LIFE

'The best things in life are unseen;
that's why we close our eyes when we kiss, cry, and dream'
- Anon.

- The first few days of the rest of their lives... -

It was dark when Derek turned the car onto the long, dirt driveway that snaked back and forth across the land they both loved so much. The trailer quickly came into view, its silver frame accentuated by the light of the mostly-full moon. Meredith smiled at the sight and reached her hand over to rest atop Derek's leg. He dropped his right hand from the steering wheel to capture hers.

"We're almost home," he commented, squeezing her hand.

"Yeah..." She whispered, feeling her heart flutter in her chest. For the first time in her life she had a home that really and truly felt like home. Home was no longer simply the building she was residing in, or the place her mail was sent to. It was no longer the only place she could afford, or the closest place to work or school. Home was no longer only a place to live and feel content. Now, home had everything to do with the man beside her in the car; the man she had vowed to spend the rest of her life with, the man who had promised to love her for the rest of his. Home was now where she was accepted as who she was, where she was loved, where she was special to someone else.

And right now, home was apparently a small trailer on a large plot of land. The thought almost made her laugh. True, she was living the dream of so many women; she had fallen in love with and married the perfect, dreamy doctor. But they still found a way of making their love story non-traditional; enter the trailer.

They had the following day off, and had opted to stay at the trailer to extend their 'honeymoon' for as long as possible, regardless of the fact that their plane had been delayed for several hours and by the time they had landed in Seattle, gotten his car out of long-term parking at the airport and driven out to their land, it was close to midnight.

He pulled the car up to the slightly overgrown parking space and lifted his hand off of hers to shift into park. After the engine was off, they sat in silence for several seconds before Derek took a deep breath and offered her a smile. "I love you so much, Mer," he told her quietly, replacing his hand atop of hers.

Meredith turned her hand under his to link their fingers together, palm to palm. "I love you more." She smirked.

Derek growled in the back of his throat. "Not true."

"Is so true," she countered. "And you know I'm right."

"I should never have told you about that..." He grumbled.

She laughed. "It's too late now, buster."

"Buster?" He raised an eyebrow.

She shrugged, biting back a smile. "Isn't that what people say?"

Derek leaned across the consul to press his lips against hers. "Apparently, it's what my wife says..."

Meredith couldn't help the beaming smile that it up her face. The term still gave her goose-bumps, especially when it rolled so easily off his tongue. "Yeah, well...deal with it."

It was his turn to laugh. "Nice comeback."

"It's late," she explained, with a nonchalant wave of her right hand. "I don't have the brain power to come up with a better one right now." It may be close to midnight in Seattle, but they were still on New York time, and it was almost three in the morning across the country.

Derek smiled wryly at her and shook his head before turning away to get out of the car. Meredith rolled her eyes and followed suit, meeting her husband at the trunk to get their bags. He was still smirking when he passed her suitcase into her waiting hands.

"Thanks." Meredith leaned in close to kiss him before he could pull his own bag out. She found she had been doing that a lot lately, leaning in to kiss him; light and quick. She smiled when she realized how much of a habit it was becoming.

He caught her by the waist and pulled her into a second, deeper, kiss for several moments. "You're very welcome," he whispered against her lips when he pulled away.

She pecked his lips one last time before pulling herself from his arms to drag her suitcase along the grassy pathway to the trailer porch. The wheels thudded against the wood as she pulled it up the three steps to the deck. Releasing the handle near the door, she dug her hand into her purse, eventually coming up with her keys. Without having realized he had caught up to her, Meredith yawned and stretched out her hand towards the lock, but her movements were thwarted when Derek's chest found her side and his strong arms wrapped around her, easily pulling her keys out of her fingers as her grip loosened in surprise.

"Wha...?" She stuttered, unable to continue as his lips found her neck, sending a series of chills up and down her spine, despite her exhaustion.

Derek's chin found purchase on her shoulder as his lips released the smooth skin of her neck. "You need to stay here for a minute."

She leaned her head against his. "Why?"

"Because."

