Okay, so… I can hardly believe it's here. This is technically the last chapter as the next one is going to be the epilogue. So, this is shamelessly, disgustingly fluffy because I'm a huge sucker for happy endings. It's moving forward about a month after Meredith and Derek had their baby, so she's back home, and everything is just…happy. Happy, happy, happy. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed. I'm thrilled people seem to generally like the name, and enjoyed the past few chapters. And yeah, here we go again!
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Meredith lay on her back on the couch, one foot dangling haphazardly over the edge, and the other buried beneath the throw pillows. The gentle glow of afternoon sunlight streamed in through the wide front window. It worked as well as any blanket, spilling warmly over her. She kept her eyes closed to the light. Everything was drowsy and peaceful, the cushions soft beneath her. She had drifted away to some place soft and dreamy, where the only sound filtering through to her was a gentle, rhythmic stream of shhh-shhh. Over and over again, the faint whisperings of someone breathing. Her hand moved absently, stroking the wisps of hair that covered the head nestled against her chest. She could feel the small body of her daughter rising and falling slightly with each breath, and she splayed her hand protectively over the little girl.
"Sleep, Mia," she murmured, her voice soft and happy. She let herself sink even deeper into the cushions, only to be jarred from her rest by the creak and thud of someone coming in the front door. Meredith frowned, but didn't get up. She just lay there listening as voices filled the entranceway. They spoke loudly and in a jumbled mess--one on top of the other--but she picked them out easily enough. Izzie, George, Cristina and Alex… She frowned, confused as she identified the latter two, but before she could think to get to her feet, they had already made their way over to where she lay.
"Dude, I need to have a kid," Alex said as Meredith grudgingly let her eyes slit open. "I spent the day doing sutures. Mer spent it napping."
"I did not," protested Meredith. She shifted Amelia in her arms, and slowly sat up. She pushed the hair out of her face, frowning at the assembled little group.
"Yeah, she didn't spend it napping," said Cristina, her eyes lighting up as her mouth twisted its way into a teasing smirk. "She spent it doing mommy things. Right, mommy?"
Meredith wrinkled her nose, rolling her eyes at her friend. "I already told you, no calling me 'mommy.'" She looked down at her sleeping daughter, her expression growing gentle once more. "That's your Aunt Cristina, remember?" she crooned. "Go ahead and scream nice and loud the next time she picks you up. Okay, princess? Right in her ear."
"See, what'd I tell you?" Cristina continued. "Covered in mommy. It's disgusting." Meredith flushed a little as she kissed the top of Amelia's head, but she straightened up to find Cristina grinning at her. She started to roll her eyes again, but grinned back despite herself.
"Yeah, whatever," she said, shaking her head. "Why are you guys here anyway? And…what's with all the bags?"
"Food," said Alex simply. He lifted the two grocery bags he held up high in the air, before turning, and making his way into the kitchen.
"Uh… You realize I do have food here, right?" She followed him after him, confused. "Are those…hamburger buns? Why would I need hamburger buns?"
"Because we're grilling," he continued, already making himself at home in her kitchen.
"Grilling? I don't…grill."
"Not a problem. Leave the real work to the men," Alex boasted, wiggling his eyebrows at her. He hefted something Meredith could only assume was meat of some sort out of a bag, setting it down on the counter. "Go make a fruit salad."
"I'd be offended," she said, shrugging. "But I don't really know how to do that either." George and Izzie set their bags down on the counter as well, the heavy thuds making Amelia begin to fuss in her mother's arms. Meredith frowned, suddenly shushing the room. Everyone stood frozen, watching as the baby let out a little cry of protest, before resettling against Meredith's chest. "I'd just got her to sleep," she hissed in an annoyed whisper. "Whoever wakes her up? You get to spend the next hour trying to make her stop crying again." Alex and George stepped back in unison and Cristina stayed as still as a statue, but Izzie moved forward, delighted.
"Oh, I'll do it," she offered eagerly.
"I didn't say I wanted her to wake up," Meredith said, but Izzie stepped closer still, staring fondly at the little girl. "Uh…do you want to hold her?" she offered, uncertain. "You can take her up to her room, if you want."
Izzie's grin seemed to broaden even more, and she gave an enthusiastic nod of her head. "Sure. Come here, little Mia." She stretched her arms out, and Meredith eased the infant into them. She pivoted towards the stairs, cooing to Amelia as she walked.
Meredith frowned, raking a hand back through the loose waves of her hair. "Izzie?" she called out, causing the blonde to turn back around. "Just, make sure you put her in the bassinet, not the crib. And bring down the--"
"Baby monitor," interrupted Izzie. "Right. I know, Mer."
"Right…" Meredith sighed wistfully, watching as her daughter disappeared upstairs.
"Told ya. Covered in mommy," said Cristina in a sing-song voice. She chucked the package of hamburger buns straight at Meredith's head, forcing her to turn from the stairs to catch them.
"I hate you," she muttered, plopping the buns back down on the counter. "And you still haven't told me what all this is."
