"Meredith," Lexie gasped as she and Izzie stumbled into her apartment. "What's wrong?"

"What's the big emergency?" Izzie asked.

"Is Derek okay?"

"This!" Meredith cried, holding up a small black velvet box, her eyes wide. "This is what's wrong."

"Oh my God," Lexie breathed.

"Is that…" Izzie stepped closer, her eyes wide.

"An engagement ring?" Meredith cried. "Yes, yes, it is an engagement ring. And you know why I found it? Because my boyfriend is a complete idiot and hid it in his underwear drawer. I found it when I was putting laundry away. Last time I ever try to be domestic."

"You were doing laundry?" Lexie asked. Meredith shot her an annoyed look, and she nodded. "Right, not the point here. Sorry. Um…why are we freaking out? Cause I don't…"

"What the hell does this mean?" Meredith asked, her hands flying in the air as she paced the living room, Lexie and Izzie sitting down on the couch. "We've been dating for less than a year. And I don't even really know how long we've been dating because we broke up for a million completely miserable years, and now he's going to propose? Seriously? Seriously."

"Well…Mer, I don't really get why this is a bad thing," Izzie said. "I mean you're living together."

"Right," Meredith nodded. "We're living together and I barely see him. Because he's a stupid intern. I really hope I never need medical attention from the people who gave that man a license to practice medicine, because they're obviously insane. Who gives a man without a brain a medical degree?"

Lexie frowned. "Mer…you're going to need to spell this one out for me," she said. "Because you want to marry Derek, right?"

"Yes," Meredith sighed, collapsing into his armchair. "I do, a long time from now. When he's a resident and we can have time to spend together. Because right now I barely see him, and I hate that. How am I supposed to plan a wedding with a man that I spend a total of less than thirty waking hours with a week?"

"Meredith," Izzie said, leaning forward. "You love Derek. You know that you're going to be with him forever. I honestly don't see what the problem is. Marriage is forever. What's wrong with that?"

"I'm not ready," Meredith sighed. "I…he can't propose. I can't say no, but I'm not ready."

"Why aren't you ready?" Lexie asked.

"What?" Meredith asked.

"Why aren't you ready to get married?"

"Because…I've barely even known him a year."

"So?"

"So…people don't do that."

"People do it all the time, Mer," Izzie said softly.

Meredith sighed as she leaned back in the chair, arms crossed over her chest and a pout on her face.

"Okay," Lexie sighed, moving to sit on the arm of chair and looking down at Meredith. "How will marriage change things?"

"What?" Meredith asked, looking up at her sister with wide eyes. "It will change everything."

"How will you and Derek getting married change your relationship?" Lexie asked. "Or your everday life?"

"I…" Meredith frowned as she fumbled for a response. "I guess it wouldn't. We're kind of married."

"So what's the big deal?" Lexie asked.

"I don't know," Meredith whispered. "But I'm scared. What if something bad happens?"

"Like what?" Izzie asked.

"I…like if we have another fight," Meredith said. "Or if he gets a job in New York or something. I can't just abandon my students, but I can't live all the way across the country from my husband."

"Okay," Lexie said. "Are you ever going to break up with Derek again? Not live with him?"

"What?" Meredith asked. "Do you remember that? With the knitting and the crying and the screaming Derek's name while I'm in bed with another guy? No, I'm not going to break up with him again."

"Right," Izzie nodded. "And how would it change your life on an every day basis? You live with him. You're committed to him. You know you're going to be with him forever. Would anything really change?"

"I'd be Mrs. Shepherd," Meredith whispered, reaching for the ring box that sat abandoned on the coffee table. "I wouldn't be Miss Grey at work anymore. Mrs. Shepherd."

"Do you want to be Miss Grey?" Lexie asked.

Meredith was silent as she stared down at the ring in her hands, the diamond sparkling invitingly from its resting place on the silver band. "No," she finally whispered. "Mrs. Shepherd. Meredith Shepherd. Derek and Meredith Shepherd. It sounds right. And perfect."

