After dinner Derek, exhausted from his non-stop flight, parked out on the couch with Colby sprawled across him. The two were watching cartoons; Derek had given up arguing with Colby over the remote and decided to settle for Tom and Jerry. Colby's small body shook with laughter as the cat tried for the umpteenth time to swallow the tricky mouse. Derek smiled stroking her brown curly hair and pressing a kiss to her head. She reached up took his hand and brought it to her lips, smooching it loudly she looked up at her dad grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"If your not watching this then I'll just change it…" he teased as her head snapped back to the television. It was the quiet moments like this that Derek missed when he was jet setting across the country. He missed his family thoroughly, especially Meredith. Leaving her with their rowdy three children was hard on her. She always told him that she felt like a single parent barely raising Mallory, Colby, and Thatcher. They never really had any time for each other. If Meredith were on call, Derek would be home with the kids and vice versa. Even though Derek had just gotten back from his trip he hadn't spent any alone time with Meredith and seriously doubted that would be possible.

"Colby, did you pick up your toys that were lying around in the hallway?" Meredith asked as she leant against the doorframe to the TV room.

"No." she said getting up from Derek's lap begrudgingly and running off to the hallway.

"Alone at last." Meredith said plopping herself on Derek's lap.

"Oh, you're a little bigger than Colby." He laughed rubbing his arm that she just hit. Meredith cuddled into him resting her head between the crook of his neck.

"I missed you." She sighed.

"I missed you too. Those hotel rooms can get really lonely." He teased slipping his hand up her sweatshirt. His fingertips drummed across the skin of her hip.

"I bet you did." Meredith exclaimed pulling his hand away.

"Come on!" he protested. "You do know that we haven't had sex in a month?" he said whispering the last word.

"I know, either you weren't here or I wasn't in the mood." She challenged raising an eyebrow at him. Derek's hand found its way down her yoga pants stroking her unexpectedly.

"Are you in the mood now?" he asked swallowing hard.

"Derek." She pleaded grabbing at his hand and slowly removing it. "Any of the kids could have walked in." Meredith exclaimed.

"Sorry." He said turning his face.

"Don't be mad." She said as she saw the annoyed look on his face.

"I'm not mad." He let out. "It's just that we haven't been together in such a long time and I was hoping we could remedy that tonight." Derek explained letting his hands sneak underneath her top.

"Derek." She said sternly. He removed his hand and rubbed at his eyes in a tired fashion. Meredith huffed getting up from his lap.

"Fine, if you wanna pout be my guest." She marched off to put Thatcher to bed.

Derek kissed the girls goodnight along with Thatcher and met up with Meredith. He entered their bedroom and found Meredith rubbing her hands with some kind of anti-ageing lotion. She looked up at him and gave him a cold glare. Derek sighed; the last thing he needed was an angry wife sleeping as far away from him as she could. He got into bed running a hand through his hair and turning off his light. Meredith followed turning off her life and pulling the comforter around her.

"Goodnight." He tried, attempting to kiss her but she pulled away murmuring a "goodnight".

"Meredith."

"What?" she asked sitting up in bed and looking at him.

"Mer. I'm sorry." He said.

"You're sorry? I've been raising your kids for a week and a half and all you want when you come home is a little nookie. So actually I'm the sorry one, I'm sorry that I can't just lay here and let you have your way with me. Good night Derek." She said turning over and going to sleep.

"Um goodnight." He replied confused.

"Ugh, typical you to be confused when I'm mad at you." She huffed getting out of bed.

"Where are you going?"

"To sleep in the guestroom!"

"Mal what time should I pick you up from school today?" Derek asked as he poured some Museli cereal in a bowl.

"At three." She answered spooning some cereal into her mouth while reading the comics.

He nodded while crunching on his cereal and drummed his fingers on the table.

"Why are you and Mom fighting?" Mallory asked wiping away the excess milk from her mouth.

Derek chuckled, "No we just had a misunderstanding."

"That's what grownups say when they don't want their kids to know they've been fighting." Her face suddenly got very serious and sullen with her next question. "Are you guys gonna get a divorce?" He choked on his bite putting the bowl down.

"No! Why do you always ask that?" Mallory shrugged and went back to reading her comics.

"Come here." He tilted his head in his direction for her to come sit with him. She got and dropped herself in his lap.

"Your mother and I love each other very much, but sometimes I can make mommy very mad."

"Sometimes!" Mallory scoffed.

"Okay most of the time, but that doesn't mean I love her any less or you and your siblings.