"The weird thing with all the cooking?" Cristina asked, quirking an eyebrow at George and Alex who were arguing over the contents of a grocery bag.
"Yeah."
Cristina shrugged. "No clue. It was Shepherd's idea though, so…if this is gonna awaken your raging hormones, at least wait until he gets here before you unleash."
"I don't have raging… Wait, Derek wanted you guys to come over and…grill?"
"We were talking about how we never see you anymore," said George. He crossed over to the sink, and started washing his hands. "He heard us, and…uh, invited everyone over for dinner." He gave a slight shrug, eyeing her cautiously. "Although he said we had to either order food or come willing to cook if we wanted you to be in a good mood."
"I am in a good mood," she protested, indignant.
"Because we're cooking," Alex stated. "I'll be out back, prepping the grill. Like a man" He grinned wickedly, adding, "When Georgie's done with his manicure there, send him out. He can…hold something." He disappeared from sight, heading to the small deck in the back.
"I'm not… This is not a manicure!" stammered George, pulling his hands out from beneath the stream of running water. "Clean hands! We're surgeons, we--" He trailed off as the sound of the door slamming shut echoed throughout the house.
"Okay, clean hands, but…" Meredith frowned, sidling up to him. "You live here. You see me every day. You don't need to do stuff to meat just to see me. And neither do you," she added, glancing over at Cristina.
"Oh, I'm not doing any sort of cooking. That's all on them."
"Okay," she nodded. "That's more normal. But George, really. This is nice, but…you don't need to do some big thing with a grill."
He looked up, smiling at her. "Yeah, I live here, but we never see you anymore. Not all of us, together." He dried off his hands, and gave a sheepish sort of shrug. "And grilling's fun."
Cristina quirked an eyebrow, incredulous. "Excuse me?"
"You really know how to grill?" Meredith asked as she rummaged through one of the grocery bags. "This is gonna melt," she muttered to herself, carting a large carton of ice cream over to the freezer.
George nodded. "Every summer we'd have family barbeques. My brothers would play catch, and I'd help my dad with the grill."
Meredith shut the door to the freezer, a soft, almost wistful smile drifting across her face. "That sounds nice," she said softly.
"It was… Well, most of the time," said George as he backed his way out of the room, headed towards the deck. "As long as my brothers didn't get bored with catch."
Meredith just nodded absently, still rooting through the shopping bags.
"So, this baby thing's made you all mushy inside," observed Cristina conversationally when the two women were left alone in the kitchen.
"What? It has not."
Cristina just smirked, and grabbed a beer from the fridge.
"It hasn't," continued Meredith, crossing over to her. "I'm still completely normal, non-mushy Meredith." She gestured threateningly at her with a carrot. "And, for the last time, I am not covered in mommy. So don't even start." She glanced up at the ceiling, adding in the same breath, "What's taking Izzie so long? Maybe I should go check on Mia…"
"Relax. She's probably just hypnotizing the kid. Making sure she loves her Aunt Izzie more than anyone else in the world." Meredith scowled at her, prompting Cristina to hold her hands up in defeat. "Okay, she's tucking her in, and singing her every lullaby she knows." She let out a laugh, adding, "Which, in Izzie's mind, probably is how you ensure total love and devotion."
Meredith snorted, shaking her head. "Are we supposed to be…helping or something?" She peered out the window, catching a glimpse of George and Alex already bickering over the grill.
"No," said Cristina flatly. "I don't…do things. To food."
"Right." Meredith lifted a head of lettuce out of one of the bags, wrinkling her nose at it. "Maybe this becomes a salad?"
Cristina just shrugged, hoisting herself up to sit on the center island.
Meredith sighed, and set the lettuce back down, yanking her hair up into a ponytail. "What's Derek doing anyway? He can cook. He should be here doing whatever it is you do to lettuce."
"I don't think anything gets done to lettuce. Just stick it in a bowl." Meredith quirked an eyebrow at her, but plopped the head of lettuce down in a wide-rimmed bowl. It rolled about for a moment before settling against a side--a large conspicuous orb of green leaves.
"Like that?" she asked skeptically, holding it out to Cristina.
"Sure."
"Cristina, I'm not an idiot. This is not a salad. It's ah…" She shook her head, setting the bowl on the counter. "There isn't even a name for it! It's a thing in a bowl."
"Looks like a salad to me," said Cristina, chuckling with amusement as she tossed an equally large, unprepared carrot into the bowl beside the head of lettuce. "There."
"Great. Now it looks even more ridiculous. People can't eat this." Cristina just grinned, and took another gulp from her beer. Meredith frowned, turning to pull a bottle of salad dressing out of the fridge. She set it down beside the bowl before glancing back at Cristina. "Where'd you say Derek was again?"
"I didn't. But…I think he was still in surgery when we left to get all this crap."
"Uh huh…" Meredith nudged Cristina over with her elbow, hopping up to sit beside her on the tabletop. "You mean he's probably hiding in his office in case I flip out and hate his idea."
Cristina shrugged. "No idea. Maybe. The hormones do make you kinda--"
"Kinda what?" interrupted Meredith, suddenly indignant.