"It does," Izzie nodded, reaching for Meredith's hand. "Do you feel better now? Not scared?"

"Yeah," Meredith smiled. "Sorry I dragged you guys over here. I just completely freaked out."

"Obviously," Lexie giggled, reaching for the ring. "Derek has good taste in jewelry. It's beautiful."

"It really is," Meredith smiled. "I can't believe I get to wear it for the rest of my life. Once he gives it to me."

"I wonder how he's going to propose," Izzie sighed.

"It will be completely romantic," Lexie breathed. "Roses and chocolate, and candles, may be a violin…"

"Okay," Meredith said, standing and moving towards her bedroom. "You can leave now."

"What?" Izzie asked. "We have to start planning the wedding. Dresses and tuxes and colors…"

Meredith was back in the doorway immediately, her eyes wide with fear. "What do you mean?"

"Weddings take time," Izzie said. "We've got to book now if you want to get married in the next year."

"Okay, first of all," Meredith said. "The we that's planning my wedding is me and Derek we, not me Derek and you we. Second of all, for all I know, he could wait an entire year to propose."

"But…you're getting married," Izzie protested.

"Maybe," Meredith said. "A long time from now. Even if he proposes today, I want to wait until his internship's over."

"That makes sense," Lexie nodded. "Do you think he's going to do it soon? Like tonight?"

"He's been acting kind of weird," Meredith shrugged. "Like when I said something about kids the other day I really thought he was going to cry. He's going to be an amazing father."

"Well…has he said anything about a romantic dinner?" Izzie suggested.

"Or a weekend away?"

Meredith frowned. "No," she said. "He's off tonight and tomorrow, he said something about…well, stuff you don't want to hear about."

"Okay, if he proposes during sex, say no," Lexie ordered. "That's cheesy. He can come up with something better than that."

"And don't cry too hard," Izzie supplied. "A few tears are completely necessary, but don't go overboard."

"You should probably dress up a little more," Lexie said. "You don't want to be wearing his boxers when he proposes."

Meredith rolled her eyes. "You really can leave now," she said. "I don't need advice on how to get engaged. Especially because Derek would love me even more if I sobbed through his sex proposal. Now leave."

"Make up!" Izzie called over her shoulder as Meredith pushed her out the door.

"And paint your nails!" Lexie's voice called just as Meredith shut the door behind them, a slow smile spreading across her face.

She made her way back into the bedroom, opening Derek's dresser and slipping the ring out of its box. She looked down at it for a moment before she slowly slid it into her finger, holding her hand out in front of her as she admired the way it sparkled on her finger.

Mrs. Shepherd. It sure sounded a hell of a lot better than Miss Grey.

XXXXX

"So are you going to pop the question yet?" Mark asked as Derek pulled his sweater over his head, grateful to be out of his scrubs for a couple days.

"Not yet," Derek sighed. "I have to think of the perfect proposal."

"You got that ring a week ago and you haven't figured anything out yet?" Mark asked.

"Shut up," Derek snapped.

"Whoa," Mark frowned. "Tense, Shep?"

"I just…I can't figure out what she'd like," Derek sighed. "Usually I can read her so well."

The door opened and Addison walked in, smiling at them. "Hi," she said, greeting Mark with a kiss on the cheek before she turned to Derek. "Are you engaged yet?"

Derek stared at Mark. "You told her?" he asked.

"Sorry, I didn't know it was a secret," Mark shrugged.

"Great, so now everyone knows except Meredith," Derek sighed, collapsing onto the bench.

"Why is this so stressful?" Addison asked, dropping onto the bench beside him.

"Because," Derek breathed. "I'm supposed to know what she wants. I know everything about that woman, I know her better than she knows herself. But I cannot for the life of me figure out how the hell to tell her I want to marry her."