Meredith scoffed. "Derek, it's like three in the morning for us..." All she wanted to do was curl up in her husband's arms and sleep for as long as her body would let her. She had always loved coming out to the trailer with him on their rare days off together. It was so quiet and serene, offering her a haven she had never had before. Wrapped in his arms, in the small bedroom of the small trailer, out in the middle of nowhere with the only sounds around her being that of the wind and his even breathing, Meredith found her peace.

He pressed his lips against the side of her neck again. "Trust me."

"Derek..." She whined, the sensations of his attention once more reeking havoc on her traitorous body. Even after two days of having nothing but his devoted attention, she was still aptly responsive to his magic touch.

"Stay," he commanded, leaving her bereft when his warmth, that had been surrounding her so completely, suddenly dissipated. His fingers found the handle of her suitcase and he disappeared through the door, leaving her floundering for something to say in response.

"Just because I'm your wife now doesn't mean you get to tell me what to do!" She called after him, mustering as much of a serious tone as she could now that she was already dealing with conflicting exhaustion and arousal coursing through her system. "McDreamy my ass..." She mumbled to herself.

He reappeared seconds later, a laughing smile playing across his lips. If he had heard her quiet comment, he didn't mention it. "Mer, I'd never dream of telling you what to do...or of actually expecting you to do it." His eyes sparkled and he smirked, his lips pursing as his perfect dimple erupted on either side of his mouth.

She glared at him, even through her laughter. "You told me to stay."

"I asked you to stay."

"No, you told me to stay."

"Did I say you had to stay?"

"Well, no...but that's not the point."

"I think it's the point." He stepped forward and captured her lips with his, effectively ending the playful argument. His hands found the small of her back and she couldn't help but run her fingers up his body to his hair. She really loved his hair. And his strong shoulders. And his chest. And his...everything.

"Derek..." She moaned his name when he pulled back, leaving her breathless and wanting. Exhaustion was officially bowing out of the competition; not that it had put up much of a fight.

He smiled at her and shifted to the side, and before she could even wonder what he was doing, she found herself being swept off the ground.

"Derek!" She said his name again, only much louder this time. Her fingers clutched to the fabric of his shirt, but with his strong arms holding her, she couldn't imagine feeling unsafe. She giggled as she settled against him. "What are you doing?"

He smiled and kissed her again. "I'm doing the threshold thing."

"You already did the threshold thing," she reminded. After they had driven to the hotel after the reception, and had made out in the elevator on the way up to their floor, he had carried her all the way down the hall, into their room, and to their bed.

She could remember gasping as the elevator beeped to announce their floor and he had released her from the confines of his arms where he was pressing her against the wall of the small car, and picked her up in one smooth motion.

"Why are you carrying me?" She had asked as he stepped out of the elevator and paused to determine which direction to turn.

"Because we have to do the threshold thing. You know, where the groom gets to carry his bride over the threshold on their wedding night?"

"Hmmm... I like the sound of that..." She had purred into his lips as he turned left and proceeded to carry her all the way down the hallway and around the corner. Apparently the honeymoon sweet was in its own corner of the building. With good reason, she had thought as her body tingled with anticipation.

"Yes, and it was very enjoyable, so I'm doing it again." His smooth voice pulled her from her reverie. She met his clear, blue eyes, filled to the brim with love and happiness and heat, and felt herself melt inside. Oh yeah, exhaustion was definitely taking a backseat for the night.

"Isn't it like a tradition thing," she teased, "only supposed to be once?"

He shrugged. "I was never sure if it was supposed to be the groom carrying the bride over the threshold on the wedding night, or when they got home, so I thought I'd do both just to make sure." He was smiling and his eyes were shining, only betraying a hint of insecurity, asking her to take the leap with him. "And we can even do it again when the house is finished. In fact, I'll have to insist on it."

She pulled his face close to hers and kissed him; soft and sweet. "You've got no complaints from over here," she reassured with a light smile. "I'm all for doing the threshold thing again. Hell, I'm all for making it a regular occurrence." She could still remember the lingering nerves bouncing between her stomach walls as she had taken the key-card from Derek and fumbled to unlock the door for them as he held her. Or the way her throat had dried as he carried her across the room without pausing to turn on the lights. Or the way her chest had burned when he set her down on the soft bed, laying his weight over top of her; they had done this countless times, but it suddenly felt new all over again. Or the way her heart had fluttered when he had lifted his lips away from her clavicle and paused, his hand brushing a few strands of hair out of her face. And the way he had smiled down at her, his gaze showing nothing more than the love and devotion and security she had secretly dreamed about for her entire life.

