This is it folks! I wrote this one from Derek's point of view because I figured it would be neat to see what he thought about it all, but there didn't end up being much deep soul-searching like in most of the other chapters.

Sorry for the long wait, and I hope you enjoy! Also, don't forget to leave a review! :)

I was alone in the silence

'Til I was hearing your voice

I don't remember a thing until you

Parted the clouds and you gave me a choice

I couldn't pick up the pieces

'Til I was falling apart

I didn't know I was bleeding

'Til your love fixed this hole

Baby here in my heart

If I Didn't Have You – Amanda Marshall

"A little more to the left."

I shift the frame slightly, arms aching from holding it up for so long. "Better?"

Meredith tilts her head to the side, considering. "It'll do."

"It better do. I'm not spending another twenty minutes adjusting it. If you want to do it yourself, though, I won't refuse," I add, winking.

She rolls her eyes. "No way. Not after watching you fiddle with it."

"Hey. I'm not the one who kept insisting it wasn't straight."

"Derek, these are our wedding vows," Meredith replies. "Can you blame me for wanting it to be perfect?"

I sigh, knowing she's right. I want them to be perfect too. "I just don't think it's fair that I have to do all the work. It was your idea, after all."

She blushes. Sappy romance is normally my thing, which was why it was so surprising when Meredith was the one to suggest that we should hang the Post-It with our wedding vows on it above the bed. A constant reminder, she said. I agreed with the idea; I didn't like the idea of our wedding vows being permanently stuck to the back of her locker, which was where they'd been since we'd written them down a week ago.

"I guess I must be rubbing off on you," I continue, stepping down off the bed and slipping my arms around her waist.

She snorts. "Yeah, right."

"You know you love it."

"Yeah, but it's strangely charming when you do it. When I do it, it's just...strange," she says, leaning back against me.

"I think it's cute."

Even though I can't see her face, I know she rolls her eyes. While she may be secretly charmed by my corniness, she's never inclined to believe it's true. It makes me wonder if this is just part of who she is, or a result of years of neglect.

As much as it may have been painful for Meredith—even if she won't admit it—I'm glad Ellis is gone. In the two years since her death, Meredith has finally been able to appreciate herself, no longer afraid of having to face her mother's glaring disapproval.

"So, do you want to do the honours?" I asked, gesturing the Post-It sitting on the dresser.

She twists around in my arms so that she's facing me, impish little grin on her face. "What? You don't want to finish the job?"

"I don't think I could get it straight enough," I reply with mock seriousness.

"Seriously, Derek."

"I'm being serious," I murmur, leaning closer, close enough that our noses are touching. "I'm being...very...serious." I capture her lips with my own as if to prove my point.

Her body responds wonderfully, and, as always, I am delighted to know that I can make her do these things, that I am the only one who makes her feel this way. I hope she knows she's the only one that does these things to me.

My hands begin to roam, tracing the outline of her shoulder blades before curving around to her breasts. She pushes herself closer, trapping my errant hands between our bodies so they can't stop her when she pulls away.

"Seriously, Derek," she says again, though she's slightly out of breath.

I grin, feigning innocence. "What?"

She slaps my shoulder playfully. "We need to get this done. Not make-out like teenagers."

"Teenagers don't normally do what I had in mind," I reply, slipping my hands around her waist. She darts away with lightning quickness.

"You're incorrigible."

I chuckle. "So you've said. Many times, as I recall."

"Yeah, and you'd think you might have learned something by now," she mutters, picking the Post-It up off the dresser. "Are you sure you don't want to do this?"

"Yeah. I'd rather be the one giving the orders this time."

She shakes her head, and I hear her mutter something along the lines of "Ridiculous".

I watch her as she stands in front of the frame, looking at it for a minute before even making a move to hang the Post-It. It's like she's trying to make sure it's going to be perfect before she even starts. The way she approaches it so seriously, like I've asked her to clip an aneurysm by herself or something, bottom lip caught between her teeth, is adorable. When she does finally go to hang it, she moves slowly, as if it's made of glass, and then stands back to admire her handiwork.

"Straight enough for you?" she asks, daring me to contradict her.

"It'll do."

I have to duck to avoid the pillow that narrowly misses my head.

"Ass."

"You're the one that married me," I reply with a grin.

Meredith smiles, stepping down from the bed. "I did, didn't I?"

"You did," I agree, taking her in my arms. "Finally."

She giggles. "It was a long time coming, wasn't it?"

"I'll say," I murmur, leaning in to press my lips gently against hers. "Any longer and I might have gone crazy."

She rolls her eyes. "You would have survived. You made it this far."

Even after almost five years of knowing each other, she doesn't seem to understand how completely and utterly I adore her. It used to bother me at first, but it doesn't as much anymore. After all, I've got forever to make her understand. "I don't think you understand how much I love you."

"Well, then, Dr Shepherd, I think you might have to show me." She flashes a wicked grin, and I return it, marvelling at this strong, beautiful, incredibly sexy woman who is now my wife.

"It would be my pleasure, Mrs Shepherd."

So that's it. I want to send a huge thanks to everyone who read/reviewed/favourited/followed this story. I had a blast writing it, and I hope you had as much fun reading it! I also want to say a big thanks to CileSuns91 for beta-ing the first chapter for me and giving me some help along the way when I was stuck on things.

I do have another Mer/Der story in the works. It'll be my first stab at a completely A/U story, and it's still in the works, so it won't be published for a while yet. Maybe in the summer? It'll give me time to bank more than two chapters so that the updates might actually be on time. :P

Thanks again for reading!