"Meredith isn't a typical girl," Addison said softly. "She'll say yes, no matter how you ask."

"I hope so," he sighed. "I just want it to be perfect."

"Meredith doesn't need that," Addison said. "She's not the type of girl that demands perfection."

"Unlike you," Mark smirked from behind them. "Sorry," he cleared his throat as Addison sent him a warning look.

"Derek," she said. "Do you think she'll say no?"

"No," he said. "But that doesn't mean it shouldn't be special, completely amazing."

Addison smiled as she squeezed his arm. "You'll figure it out," she assured him. "And you'll be happy."

"I hope so," he smiled softly.

"You ready?" Mark asked Addison as she slid her coat onto her shoulders.

"Yup," she nodded. "Bye, Derek."

"Bye," Derek nodded to them, staring down at his hands for a moment before he took a deep breath and stood.

It was time to propose.

XXXXX

Meredith slammed his dresser drawer closed as she heard the front door open, throwing herself on the bed and grabbing the nearest magazine on the nightstand.

"Hey, Mer," Derek smiled as he entered the room a moment later, pressing a kiss to the top of her forehead. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," she shrugged. "Just catching up on…um…the American Medical Journal."

Derek frowned as he looked down at the magazine in her hands. "You hate medical journals," he said. "You always complain because you don't know what I'm reading about."

"Yeah, well, I thought I'd try," she shrugged, dropping the magazine. "How was work? Busy?"

"It was good," he smiled, collapsing on the bed beside her. "Did you have a good day?"

"Boring," she lied. "Laundry and student assessments."

"Hmm," Derek nodded. "You want to go out to dinner tonight?"

Meredith sat up quickly, excitement shining in her eyes. "Dinner?" she said. "Yes. Definitely. "I have to get dressed. I have that dress I wore to your intern mixer, but I think you might have torn it, but there's another dress in there somewhere…and hair. Hair and makeup, and shoes."

"Mer," Derek frowned as he watched her dig through the clothes in her closet. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I just want to look beautiful for our date," she shrugged, coming out of the closet. "Wear this," she said, handing him his red shirt.

Derek smiled slightly as he reached out to take the shirt, but frowned when he saw her hand. "What the hell is that?" he asked, pulling her hand towards him. "Nail polish? Since when do you wear nail polish?"

Meredith jerked her hand back. "It's pretty," she shrugged. "I have to do my hair and make up and then we can go. I'll be ready in an hour."

Derek frowned as he watched his girlfriend close the door to the bathroom behind her, wondering what on earth was going on. She usually hated getting dressed up and hadn't spoken to him for a day and a half when she'd realized that she had to go to his intern mixer with him. When they went out to dinner she usually threw on jeans and a long sleeve T-shirt, leaving her hair down the way he loved it. But now she was worrying about make up and hair styles, and painting her nails.

A sudden rush of panic went through him, and he jumped off his bed to pull the top drawer of his dresser open. He pushed aside some boxers and sighed in relief when he saw that the ring was still there, safe and sound.

But that didn't give an explanation as to why his girlfriend was acting like a weird hybrid of Izzie and Addison. One thing was for certain, he wouldn't be proposing until he was sure that it was his Meredith that would say yes, not the weird pod person currently locked in his bathroom.

"Okay," Meredith breathed forty five minutes later as she stepped out of the bathroom, her hair piled on top of her head and her make up too heavy. "How do I look?"

Derek couldn't deny the tug at his heartstrings at the warm smile that graced her overly red lips. "Beautiful," he smiled, leaning forward to kiss her. "Ready?"

"Yeah," she smiled, looping her arm through his as they walked out of the apartment.

Derek sighed as he flicked the lights in the apartment off before he led Meredith down the hall, towards a romantic dinner where he wouldn't propose as his mother's engagement ring sat abandoned in his dresser, waiting patiently to be placed on the love of his life's hand.