It had been a week since my mom's cancer had gone into remission. A week since the pre term labor. A week since I had gone back to work for one day. A week since I had freaked out because Meredith hadn't answered the phone when I tried to call her while I was at work, only to be reminded by Mark that it was six thirty in the morning and Meredith was probably asleep. A lot had happened in a week. Meredith had adjusted to this life a lot better than I thought she would. She seemed okay with taking it easy now. Okay with everything. For the first time in months life felt calm, it felt collected. Everything had come together at the right time. My mom was better. Meredith was dealing. Dillon had started behaving like himself again. Everything had returned to the way it should be.

Life had actually gotten better than it had been before. This was the way it was supposed to be. Meredith smiling and laughing in the morning as Dillon attempted to make the pancake batter all by himself. Meredith and I watching TV after Dillon went to bed, my hand resting on her stomach as our daughter moved gently. Dillon talking non stop about his birthday.

Which led us to today. Kimmy and Lucas were coming over to finish of the nursery and to plan the party. Neither would be hard. Kimmy would do something brilliant. And Lucas and I, we could plan a party. We were brilliant surgeons, brilliant surgeons could plan a kid's party. Today would be easy. Although considering the way we had started out, it was a miracle we were all a weird family now.

"Hey, Derek," Kimmy smiled at me as she came in, her arms and Lucas's piled high with packages from different baby stores around town. We had no idea what Kimmy was doing in the room upstairs, she absolutely refused to let us in until it was done and Lucas had apparently been sworn to secrecy with the threat of death and/or no sex. All I knew was that my credit card was involved.

"Hey Kimmy, Lucas," I greeted them. "Let me help you with those."

"Absolutely not," she shook her head. "No peeking, Derek. I want Meg's room to be a complete surprise."

"Fine," I sighed. "We have a party to plan anyway."

"That's right," Lucas grinned. "A birthday party that will rival all birthday parties before it. Where is my son anyway?"

"I think he's in his room playing," I answered.

"Hey, Lucas, Kimmy," Meredith smiled coming into the room, a carton of Ben and Jerry's in her hand. It was her newest craving, ice cream. And a lot of it. I absolutely had to keep the fridge stocked with it at all times.

"Meredith!" Kimmy greeted. "You're looking great!"

Meredith laughed. "If by great you mean fat with swollen ankles, then yeah, I guess I look great."

Kimmy laughed. "You look pregnant, Mer. I can't wait until I look like that."

I laughed at the look that passed over Lucas's face, a mix between complete fear and excitement. "Honey, let's get married first," he told her carefully.

"They didn't," Kimmy pointed out giggling.

"Yeah, well, uh," Lucas started to look around wildly, as if somehow the house would eat him alive, "it...uh. Dill! Dill pickle, where are you?"

A muffled cry came from upstairs, followed by the sound of tiny footsteps running down the stairs. A lot of tiny footsteps. "He has some friends over to help him plan. Charlie and Sullivan."

"Sullivan?" Lucas asked. "I know Charlie."

"My nephew," I explained. "Their bears got along well, it made them friends for life."

"Hi Dad!" Dillon grinned as he hugged his father, Sam nestled in his arms. "Charlie, Sullivan and me were playing Power Rangers!"

"That sounds fun, Dill!" Lucas exclaimed. "Are they going to help us plan?"

"Yeah!" Sullivan and Charlie both grinned.

"Good," I smiled. "Now there's five of us. Five men can plan a party."

"I would pay to see this," Kimmy smiled at Meredith.

"It's going to be a mess," Meredith nodded. "I expect them to come to me for help by the end of the day."

"We'll be fine, won't we guys?" I smiled at my army of party planners. Three kids under the age of ten and two surgeons. This would be a breeze.

"Of course we will Uncle Derek!" Sullivan exclaimed.

"Okay, whatever," Kimmy rolled her eyes. "Lucas, help me take this stuff upstairs and then you can come plan the party of the century."