She could definitely live with the threshold thing again.

His face lit up with her encouraging words and he proceeded to pull open the door and step inside, cradling her small frame to his chest. During the short walk from the door to the bed, Meredith caught her bearings as she took in the trailer around her. They had only been gone a week and a half. And they had been out to the trailer days before they had gone. But everything seemed so much different now. So much had changed for her in the past few weeks; few days, really. The trailer had never felt so much like home before.

They had spent months practically living together in her mother's house, and although it had been comfortable, it hadn't been home for her since she was five years old. And they had been living in their apartment in the city for nearly a year, and it had been wonderful. Sharing a residence with only Derek had done wonders to cement their relationship in her mind. The apartment felt home-y and fun, but never quite like home. It had never been permanent in her mind.

Several months ago, she and Derek had decided to start building their dream house, and Derek had brought her out to his land, only to present her with a new trailer; to start fresh, so that all of the memories would be theirs. And a large, manila envelope had produced a newly drafted deed that listed her as a co-landowner. And the next morning he had taken her to the most scenic spot on his land and asked her for the rest of her life.

She had been overwhelmed by the sense of belonging and home she had felt when she had said yes and found herself wrapped in his warm arms. And now, as she was being placed down on the soft mattress and he was smiling reverently down at her, she found herself surprised as realization washed over her in waves; it wasn't the building or the room or the amount of time spent in it. There was only one thing she needed to feel at home.

Him.

The places they had lived together had felt more and more like home as their commitment to each other had increased. And now, officially and legally committed to each other for a lifetime, all she needed to feel at home was him, and a small trailer in the middle of nowhere.

000

Derek nodded along to the contractor's words as he and Meredith were led through their soon-to-be new house for the first time. The floors of the ground level were unfinished, but solid, and most of the walls were still open to their surrounding rooms, simply defined by beams and two-by-fours, giving the house a transparent feeling. In the next few weeks, the second floor would be in the same stages, and then the electrical would be completed and the walls would be dry-walled.

"And we're still on track for completion in November?" Derek asked.

Their head contractor, Henry, nodded. He was a pleasant, older man, likely in his early fifties, with an agreeable expression and thinning grey hair. His friendly nature and easy-going disposition made him a wonderful spokesperson for his small company. Derek and Meredith had both immediately taken to him during their first meeting. "Yes, of course, Dr. Shepherd. Everything has gone well so far. It is a beautiful home you two have designed."

"Thanks," he responded, smiling as he felt his wife tuck into his side after she had wandered what would one day be their kitchen, her arm reaching around his back. Her eyes were shining, and had been since they had stepped through the hole that would be their front door.

"It looks really good," she told Henry. "I mean, I don't really know what I'm looking at, but the walls - well, the part of them that are up – look really good. And are right where I expected them, so that's good." She giggled. "It's actually really cool, you know? To be able to see the house in these stages, I mean. There's nothing like really knowing your house from the inside out, I guess..."

Derek bit back a laugh as he watched Henry try to maintain a straight face.

"Thank-you, Dr. Grey," he quickly responded with a smile. "It's always nice to have interested clients. Most just call me up every week and demand that I work faster." Derek and Meredith had chosen this company because they were known for quality and attention to detail more so than speed. If it took the better part of a year to build the house they would spend the rest of their lives in, it was worth it for the house to be perfect.

"You're welcome," Meredith answered, "but it's actually Dr. Shepherd now."

Derek felt his heart jump at her gentle correction. Meredith Shepherd. He hadn't been lying so many months before when he had told her he would support whatever decision she made. But the feeling in his heart when he had read her choice off the marriage license form the week before had almost overwhelmed him. She really wanted to start over with him, let her past go and concentrate on building a new family with him. A family that would one day have more members, but for now he was content with just the two of them.

Henry's eyes traveled down to her left hand, and then across the Derek's before they came back up and he offered them a warm smile. "Congratulations, you two. I didn't even notice."

"Thank-you." Derek smiled and wrapped an arm around his wife.

