Author's Note: Once again, I'd love to thank you all. For those who review every week, and/or update, it means so much to me. In honor of Grey's coming back on in less than a day, I'd figure I'd give y'all another update. Also, I'm a tad obsessed with this story and can't stop writing. Once again, please enjoy and I hope y'all have a great day xx

The sunrise shone right into the bedroom window, waking up Meredith with a brutal headache. She pulled her pillow over her head and grumbled. She felt a pair of lips on her shoulder, then a phone ringing. "What's up, Mark?" Derek sighed. "I'm in New York."

Meredith just wanted to sleep, now. She sat up slowly, looking to see that it was seven in the morning. Part of her now hated Mark Sloan. "No, I don't have an extra key. Stop sleeping with crazy women and you won't have this problem." Derek placed his phone on the night stand and pulled Meredith under him. "Hi."

"Everything hurts," She frowned.

He smirked. "Where?" He kissed her jawline, moving down her neck slowly. When he came to her collarbone, he glanced up. "Does that feel better?"

"A little bit," She giggled.

His lips moved southern. He trailed kisses down, between her breasts. He moved past her belly button, only being stopped by a knock on the door. "Seriously," He mumbled. "Yeah?"

"Derek, Kyla needs you."

He jumped up, pulling on his sweatpants. "She doesn't do well sleeping in other places. Her nightmares are… bad."

"Derek, it's okay. Go."

He closed the door behind himself, walking into the room his daughter was staying in. She was curled in a ball, tears staining her cheeks. "Hey, sweetie. What's going on?"

"It… it…"

He sat on the bed, letting her wrap her arms around him. "I know. I get nightmares too, baby girl. You know what?"

"W-What?" She sniffled.

"It makes us so much stronger," He rubbed her back slowly. She was drenched in sweat. "I think you're already the strongest girl I know. You're smart and caring. You even have better jokes than I do."

"Because you're not funny, Daddy."

Derek chuckled, "I guess I'll accept that." He felt her relax, her eyes fluttering shut. He tucked her back into bed, hoping she'd get at least another hour or two to sleep. He shut her door very silently, walking back into his own room. He sat in bed and sighed.

"Is everything okay?" Meredith frowned.

He let out an exhausted sigh. "Remember how I pretty much disappeared last year? I wasn't active at all."

"Yeah, of course."

"Last July, I was driving up here to visit my family. While on the interstate, a truck came across the highway, hitting the back of my SUV. We spun around and I don't remember much after that. I woke up in the hospital with a note from my then girlfriend, unable to handle my shoulder injury."

Meredith frowned. "I'm so sorry."

"Kyla was uninjured, thankfully, but she gets the nightmares like I do sometimes," He sighed. "She's too young to be put on any type of medication for it. It's been a few months since the last time."

"She's such a great kid."

"She is," Derek smiled. "I just hope this doesn't last forever for her. I'd rather deal with it every night, than see her like that just once." He laid back down, pulling Meredith against him.

She ran her fingernails against his bare skin, looking up at him. "That's one of the reasons I like you so much," Meredith blushed, avoiding eye contact. "You'd take a lifetime of hurt just to make sure your daughter never has to feel it."

"Look at me," He ran his fingers up and down her sides slowly, as Meredith picked her eyes up. "You're guarded. I've noticed that and I'm not going to pry into why exactly you're so guarded right now. What I am going to do is get through that wall. I have plans, remember?"

"I do remember."

"Meredith, everyone always criticizes me for every move I make. You never have. You treat Kyla like she's your own and put me in place when I need it. Would you…" He paused. "Be my girlfriend."

It wasn't a question. It was a statement. "I know it seems quick," He added, "But, I can't explain it…"

"Nothing's ever felt more right?" She leaned up with a sly smile.

Derek grabbed her tightly, kissing her slowly. He kissed her like it was the first time he saw her beauty. He kissed her like it was the last time he'd ever feel her tongue against his. He pulled back breathless, watching her chest rise and fall as she bit her lower lip. "Can I take that as a yes?"

"Nope," She giggled. "Yes, Derek, I'd love to be your girlfriend."

"Derek!" Carolyn called from the kitchen down the hall. "It's time for breakfast!"

"And right back to feeling like I'm in high school, again," He shook his head. He kissed along her jaw slowly. "We're sneaking around later on."

"I'm definitely okay with that."

x.x.x

Meredith sat at the kitchen table and let out a sigh. She had her work and personal I pad in front of her. Derek and his family were down at the dock at the back of the house. She had to get some work done, otherwise she'd be so behind.

Flipping through the electronic files, she picked up her phone, as the annoying ringtone sang. "Dr. Grey speaking."

"Meredith, It's Mom."

The eye roll came naturally, it was like breathing, she didn't control it, it just happened. "What's going on?"

"Look, we haven't spoken in two weeks now and I wanted to apologize."