"Shout-y."
She rolled her eyes dismissively. "That's not even a word. And besides, I'm not…" She trailed off as the front door opened, and she heard the unmistakable sound of Derek's footsteps. She smirked at Cristina, "See? He's not hiding out in his office."
"You're the one who said he was."
"Well then, I'm not shout-y," she stated, decisive.
"Mer?" Derek's voice suddenly flooded the room.
"Kitchen," she shouted back.
"There you are," he said as he appeared in the doorway. He crossed over to her, and stepped into the space between her legs. Cupping her face in his hands, he pressed a quick kiss to her lips.
"Hey," she said when they pulled apart, her voice soft and gentle.
"Hey."
"So…you invited my friends over?"
"I--" Derek frowned, uncertain. "Yeah. Is that okay?"
Meredith shrugged and nodded. She leaned forward against his lips again. Lingered there for a moment as if she could soak him in through nothing more than the feel of his mouth on hers. It seemed to work…somehow. She felt suddenly warm and happy just resting against him. Inexplicably, deliriously happy. When she finally pulled back, they were both smiling, his arms wound tightly around her waist. "It's fine," she said softly. Her words were low and breathy, filling the small gap between them.
"Good," Derek said as his fingers traced patterns over her lower back. He leaned forward, his head resting against her shoulder, asking, "So, how're my two favorite girls today?"
Meredith rolled her eyes, but a pleased little smile played at the corners of her mouth. "I'm good, and Mia's sleeping. She's also quite possibly been abducted by Izzie."
"Abducted?" echoed Derek. He lifted his head, quirking an eyebrow at her.
Meredith nodded again. "Apparently," she mumbled, already leaning forward to recapture Derek's mouth with her own. Cristina gave a sudden cough, clearing her throat rather loudly. "Mer made a salad," she announced, stopping the couple seconds before they could resume kissing. "All on her own."
"Oh?" he asked, curious. "Really?"
"Yeah, she worked really hard," she said, her voice steeped in sarcasm. "It's over there."
"Cristina," hissed Meredith as Derek turned away, following Cristina's arm towards the bowl on the counter.
She just smirked, shrugging. "Next time, wait until I'm more than a foot away before you shove your tongue down his throat."
"I… Um," Meredith glared at her before turning back to Derek. He was frowning down at the bowl, eyebrows drawn together in confusion.
"Mer, I know you have some interesting ideas about what counts as food, but--"
"That's not a salad," she stated sheepishly.
"No." Derek picked up the head of lettuce. "It's not a salad."
"I was, that's…" She bit her lip, letting her hair fall forward to shield her face. She eyed him from behind the veil created by her bangs. "I was gathering things in one central location," she said slowly. "The bowl. Everything's in the bowl because… Now you can make the salad from there?" Derek set the lettuce back down, grinning at her incredulously. "Some might call it helpful," she continued, eyes sparking as she offered him a cheeky smile.
"Some might," he agreed, amused. He crossed back over to her, his hands coming down heavily to rest on her knees. Meredith twisted to the side, shooting Cristina a challenging look before grabbing Derek's face and kissing him hard. She hooked her legs around his waist, and yanked him to her. Dug her heels into his back, urging him closer and closer until their bodies were pressed together. Derek froze for a moment, caught wholly off guard, but jolted back to his senses the instant she thrust her tongue into his mouth. His hands were soon slipping up beneath the back of her shirt, and Meredith's were fisted in his hair. He groaned and lifted her completely up off the counter, holding her in the air as he kissed her, ravishing her mouth.
"Right," muttered Cristina after a moment. "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but…I'm gonna go help Izzie with the baby."
Meredith smiled against Derek's lips, not breaking the kiss until her friend's footsteps had faded away.
"What was that?" gasped Derek as she pulled back abruptly. Meredith just sighed, and rested her forehead against his, her green eyes feeding straight into his blue ones.
"Oh, just revenge," she murmured. She giggled and unhooked her legs from his waist, sliding down to the floor.
"What'd I do?" He frowned, and tilted his head to the side. "And how do I do it again?"
"Nothing. It's a long…whatever. Go make your salad." She shooed him over to the bowl, and hopped up onto a stool, watching as he washed his hands.
"You know," Derek began after a moment. "Kissing me like that?"
"Yeah?"
"It's highly unfair."
Meredith just laughed, toying with a strand of hair that had escaped from her ponytail. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm supposed to survive two more weeks without sex, and you kiss me like that? You're out to kill me."
"What?" drawled Meredith, letting the word stretch out until it was long and full of laughter. "Poor Derek has porny thoughts floating around in his head now?" She shook her head, still giggling.
Derek grinned, winking at her over his shoulder. "You shouldn't be so amused by my misery," he protested as he dried his hands off on a dishtowel, drifting back to where she sat. He smirked, and kissed her again, his eyes dark and teasing. "It's bad enough trying to survive when you're continually flashing boob, but then you kiss me like--"
"Flashing boob?" interrupted Meredith, snorting in amusement. "You mean feeding your daughter? Derek Shepherd!" She yanked the dishtowel from his grasp, and, with a deft twist, wound it into a rope. A second flick of her wrist whipped it out to collide with his arm, filling the air with a satisfying smack. "You should be ashamed of yourself."