"When was the big day?"

"Saturday." Derek couldn't help the bright smile that erupted from his lips. The last three days had included playing host to fifty people, spending hours and hours in a busy airport, and a five and a half hour plane ride complete with tons of turbulence. And yet, they had been the best three days of his life because she had been at his side the entire time.

"We should be halfway home by now," he had grumbled as he glanced at his watch, clearly irritated.

She had lifted her head off his shoulder and offered him a smile and a shrug that said 'what can you do about it?' The weather was horrible and a number of flights had been cancelled. They were lucky theirs was only delayed.

Her hand found his and she ran her fingers over the smooth band of platinum gracing his ring finger before she threaded her fingers through his. "It's kind of ironic, don't you think, that we're stuck in New York because of a storm and it's sunny in Seattle?"

Despite his agitation, Derek found the corner of his lips quirking upwards. "It's a little ironic," he conceded. "I just...We only have one more day off before we have to go back to work and I don't want to spend it in an airport."

She leaned over to kiss him lightly, and he felt his mood brighten considerably. He couldn't be angry at anything when he was reminded of the perfect woman beside him and her place in his heart. "At least we're together."

He squeezed her hand. "There is that."

She glanced around the crowded seating area to determine if they had any eavesdroppers, and then she leaned close, a conspiratorial grin across her face. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "And if we lose out on our last day off to celebrate at home, we'll just have to celebrate on the plane..."

He laughed out loud before he could help it, not having expected her words. A few weary passengers glanced towards them, but none for any length of time. He raised an eyebrow towards his smirking wife. "And what kind of celebrating do you have in mind, Mrs. Shepherd?"

She played it coy, shrugging nonchalantly. "Whatever kind we could accomplish on an airplane, I guess."

He bit back a second laugh and happily pulled her warm body closer to his, inhaling the lavender still wafting from her hair from their joint shower that morning. And when their flight had been called to board a half hour later, he had almost been disappointed.

"Three days ago?" Henry shook his head. "No honeymoon? When my wife and I got married, she demanded we go away for at least two weeks."

"We can't get anymore time off for a while," Meredith explained. "The hospital keeps us pretty busy."

"Of course, I guess that's the downside to being a doctor. When will you get a chance?"

Meredith glanced towards him, and Derek found himself shrugging. "We're not too sure," he answered for them. "Definitely not for a few months at least. But then we get close to Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Years... So, it may very well have to wait until next year."

"That's too bad."

Derek nodded, but couldn't find the emotion to really feel all that sad about it; not with his wife of three days tucked in so close to him.

He could still see a perfect mental picture of her, eyes shining with tears, as she said 'I do' without the smallest hint of uncertainty in her tone. He had done it. He had broken through all of her walls. He had proved to her he was worth trusting again. And she did trust him, implicitly. And she loved him, just as much as he loved her. And forever was in front of them now.

Any bumps or roadblocks that presented themselves in their future would be things they could handle together, things they would handle together.

000

There was a spring in her step as she walked through the front doors of the hospital for the first time in almost two weeks. It was the longest she had been away from the building since her very first shift nearly two years ago. But even though it was early and the weather was dreary, she couldn't wipe the smile from her face.

Stopping to order a coffee from the cart near the front doors, she glanced at her watch and was happy to see she still had plenty of time. It was a little after seven and her shift didn't start until eight, which gave her plenty of time to take care of the paperwork to have her name changed at the hospital. Derek had had an early surgery scheduled and had driven in half an hour before her. She was on call that night, so they had taken separate cars. After nearly two weeks off, it was a little disconcerting to be thrust back into the 'real world' so quickly. And if she was completely honest with herself, it was a little disconcerting that she had only been separated from Derek for an hour and she already missed him.

After receiving her much needed large coffee, she headed up to her locker room to change into her scrubs. There was a note from the Chief telling her Patricia had the paperwork ready at her desk. And under the note, was her lab coat, crisp and white and neatly folded.

Furrowing her brow, Meredith pulled it out and, holding on to the collar, let it fall open before her. She wondered briefly if all of the resident's coats had been sent to be cleaned while she had been away.

However, the second her eyes fell on the special new detail gracing the pristine white of the coat her eyes stung as she struggled to hold back tears.

