Thank you so much again for the reviews to the last chapter, and I'm sorry if I took some of you by surprise that it was the end. Sometimes it just feels like the right place to stop, or things drag out without any real purpose or adding anything to the story.

So here is the epilogue as promised, which I managed to finish sooner than expected! A peek into the future here, to see if MerDer do have their happily ever after...I hope you enjoy how it all turned out.

Epilogue
Happily Ever After?

Two years later...

Meredith walked along the beach as the sun was going down, heading towards their house. The sky was streaked with glorious colors, and the air was as warm and fragrant as she'd become accustomed to. The sand was wet beneath her feet, her footprints washed away by the waves that lapped along in her wake. For a moment, she wished Derek was there with her, but as usual, he was at work. "Yes, Jamie, your Daddy is busy..." she murmured to the baby that was snuggled against her in the baby sling, his little head resting against her chest. "Busy being fabulous..."

She glanced over her shoulder at the two dogs that trotted along behind her. Max and Ruby, a Golden Retriever and a Border Collie mix, were finished chasing each other, and were content to keep a more sedate pace as they headed home. "Good dogs..." she praised them. "You know your supper is waiting for you."

Max's plumed tail waved happily in response, and Ruby looked up with what Meredith could only describe as a smile on her face. Both of them had been rescued from the shelter, and were sweet and happy dogs that kept her constantly amused by their antics. Never having had a pet before, it was a novel experience to experience their unquestioning loyalty and devotion. Not to mention, they had become her constant companions.

Just as she reached the lanai of their house, her cell phone chirped and she pulled it out of the back pocket of her shorts. "Hey, Cristina..." she said, settling into a soft chair with the dogs at her feet. "How's life in Seattle?"

"Same old rainy weather as always. How're you doing in paradise?"

"Just great." Meredith's tone was breezy, but as usual Cristina was quick to detect a note of unease.

"Mer...you married the hottest guy in Seattle, you live in an amazing house in Oahu, and you have likely the sweetest baby ever," Cristina said. "Of course, he's my god-baby, so maybe I'm biased...but what's wrong?

"Same old thing, just waiting for Derek to get home..."

"What the hell? Is McDreamy being a McDouche?" Cristina demanded.

"No, of course not...he's just got a lot going on with the restaurant. I should know, I helped him get the place going..."

"I can come out and smack him for you."

Meredith shook her head. "It's fine, really. I have the dogs keeping me company, and Sam has dinner ready for us."

"I still don't believe you have a male housekeeper/nanny," Cristina sighed.

"He's a lifesaver, and you know it."

"Hmph...I'm surprised Derek is okay with that. He always seemed to the type that would be jealous of any other guy spending time with you."

"Sam is happily engaged, and he pays more attention to the work around here than to me," Meredith reminded her, adjusting Jamie against her chest. "You've met him, remember?"

"Yeah, he's more security guard than nanny, if you ask me..."

"And I don't have to worry that Jamie will get confused having another woman around."

"Mer, you're not going to turn into Ellis 2.0," Cristina assured her. "I knew her, and you're a far cry from what she was like. You need your own career too, and quality time with the baby is better than freaking out over trying to do it all."

"I know..." Meredith started to say, when her phone beeped to indicate a second call. "Wait a sec...I have another call..."

"I should go anyway. Big accident on the freeway, we got bodies coming in...you take care, and I'll talk to you later. Don't forget I'm flying out for Thanksgiving!"

"I can't wait to see you. Bye Cris..." Meredith juggled the phone for a moment, before taking the other call. "Derek...are you coming home for dinner?"

At his end, Derek nodded absently before answering. "Yes, of course, Meredith. I just have to finish up a few things here..." He handed some papers off to the hostess, before leaning back in his chair. "How's your day been?"

"Good, just had a call from Cristina. She's looking forward to coming out here in a couple weeks. I think she wants to spoil Jamie even more than he already is."

"And how's our boy doing?"

"Just fine, we had a walk on the beach, and he's fussing to be fed," she said. "Will you be home before he's asleep?"

"Mer, I just told you I'd be home for dinner, so I'm sure he'll be awake yet," he reminded her.

"I don't know, sometimes your idea of dinner hour is later than baby time."

"Honey, you know I have to keep an eye on things. I hate missing the time you spend with him, feeding him, putting him to bed..." Derek ran a hand through his hair, as he pictured her in the rocking chair, with their son at her breast. Sometimes trying to juggle the business, and be there for his family, was proving to be a greater challenge than he'd anticipated.

