Just a filler chapter to get you guys through the day. Hopefully tonight's the night for a wedding!

"Hey, Shep," Mark smiled as he appeared next to him at the nurse's station where Derek was scribbling on a chart.

"Hey," Derek said. "How was Christmas in New York?"

"Pretty good," Mark nodded. "I'm pretty sure the parents loved me. Missed the Shepherd craziness though."

"I still can't believe you're serious enough about a girl to meet her parents," Derek shook his head. "Let alone go home with her for Christmas."

"You're not the only one who can fall in love," Mark said.

"Love?" Derek raised his eyebrows as he stared at his best friend.

"Well, we're not getting married anytime soon," Mark scoffed. "But…eventually."

"You're going to marry her," Derek stated.

"She seems to love the whole big wedding thing," Mark shrugged. "And let me tell you I got an earful on the plane about how crazy your fiancé is for not wanting all that shit."

"Meredith isn't crazy," Derek frowned. "She just doesn't want a big wedding. And neither do I."

"Whatever," Mark shrugged. "So I have strict orders to keep you busy this afternoon. And since we're both off in a couple hours, I was thinking we could go check out the entertainment I've got booked for your bachelor party."

"Bachelor party?" Derek asked.

"Don't tell me just cause you're having a small wedding that you aren't going to have a bachelor party," Mark said. "It's the only way I'll get to see strippers without Addison busting my ass."

"I hadn't really thought of it," Derek shrugged.

"Well, I'll make the decision for you then," Mark stated firmly. "Bachelor party. And we're checking it out today."

"I'm meeting Mer at school," Derek shrugged. "She wanted me to surprise her class with some music."

"Change of plans," Mark shrugged as he walked away, clapping Derek on the back. "Addie's going with Grey to pick out a wedding dress."

Derek frowned as he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, wondering when that plan had occurred. Meredith had been insistent that he come into her class as a surprise for her students, wanting to reward them for being good for the entire week. He'd been coming into school more frequently in the few weeks since Christmas break, getting to know her students fairly well. Most of the girls in her class were still giggling over the proposal, and he couldn't help but smile at how they all seemed to have major crushes on him, no matter the fact that he was their teacher's fiancé.

The wedding plans were coming along well. Meredith had thrown herself into planning the perfect wedding for the two of them, with Addison and Lexie as her main advocates. Their day was only five months away now, and he could tell she was already starting to get nervous. She'd compromised with his mother and agreed that a priest could perform the ceremony, but only after a long argument with Emma and an even longer ramble about how she couldn't get married by a priest because she'd never been to church and apparently he would hate her because she was, in her words, a slut who screwed boys like a whore on tequila. She'd finally given in when she'd realized how much it meant to Emma, and eventually conceded that perhaps the priest didn't ever need to know that she still screwed only one boy like a whore on tequila.

Derek laughed to himself as he moved towards the intern locker room, wondering who had convinced Meredith to go back to the bridal store. She'd been twice, once with all of his sisters, his mother, and her friends. She'd come back from that shopping trip in complete tears, telling him that they couldn't get married because she couldn't find a dress that she liked that anyone else approved of. He'd offered to help, which had only made her angry because apparently only idiots didn't know that the groom wasn't supposed to see the dress before the wedding.

The second time she'd gone with Liz and Addison, and although the trip had been completely unsuccessful, she'd come home completely drunk and giggly, leading them to a long night of what had to be the hottest sex he'd ever had. Of course, sex with Meredith got hotter every day, and he was sure that if it kept getting better, she would kill him from sheer pleasure before they hit their five year anniversary.

It was still so surreal to him, that they were actually getting married. A year ago, he'd been borderline on becoming an alcoholic as she'd tried to move on with Andrew, and now they were getting married. She'd confessed to him late one night a couple weeks ago as she laid naked and satisfied in his arms that she'd chosen the date of their wedding because it was exactly one year after they had flown to Europe and gotten back together. Forever. She'd smiled softly as she told him that that day was special and didn't deserve to fade into the background, just another day in the year. So they were getting married on that day, a day that would always be completely special to them.