"It will be the party of the century," Lucas said, pouting.

"Of course it will, honey," she smiled indulgently at him as they started upstairs.

"No one has any faith in us, Dill," I sighed.

"Of course we do, honey," Meredith's eyes twinkled at me as she dug her spoon into the carton of Ben and Jerry's.

"For some reason I don't believe you, " I laughed, kissing her lips that tasted like chocolate.

"Dill, Sull, Charlie, be good to Derek and Lucas," Meredith winked at them. "I'm going to go watch a movie."

"Yell if you need anything," I nodded.

"I'm fine," she sighed. "I feel great today."

"And for that I'm eternally grateful, but if you need something yell," I smiled.

"Oh, I have the feeling you'll be the one yelling," she giggled as she went into the living room, just as Lucas came down the stairs.

"We can do this," I nodded to him. "We can definitely do this."

"Definitely," he nodded firmly. "I performed surgery on an aortic aneurysm yesterday. If I can do that, then I can plan a party."

"Exactly what I've been saying," I laughed. "Okay guys, let's get to it."

"So," Lucas said as he grabbed a couple of beers for us and three juice boxes for the kids from the fridge, "what's first?"

"I think we need a theme," I nodded, looking at the three children.

"Yeah!" Sullivan nodded. "My birthday party last year was George in the Jungle. Remember, Uncle Derek?"

"I do," I nodded. "It was a great party. So Dill, any ideas?"

"Hmmm," he said. "Power Rangers."

"We can do Power Rangers," Lucas agreed.

"No we can't," Charlie spoke up.

"Why not?" Dillon asked looking confused.

"Because Jeff's at school, his was Power Rangers, member?" Charlie reminded Dillon. "And he'll make fun of you if you do it too."

"That's true," Dillon nodded seriously. "No Power Rangers."

"No Power Rangers," Lucas wrote down on the piece of paper I had gotten out. "Because Jeff at school will make fun."

"Any other ideas?" I asked.

"Wrestling," Charlie suggested. "That would be really cool, Dillon."

Dillon looked skeptical. "I don't think Mommy would like that idea."

"Why not?" Sullivan asked. "My dad says it's all fake."

"It's not fake," Charlie complained.

"Yeah it is," Sullivan nodded. "My dad says so."

"Your dad's stupid!" Charlie pouted, crossing his arms.

"No he's not!" Sullivan yelled. "You're stupid!"

"Guys, guys! No fighting!' I shouted.

"Uncle Derek, isn't wrestling fake?" and suddenly, three little faces were staring at me.

"I don't know," I shrugged non-committedly. "But I think Dill's right. His mom wouldn't like it."

"Probably not," Lucas supplied. "So no wrestling. Any other ideas?"

"Ninja turtles!" Sullivan yelled excitedly.

"Ninja turtles are so cool!" Dillon grinned. "And I got to be Michaelangelo cause it's my birthday!"

"Ninja turtles it is," I nodded.

"But I want to be Michaelangelo," Sullivan pouted. "I'm older!"

'But it's my birthday!" Dillon whined.

"I want to be Michaelangelo too!" Charlie smiled.
"Couldn't you all be Michaelangelo?" I suggested innocently

Three faces turned to stare me, disgust on their faces. "No," Dillon said, "duh."

"Ninja turtles seems to be a bad idea than," Lucas pointed out.

"No!" all three boys cried.

"Guys, we need something," I sighed.

The boys sat in front of us. "It's my birthday," Dillon mumbled.

"I'm older," Sullivan pouted.

"I have orange hair," Charlie muttered.

"What does orange hair have to do with anything?" Lucas asked, obviously confused. Not that I wasn't.

"Cause Michaelangelo has a orange headband," Charlie said, with the obvious duh sound in his voice.

Lucas glanced at all three of their faces, all looking annoyed and frustrated and angry. They hadn't even decided on a theme and already had reached this place. Lucas banged his head against the table. "I think I'm having a seizure."