"Well maybe just Colby she can be annoying." She teased. The doorbell rang interrupting their father daughter moment.

"I'll get it!" Colby yelled from the foyer.

"Ask who it is!" Derek instructed and shook his head; she normally just opened the door anyway. In walked Rebecca, immaculate and ready as always to face the day. Mallory got off of Derek's lap and ran out of the room giving Rebecca a hasty "good morning".

"Well she's off!" Rebecca laughed.

"Good morning Rebecca." Derek smiled touching her elbow as he made his way to the sink. Rebecca was one of those many wives who had a crush on Derek. And with Derek being the kind touchy feely guy who gave off the wrong message; this made him all the more irresistible and unattainable.

"So I see you're back from your conference. How was it?"

"Oh it was great, but I really missed my wife and kids." He smiled while washing his bowl.

"Yeah, of course. Where is Meredith by the way?" she asked taking a step closer to him.

"Right here." Meredith said walking in with Thatcher on her hip. She strapped him into his high chair and moved to the fridge. "Hi Rebecca." She smiled.

"Well I just dropped in to say good morning. I really should be getting the kids to school. So I'll see you later." She said, quickly exiting.

"I know someone's glad your back." Meredith said under her breath as she got Thatcher's breakfast ready. "Here." She handed him Thatcher's meal.

"Mer."

"What?" she asked opening up a water bottle.

"Don't be like that. I didn't mean it like that."

"Mean what, that you really really wanted to have sex last night despite the fact that I was tired?" Derek gave her a half smile knowing she was right. "That's what I thought."

Derek sighed, "Are you going to work today?" She nodded.

"Yeah you get to play Mr. Mom today." Meredith replied in a sarcastic tone.

"Hon. Are you ever going to forgive me?" he asked circling his hands around her waist. She looked up into his piercing blue eyes, 'He smells really good.' She thought as his thumbs rubbed at the gap of skin revealed by her sweater. He pulled her closer to his body and kissed her nose.

"You don't want to sleep in the guestroom again do you?" he asked.

"No, but you will if you keep this up." Meredith said moving out of his embrace.

"Come on Mer, all I said was that we were having a bit of a dry spot."

"Would you cheat on me?" she blurted out. Derek looked to her with disbelief on his face.

"No!"

"It's just that your gone so often and I don't know if your…" she sobbed gently.

"Shh, shh, Mer calm down." He said drawing her close to her. "I would never do that to you. I love you so much."

"I love you too." She sighed and pulled back from his embrace. "I'm okay." Meredith nodded.

"You're okay. And you're going to be late." He said gesturing to his watch.

"God your right." Meredith wiped her eyes and smiled weakly. Derek leaned down kissing her softly.

"Hmmm." Meredith groaned wrapping her arms around his neck to deepen the kiss. She had no idea why she was trying to pick a fight with him. That comment Rebecca made really bothered her but she didn't want to admit it to herself.

"I have to go." She pulled away grabbing her tote and slinging it around her shoulder. "See you tonight." Meredith said wiggling her fingers at him.

"No I can't come out with you and the guys tonight." Derek told his good friend Todd as he held Thatcher.

"Oh come on! You just got back and we wanted to hit Joe's." the lanky 38 year old exclaimed.

Todd and Derek's children went to school together. He was a single father and brought his six-year-old daughter Kay into the hospital because she had taken a bad fall and was bleeding into her brain. After comforting Todd and assuring him that Kay would be all right the two became really good friends.

"I already got a sitter I'm sure you could throw the kids on her."

Derek laughed as they waited outside of Mallory and Colby's school. There was a nice breeze that wafted through the air. It was so nice out all Derek wore was a sweater and Birkenstock sandals.

"Why don't I take a rain check? I really needed to fix dinner, help with the homework, and put them to bed." Thatcher mumbled incoherently banging against Derek's chest.

"Whoa cool it Thatch." He said stilling his fists. The kids came running out if the school building in a rush of excitement. He quickly spotted Mallory, Colby, and Kay; Derek waved motioning for them to come.

"Hey Daddy." Colby smiled as Derek bent down to kiss her. Mallory hugged his waist while Colby slipped her hand into free his one.

"Daddy!" Kay exclaimed as Todd hoisted her into his arms.

"Alrighty then. I'll catch you later Shepherd." Derek waved good-bye to his friend and took his keys out of his pocket.

"What do you think about pizza for dinner?" Derek asked as he was met with hoots of joy.