Derek just laughed, and scooped her up in his arms again, kissing her full on the mouth. They were forced apart almost immediately as a truly impressive wail echoed throughout the house. Meredith sighed, sliding back down to the floor.
"Do you want me to get her?" Derek asked. "You got up with her every time last night. You're probably exhausted."
Meredith gave a shake of her head as their daughter's cries continued to echo throughout the house. "I've also already taken two naps with her today, so whatever…" She shrugged and picked up his arm, turning it to read his watch. "She's probably hungry anyways. Stay down here, make your salad." Meredith sidled closer to him until their bodies were pressed together. She looked up, wicked and smirking. Dropped her voice an octave so that it turned into a husky, seductive roll of sound--something smooth and dark as velvet. "There might be …boob up there. Wouldn't want to turn you on…" Her breath curled warm around his ear, and, for an instant, they stood frozen together. But then she was laughing again, her voice returning to its normal pitch, light and breathy as she shook her head, evading his grasp. "Go. Cook something," she laughed, starting up the stairs.
She nearly crashed into Cristina at the halfway point as her friend came hurrying down the steps. "Izzie's," she gasped, looking wide eyed and a little alarmed. "Izzie woke the beast, and now she won't stop with the crying. Screaming, really."
"She's just hungry."
"No. She's screaming. Like ear-splitting, earth-shattering screaming. I don't do that when I'm hungry. It's unnatural."
Meredith paused, frowning as she fidgeted with her hair. "She's a baby, Cristina."
"Still…" Cristina shook her head, unconvinced.
"Go help Derek cook something," continued Meredith, moving past her to reach the second floor. She grinned as her friend very nearly recoiled, staring at her like she'd just sprouted an extra head. "Hey, if I have to nurse a baby, you can do whatever it is people do to lettuce. It'll be good for you." She smirked, jogging up the remaining steps, and ignoring Cristina's spluttered protest that it was her own damn fault she was nursing babies.
When she reached Amelia's room, Izzie was pacing back and forth in the nursery, rocking the little girl in her arms. She looked up, relieved. "Good, Cristina got you," she said, glancing back down at the wriggling, shrieking infant. "One minute, I was watching her sleep, and then the next, she wakes up… And she won't stop crying." Meredith just nodded, holding out her arms. "She doesn't need to be changed, I already checked," continued Izzie worriedly. "Sorry. I know I said I'd put her to sleep. You're supposed to be relaxing and having fun, and I--"
"Izzie," said Meredith, cutting her off.
Izzie glanced up again, face scrunched in concern. "Yeah?"
"It's fine. Just give her to me."
"Right, sorry." She handed Amelia over, watching as the baby continued with her alternating choruses of piercing wails and little breathy cries.
"Amelia Grace," Meredith murmured, not seeming phased by the noise in the slightest. Her voice was low and soothing as she kissed her daughter's tear streaked face. One tiny hand latched instantly onto the collar of her shirt, holding tight. She crossed over to the rocking chair in the far corner, still murmuring to her child. "Baby girl, shhh… I know, sweetheart. I know. Your mommy's here. It's okay." In one, quick, practiced motion that was quickly becoming second nature, she'd eased her shirt up, and dropped down into the rocking chair. Amelia's cries silenced instantly, the room growing quiet and peaceful once more. "That's better, Mia," said Meredith gently as she glanced up to find Izzie still standing in the doorway, staring at her. "What?"
"Nothing," stammered Izzie, flushing a little. "It's just… It looks good on you."
Meredith looked down at the baby nestled against her chest, and then back up at Izzie, eyebrow quirked. "Uh…breastfeeding, Iz? Seriously?"
"No, I…" Izzie shrugged, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "The whole mom thing. I wasn't sure if you'd like it, but…you're good at it. Really good. All of us think so." A wistful smile twisted across her face as she watched Meredith rock back and forth, her daughter in her arms. "Even Cristina," she added quietly.
"Yeah, well." Meredith shook her head, looking down at Amelia. Delicate wisps of dark hair framed the child's face. She still clutched at her mother's shirt, her little fist holding tight. "It's surprisingly wonderful," said Meredith, her voice a soft whisper. She smiled at her daughter, not even noticing when Izzie slipped out of the room. She hadn't realized it was possible to love someone so completely. So absolutely, completely without question. In that ridiculous, inexplicable, lay down my life in an instant if it just means you'll live sort of way. It stretched her heart even past Derek to a place she couldn't quite describe, but that filled her with an almost paralyzing exhilaration. She was holding the most perfect creature in the entire world. Holding her in her arms. She wasn't sure whether she should laugh or cry or just hold Amelia that much tighter.