She looked out the window to make sure pigs weren't flying, "Okay. It's… fine, I suppose."

"I'd like to meet your... friend, maybe some day for lunch you two could meet me somewhere near the hospital."

"He's my boyfriend," She corrected with a giddy smile. God, she felt like she was in high school again. "I'll see what our schedules look like. This time of the year is very busy."

"I imagined so. Well, I'm being paged, just call my secretary and she'll fit you in my schedule."

Meredith placed her phone down. That was the closest to a normal conversation would get with the all powerful Ellis Grey.

Once thirty minutes went by, Meredith needed fresh air. She headed out the back door and down the hill to the dock. Kyla was running around, trying to fly a kite with the lack of wind. Carolyn and Derek were watching her, and the neighbors enjoying the warm October day on the man made lake.

She sat down right next to Derek, taking in the breeze. "Meredith, look! I'm flying a kite!"

"I see! Good job, sweetie!"

"You seem really good with children, Meredith. Do you want your own someday? I could use some more grandchildren."

"Mom," Derek groaned, completely and utterly embarrassed.

"Maybe one day," She laughed. "This is my first year in Philadelphia, so I'd really like to find my bearings for a few years."

"Daddy! Come see the turtles!"

Derek quickly excused himself, picking up his giggling child.

"He really likes you," Carolyn smiled as Meredith's cheeks turned red, immediately. "Okay, I'll stop embarrassing you now."

"Mom!"

Carolyn turned around, seeing another one of her daughter's walking towards her. "Liz! I thought you had to work?" She kissed her daughter.

"I had someone cover me for an hour. Hi! I'm Lizzie, you must be Meredith." She extended her hand.

"It's great to meet you," Meredith shook her hand with a small smile. She was bound to mix up someone's name at some point.

"Oh, you're nice. Thank god, Derek didn't find another stuck up girlfriend."

"Elizabeth," Her mother frowned.

"Hey, I only speak the truth," She shrugged her shoulders as Kyla jumped into her arms. "There's my favorite niece."

"Hi, Aunt Lizzie."

Derek caught up, slightly running out of breath. "Hey, Liz."

"Aren't you an athlete?" She frowned, "You can't keep up with an eight year old?"

Meredith couldn't help but laugh at Derek's reaction. "Keep talking and I'm not taking you on a date tonight." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Apparently Mom wants to take Kyla out to a grandma, granddaughter dinner, so, I'll steal you for the night."

"Where are we going, Grandma?"

"Anywhere you'd like, sweetie."

x.x.x

"I have make up on. Not the usual mascara, Cris. I have foundation on," Meredith frowned, trying to perfect her outfit for the night. "Heels, too. Heels."

"Jesus, who are you?" Cristina mocked her.

"I don't appreciate the sass," Meredith ran her hand down her black dress. It was fitted at the top with halter straps and flared out a tad at the bottom. "Look, I'm trying to do this relationship the right way, or whatever."

"Relationship, huh? Are you two official? Like, facebook official?"

"Well, this has been riveting. I'll call you later jackass," Meredith laughed. After saying goodbye, she hung up on her best friend. "You can do this. You can be normal."

She fixed her hair into a half up-do and shrugged. Meredith walked down the hall to see Derek in a black suit. He had a dark red tie on that made her want to melt right there. "Wow," He smiled.

"I could say the same." He grabbed her sides gently, but Meredith dodged his kiss. "I spent thirty minutes trying to put on lipstick. You don't get to mess this up yet."

"Yet? So there's hope."

"If you treat me nicely, maybe I'll come home with you," She winked.

"I'll be the most perfect gentleman," He opened the door for her. He interlocked his fingers with hers as they walked down the street towards town. That's the one part of New York he missed. The town was so small that he could walk anywhere and he knew just about everyone.

Fortunately, he didn't have to worry about anyone recognizing him and overreacting. Everyone had known him since he played pop warner. He was just Derek here. "What are you thinking about?"

"How lucky I am," He chuckled.

She shook her head, "Seriously?"

"I love Philadelphia and I love my career, but anytime I'm home, I never want to leave. Maybe it's just nostalgia." The rounded the corner onto a quaint street. "This is main street, but we've always called it the boardwalk."

"Why's that?"

"Behind this side is the makeshift beach. I wouldn't suggest swimming in it, but it's nice to look at when it's dark out. There's about three different arcades on this street. A few bars. There's two really nice restaurants. It's almost like Jersey."

"Except in New Jersey we can swim in our ocean," She smirked.

"Oh, you've actually swam in that mess?" He faked a disgusted expression, then cracked a smile. "I don't know if this is gonna work."

"If I can get over you being a New Yorker, you can get over me being a Jersey girl."

"What's that Springsteen song?" He looked quizzically at her.

"Cause nothing matters in the whole wide world, when you're in love with a Jersey girl," She quoted perfectly.

"Damn, you're good."