"That would be good," I nodded. "I could perform surgery then."

"Which is apparently easier than planning this party," Lucas groaned.

"How's it going, guys?" Meredith smiled as she came in with her empty ice cream carton, ruffling Dillon's hair.

"Daddy having a ceasar," Dillon told her.

"That bad?" Meredith laughed as Lucas groaned and rubbed his temples.

"We're fine," I answered. "Just deciding on a theme."

"I want Ninja turtles," Dillon stressed.

"Ninja turles is a good idea," Meredith nodded.

"Yeah, great idea," Lucas rolled his eyes. "Except everyone wants to be Michealangelo. And Charlie apparently has dibs on it because he has orange hair."

"Guys, it's Dill birthday. You should let him be Michealangelo," Meredith warned the other two.

"But I have orange hair!" Charlie repated.

"You do," Meredith nodded, ruffling it. "But you can be Michealangelo some other time."

"I guess," Charlie sighed.

"And Sullivan, Dill's your new cousin. He's family," Meredith nodded.

"You, you speak little boy?" I stared at my future wife, fighting the urge to fall down and kiss her ankles as Sullivan nodded.

"Yes," Meredith giggled. "Do you need some help?"

"Help?" Lucas turned to me. "Derek, do we need help?"

"Of course we don't need help," I scoffed.

"We're surgeons, Meredith," Lucas sighed. "I graduated top of my class. We're surgeons. And intelligent men. We've got this."

"Sure you do," Meredith nodded leaning forward and giving us both a kiss on the cheek. "Good look, doctors."

She waddled back to the living room and Lucas turned back to the boys. "Okay, so Ninja turtles, right?"

"Ninja turtles," Dillon nodded.

"Finally," Lucas sighed as he wrote it down. "Okay, what's next?"

"We need to decide who should come," Sullivan nodded

"Not Tommy," Charlie said firmly.

"Why not Tommy?" I asked.

"Because he's a poo head," Charlie answered.

"Why is he a poo head?" Lucas asked.

"Cause he got the new Power Rangers toy and wouldn't let us touch it," Dillon supplied.

"And that's a reason not to invite him?" I asked for clarification.

Dillon thought for a minute and then turned to Charlie. "What if he gets me a really cool toy though?"

Charlie looked pensive for a second. "Maybe you should invite him."

"Does he give really cool toys?" Sullivan asked.

"Usually he gives the coolest," Dillon smiled.

"Then you've gotta invite him!" Sullivan said.

"I don't know if it's a good idea to invite someone just for a gift," I suggested.

"Why not?" Dillon asked.

"Well it's a little rude," Lucas suggested.

"But he was already rude to me," Dillon stated.

"That's true," I nodded. "But two wrongs don't make a right."

"I heard him at the swimming pool say he was gonna get you a new Hot Wheels race track," Charlie told Dillon.

"We're inviting him," Dillon nodded.

"Dill, are you sure that's a good idea?" Lucas asked. "I mean, I wouldn't invite a poo head to my birthday." He turned to me, a horrified look on his face. "I just said poo head didn't I?"

"You did," I nodded. "You're being corrupted."

"Children are toxic," he sighed.

"They are," I agreed.

"Tommy's coming," Dillon said firmly. "And then we won't let him play with the race track."

"That's just mean," I gasped.

"He didn't let me play with his toy!" Dillon pouted.

"I know, bud. But just because he was mean to you doesn't give you reason to be mean to him," I explained.

"Yeah it does," Dillon, Charlie and Sullivan all said at once.

"No it doesn't," I argued. Which shows just how low I had sunk, I was arguing with seven year olds.

"Yeah it does," they argued back.

"No, it doesn't," I shook my head.

"Seizing," Lucas groaned. "I am clearly seizing."

I laughed. "Okay, maybe we should skip the invite list at the moment."