But eventually, the smell of food and sound of chattering voices drifted upstairs. Amelia had been fed and changed, and lay in Meredith's lap, staring wide-eyed up at her. "Well, princess, since you're awake," she said gently. "Let's go show you off." She eased the baby back up, and cradled her in her arms. "Let's go downstairs, and see all of mommy's crazy friends. And your daddy. Daddy's home too. He missed you all day, Mia. Yes he did." She kept talking to Amelia as she made her way down the stairs, her voice a soothing murmur that had her daughter watching her face intently.
"Hey, there you two are," said Derek, pulling Meredith's attention away from Amelia. She looked up to see him grinning over his shoulder at them. He was making his way towards the kitchen, a platter filled with hotdogs and hamburger patties held in his grasp.
"Yeah."
"I was just about to go drag you down here," he said. He dropped off the plate, and walked back over to her. "How's Mia?" he asked, bending down to press kisses all over his daughter's face as the little baby gurgled delightedly.
"Good. She's good. How'd you survive with my friends? And…" She looked around the empty kitchen, frowning. "Where'd everyone go? This is weird, right? Everyone coming over and eating. Grilling stuff. I mean, everyone's here, and it's like we're…entertaining or something. I don't entertain." She wrinkled her nose, worrying at a stray piece of hair. "I feel like I should be wearing an apron and serving tea. Am I supposed to be in an apron? I don't think--"
"Mer," said Derek, cutting her off. "Meredith…" He grinned as she shot him a confused look. "I survived fine with your friends, although Cristina has some very strong opinions about salads. Everyone's in the dining room, setting up. This isn't weird, it's normal. Your friends like food. They come, they eat. That's all, it's not a big thing. And you certainly don't need an apron, but I could get behind the idea if you took everything else off. Just wore it instead." He winked at her, his grin the slightly crooked, charming one that always made her a little dizzy and weak-kneed. "Anything else?"
"Ass," muttered Meredith even as she smiled back. "You walk around in just an apron first, and then we'll talk." But she let him steer her into the dining room, his arm looped easily around her waist. Cristina was perched on a chair, feet tucked beneath her, and nursing a beer. Alex was already leaning over the table, fixing himself a burger. George and Izzie had their heads bent together, deep in conversation, but they trailed off as they caught sight of her.
"Mia's here!" Izzie declared, smiling at the tiny child.
"Yeah, and she's awake for once," said Meredith, brushing another kiss over the top of Amelia's head.
"Here, Mer. Sit," Derek ordered gently. He nudged her towards a chair, and leaned down over her shoulder, letting his daughter latch onto his finger. "Should I put Mia…?" He trailed off, trying to guess at what Meredith wanted.
"Um…can you get her bouncy seat? I'll keep her with us then."
"The blue one?"
"No, she likes the yellow striped one better. It's up in our room."
"Yeah. Sure," Derek said, kissing the top of Meredith's head as he worked his finger free from his daughter's grasp. He kissed Amelia's five little fingers as well before straightening up. With a nod, he disappeared from view, leaving Meredith alone with her friends.
"What?" she snapped as she looked up to find Izzie grinning at her yet again.
"Nothing. Just…" She leaned forward, snatching the slice of pickle off of George's plate. "You realize you guys are completely adorable, right?"
"What?" repeated Meredith, her tone growing protesting. "We are not adorable."
"Yeah," said Cristina around a mouthful of hotdog and bun. "You're like a happy little McFamily." She smirked at her friend, her eyes infinitely warmer than her tone. "He's ruined you."
"Well, maybe…" Meredith sighed, looking back down at Amelia. Her baby was laying content in her arms. One tiny hand reached out in an attempt to grasp the strands of hair that swished back and forth in front of her. Meredith smiled, loosing her hair from its ponytail so that it spilled forward towards her daughter. Amelia managed to latch onto a fistful, and held on tight, tugging every now and then.
"Ooh, we should talk about the wedding," continued Izzie eagerly. She scooted towards the edge of her seat, eyes lighting up. Both Alex and George groaned in unison before she could get out another word, and Meredith shook her head.
"We shouldn't," she countered. "It's not gonna happen any time soon." Izzie's face fell visibly, prompting Meredith to continue. "I just had a baby, Iz. It's not like I'm gonna get married on maternity leave. And when I go back, I won't have any free time. I'll be behind you guys. I'll still be an intern. So…" she shrugged, "we're waiting awhile. We want Mia to be a little older anyways."
"Oh…"
"But, you'll obviously be a bridesmaid, and you can have all the flowers and ribbons and whatever in your hair that you want," she added, trying to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.
Izzie perked up at that, nodding happily. "Okay then."
"I'm not putting any of that crap in my hair," interjected Cristina, eyeing the two of them warily.
Meredith looked up at her and grinned. "Neither am I," she promised. Her attention drifted from her friends and back to Derek as he returned. He lugged a little cushioned chair with him, setting it down on the ground before turning back to her. "Here," she murmured, loosening her hold on Amelia so he could scoop her up into his arms. She watched him with their daughter, drinking in the sight of them together. She'd been right all those months ago; he was a wonderful father. No longer afraid of holding Amelia, he lifted her easily, talking unabashed nonsense to her as he sprinkled her forehead with kisses. By the time he had strapped her into her seat, the conversation had taken its inevitable turn back to surgery. Meredith sat listening to her friends go on and on about the day's cases while rocking her daughter's chair with her foot, casting continual glances back at the wide-eyed little girl. It was a strange blend; the comforting familiarity of the life she'd been used to mixing with something completely different and wonderful. And she found herself falling in love with it all.
