Okay, so I decided to go with my gut on this. Thanks for all the reviews! I hope you enjoy :)

Derek smiled widely as he entered his mother's house, glad to be home for the first time in too long. Over the past two years, school had gotten completely out of control, and he hadn't been able to make it home as much as he had wanted. But now it was a week before the start of his senior year of college, and his mother had called, insisting that he come home so she could spend some time with him. Meredith hadn't been able to get time away from her summer internship at the doctor's office on campus, and although he would miss her, he was looking forward to having some time alone with his mother. It would give him the chance to do something that he'd been wanting to do for a long time.

"Derek?" Emma's voice called as she walked out of the kitchen, a wide smile on her face. "Oh, dear, it's so good to see you."

"It's good to see you too, Mom," Derek said, reaching forward to hug her tightly. "I'm sorry I've been so busy. It's just school and applying to med school…it's a lot."

"I know how it is," Emma nodded with a smile as she walked into the kitchen. "How's Meredith?"

"She's good," Derek said with a nod as he settled onto a stool. "She feels bad that she couldn't come, but she just couldn't get away from the office."

"It's okay," Emma said with a smile. "To be honest, I'm glad to get to you to myself for a little while."

Derek smiled softly as he reached for a carrot. "Sorry, I know we're kind of a packaged deal these days," he said. "She really doesn't have anyone else."

"Don't be ridiculous, Derek," Emma shook her head. "You know I love that girl like she's my own daughter. But you're my only son, and I do miss you a lot."

Derek smiled. "I miss you too," he said. "If we go to Columbia for med school, hopefully we'll be able to make it home more."

"Hmmm," Emma said with a nod. "Have you gotten your MCAS scores yet?"

Derek laughed as he shook his head slightly. "I did well," he nodded. "Mer did better than me, of course. But you'll never tell Mark that."

"Of course not," Emma said, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

Derek looked at her closely as she moved around the kitchen. "How are you doing, Mom?" he asked softly. "With Liz gone, and only Caitlin home…it must be pretty quiet around here."

"It is," Emma said with a nod. "But I'm fine, dear. I…things are fine."

Derek frowned. "Liz told me last week that Mr. Phillips asked you out again, but you said no," he said. "Why won't you give him a chance?"

Emma rolled her eyes as she dropped a plate onto the counter. "I swear, you and your siblings," she sighed. "Your father is still the love of my life. That will never change."

"Dad's been gone for nearly three years, Mom," Derek said softly. "Caitlin's in high school and the rest of us are on our own. What's wrong with just having some companionship?"

Emma stared at him for a moment. "Derek, I can't betray your father," she whispered.

Derek sighed as he ran a hand over his face. He knew that this wasn't the time to fight about this again. "Sorry, Mom," he murmured.

Emma smiled softly as she moved around him to set dinner on the table. "It's alright, dear," she said. "I know you're just watching out for me. But I can't. Not yet."

"It's okay, Mom," Derek said as he walked over to the table, kissing her cheek quickly as he moved to sit down beside her. They ate in comfortable silence for a moment before Derek set his fork down and said, "I want to propose to Meredith."

Emma's fork clattered loudly to her plate, and she stared at him for a long moment before she repeated, "You're going to propose."

"I want to," Derek nodded. "She's ready. We're ready. And if I propose now, we wouldn't get married until after we graduate. And med school…people get married in med school all the time. Mom, we're ready. We can do this."

Emma nodded. "I don't doubt you can," she said. "You love each other very much. And when I was your age, I already had a baby and another one on the way. You're ready."

Derek smiled softly, his eyes moving to her ring briefly before returning to his plate. "I…I don't know how or when I'm going to do it," he said softly. "I just know that I want to do it soon."

"And you want my ring," Emma nodded, reaching out to finger the simple diamond that had sat on her finger for nearly thirty years.

"Mom, it's okay if you don't want me to take it," Derek said softly. "I get that it's all you have left of Dad, so…."

"No," Emma shook her head as she eased the ring off of her finger. "He wanted you to have it. I'm sure if he were still here he would have made you put this ring on her finger a long time ago. And it's not all I have. I have five beautiful children, a house full of memories, and a lifetime of love that some people aren't ever lucky enough to find."

Derek swallowed hard as he reached out to take the ring, for the first time examining it as Meredith's engagement ring instead of his mother's. "Thank you, Mom," he said softly. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Just make sure you don't hurt her," Emma said as she squeezed Derek's hand. "That ring represents a special kind of love, and I don't want you tainting that."

Derek smiled slightly. "I won't, Mom," he said softly.

"Good," Emma said with a firm nod. "Now, let's get to planning this engagement. I'd hope that you're not going to propose with rose petals and teddy bears."

Derek laughed as he shook his head. "Mer would hate that," he said. "I'm not proposing until I have the perfect scenario. And feel free to help with that, because I'm currently at a loss."

