped herself as best she could to look at him. His eyes remained on the ceiling, unwilling to look at her.

"He doesn't mean-"

"I never said-"

"You did, Derek," she countered, "Last night in the hotel room. You said I was too busy playing with Nick."

Derek shook his head. He could hear himself all over again. Using that tone she hated. The one that would make her roll her eyes at him.

"I have never once given you any reason-"

"I know."

Meredith sighed, "So then why would you?"

"I don't know- I don't-" he groaned, "I've been watching him- not watching in a creepy way, but I notice things. Since the minute he introduced himself I've noticed how he looks at you. How he talks to you. How he- I just notice things."

Meredith said nothing. Instead she let him talk. She learned long ago to let him go on when he talked because opening up was hard for him to do.

"We've been together for more than a decade and I've never once doubted you or thought you'd- but watching him," he shook his head, "I got scared. I got scared shitless and I don't like it."

"I'm sorry I yelled at you," His eyes met hers, "We've just been…off. And I got scared that some new guy would swoop in out of thin air."

Meredith caressed his face softly, "You are my husband. I married you. The love of my life and the father of my kids. I don't ever want anyone else. You have nothing to be scared of."

Derek hummed softly, seemingly unconvinced.

Suddenly it clicked. When he was in D.C. someone had become infatuated with him. He was honest about it. He spoke about it in therapy. Told her everything. And now she was on the other end. Someone was infatuated with her. The difference was that he was watching it all with his own two eyes.

"I mean it Derek," she insisted, "I shouldn't-"

"I know," he whispered back, "I know you. I trust you."

Meredith pressed her lips together. He trusted her. And she trusted him. She wouldn't let anyone get inbetween of that. Not after everything they had been through.

"Besides he's not my type."

Derek let out a breathy chuckle, "He's not?"

"Nope," She grinned mischievously, "I like my guys with dark curls and with a thing for ferryboats. The kind you find in bars."

That earned a laugh from him. A genuine one.

"Let's slow down," she offered, "Let's just slow down and take breather. We need a breather."

They had demanding jobs. They thrived and succeeded, both names on multiple articles. The hospital gallery would be full when either one was performing a surgery and it even had a line when they were in one together.

Their children were happy and healthy. Zola had one scare a few years back but since then, she had been fine. Bailey was his usual energetic self and Ellis was just perfect.

And while their marriage had been strong over the last few years, they could feel the disconnect. They could feel the gradual space growing between them.

"Once the surgery is over, we're gonna take some time off," he whispered as his fingers toyed with the skin under her top, "We're gonna get away, just you and me. We'll go hide somewhere and have some really loud sex and just be us again."

Meredith chuckled, "Promise?"

"I promise," he whispered as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

She leaned up to kiss as she felt his hand dangerously make its way up her thigh. He helped her settle on top of him, his tongue dancing with hers.

It'd been a while since they'd kissed like this. Since his hands wandered and since he gave her that look that rendered her helpless. Maybe weeks, she couldn't tell how long, she just knew it was too long. And now that his hands were under her shirt and her lips were on his, all she wanted was to have her way with him.

She rubbed against him a small whisper of a moan escaping her…until she heard the steps of someone down the hall.

Zola's voice echoed through the room, "Mom? Dad?"

"Zo?" Meredith called out as she froze, pressing herself against Derek, hiding as best as she could, "Uh, you should be in bed! What are doing?"

"I'm getting water," she answered sleepily. Her parents could hear her make her way through the kitchen, "What are you doing? Did you fall asleep on the couch again?"

"Uh-yeah, we fell asleep working," He answered, his hands frozen under his wife's shirt, "You should go back to bed, Zo."

"I am," she grumbled, "G'night."

They heard her walk back down the hall. Meredith let her head fall on his shoulder as she let out a sigh of relief. Their daughter catching them would've been traumatizing to say the least.

Derek chuckled before whispering, "We should probably-"

Meredith bit her lip before peaking behind the couch and nodded, ""Yeah, we should take this to our room."


Mornings at the Grey-Shepherds were fast paced. Kids were up early and everyone had a quick breakfast while the two adults packed their lunches. But today, it was a lazy Saturday and rather than being dressed in work clothes, both were still in their pajamas making breakfast for their kids. Later than usual.

"Mom, dad! You're both home today!" Zola smiled as she walked into the kitchen.

"Your momma and I have the day off today," Derek smiled at his daughter and watched as the other two made their way in.

Zola smiled at the way Derek regarded her mom. Things were back to normal.

"Are we doing anything fun today?" Bailey asked.

Meredith popped a strawberry in her mouth, "Daddy and I were thinking a full day of ferryboat rides are in order."

"Yay!" Ellis cheered, "Does it come with ice-cream?"

The parents laughed and watched their children devour their breakfast. They silently promised that they wouldn't allow any more space between them. That they'd be team moving forward and wouldn't let anything come between them.

Because what was coming, would need them to remain a united front.


A/N: TheShepherds requested this fic. I love her writing. I love her ideas. Her stories are brilliant and she provided the general idea of this one-shot that takes place within my one-shot universe.

I also took inspiration from that one episode in season 13, where each surgeon sees who they think of when it's a John Doe.

I hope you enjoy. Leave a review and check out her fics! I also hope this is up to your standards!