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"I'm glad you invited everyone ever," Meredith murmured, her voice a soft hum in the quiet of their room. Derek glanced down at the messy head of dirty blonde waves resting against his chest, the corners of his mouth turning up in a smile.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," she breathed, splaying her hand flat against his chest. She looked up, and he brushed her tangled hair back from her face. Her eyes glowed bright in the darkness, and he drew her closer to him.
"Good." His voice was as much a murmur as hers had been, his fingers tracing idle patterns over her back and up her side. "Mer…" He paused, hesitant, his breathing hitching a little.
Meredith quirked an eyebrow. "What?"
"I wanted to ask you something," he said quietly.
"Okay. Ask me any--" she stopped abruptly, a frown suddenly replacing her smile. "Don't." She swatted at his hand, knocking it away as it started to drift from her side down to her stomach.
"Mer," Derek groaned, dropping his head back against the pillows. "This again? For the hundredth time, you're gorgeous." He pulled her back to him, rolling them over so that she was laying on top. "You're gorgeous," he repeated as he ran his hands up her body. "And I wouldn't change a thing." Meredith just chewed on her lip, carefully avoiding his eyes. "Also," he pressed his lips to hers, his voice gentle and teasing. "You're not fat." He kissed her again. "In case you wanted to." And again. "Start that debate again." He kissed her a final time, longer and harder, easing his tongue past her lips. He didn't pull away until she moaned and kissed him back, smiling into his mouth.
"Still," she gasped as they broke apart, her lower lip slipping out into a pout. "I can't fit into the jeans I wore before I got pregnant yet."
"So?" Derek frowned. He was never quite sure how to have this conversation. He'd done it often enough with Addison, but back then it had devolved into a sort of automatic, knee-jerk response of no. 'Does this skirt make me look fat?' No. 'What about these pants?' No. 'Do I look fat?' No. 'Honey, do you think--' No, no, no. Over and over until he was sick of the damn word. But with Meredith, it was different. She'd never said a word about her body before the baby, and suddenly she worried. All the time. It was something new and shaky and vulnerable, and it made him ache.
"Derek…"
He cleared his throat, suddenly grinning at her. "So you can't wear the jeans you used to wear." He shrugged, and ran his hands up her thighs. "I think that's a sign."
"A sign?" echoed Meredith, uncertain.
"Yes," he agreed, keeping his voice as serious as he could manage. "A sign that the world would be a better place if you were permanently pants-less." He flipped her over before she could protest, earning a loud shriek instead.
"Derek," she gasped as he started tickling her mercilessly. She writhed in his grasp, kicking her legs wildly as she tried to break free. "I was being serious!" she managed at last before dissolving into giggles, trying desperately to fight back.
Derek just laughed, his fingers raking up her sides until she squirmed again. "So was I," he said, dipping down to kiss her throat. "You? No pants? All the time?" He punctuated his words with further kisses, letting his hand sneak down until it reached her knees. "I would not have a problem with this," he added just as he began to tickle the back of her knee. Meredith shrieked again, her voice a constant stream of giggles and laughter as she thrashed about, attempting to escape.
"That would be… Highly inappropriate…" she panted at last. She pummeled her fists against his chest, but it didn't seem to stop him in the slightest. He just paused for a moment, smirking at her fists.
"Glad to see they're still tiny and ineffectual," he teased before raking his hands back up her sides, sending her squirming again.
"Derek!" Meredith gasped again, clinging to him even as she tried to break free. "No fair. I just. Had a baby."
He pulled back slightly, grinning at her. "Oh, now you want to use the baby card?"
"It's not a card!" said Meredith indignantly, trying to twist out from under him.
"Exactly," he agreed, still grinning wickedly. "You have to say uncle."
"I…" She gasped as he started tickling her again. "I'm not saying uncle!"
"Say it."
"No."
"Say it."
"No!"
"Come on, Mer," he pressed as he captured the back of her knee a second time. He grinned down at her, taunting, teasing. "It's just a word. Say it. Say uncle."
Meredith frowned, managing to latch onto one of his wrists. "You want sex in two weeks?" she gasped at last. Derek froze instantly, fingers stilling against her skin.
"…Yes."
She smirked, and loosened her hold on his forearm. "That's the new uncle."
He collapsed against the bed with a weary sigh, nodding his head. "Fine. You win."
"Yeah," gasped Meredith as she scooted closer, flopping down beside him. "I do." She grinned triumphantly even as they both lay there panting, trying to catch their breath. The room was warm and comfortable, still ringing with the echo of their laughter. They lay there, just breathing. Staring at each other as their grins slowly faded into sated smiles.