Emma smiled as she took another bite of lasagna. "I'm sure you'll figure something out, dear."

Derek smiled as he looked down at the diamond cradled in his palm. He was going to propose to Meredith. He had the perfect ring, and now all he had to do was find the perfect way to do it.

XXXXX

"Mer?" Derek called as he walked into their apartment the next afternoon. "Are you home?" he was met with silence, and he felt disappointment run through him as he moved towards his room. At least now he wouldn't have to worry about hiding the ring.

He stood in the middle of their room for a long moment, looking around as he tried to find the perfect hiding spot. Everywhere in the room, Meredith would go at one point or another, and he had no idea what he should do with it until then. He quickly shoved the box into his pocket when he heard the front door open and close, sighing when he heard Mark's voice bellow out a greeting.

"Mark," he said as he came out of the room. "I need a favor."

"Well, good to see you too, Shep," Mark said. "How's Emma?"

"Fine," Derek said distractedly. "Listen, she, um…she gave me something." With a deep breath, he reached into his pocket and pulling the ring box out, holding it out for Mark to see.

"Whoa, Shep, I'm flattered, but I'm already in a relationship," Mark said with a smirk.

"Shut up," Derek rolled his eyes. "I need you to hide it. Mer can't see it until I'm ready to propose."

"Where am I supposed to hide it?" Mark asked.

"Doesn't matter," Derek shrugged. "She doesn't go in your room. Just…put it somewhere until I need it."

"Fine," Mark rolled his eyes, moving to take the box. Derek smiled in thanks, then pushed him into his room as the door opened and Meredith stumbled in.

"Derek!" she cried, her face lighting up when she saw him. "You're home."

"I'm home," Derek laughed, moving to pull her into his arms. "I missed you."

"You were gone for one night," Meredith rolled her eyes, cuddling into his arms nonetheless.

"Still missed you," Derek shrugged. "Are you saying you didn't miss me?"

"Hmm," Meredith shrugged, pulling out of his arms as she moved towards the kitchen. "I'm starving, what's for…damn it!" she interrupted herself as she dropped her bag on the ground, causing a sea of papers to fall from the opening.

"Oh, my graceful Mer," Derek laughed, moving to help her clean up the papers, freezing when he picked up a medical school brochure. "What the hell is this?"

Meredith looked up to see the Dartmouth flier in his hands and she moved to grab it from him. "Nothing," she said.

"It's not nothing," Derek replied, grabbing it back and staring down at the rest of the papers, which included more medical school brochures. "University of Washington… Stanford? Mer, what are you doing with these?"

"It's nothing," Meredith shook her head. "They just…saw my MCAS scores and sent me some information."

"You kept them," Derek replied. "You want to go to med school all the way across the country?"

"No…I don't know," Meredith sighed. "They're good schools, Derek."

"And Columbia isn't?" Derek asked, standing as he crumpled the brochures in his hand.

"Of course Columbia is," Meredith said as she rolled her eyes. "But it's not the only good school in the country. I just want to consider my options."

"The options that put you three thousand miles away from me?" Derek exclaimed. "Mer, med school isn't easy. If we want to have a relationship, we can't go to school six hours away from each other."

"Maybe you should think about branching out," Meredith shouted. "You and Columbia. You're refusing to even look anywhere else!"

"I want to go to Columbia because it's the best!" Derek shouted. "And if you were thinking of going to other schools you could have at least told me!"

"I do not have to get your permission for everything I do!" Meredith yelled back. "You're my boyfriend, Derek, not my parent. I can do whatever I want, and I don't need your permission."

"Well excuse me, if I thought you would want to be near be!" Derek boomed. "I'm sorry if I put you before everything else and you're not willing to do the same."

He turned to storm out the door, but Meredith surprised him by catching his arm and whirling him around to face her. "Do not walk away from me," she said evenly. "We have to figure this out."

Derek's eyes were cold and hard. "How about you figure out where you want to go to school and we'll go from there," he snapped before he turned and walked out the door, slamming it behind him.

Meredith stared at the door for a moment before she stormed into her own bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her before she threw herself onto the bed and began to sob quietly.

XXXXX

"Mer." There was a voice interrupting her throat and Meredith shook her head as she buried her face in Derek's pillow. "Mer, wake up. I have big news."

"No," Meredith moaned.

"Mark's going to propose," Addison squealed excitedly.

That got Meredith's attention as she sat up quickly. "What?" she asked.

"I found the ring in Mark's night table," Addison exclaimed. "You'd think he'd be able to think of a better hiding spot, but that doesn't matter, because he's going to propose!"

"Oh," Meredith said, trying to fake a smile for Addison's benefit.

"What's wrong?" Addison asked, noticing her best friend's lack of enthusiasm.

"I'm going to Seattle for med school."