Dr. Meredith Shepherd, MD.

Someone had already had the name changed for her. It hadn't even crossed her mind. She breathed deep as she ran her fingers over the new stitching; you couldn't even tell that another word had graced the fine, white material over the pocket at any time. Grey was disappearing into the background and she was moving forward, part of a new family. A real family.

The door swung open behind her and she swallowed hard, quelling her emotions as she turned to greet whichever resident was invading her quiet, surprisingly emotional, state.

Callie Torres greeted her with a short smile, her eyes tired and face haggard. She stumbled towards her cubby with exhaustion evident in every step.

"Hey," Meredith returned her smile with a sympathetic one. "Tough night on call?"

"Oh, yeah, it was non-stop," the older resident responded, her voice low and weak. "But now I get to go home and sleep." She pulled out her street clothes from her cubby.

"Lucky you."

"Says the girl who is just getting back after, what, two weeks off?" There was mock-irritation in her tone as she teased. Other than Callie's propensity to wear far too little clothes at times and pee naked in front of her, Meredith hadn't ever taken issue with her or her relationship with George. And she had been surprised to hear about the destruction of their marriage so quickly after their wedding, not to mention the reason behind it.

Meredith laughed. "A week and a half," she corrected lightly.

"Whatever, it was still time away from this place." She yawned. "God, I feel like I could sleep for a week and a half," she complained, staring temptingly towards the couch lining the wall across the room, as if she debated sleeping on it instead of going home.

"Hey, I've been there."

"The joys of being a surgeon, huh?"

Meredith nodded with a small laugh. "Exactly."

Callie pulled her attention from the couch and began gathering her personal items out of her cubby. "You and Shepherd went to New York, right?"

Meredith nodded. "Yeah, he grew up there. His mother still lives in the house, and all of his sisters are still in the state."

"Ah, so you spent time getting to know the future in-laws?"

She was taken aback by Callie's simple, supposed-to-be-teasing comment. In a hospital where no one could keep a secret for very long at all, it surprised her that her and Derek's nuptials, which weren't meant to be a secret, apparently hadn't made it to Callie's ears. She paused and wondered who else hadn't heard the news. She had expected to be accosted by well-wishers the second she stepped foot in the hospital that morning; nothing else that had happened to her in the past two years had ever stayed secret.

Callie, however, took her silence the wrong way. "Please don't tell me you two broke up again?"

"Again? That's not... There was only ever the one break up. And one...delay getting back together...and then one...awkward week or two..." She shook her head. "There's no again."

"Still...you guys have a history. So, please tell me you're still moving in the right direction? Because someone in this hospital needs to have a happy ending."

She sighed at the heavy tone in Callie's voice, and treaded carefully. "Actually, Derek's family aren't my future in-laws, they're my current in-laws."

Callie furrowed her brow. "But..."

"Derek and I got married on Saturday, out in New York."

"What?" Callie seemed pleasantly surprised. "I didn't know that. Congratulations."

Meredith couldn't help the smile that took over her lips. "Thanks, Callie."

"God, you did an excellent job keeping it secret from the hospital. I haven't even heard rumours about it or anything."

"We never meant to keep it a secret..." Meredith shook her head. "I mean, we didn't plan to get married last week. But we got there and decided, and then put it together in a week..." She shrugged. "The chief knew. And he and Bailey and my friends flew out... I never thought it wouldn't be common knowledge. Everything else I've done in two years has been common knowledge."

Callie nodded. "That's true." She yawned. "Well, congrats again, and tell Dr. Shepherd congrats for me, but I have to go home and get some sleep."

"Thanks. And have fun sleeping."

The door swung shut behind the older resident and Meredith found herself alone once again. She sighed, unsure how she felt about having inadvertently, but effectively, kept a secret from the hospital gossip line. It meant she wouldn't have to deal with the stares and whispers all at once. But it also meant a lot of explanations like the one she had just given.

She gripped onto her coat, once again running her fingers over the newly stitched name.

"Shepherd..." She whispered to herself.

And then she smiled, wondering if Derek had realized their position yet.

000

Derek had, in fact, realized their unique position of surprising the hospital staff within minutes of entering the hospital. After changing into his scrubs, he had stopped by the nurses' station and requested his patient's chart.

