A/N: I'M sorry everyone, but this update is really short. I was going to combine it with the next one, but this one is really special and I didn't want it to seem rushed, so I'm posting this one on its own. I hope you guys enjoy this; I hope it's "the crisis" that Meredith has to deal with on Thursday (for those of you who read spoilers). Anywho, the more reviews I get the more quickly I post, so enjoy and review!
Chapter 42
Derek checked the intern schedule, relieved to see that Meredith was going to be out at a reasonable hour today. He had always thought his internship had been tough, but not as tough as it seemed to be on Meredith. She seemed to be constantly pulling thirty-six hour shifts and spending time on call, making her very tired. Derek knew that she had asked the Chief to treat her harshly in the beginning of her internship so she could prove herself; she didn't want anyone to think she slid into the program by being the daughter of Ellis Grey and married to one of the neurosurgeons on staff. But that was back in July and August, it was now March, and though all the interns worked the same amount of hours a week, it seemed more intense than Derek's experiences back in New York.
It was Meredith's birthday, and he had a surprise planned. It was a last minute gift, but he hadn't known what to get her until he was out driving one day, and he found it. He had purchased forty acres of land about an hour from the hospital, and he hoped to build her a house on it soon. They enjoyed living in Ellis' house well enough; there was no mortgage, and therefore less of a financial burden. However, he knew that this house didn't hold good memories for Meredith; it was the place she was once happy, but also the place that held the only memories of her father, including the one when he left her. So, Derek wanted to build a house for Meredith, a house filled with only good memories.
"Hey there," a voice said from behind him, and he turned around to smile at his wife.
"Hey yourself," he replied giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"What are you up to?" Meredith asked.
"Well, I have a lovely birthday surprise for you which needs to happen at a normal hour, so I wanted to make sure you were off tonight."
"Oh," Meredith said, smiling. "I'm off at six. And I have a surprise for you too."
Derek's brow furrowed. "Why do you have a surprise for me? It's your birthday, not mine, and that means that only you get presents."
"Oh don't worry," Meredith smirked. "This present is for both of us."
"Okay then," Derek agreed, before smiling mischievously at her. "Do I get a hint?"
"Nope, sorry" Meredith grinned unapologetically.
"Oh come on, one hint? I'll give you one?"
"Uh huh. Gotta go, I need to finish these charts so I can leave," Meredith said, turning on her heel and quickly leaving him.
"We'll talk later?" Derek called after her, before shaking his head and going back to his office.
Three hours later, Derek was sitting next to a blindfolded Meredith, slowly pulling onto his new property, where he had set up a picnic by a cliff to watch the sun set.
"Derek, where are we?" Meredith asked for what Derek assumed was the fiftieth time. "Are we there yet?"
"Yes, actually, we are," Derek chuckled.
"Oh thank God!" Meredith sighed, reaching to pull off her blindfold.
"No!" Derek exclaimed, moving to grab her hands and pull them down. "Two more minutes, please?"
"Why Derek?" Meredith whined, pouting.
"Please Mer, just two more minutes. I promise it will be worth it."
"Better be," Meredith muttered as she placed her hands in her lap.
Derek smiled as he ran to Meredith's door and led her towards the picnic blanket. He started a fire and stepped beside Meredith. "Ready?" he whispered it in her ear.
"Yes!" Meredith nodded eagerly, bouncing up and down.
"Alright," Derek said, untying the blindfold. "Happy twenty-sixth birthday Meredith," he said quietly, kissing her neck.
Meredith stood speechless for a moment, taking in the view and the picnic Derek had set up.
"Oh Derek," she gasped. "It's beautiful! And the food looks great!" she said, plopping down on the blanket.
"I thought you would like it," he said, sitting beside her.
Meredith leaned towards Derek, kissing him slowly. "Thank you, I love it, and I love you."
"Love you too," Derek said, pulling food out of the basket.
An hour later, Meredith was cuddling in Derek's lap, her back pressed against his chest as his arms enveloped her. They watched the sun set across the city, sipping glasses of wine.
"So, how does it feel to be twenty-six? Are you feeling old yet?" Derek said into her neck.
"No, why would I feel old?" Meredith answered.
"Because you're twenty six. You're now officially more than halfway to thirty," Derek joked.
"You know, I'm pretty sure you aren't allowed to make fun of me on my birthday," Meredith snapped, hitting his bicep. "Plus, you're thirty-three, you are past thirty."
"Touché," Derek said, kissing her cheek. "In all seriousness, what do you think of the land?"
"Oh, it's amazing!" Meredith gushed. "The view is beautiful, and the lake down there looks like a great place to just sit and read."
"Would you like to live here?"
"Yeah, sure Derek. Unfortunately, I don't see any homes popping up."
"There could be in about a year," Derek said casually.
"What?" Meredith asked, turning around to look at Derek
"I was driving around the other day, and I saw a huge 'For Sale' sign out here. The land you're sitting on and the forty acres surrounding it are ours if you like it. I was thinking about building a house out here, so we can have a real home for our future family. What do you think?" Derek looked at her expectantly.
"Is this my birthday present? All the land?"
"And a house, if you like it."
"I love it!" Meredith exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Derek. She kissed him deeply, and Derek smiled against her lips.
"I'll call a contractor and see if we can get the house started soon. Maybe it'll be done by next spring."
"Do you think it could be done in about eight months?" Meredith asked, reaching for her purse.
"Why eight months?" Derek asked.
"Here," Meredith said, handing him a white box.
"Why eight months?" Derek asked again as he opened the box. He stared at the contents, not understanding the connection at first. When it finally clicked, he looked up at Meredith, whose eyes were shining with tears.
"Because," she said softly. "We're having a baby."
"You…you're…we…" Derek started, unable to form a complete sentence. Luckily, Meredith understood what he was trying to say and nodded, grabbing his hand and placing it over her lower abdomen.
"We're going to be parents," Meredith affirmed, beaming.
"Oh God, I love you so much," Derek gasped, lunging at Meredith to kiss her. His lips crashed down on hers, and he eased her back onto the blanket, never breaking the kiss.
"I love you too," Meredith murmured against his lips, kissing him just as hungrily.
After what felt like an eternity, they broke apart, catching their breath.
"When did you find out?" Derek asked.
"This morning. I just had a feeling, so I took the test."
"You're amazing," Derek said, looking down at her with adoration.
"So are you, you'll be an amazing dad," Meredith whispered.
"And you'll be a perfect mom," Derek replied.
"So, will you put a rush on the house?" Meredith asked, pulling him back down to her.
"Oh absolutely," Derek laughed as he kissed her again.
A/N 2: I feel a little shallow in the fact that I'm doing a self promotion, but I have the first three chapters of my next story called "Still" written, and I urge you all to check it out when you finish this one and I start posting it. It's about Meredith and Derek and a long distance relationship, and how they overcome it/what happens along the way. I've only started reading Grey's fanfic within the past year or so, and I clearly haven't gotten through all the fics yet, so I can't promise that it hasn't been done before, but I like to think it's original. If not, disregard this, but I hope you will at least consider it. But, for the time being, enjoy these last few updates, and I hope you all get exactly what you want out of this story!