"Do you believe me?" Derek asked at last, brushing the hair back from her face.
"What?" asked Meredith quietly.
"That you could not be more beautiful to me than you already are," he whispered, cupping her cheek in the palm of his hand. "That you don't have to change a thing for me. That you're perfect. That you could gain a hundred pounds and still you would be perfect."
She rolled her eyes, looking away from him towards the ceiling. "Derek, be serious."
He groaned, and propped himself up on an elbow. "I didn't fall in love with you because you're hot, Mer," he said flatly. She frowned and quirked an eyebrow at him, but said nothing. "It's an added bonus," he winked, "but it's not why I love you. And why I love you has absolutely nothing to do with comparing how your stomach looked before Mia to how it looks now. I just… I love you."
Meredith swallowed slowly as if she was suddenly hoarse, worrying at her lower lip with the tip of her tongue. "Why?" she whispered.
Derek sighed and shook his head. "Meredith," he began quietly. "It's not about-- You make everything better. Just having you in my life makes it better somehow. That's all I know."
"Okay." Her voice was even softer than before, and she looked away, her eyes glittering with tears in the darkness.
"Okay?" he echoed, and he pressed her to him. Kissed her fiercely; until stars spun behind her eyelids, and she swore she'd be falling if it weren't for the mattress beneath her.
"Okay," Meredith repeated a little louder as they finally pulled apart. Laughter filled her voice again, and he scooped her into his arms, spooning her tightly against him. She just breathed, feeling his heart beating against her back. For the first time since having Amelia, she felt gorgeous. Utterly, ridiculously gorgeous. And it had everything to do with the man holding her.
Still, just as she'd decided that she could lay there forever, the sound of her daughter's crying filled the room, jarring her from her reverie. "Mia's awake," she remarked dryly, prodding the arm wrapped around her waist. "Let me up."
"Mmmph…" Derek groaned as he sat up instead. "I'll get her."
"She's probably hungry," protested Meredith even as she yawned. "And last I checked, your nipples didn't leak milk."
He just grinned, already to his feet. "I'll bring her to you then. Besides, I never get up and get her."
"Yeah, well…" Meredith yawned again, stretching languidly. "When I go back to work, and we start trading every cry?"
"Yeah?"
"You'll regret this moment of stupidity," she said smugly. She grinned, delighted, before shooing him away with a flick of her wrist. "But go," she teased, winking at him. "Bring me my baby!"
Derek just smiled as he made his way down the darkened hallway to the nursery. His little daughter lay squirming, her face scrunched up as she cried. He leaned forward, wincing slightly, before lifting Amelia up out of the bassinet. "Shhh," he murmured, rubbing her back. "Daddy's got you. It's okay, sweetheart." He rocked her gently in his arms as he crossed back to the bedroom, managing to quiet her shrieks down into a softer wail of discontent. "Yeah, I know, Mia," he crooned, his voice low and soothing. "We'll go see mommy, and she'll feed you, princess." He pushed the door open with his free hand, climbing back onto the bed, and handing Amelia over to Meredith. It took a few moments of soothing the child, coaxing her, but soon she was quiet, and latched onto her mother's breast.
When Meredith finally looked up, it was to smirk at Derek. "Boob," she muttered, stretching her hand out as if to block his view.
He laughed, and pulled her closer to him. "You're never gonna let me live that down, are you?" he asked. Meredith just shook her head before leaning to rest against his shoulder.
"Probably not."
Derek sighed, the sound fading away into a thoughtful silence as he watched Meredith with their daughter. It was something that he didn't quite understand, but something that was warm and perfect; as if the world could cease to exist outside the three of them, and he wouldn't give a damn. He pressed his lips to Meredith's hair, breathing in deeply. And he let his mind wander, leaping through the shadows of the room to paint the future.
"What is it?" Meredith's voice was soft, quiet, but it was enough to shatter the silence that had hung around them.
"Huh?" Derek frowned, and pulled his focus back to the present.
"What is it?" repeated Meredith, glancing up from Amelia to look at him. "You're making those weird mumbling sounds."
"Weird mumbling sounds?"
"Yeah." She nodded earnestly. "Like when you're…studying a CT or whatever. When you're thinking, so… What are you thinking?" She grinned, her smile evident even in the dark. But Derek hesitated, uncertain. "What?" pressed Meredith after a long stretch of silence, her voice faltering a little.
"It's nothing. It's just something I've thought about a little," Derek said, speaking slowly, cautiously. "It's an idea. That's all. It doesn't have to happen now, or any time soon. And if you don't like it, it doesn't have to happen at all."
"Okay…"
He swallowed hard, wishing he could just get up and turn on a light. Have more to gauge her reaction by than what little he could make out through the darkness. "I was thinking that one day we could build a house."
"A house?" echoed Meredith, as soft as a whisper.
Derek jerked his head into a nod. "Yeah. Um…" he exhaled heavily, raking his hand back through his hair. "On my land. Our land, really. It's yours too now, if you want." He paused for a moment, suddenly more nervous than he could ever remember being before. "But if you don't want to, it's fine. Here's good. I know it was your mother's house, and it's got a lot of memories for--"
"Derek!" She blurted his name out, stopping him short.