He had scheduled the surgery three weeks before; a tumour resection. The tumour was benign, but causing problems, so it had to come out. It was a straight-forward procedure; Derek just wanted to review the chart and history before he headed for the patient's room.

He was engrossed in reading his own notes and missed the small gasp from the nurse manning the station. However, when a second nurse joined her and the two began speaking in hushed tones, Derek lifted his eyes in curiosity. He prided himself on not spreading gossip, but that didn't mean he wasn't interested in hearing it.

The younger floor nurse, Linda he was pretty sure to be her name, blushed at having been caught and averted her eyes. The older nurse, who Derek knew for certain to be Michelle, offered him a gentle smile. She motioned towards his left hand, resting atop his chart on the counter in plain view. "Dr. Shepherd, did you and Dr. Grey get married?"

He felt a smile tugging at his lips and nodded. "We did."

Michelle's smile widened. "Congratulations. There was a bet among the OR nurses as to when you two would finally tie the knot."

He chuckled. "I'm sure there was. Who won?"

She shook her head. "I have no idea. I hadn't even heard that you'd set a date."

"Hmm..." He shrugged, not going on to explain their late decision. "Richard knows, so I'm surprised it's not common knowledge by now."

Michelle paused, her expression betraying her surprise that Derek would speak about the Chief so casually, as Derek hadn't referred to him without anger in his tone for months. "Maybe it is, and I just hadn't heard," she offered neutrally.

Derek nodded, accepting her answer even though he knew it hadn't made the rounds. The nurses' stations were hot beds for gossip. If Michelle hadn't known, it hadn't made the rounds yet. "Well, I should get to my patient..."

000

Decked out in her updated lab coat and new ID tag, Meredith made her way down from Richard's office to meet her interns at their locker room. The Chief had been in surgery, but Patricia had had all of the necessary forms prepared for her to sign and her new ID tag ready. She had also let it slip that Richard had had her lab coat rushed to be updated for her first day back as a wedding present.

She smiled and nodded greetings to the hospital staff she recognized as she wandered the halls. They all returned her greetings without a second glance. Word still hadn't spread, and they weren't apt to stop and read her coat or ID. It was almost exciting; to knowingly have such a secret from the gossip-mongers. And she vaguely wondered if Nurse Debbie was in today. If she was, Meredith knew the news would spread like wildfire if the woman got a hold of it.

Her interns were waiting when she arrived on the main floor. George offered her a smile as he leaned back against the desk behind him. She glanced at her watch as she approached. It was eight on the dot; she was right on time. "You guys were here early," she greeted. "Have you been studying while I was away?" Their test was in a week.

They responded with a series of affirmative responses. Myers, Bradshaw and Harold she was unsure of, but she knew George had spent at least the plane ride to New York with a textbook in his lap. And Meredith, Izzy, Alex and Cristina had all quizzed him at some point over the days they were in New York. He wasn't going to fail again.

"Good. Now, I want all of you working in the pit and the clinic today..."

They groaned and exchanged glances.

"I know that it sounds boring, but it's important you take advantage of all the down time you can to prepare for your test. So, help the patients that need you, and spend the rest of the time absorbing all the knowledge you can. Trust me; you'll be thanking me when you pass your test in a week."

"Who do you want where?" Myers asked.

"I'm going to be nice and let you decide. Two and two, and switch at lunch. If a trauma comes in and the attending or resident invites you to scrub in I'm not going to stop you, but I am advising you to remember you have a career altering test in a week. Okay?"

They agreed, albeit reluctantly.

"And Myers, if Sloan tries to steal you for the day..." She trailed off with a laugh. "Well, we both know there's nothing either of us can do about it. Just hide if you see him."

Myers laughed. "Of course, Dr. Grey."

She hesitated at his address, suddenly self-conscious of the fact that she would have to correct people now if they called her Dr. Grey. Outside of the hospital, it wasn't a problem, but at work... "Actually, it's...uh..." she stuttered, wondering how to do this without sounding harsh and without gaining judgment for having changed her name completely. She was happy with her choice, but she wasn't looking forward to the disdainful glances she knew she would get from some.

George came to her aid. "It's Dr. Shepherd now," he told his fellow interns.