"Food," Lucas nodded. "Food is a safe choice."

"We can talk about food," I nodded.

"Pizza!" all three boys shouted. "Cause Ninja turtles eat pizza!"

"Thank god for an easy decision," I sighed

"What kind of pizza?" Lucas asked.

"Pepperoni!" Dillon yelled.

"Cheese!" Sullivan shouted.

"Hawaiian!" Charlie exclaimed.

"Ewww," Dillon and Sullivan said, scrunching up their faces.

Charlie pouted. "I like Hawaiian!"

"Derek," Lucas turned to me, "at what point in time does a seizure become life threatening?"

"Probably about now," I answered. "I think you're going to need an operation right now."

"Cool!" Charlie, Dillon, and Sullivan all said.

"Joking, we were joking," Lucas groaned.

"You know what would be really cool?" Sullivan turned to his two friends. "If we had a surgery party!"

"That would be cool!" Dillon yelled, his eyes completely wide.

Sullivan nodded. "My Uncle Mark has a lot of surgery videos! They have lots of blood and peoples' faces being torn off!"

"A surgery party would be a good idea," I nodded. "But watching Uncle Mark's videos might not be the best idea."

"I don't like surgery," Charlie frowned. "It hurt when I got my tonsils out."

"My blue arm hurt too," Dillon nodded. "But my daddy surgeons on hearts and Daddy Derek surgeons on brains. It's cool!"

"My mommy isn't a surgeon," Sullivan shook his head. "She shrinks peoples heads though!"

"Aunt Kathleen shrinks people's heads?" Dillon asked.

"Yeah," Sullivan nodded. "So they're not crazy anymore. If your head is really big, it means you're crazy."

"Wow! Daddy Derek why didn't you tell me Aunt Kathleen does that? That's cooler than surgeoning on brains," he pouted slightly, as if it was my fault that Kathleen had a cooler job than I did.

"She doesn't really," I sighed. "She talks to people and gives them medicine to make them feel better. She doesn't really shrink people's heads. It's a figure of speech."

"Oh," Dillon looked disappointed. "Can we still have a surgery party?"

"I don't want a surgery party," Charlie said. "What if it hurts?"

"They won't surgeon on us," Dillon shook his head. "But we can play like we're surgeoning and stuff!"

"I don't know how," Charlie sighed.

"Neither do I," Dillon said, patting his shoulder. "But my daddys can teach us."

"But what about Ninja turtles?" the orange haired boy frowned.

Dillon pouted. "I don't know. I like both."

"Derek," Lucas turned to me, "maybe we, uh, maybe we do need some...you know."

"We are not going to Meredith," I groaned. "You don't have to live with her, I would never hear the end of it."

"We've been here for an hour and we don't even have a theme," he sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Meredith will never shut up," I moaned again. "Ever."

"An hour, Derek," he stressed. "I'm going to have to get morphine for this headache. Or seizure. Whatever it is."

"Fine, but it's your fault. You're the one that gave in," I said.

"Do you want to go another hour?" he stared at me. "Another hour of poo heads and Hawaiian pizza and orange hair?"

"You will go get her," I nodded. "I am not admitting defeat."

"You're in love with her."

"Yes," I nodded. "And she will never shut up."

"This was your idea," he reminded me. "It was your idea to plan this. Not mine."

"You're his father," I reminded him.

"So are you."

I couldn't argue it. At all. Because it was nice that Dillon's real father acknowledged me as Dillon's father as well. "Fine, but I'm still blaming you," I groaned getting out of my chair.

"Whatever," he grinned. "Be brave, man."

I groaned and headed to the living room where she was curled up in a ball watching her movie. "A chick flick, seriously Mer? I thought you had better taste."

She looked up from her place on the couch, tears streaming down her cheeks. "He wrote her every day for a year," she sobbed. "And she's engaged!"

"That's tragic," I shook my head, slipping onto the couch beside her and letting her curl into my arms.

