Meredith stared down at her cell phone, rolling her eyes before holding it up to her ear. "What?"

"Oh, I didn't think you'd answer," Izzie giggled. "I was going to leave you a message about the rehearsal dinner."

"Rehearsal dinner?" Meredith repeated.

"Yeah," Izzie nodded. "I know Derek's mom said she'd host it, but is she cooking too? It's kind of late to be thinking about this, but we've got a week so we might be able to scrape something together. Oh, and do you have a dress? You need a dress, and I can take you shopping…"

"Yes," Meredith rolled her eyes. "Remember when you convinced me to try on the dress and I actually liked it? That's what I'll be wearing on my wedding day. It's at Emma's, because Derek keeps looking for it."

"For the rehearsal dinner," Izzie groaned. "Please try to keep up. This is very important."

"Right," Meredith nodded. "Izzie, I can't talk right now. I'm working. With children. Who need me."

"You answered your phone."

"Because I have fifteen minutes to pick my kids up from music," Meredith said. "Which, thanks to you, is now down to ten."

"Fine," Izzie said. "Do you have a dress?"

"I'll just wear my black one," Meredith nodded. "I don't think I really have any other ones."

"Mer!" Izzie gasped. "You can't wear a dress you've already worn! That's just wrong in so many ways."

"Why not?" Meredith sighed, lifting a hand to her head.

"Because this is the rehearsal dinner for your wedding," Izzie insisted. "Your wedding, Meredith."

"I know it's my wedding," Meredith sighed. "Derek loves that dress, and it's comfortable."

"You can't wear it," Izzie insisted. "Didn't you tell me that Derek ripped part of it when you two couldn't keep your hands off each other at his mixer? Yes, that's the perfect dress to wear to your rehearsal dinner."

Meredith paused for a moment before she nodded. "I'll buy a new dress," she said. "Tomorrow."

"Good," Izzie nodded. "Now about the food…"

"Iz, I can't talk about this," Meredith insisted. "I have to pick my class up and then celebrate the end of the year with them. There's a carnival and candy and prizes, and I don't have time to worry about this right now. I have to comfort kids who don't want to leave."

"Fine," Izzie sighed dramatically. "Call me when you're home. This is urgent, Meredith."

"Bye," Meredith said, snapping her phone shut. She stared at the ceiling for a moment, wondering how she was going to make it through the week.

One week. That's all she had left of being Meredith Grey. In one week she would be Meredith Shepherd, and life would be so much better. Mostly because she was sick to death of Izzie and Derek's sisters calling her every five minutes, trying to convince her to have the big fancy wedding she was sure she didn't want.

"What?" she practically yelled as her phone rang again.

"Oh, Mer, I thought I was going to get your voicemail," Kathleen said. "Listen, I was helping Meg try on her flower girl dress, and she was asking me all these questions about the reception, which led me to wonder what your song is."

"Song?" Meredith asked with a dejected sigh, fighting the urge to hang up. Hanging up on her future sister in law would be bad.

"For your first dance."

"Derek doesn't dance," Meredith argued.

"So?"

"So we decided we're not going to dance," Meredith said.

"What?" Kathleen gasped.

"We don't need to dance," Meredith sighed. "We don't need to have all those stupid wedding traditions."

"Aren't you going to regret not having a dance?"

"No," Meredith said firmly. "What does it matter, Kath? That's what we want."

"I have to talk to Izzie about this," Kathleen said.

"Wait, Kath, no!" Meredith tried to stop her sister before she hung up, but the attempt was futile. She was definitely going to hear about this tonight.

"Everything okay?" a voice asked from the doorway.

Meredith sighed as she looked up and saw Andrew in the doorway. "Yeah," she sighed. "Just wedding stuff."

Andrew's eyes flashed with pain for a moment as he glanced down at Meredith's engagement ring. "Right," he said. "You're getting married soon."

"Next week," Meredith smiled softly.

Andrew looked at her carefully for a moment before he stepped forward slightly and looked at her closely. "You don't seem very excited," he observed.

"Call me crazy, but…aren't women supposed to be excited for their wedding?"

Meredith sighed as she tossed her cell phone onto her desk. "I am," she said with an unconvincing nod.

"It doesn't sound like you're trying to convince me," Andrew observed.

"I just…everyone is trying to tell me how I should get married," Meredith sighed. "They're driving me crazy trying to turn this into their perfect wedding when it's not. It's mine."

"But you're not excited," Andrew stated.

"It will be better when Derek's around again."

"Where is he?" Andrew frowned.

"He has his intern exam," Meredith sighed. "The day before the wedding, so…I'll be lucky if I even get to see him before the ceremony."

"That's not right," Andrew said, stepping even closer to her.

"It's my own fault," Meredith murmured. "I wanted to have the wedding at a time where he could get a significant amount of time away from the hospital, and I didn't really think about the whole exam thing. He's been pretty good about balancing studying with spending time with me but I just…" she trailed off when she felt Andrew's lips crash down on hers, causing her to jump back in surprise and instinctively wipe her hand across her lips. "What the hell was that?" she cried.

"I'm sorry," Andrew whispered. "But I can't not do this?"

"Not do what?" Meredith asked, moving behind her desk to place as much distance between her and Andrew as possible.

"Not kiss you," Andrew breathed. "Not fall asleep at night wishing that you were in my arms. Look at you and not want to make love to you."

"I…what?" Meredith asked, frowning as she stared at him. "Andrew…we broke up a year ago."

"And I've tried to step aside because I thought you really loved Derek," Andrew said. "But seeing you like this…I know you don't love him."

"Yes, yes I do!" Meredith said. "I don't know what you're thinking, but I love Derek, more than anything in the world."

"Then how come you're not excited for your wedding to him?"