As much as he loved the significance of that day, however, he couldn't help but want to kidnap her from school, fly to Vegas and marry her today. He was completely ready to call her his wife, to wear a ring that would tell the world that he was spoken for by the most amazing woman in the world. Life wouldn't be that different, they both knew that, but there was something amazing about referring to Meredith as his wife. And he couldn't wait until she would no longer be Miss Grey, but instead Mrs. Shepherd. He wasn't sure that she would have wanted to change her name, but he'd felt a secret thrill run down his spine when she'd told him that she was more of a Shepherd than a Grey, and she wanted her name to reflect that.

Derek and Meredith Shepherd.

It sounded right to him, completely and totally right, and he couldn't wait until the day that it was official. The next few months would be incredibly stressful, with the intern test and wedding preparations, as well as making sure that he got enough time in the OR and got his Meredith fix. It would be hard, but it would be completely worth it when he could call her his wife and spend two weeks in Paradise with her. Just the Shepherds.

"Hey Mer," he smiled widely as he lifted his ringing phone up to his ear. "I was just thinking about you."

"Good things, I hope," he heard her giggle.

"Do I ever think anything bad about you?" he asked.

"Well, the other day I thought you were going to ask for your ring back when I tried to make you breakfast in bed," Meredith argued.

"Mer, you caught the stove on fire," he said. "I would have thought that a first grade teacher would know her fire safety enough to not put the cardboard egg carton on top of a hot stove."

"I don't like you."

"You love me," he laughed. "You're going shopping?"

"Yes," she sighed. "And it won't be like the last two times. I promise."

"I'd be okay if it were a repeat of last time," he laughed. "You were completely bendy that night."

"I was drunk," she rolled her eyes. "Because that's what the stress of finding a dress that you'll like does to me. Causes me to drink."

"Mer, I know you'll look beautiful in anything," he laughed. "Just get a dress you like. That's all that matters."

"I know," she said. "But I can' get drunk every time I look for a dress. Otherwise Izzie and your crazy sisters will convince me it's a good idea to buy a dress that makes me look like a cupcake."

"No cupcakes," he laughed. "I need to get you naked fast."

"Oh, I'm sure your mother will appreciate that reasoning when I tell her that's why I want a short dress," Meredith said.

"Mom actually doesn't need to know that," Derek said.

"I know," she giggled. "Sorry I cancelled. I called for a sub, but if you still want to come in you can. Just make sure you don't let any of the girls in my class steal you away from me."

"That's disturbing."

"They love you," she said. "Probably more than me."

"Wow, I can't believe this is how I'm going to be treated for the rest of my life," Derek sighed. "How lucky am I?"

"Shut up."

Derek laughed. "Anyways, Mark has some big plans for the afternoon," he said. "Which will probably lead into the evening. And knowing Mark, well into the night."

"Really?" Meredith asked. "What would these plans be?"

"They may involve entertainment options for my bachelor party," Derek said.

"Strippers?" Meredith inquired.

"Well…yes," Derek said. "But I'm only going because Mark's making me."

"Oh, of course," Meredith giggled. "You don't want to be unappreciative of Mark when he's trying to plan you a party."

"Exactly," Derek nodded. "I'm glad you see things my way."

He could practically hear her roll her eyes over the phone. "Whatever," she said. "And Der…when you get home I might have a surprise waiting for you?"

"Hmmm?" Derek asked, trying to ignore the straining in his pants.

"Yes," she said in a breathy whisper. "You see, only naughty boys go to see strippers when they can get a completely private show and a free lap dance at home. So I'll have to punish you. Since you're being such a naughty, dirty boy."

"I hope none of your students are listening to you right now."

She giggled as her voice returned to normal. "They're in gym class right now," she said. "But seriously…when you're watching all those girls dance around, just remember that I'll be waiting at home, completely naked in our bed as I take care of myself and scream your name."

"Fuck, Mer," Derek breathed into the phone. "I swear you're going to kill me."

"I won't," she promised. "Because I need you for hot sex. If you die I won't get it, so I'll make sure not to kill you."

"Well, I appreciate that," Derek smiled.

"So I guess I'll just see you whenever," Meredith said. "I've got to go pick my class up from the gym."

"I won't be too late," Derek nodded. "And just…get started by yourself. It's hot."

"You really are dirty," she giggled. "I really have to go now. I love you."