"And he built her a house," she whimpered. "Her dream house."

"I'm building you a house," I pointed out, laughing.

"Their relationship is so beautiful," she sighed. "They love each other but her mother wants her to marry this other guy."

"I'm sure it's all very beautiful," I sighed. "Wasn't that guy nominated for an Oscar?"

"Was he?" she shrugged and then looked up at me. "Party planning already done?"

"About that..." I trailed off.

"Oh?" she sat up a little, pausing the movie to look at me.

"Lucas thinks we need help," I nodded.

"Oh, he does," Meredith nodded slowly. "And what do you think?"

"I think we're fine," I said confidently. "But Lucas is the dad, if he thinks we need help...well."

Meredith raised her eyebrows. "I don't know, Chief," she said seriously, "I think you can take care of the situation and Lucas will listen."

I sighed. "Sullivan had the idea of a surgery party. But Charlie doesn't like it at all and wants to stick with Ninja turtles. And Dillon likes both ideas and is completely confused. And they hate Tommy but they want to invite him because apparently he's going to bring Dill a good gift but he won't be allowed to play with it. And Charlie wants Hawaiian pizza but the others hate it."

"And so you need..." she prompted me.

"I need my beautiful lovely fiancee's help," I groaned.

"And party planning isn't..."

"As easy as it looks," I admitted.

"Good," she smiled. "Help me up."

I grabbed her hands and pulled her up. "Am I going to hear this every day for the rest of my life?"

She laughed. "Oh, definitely," she nodded as she went into the kitchen where Lucas had his head on the table as the boys argued about surgery parties vs. Ninja turtles parties. "Listen up, guys. We're going to do Ninja turtles, to be allowed in, everyone has to wear a ninja turtle shirt or a bandana that's the color of their favorite Ninja turtle."

"You're a savior," Lucas smiled.

"We're going to have pizza," Meredith continued. "Cheese, pepperoni, and sausage. Charlie, we'll get you a personal pan of Hawaiian. Tommy's going to come but you guys have to let him play with the toy or I'm taking it away for Meggie. You have to invite at least one girl to be April, but she can't sleep over. If the boys want to sleep over, their mommies have to call me."

"This is why I love you," I kissed her quickly on the cheek.

"Dill, your cake will have Michaelangelo on it," she nodded. "And we'll decorate the backyard like a city and the living room like a sewer. Everyone will get party favors."

"I'm amazed, I'm in shock," Lucas murmured looking at the three kids who were now smiling.

"Does that sound good?" Meredith asked the boys.

"That sounds awesome, Aunt Meredith!' Sullivan exclaimed.

"Really, really cool!" Charlie grinned.

"Thanks Mommy!" Dillon smiled, wrapping his arms around her. "You're better at this than the Daddys."

"I know, honey," Meredith smiled. "Now you guys go upstairs, okay?"

"Okay," Dillon nodded, the three of them dissapearing.

Lucas suddenly grinned. "My seizure has stopped."

"I could have saved you," I nodded.

Meredith walked over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. "Your first mistake was involving them," she said smugly. "Your second was giving them options."

"But it's their party," I pointed out.

"And Dillon is the most indecisive kid on Earth," she argued. "Give him options and you would be until his birthday. It's like giving a seven year old options for surgery."

"I like the surgery party idea," Lucas pouted.

"Too old for them," Meredith stated. "They'd get bored in the first hour. You need something that will keep them occupied for hours."

"You're amazing," I smiled.

"I know," she laughed. "And Izzie now owes me twenty bucks."

"You bet on us?" Lucas asked.

"Of course I did," she nodded. "Actually, I think we had a pot going. Cristina bet thirty you'd crack in the first ten minutes. Alex said the first thirty. I said an hour. And Izzie said you'd plan the party perfectly."

"I've always liked Izzie," I nodded.

"Me too," Lucas nodded. "Nice girl who has faith in us."