"What?" Myers asked. Harold and Bradshaw looked on with sudden interest.

"The other Dr. Shepherd and I got married last weekend," she stated, hoping she sounded professional. "And I'm changing my name...have changed my name."

"Aren't you related to Ellis Grey?" Dr. Harold asked, her voice wistful.

"She was my mother."

"Why would you want to hide that?"

"I...uh..." She stumbled, but was saved once more.

"It's not your place to question your resident's personal decisions," a harsh voice stated from behind her.

Dr. Harold immediately shut herself up and Meredith motioned for them all to head for their assigned jobs for the day.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Bailey," Meredith said as she turned to meet her Chief Resident. "I was...it was the first time I had to...I didn't realize..." She sighed. "I'm sorry. I wasn't prepared to have to correct everyone. It threw me off, but it won't happen again."

"Make sure it doesn't," Bailey responded, and then her expression softened. "I'm glad to see you back at work, though I hadn't realized you were changing your name until the Chief gave me a heads up yesterday."

Meredith hesitated, uncertain if that was a statement or if Bailey was looking for an explanation. "Yeah," she said carefully, deciding she was allowed to explain to a superior. "I wanted space from my mother and...Thatcher. And..." she trailed off before continuing with a softer voice. "I really want to be a Shepherd, and I don't want anything keeping me distant from that family."

To her surprise, Miranda offered her a proud smile. "Good for you. The Shepherd's seemed liked wonderful people."

"They really are," Meredith said truthfully. She didn't think she could have handled doing the family thing with Derek if they had been unwelcoming to her. It made such a difference that she was accepted so readily.

"I'm glad. You deserve some happiness after everything you've been through."

Meredith was taken aback by her mentor's words. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Meredith. And you're lucky," she added with an uncharacteristic smirk. "Carol seemed very taken by you. My mother-in-law can be quite the stubborn witch when she wants to be."

Meredith had to fight to control her surprise. She hadn't heard Bailey refer to anyone like that before. "Oh...I...don't really know what to say to that..."

"Just be grateful."

"Oh, I definitely am that."

"Good." Bailey paused and her casual, friendly expression morphed back into fully professional. "Are you on the board yet today?"

Meredith shook her head.

"Then why don't you scrub in with me this morning. I have a car accident victim from last night, and I could use an extra set of hands."

"Of course, Dr. Bailey."

Her mentor regarded her for a moment before the very corner of her mouth twitched upwards. "Well, come along then, Dr. Shepherd."

The manic smile that had plagued Meredith twice in the past year reared it upbeat, euphoric head. She was thankful when Bailey didn't comment, and simply turned to lead the way down the hall to their patient's room. Meredith followed behind, struggling to contain her emotion and avoiding eye contact with the hospital staff throwing her questions glances when she was unsuccessful.

000

Hours later Meredith was still smiling. As the news of their marriage spread throughout the hospital, she found herself being congratulated left, right and center, effectively reminding her again and again her reason for smiling. The only time she had had a lull had been during surgery; and even then she had been grateful for the sterile masking covering her face.

She had smiled all the way through the operation.

Her face was getting sore, but she just. Couldn't. Stop. Smiling.

When she and her Chief Resident had entered their patient's room, Bailey has easily introduced her as Dr. Shepherd. And the man hadn't hesitated to call her by that name.

"Hello, again, Mr. Sanders. We'll be wheeling you to pre-op any minute. This is Dr. Shepherd; she'll be assisting me."

The middle-aged, light haired man had met her eyes from the hospital bed and nodded, even going so far as to reach out a shaky hand. "Nice to meet you."

"You too, Mr. Sanders." She shook his hand and took in his tense face. "Are you in much pain? Or just nervous?"

He offered her a small smile. "A little of both, I suppose. I've never been a fan of going under the knife, but Dr. Bailey here insists it's for the best."

Meredith exchanged a glance with her mentor and then nodded at their patient. "If Dr. Bailey says it's for the best, then it's for the best. Try not to worry too much, Mr. Sanders, we're good at what we do here."

He nodded and seemed to breathe a little easier. "Thank-you, Dr. Shepherd."