"Well, just hurry home, we need you here too," she said softly. "I love you, Derek."

"I love you, Mer," he said, just as softly. "See you soon."

He put the phone aside, and stood up, straightening his cuffs. The chef was waiting in the kitchen, ready to have a tantrum if Derek didn't come and smooth things out. The restaurant was just as wildly successful as he'd planned, with the focus on local cuisine and a fabulous wine bar that everyone in Oahu was raving about. Similar to Ravish in Seattle, they had named this one Luna Mer, obviously for the moon and sea, but also after Meredith.

As he walked briskly towards the kitchen, he let his thoughts drift over the past two years. After they had decided to relocate to Oahu, their life had changed in a myriad of ways. Their wedding had been an intimate ceremony on the beach with Cristina and Mark as their witnesses; not that he and Sloan would ever be close friends, but Derek acknowledged that the other man had been close to Meredith for a long time, and had done his part to help them both.

From that point on, every day had been busy with starting the new restaurant, settling into a new house and adjusting to married life. Though they hadn't been consciously trying for a baby, when Meredith had discovered she was pregnant, it had been the icing on the cake, so to speak. She had a difficult first trimester, and the scare of a miscarriage had been far too real at the time. So she'd taken things easy, and left the restaurant business to him, while she concentrated on making their house a home. It was their refuge, not as austere as his Seattle home had been with its hard edges and cool interior, but bright and welcoming, with windows and doors that opened up to bring in the lush feel and scent of the tropics. And when she'd come across the two dogs that had been featured in one of the shelter's adoption campaigns, he couldn't resist her pleas to rescue them.

Her pregnancy improved after the first few months, and the birth of their son had been the most beautiful and frightening moment he'd ever experienced at the same time. Hearing the first cry of the baby, and knowing that both he and Meredith were all right, combined to bring him to tears. They decided to name him James Derek Christopher, but immediately shortened it to Jamie.

So life was everything he'd hoped for, and yet here he was still at work, trying to placate a cranky chef and keep demanding customers happy instead of being at home playing with their son, or making love to Meredith. But as he stepped into the kitchen, he was caught up in the moment, and lost track of time as often happened.

Meredith tucked the blanket over Jamie, and made sure his favorite teddy bear was sitting upright in the corner of the crib. Dinner hour had come and gone, along with bath time, and now bed time. She couldn't ask for a better life, and having Jamie was the most amazing experience. To be honest, she'd never felt much of a maternal pull; rather it had been a hazy thought, unsure of what kind of mother she'd be. Cristina was right; the fear of being Ellis 2.0 had been hovering around her consciousness. So she was happy to have help around the house, so she could spend quality time with the baby. He was growing so quickly, every day brought new milestones and a sense of wonder. At six months old, he was chubby and happy, with definitely Derek's black hair and blue eyes; what was it about some boys that made them veritable doppelgangers of their fathers, she mused.

Max looked up from his post at the doorway, thumping his tail against the floor, while Ruby cocked her head at the sound of footsteps approaching. "Meredith, I'm done for tonight, if you're all right," Sam announced, appearing behind her. Tall, blond and muscular, he looked more like a surfer than a housekeeper, but his looks belied the skills he had in keeping the house running smoothly. When Lucinda had declined the move away from Seattle, they had managed on their own until her pregnancy forced Meredith to slow down. Sam had been the most qualified out of the job applicants, so they were thrilled to have him.

"We're good, Sam."

"How's the little man doing?"

"Out cold. I'm lucky he sleeps so well." She turned the dimmer switch on the lamp to low, and moved quietly away from the crib. Max and Ruby had become staunch guardians of Jamie, ready to bark as soon as he made a move. She gave them both a quick pet, before walking down the stairs with Sam. "Dinner was great, as usual."

"I left a plate for Derek, in case he's hungry," Sam told her. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Good. I want to spend some time writing tomorrow, if you can keep an eye on Jamie?" she asked, opening the door.

"Absolutely. How's the book coming?"

Meredith shrugged lightly. While she'd taken a break from working, she'd felt the pull of writing lately and decided to try her hand at fiction. She had an idea to write a novel, loosely based on what happened with Derek and Gareth, and the whole art theft scenario. "It's good. Not sure if I'll ever publish anything, but it's fun to try!"

"Never know till you try," he agreed, winking at her. "Good night, Meredith."