"Yeah?"
"You sound more like me than I do," Meredith said, her smile seeping back into her words. He just nodded again, simultaneously hopeful and unsure. "And yeah, this is my mother's house, but the memories in it? They're all hers."
"Hers," echoed Derek quietly, letting the word roll around in his mouth. A spark that felt like hope had ignited deep within him, but he forced himself to check again. To keep the fantasies about moving into a house built just for them, on their land, at bay for a little longer. "Does that mean…?" he began, tentative.
"It means I think it's a great idea," said Meredith quietly. "Mia shouldn't have to grow up with the memories that are in this house."
"Mer, I didn't mean…"
"No, I know what you meant." She glanced down at Amelia, brushing her finger gently over the baby's cheek. "Just…not everything that happened here was happy, Derek. A new house would be… It would be good. It would be new and ours." She let her head rest against his shoulder again, eyelids drooping shut. "We could have a big yard for her to play in," she murmured. "And a swing set. There'd be room for one out there. A dog, too. We could get a dog. I've always wanted a dog. Nothing small and yappy though."
"Nothing small and yappy," Derek agreed, filled with disbelief that was quickly giving way to fierce, overwhelming happiness.
"And enough bedrooms for Mia's brothers and sisters…" added Meredith softly, her voice barely audible even in the silent room.
"Mer?" He turned to look at her, incredulous. "You want more? More babies?"
"I…" She glanced up at him, hesitant, chewing on her lower lip. "Do you?"
Derek looked back down at Amelia, cupping her tiny foot in the palm of his hand. "Yeah, I do. I'd love more. I would love nothing more than that." He paused, tracing the shape of his daughter's foot as if even her toes were something rare and wonderful. "But we have Amelia, and that's… Mer, you've already given me more than I could ever ask for."
Meredith nodded, staring down at her daughter with a gentle marveling smile. Her voice was a whisper, soft and shy, and she kept her eyes trained on Amelia. "I think not right now. Not soon. Mia can't even crawl yet. We should wait a while. Get married first, but…" She shrugged and looked up at him cautiously, biting the corner of her lip. "Yes." She nodded, her eyes locking with his, letting him stare straight into her. But then she grinned, shifting from vulnerable to teasing in a heartbeat. "We should do this again sometime."
Derek laughed, and promptly leaned in to kiss her. "We should," he mumbled back as they pulled apart.
"Yeah…" Meredith sighed, leaning forward to readjust Amelia before settling back against the headboard. "In the house that we haven't built yet," she added, sounding slightly anxious. "And then there's the internship that I haven't even finished. The residency where I'm already behind. When are we supposed to even squeeze in a wedding, not to mention another baby?"
"Breathe," murmured Derek, pressing his lips to her temple. "We can have another baby after you're done with your residency if you want, or we'll find a way to make it work if we don't wait. I'll work less, or take some time off. We'll figure it out." He shrugged, grinning at her. "And, we'll get married whenever we feel like it."
Meredith just shook her head. "How can you make it sound so easy?"
"It is easy. We have the rest of our lives to do all of this."
"Right," she whispered. "The rest of our lives." She glanced down again to find Amelia fast asleep, tiny and peaceful. Some of the worry drained away, and Meredith found she could only smile. "She's sleeping again," she murmured to Derek. She shifted the little girl over so that she lay snuggled between the both of them.
Derek leaned forward, staring fondly down at his daughter. "She's so--" He shook his head, one finger tracing the embroidered lamb on her pajama sleeve.
"Perfect?"
"Yeah," he agreed. His voice held nothing but love as he bent down, kissing Amelia's forehead. "Completely perfect."
Meredith leaned her head against Derek's shoulder--exhausted, yet mindless of the time as they watched their daughter sleep. "She'll be happy, right?" she wondered softly. "I want her to be happy, Derek."
"She'll be happy," he promised.
"And us?" Meredith looked up, her voice suddenly small and hopeful. "We'll be happy? We'll all be happy?"
"Yes," Derek said. He reached over Amelia to take Meredith's hand, weaving their fingers together. She looked into his eyes, and found them full of promises. "We'll all be happy," he whispered. "We don't have much of a choice."
She frowned at that, quirking an eyebrow. "What do you--"
Derek just grinned, and scooted closer so that the three of them were nestled together. He kissed her soft and quick, silencing her protest. When he pulled away, Meredith was smiling up at him. "Just believe me, Mer," he said quietly. "This is the happily ever after part."
-----
And yeah…Meredith and Derek are finally happy. Ridiculously happy. They just had their baby, they adore their daughter, they're in love. Right now, they get to have perfect. I think they've earned it. So hopefully you're happy with where they ended up. I think they managed to make it to a pretty good place considering where they started in this fic. But yeah, I'll try to write the epilogue before too long because, you know, they have to get married. Hee. I told ya, I have this thing for happy endings. And yep, that's about it. Thank you so much for reading!