"Optimistic girl that has faith in everyone," Meredith corrected.

"Hey guys," Kimmy came into the room, kissing her fiancee on the lips, "how's the party planning going?"

"It's done, thanks to me," Meredith rolled her eyes, moving to lean against me.

I rubbed her back and whispered, "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she whispered, giggling softly.

"So I have news," Kimmy smiled.

"News is good," I said, my hand resting on Meredith's stomach.

"I just put the finishing touches on Meg's nursery," Kimmy grinned.

"We can go see it?" Meredith asked.

"Definitely," Kimmy nodded. "Not to brag, but it's amazing."

"Well, let's go," I laughed moving and grabbing Meredith's hand.

We went upstairs as quickly as Meredith could go and Kimmy jumped in front of us. "Okay," she said, her hand on the door knob, "I give you, Megan Elaine Shepherd's nursery." She swung the door open and stepped aside.

The room was the yellow we chose, bright and vibrant. And it looked like it belonged to a princess, my princess. Gentle lace curtains hung on the windows. Bright family pictures lined one wall. Her crib sat in the middle, now lined with a beautiful blanket adorned with tiny yellow flowers. Everything matched, everything had the same yellow glow. It was perfect. Meredith stepped inside slowly, one hand in mine, the other on her stomach. "Oh," she sighed as she looked around, at the stuffed animals in one corner, at the rocking chair by the window. "Oh."

"Kimmy, it's perfect," I breathed.

"I know," Kimmy nodded as she smiled at Lucas, who also looked a little overwhelmed.

"Thank you, thank you," Meredith murmured, tears on her cheeks.

"We'll go," Lucas said, grabbing Kimmy's hand.

I just nodded as I pulled Meredith close to me. "Wow," I breathed.

She nodded, the tears damp on her cheeks. "Derek," she sighed, "we're having a baby."

"We are," I breathed. "Soon."

"Very," she nodded. "So soon. We...are we ready?"

"We're ready," I nodded. "We're really ready."

"Our daughter," she sighed, walking over to the wall of family photos, where a sonogram picture of our little girl was blown up and on the wall. Meredith fingered the picture, her other hand on her belly. "Our little girl."

I walked behind her and placed my hand over hers. "Did you know it was possible to be this happy?"

"Never," she shook her head. "Not in a million years."

"Me neither," I smiled. "Do you think other people are this happy? My sisters...their husbands...is this how they feel?"

"I have no idea," she shook her head. "I hope so."

"Me too," I whispered, kissing her neck. "You're the love of my life, Mer."

"Cheesy," she said lightly, but as I looked down I saw the tears on her cheeks.

"Are you okay?" I asked gently.

"Happy," she whispered. "You...you...you're my, my knight in shining whatever."

"I am," I nodded. "And you're my...I don't know. Something really important."

She giggled as she turned to look at me, her green eyes shining with tears. "I'm in love with you," she said it softly. "I can't, I can't imagine you not in my life."

"You never will have to, because I'm in love with you too," I whispered.

She reached up and kissed me lightly, her lips grazing mine like feathers. "Thank you."

"For what?" I asked.

"For this," she nodded, bringing my hand to her belly. "For loving Dillon. For loving me."

"There was never an option not too. From the second I saw you, you were it for me. And the second I saw Dill...I became a father," I told her.

"You're a sap, you know that," she giggled.

"And you love me," I laughed.

"I do," she nodded as she kissed me again. "I love you."

"I love you too," I smiled.

"We're having a little girl," she whispered, turning around in my arms so that her back was resting against my chest and I got a whiff of her lavender shampoo.

"We are," I nodded, burying my nose in her hair.

She brought my hand to her stomach and rested her own on top of it and we stood there, my arms tight around her as we felt our little girl move, staring at the room that would soon hold my Meggie.

"I guess there are somethings you just know, there's a voice inside that's telling me to hold on and never let you go..."