She nodded. "Night, Sam." Waiting until he disappeared down the curving driveway to his car, a vintage Corvette, before locking the door and heading up to the bedroom. She felt too restless to watch anything on television, so she slipped into her pajamas, and settled on the bed with her laptop to look over the last chapter. Deep in her editing mode, she didn't hear the sound of the door opening on the main level until Max barked softly at her.

"I swear you know not to wake the baby," she murmured, realizing that Derek must be home. "It's okay, Max." The dog padded over to the bed, and she scratched his ears before he went back to Jamie's room across the hall. Within a few minutes, Derek stopped at the threshold, his jacket off, his shirt open at the throat, and a glass of Scotch in his hand. She savored the sight of him standing there, as always her pulse skipped a little in appreciation. The single lamp at the bedside cast intriguing shadows over his face; she realized his cheekbones seemed more pronounced, his tailored shirt fitting snugly over his chest. He'd taken up running along the beach in the mornings, before she even thought about getting up, and he seemed to have lost some weight.

"Hey, I'm sorry I'm late," he said. "I just looked in on Jamie, he's still sleeping."

"I guess you lost track of time," she murmured, glancing at the clock.

"Meredith, you know how it is."

"Derek, I understand, but your life isn't just the restaurant anymore! We need to figure something out so you can spend more time at home too. I miss you, and Jamie needs both of us in his life."

"I know, I know," he agreed, taking a sip of his drink.

"There's a plate for you in the kitchen if you're hungry." Meredith frowned, before looking back at the screen, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Mmm…maybe later," he murmured, crossing the floor to sit beside her on the bed. "How's the writing going?" He kissed her temple, and tried to see what she had up on the screen, but she closed the laptop. She caught the scent of his aftershave, mingled with the Scotch, before he moved to let her set it aside.

"No peeking until I'm ready to have you critique," she chided him.

"Since you're writing something based on my, or rather, our life I think maybe I should have some input."

"It's fiction, sweetie…"

"Then I hope you're portraying me as a sympathetic character."

Meredith wrinkled her nose, as he set his glass aside. "It depends on my mood when I'm writing."

"I see, and if you're mad at me…?"

"Then he's an ass."

"And if you're not mad?"

"Then he's a bad boy, who may or may not have a heart of gold…" she started to say, when he eased in behind her, his arms around her waist.

"Am I?"

"Are you what?"

"A bad boy?" he asked, smoothing a lock of her hair over her shoulder. His other hand slid around to her belly, before gliding up over one of her breasts.

"You've had your moments…" she allowed, feeling the familiar shiver of anticipation and pleasure at his touch. He lowered his head to kiss the side of her neck, and she sighed, reaching up behind her to touch his thick hair. Her breast lifted into his hand, and she felt the gentle massage through the thin cami she wore.

"Only moments?" Derek's voice was low and beguiling in her ear, and she was lost in the familiar heat that rushed through her body. She was aware of her nipples, now being teased by his skillful fingers, while he pressed into her from behind. His body was taut and muscular, with the unmistakable hardness of arousal against her. She rolled her backside into him, and over the hard ridge, and Derek's low sound of pleasure rumbled in his chest. One of his hands moved down between her legs, and the silky pajama bottoms left little protection from his exploring fingers as they slid down and around, over her suddenly aching clit. Meredith shifted with a soft gasp of need, as pleasure billowed through her. Warm and aroused, she lifted her hips beneath his hand, her head falling back against his chest.

It seemed like it had been far too long since they'd taken the time for making love like this, and she had the sudden need for more. She turned abruptly in his arms, and their mouths met, clashing fiercely at first, before subsiding into gentler, slow kisses. Then she let her lips move over his cheek and down his throat, where his skin was warm and his pulse thudded under her tongue. For a second, she let her teeth graze over him, teasing him with the promise of more and he seemed to shake involuntarily. Her hand drifted lower, over the demanding erection, and he groaned when she stroked him a little harder.

"Meredith…" he said urgently, pulling her face up to meet his again. Their mouths met, urgent and demanding, as he impatiently pushed the thin fabric out of the way, so his hands could touch her naked back. Desire raged through her, as she kissed him more deeply, moaning softly. "God, you feel good…" he murmured against her mouth, before pulling away long enough to yank the shirt over her head.