Meredith could still remember the way her breath had caught in her throat at his words. Dr. Shepherd. He was the very first person to address her by her new name. Well, the first person other than her new husband, who had made good use of the name already. He had used it at every opportunity; saying it over and over, as if he, too, couldn't hear it enough times; even if he was hearing it from his own mouth.

Sighing happily to herself, Meredith wandered into the cafeteria. It was late for lunch, but she had been stuck in surgery longer than expected, and she hoped there would still be something edible left to choose from.

Meredith stepped into the small line, debating whether to get fires or a sandwich, and didn't hear the doctor who now shared her name step into line behind her.

"Can I buy you lunch, doctor?"

Meredith turned to meet the sparkling blue eyes of her husband. "I'm not sure if that would be appropriate, Dr. Shepherd."

He smirked and sidled closer to her, almost but not touching her. She could feel his hot breath against her neck. "That's never stopped you before..."

Meredith felt her knees weakening at the look in his eyes and the closeness of his body, but she stood her ground. "Things change."

He raised an eyebrow. "What kind of things?"

She smirked. "I'm a married woman now." She lifted her left hand to flash him the set of rings she now wore together on her finger. "I'm sorry, but I have to draw a line now..."

She watched him fight to maintain a straight face at her words. "So this line... Do I need to get you a marker, or is it imaginary like last time?"

"It wasn't imaginary last time."

He smirked. "Imaginary enough that you jumped me. In an elevator."

Meredith rolled her eyes. "You and your elevators."

Derek shook his head. "No; us and our elevators."

"Whatever," she responded dryly, biting back a smile.

Her handsome, dreamy new husband smiled and leaned in to kiss her, but she held a hand to his chest, stopping his lips only a few inches from hers. "Lines," she reminded him. "I doubt my new husband would approve..."

His lips parted at her words, a laughing breath escaping and hitting her face. "I think he'd be okay with this; in fact, I'm certain of it."

She opened her mouth to retort, but any words were cut off as his lips came down on hers, and any semblance of thought disappeared immediately after. It was several moments before she realized they were still standing in the cafeteria, waiting in line to order lunch. They couldn't do this here.

"You know what," she said as she pulled away, "I think you're right. My husband would be okay with that."

His lips curled upwards at her words. "Admitting that I'm right, huh, Dr. Shepherd?"

Meredith cringed inwardly as she realized her mistake. "No...I..."

He pecked her lips quickly and hooked an arm around her waist as he settled beside her in line. "It's okay to be wrong some times, Dr. Shepherd."

"I wasn't wrong..." She said meekly.

He laughed. "I told you that you had to let me be right once in a while."

She huffed. "That's all you get then, until our first anniversary at least."

He pressed his lips against the side of her head. "I can live with that, as long as I have you."

Her lips curled upwards at his warm words. "Well, you have me." She smirked. "And I still love you more."

His arm tightened almost imperceptibly around her waist, but he ignored her second statement. "So, are you up to having lunch with your husband?"

The word still gave her goose bumps. She had a husband. Leaning against his strong frame, Meredith sighed happily. "Only every day for the rest of my life."

AN: So this was the last chapter, save for the epilogue, which should be up by the end of the week. And yes, I am planning a second sequel, tentatively titled 'Here We Are' (I seem to be stuck on a 'Here' theme...lol). However, I won't be able to start writing for some time, so don't expect anything sooner than late summer/fall. I need to focus on Where You Belong and school for a while. BTW, for those who have also been reading WYB, I'm so sorry for such a long break between chapters, but I will get back to writing and posting ASAP. Thanks for sticking with me through both fics.

Also, for anyone who has an opinion about Mark, I'm looking for some feedback. I've set him up as starting to want to settle down. And I've made him Derek's best friend, so he's going to be a part of the story as I take Mer and Derek further into their life together. I'm not saying he's going to play a main role, but will continue as he has been in WIHF and SH. So, he's going to need a woman. Lol. I had an OC in my mind for him, which I still think would work well. I also like the idea of having him with Addy. I'm torn between starting from scratch with this new character, and bringing Addy back to Seattle. I have several issues with both, so if anyone reading has a strong opinion either way and wouldn't mind me bouncing a few ideas off you this summer, I'd appreciate it!

Thanks for reading!