"I love you too," he said. "Good luck finding a dress."

"Have fun with your strippers," she laughed before she hung up.

Derek shook his head as he hung up the phone, opening his locker quickly to change into street clothes. As he was pulling his sweater over his head, the door swung open and Mark walked in, smiling widely.

"Who's the best best man ever?" he asked.

"You know, technically I haven't even asked you to be my best man," Derek pointed out.

"Technicality," Mark shrugged. "It's not like you have any friends."

"Thanks for that."

"Anyways," Mark continued. "I've got the names of seven strip joints, all of which have several promising possibilities for a private bachelor party, complete with free lap dances."

"You know you have a girlfriend," Derek said.

"Yeah, well, strippers are strippers," Mark shrugged. "Every man needs them."

"I don't," Derek laughed. "I've been promised a private strip tease, lap dance, and anything else I want when I get home tonight."

"Anything?" Mark raised his eyebrows. "How much is Grey willing to do?"

"Last week she did a handstand and let me take her from behind."

Mark's eyes widened. "A handstand?" he asked.

"She reads Cosmo," Derek shrugged. "She doesn't admit it, but she does."

"How is that possible?"

"She bends over, and I hold her ankles," Derek said. "Let me tell you…whoever comes up with those positions for that magazines knows what they're talking about."

"A handstand," Mark shook his head. "You hit the jackpot, Shep."

"Trust me, I know," Derek laughed. "Addie's not into that?"

"She will be," Mark nodded. "I'm getting her a subscription first thing tomorrow morning."

Derek laughed. "I told you I don't need strippers."

"Obviously not," Mark said. "But I do. So let's go anyways."

Derek clapped Mark on the back and moved towards the door. "Let's go," he nodded.

XXXXX

Hours later, Derek stumbled into their apartment, frowning as he looked behind him at the door. He was pretty sure he'd just spent about fifteen minutes trying to get the key into the lock, his brain fuzzy from the combination of alcohol and dirty text messages from Meredith. Somehow he'd managed to get inside, and now all he wanted was hot dirty sex with his fiancé.

"Oh," he frowned as he tripped over the coffee table in the middle of the living room, falling to the floor and frowning at the offending object.

"Derek?" Meredith's voice called from the bedroom and a moment later the light flipped on to reveal her standing above him in one of his button downs. "What are you doing?"

"When did we put that there?" Derek asked as he pointed at the coffee table.

"About the time that we moved in," Meredith said, a smirk playing over her lips.

"Oh."

"You're drunk," she pointed out.

"Not drunk," Derek shook his head as he struggled to get to his feet, Meredith rushing to help him. "Horny."

"Right," Meredith nodded. "Derek, it's three in the morning. I thought you got paged to the hospital."

"No," Derek shook his head. "I was watching girls dance. But they weren't hot."

Meredith raised her eyebrows as she settled him into bed, tugging his shoes off before she slipped his sweater over his head. "If this was research for your bachelor party, I don't even want to know what the actual party will be like."

"No sex," Derek sighed sadly. "Well, I could have had sex. Cause there were lots of whores there. But I told them I only have sex with one whore."

"I'm not sure if that's a compliment."

"It is," Derek nodded enthusiastically. "And I'm very very lucky. Cause you like dirty sex. Mark said Addison won't let him have dirty handstand sex. So I'm glad I have you."

"Thanks," Meredith giggled. "I think."

"So we can have sex now," Derek murmured, his eyes starting to fall closed. "All those dirty text messages…we can have sex."

"You're falling asleep," Meredith whispered, sliding into bed beside him and pressing a kiss to his forehead. "We'll have sex tomorrow."

"No sleeping," Derek shook his head. "Sex."

"Derek, no offense, but I don't think your body agrees with you," Meredith giggled as she reached for his belt buckle, noticing the rare lack of an erection.

Derek frowned as he looked down at his soft penis. "Why isn't it hard?" he turned to look at her.

"Because you're about to pass out," Meredith smiled.

Derek sighed dramatically as he leaned into her. "You still love me?" he whispered. "Even though I can't give you sex right now?"

"Yes, Derek," she laughed, letting him settle his head against her chest as she reached to turn out the light. "I still love you. I always will."