She smiled down at him, as he cupped her breasts, stroking the taut nipples that ached with pleasure. Licking her lip in anticipation, she unbuttoned his shirt, spreading it open to caress his chest and then lower to the waist of his pants to tug at his belt. His breathing was deeper, as the desire between them continued to spiral, and she curled her fingers around his cock.

"Tease…" he whispered, but he loved the way she was taking charge of him at that moment. He loved the way she looked at him, her eyes slightly unfocused with need, her hair falling around her face as she concentrated on baring him further. When she slid lower, touching her tongue to him, he narrowed his eyes in pleasure, lifting his hips so she could take more of him. Just as he thought he reached the point of no return, she paused, and moved away to shimmy out of her pajama pants.

"I can't wait, I need you right now," she said, returning to him and sliding down over him – the hot, hard length of him burying inside of her. Sighing happily as he filled her, touching her deeper as the tremors of pleasure shook them both and heat flashed between them.

Derek groaned in response, tipping his head back as she shifted, moving her hips slowly and purposely out of rhythm to his to tease him even further. One of his hands closed over her breasts, his thumb over her nipple. The sensation made her clench around him tighter, as he stroked her harder. Shifting again, she moved up and down, each time a little faster, bucking a little harder. She splayed her hands over his chest, feeling the bunching of his muscles as they moved together. She could tell by the look on his face he was close to the edge, just as the climax was building in her, and she leaned in to kiss him for a brief second before pulling back.

"Meredith…" he muttered warningly, as she moved away, lifting her arms over her head so her breasts rose temptingly in front of him. He grabbed her hips, slamming up into her more forcefully, so that she whimpered in satisfaction. Then he surged upwards, his mouth at her breast, his teeth and tongue making her gasp as they rocked together faster. Her body tightened around his, and he arched into her, as the climax spiked in them. She met his mouth again, desperate to be as close as possible, skin to skin and mouth to mouth, while everything else faded away and left them shuddering in satisfaction.

Meredith curled happily against Derek, still catching her breath as he gently stroked her hair. So far Jamie was still sleeping, or at least, wasn't fussing if he was awake. "Derek, this is what we need more of..."

"Having great sex?" he murmured. "I thought we were pretty good with that."

"Ass..." Meredith looked up at him. "Derek, are you really happy, being married...? With Jamie, and the dogs, and everything else? I know it's so different from your life before you met me..."

"Meredith, this is exactly where I want to be," he said, more seriously, as he moved to face her and take her hand in his. "I wanted to marry you. I wanted to have kids with you. I wanted to settle down and grow old with you, and I want to die when I'm 110 years old in your arms. I don't want the life I had before, I want a lifetime with you." He kissed her lips, and wrapped his arm around her so that their still sex damp skin touched everywhere. "I swear I'm going to do whatever it takes to free up my time so that I can be here with you more. I don't like missing you, or missing the way Jamie is growing. The restaurant will go on just as well without me hovering, but I won't go on without you. Does that sound all right to you?"

Meredith blinked quickly, before the tears were able to leak, and threaded her fingers through his hair. "That sounds absolutely perfect."

"Good, I'd hate if you got tired of seeing me around too much…" he grinned.

At that point, Max barked softly, and then they heard Jamie start to whimper. "Baby time…" Meredith whispered, starting to get up but Derek put his hand out to keep her against the pillow. He kissed her forehead, as she settled back with a smile.

"Just stay there, I'll bring him to you," he told her, getting out of bed and quickly grabbing his discarded pants. Max appeared at the door, waiting for one of them to follow him to the baby's room, tailing waving happily. "Lead on, Max…I'm right behind you."

Within moments, Derek returned, with the little bundle wrapped in blue blankets. For a second, Meredith felt a wave of love so overwhelming she could hardly breathe. Just the sight of their son in Derek's arms, the baby's tiny feet kicking happily, nearly made her start crying again. Derek carefully handed Jamie to her, and then settled beside them both as the baby started to nurse.

"This is exactly where I want to be," he told her softly. Then Max and Ruby both charged into the bedroom and bounded happily on the bed. They curled up, side by side, and Derek laughed at the sight. "And obviously where all of us want to be…"

Meredith glanced up, and met his eyes before he slid an arm around her, pulling her against him. "Just another day in paradise..." she agreed happily.

I'm not sure when I'll be posting anything new, it will depend on how my time is and my level of inspiration. I have a few ideas, and have been given some suggestions for new fics, so we'll see what happens. Again, my sincere thanks to everyone that has been reading/following/reviewing!