"Because weddings are stupid," Meredith argued. "I don't care about weddings. I care about marriage. To Derek. The man I love, the man I'm building a home with."

"That could be us," Andrew breathed. "Remember how great we were together, Mer?"

"Don't call me that," she snapped. "And we weren't great together. I was completely in love with Derek the entire time we were together."

"You said you loved me," Andrew frowned.

"No I didn't," Meredith argued. "I couldn't have. I never loved you."

"You did," Andrew nodded. "I thought you were sleeping one night and I said it to you. You said it back."

Meredith rolled her eyes. "Well, I wasn't talking to you," she sighed.

"Funny, I thought I was the only other person in the room."

"I mean…I really never wanted you to know this, but you just kissed me so I don't really care about sparing your feelings anymore," she sighed deeply. "I was pretending you were Derek."

"You…what?"

"Derek," Meredith nodded. "When we made love, when I fell asleep in your arms…I always just squeezed my eyes closed and pretended you were Derek. That's the only way I could enjoy it."

"But he hurt you," Andrew breathed, reaching for her hand. "Mer, I would never do that to you."

"Let go!" Meredith cried, trying to tug her hand out of his grasp.

"I can't," Andrew shook his head. "I love you, Meredith. Please, just give us another chance."

As Meredith opened her mouth to yell at him again, a dark voice came from the doorway. "Let her go."

"Derek," Meredith breathed, moving towards him. "I had no idea about this, I promise. You have to believe that I never wanted to go back to him. Please, Derek, I love you, and I'm excited about our wedding."

Derek squeezed her hand tightly, making sure that he knew that he believed her. He didn't look at her though, his eyes focused on Andrew. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I'm giving her the love she deserves," Andrew replied, stepping forward. "Something you've never been able to do."

"You son of a bitch," Derek stepped forward, his arm raised.

"Derek!" Meredith cried, pulling him back. "Don't, please don't."

"Mer, I can't…"

"You're in my classroom," Meredith snapped. "And frankly, I'd put up with my seven year olds beating each other up more than I'd put up with you two. You both know better."

Derek sighed, stepping back and running a hand through his hair. "You're right," he sighed. He turned to Andrew, his eyes darkening considerably. "You need to stay away from her."

"You can't tell me what to do," Andrew frowned.

"I'd listen to him if I were you," Meredith replied. "Andrew…"

Before any more of them could say a word, a group of kids ran into the classroom, giggling loudly and calling for Meredith. She sent one more warning glance towards Derek before she turned to smile at her students, giggling with them as they bounced eagerly through the classroom.

XXXXX

"I'm just saying," Derek sighed as he opened the door to their apartment later that night. "I don't like the guy."

"I know," Meredith said, dropping a box onto the table. "But do we really have to do this right now? I just had to say goodbye to the group of students who were apart of my life for the past year. I hate the end of the year."

Derek stared at her closely for a moment before he stated, "You're not excited for our wedding."

"What?" Meredith asked.

"You're not excited," Derek said.

"I am," she nodded. "To be your wife. I honestly just want to be your wife. Isn't that the point of a wedding? Not whether I have a dress for the rehearsal dinner or whether we're going to have a first dance. I mean, I tried to plan a wedding, one that both of us would like. But somehow your crazy sisters and my stupid college roommate thought it would be a good idea to take my wedding and make it their own."

"Mer…" Derek frowned. "You shouldn't let them bother you. They're just trying to help."

"I know," she sighed. "I just…I want to be your wife."

"I want that too," Derek nodded as he followed her to the couch, gently reaching out to rub her shoulders. "I'm sorry I snapped."

"It's okay," she sighed. "You're stressed about your exam. I get it."

"That doesn't mean it's okay for me to snap at you," Derek shook his head. "I love you. And that's why I lost control of my temper in there. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Meredith whispered, turning to face him. "How's the studying coming?"

"I think I'm going to take a break," Derek nodded. "How does a nice romantic, preview of the honeymoon sound? Wine, a nice dinner, some whipped cream for desert?"

"What's the whipped cream on top of?" Meredith giggled, leaning towards him.

"Your favorite treat," Derek breathed.

"Chocolate mousse?" Meredith whispered.

"Me," Derek corrected.

"Hmmm," Meredith sighed, her hands traveling towards his belt buckle. "You're sure you can afford to not study tonight?"

"I'll study," Derek nodded, leaning his head down to press his lips against her neck. "This is the clavicle…" He smiled as he moved his lips down. "The heart's under here," he murmured, kissing her upper left chest. "And these are the most perfect breasts in the world…" he lightly teased them for a moment before moving down. "Rib cage…"

"Derek," Meredith sighed, threading her fingers through his hair. "Please…"

"Hmmm," Derek sighed, moving back to look at her. "You are so beautiful."

"Derek," she breathed, tugging on his hand. "I need you."

"Let's take this to the bedroom," Derek said huskily. He reached out and pulled her off the couch, carrying her gently to their room and settling her on the bed. "God, Mer, I've missed you."

"I've been here," Meredith whispered.

"We've been busy," Derek sighed. "I don't want it to happen again."

"It won't," she whispered. "No more weddings to plan, no more intern exams…we're just going to be us."

"Promise me," Derek breathed, sudden desperation appearing in his eyes. "Promise me that we'll never resent each other or get too busy to keep our relationship alive."

"I promise," Meredith whispered, cupping his face in her hands. "Derek…we'll never lose this, it's too special."

Derek nodded, moving down to kiss her deeply. "I need you, Mer," he whispered.

"Take me," Meredith nodded, wrapping her arms and legs around him. "Please, Der."

Derek pressed his lips firmly against hers, needing to feel her beneath him, needing to escape from the real world by making love to his fiancé.