Someone was watching her.

That was the first thought Meredith had as she slipped into consciousness the next morning. The second was the fact that she was getting married. Today. She was going to be Derek's wife.

"Hmm," she sighed as she turned to look into the eyes of her fiancé. The man who would be her husband in less than twelve hours. "Good morning," she whispered, smiling widely.

"Very good morning," Derek smiled, reaching out to stroke her hair as he leaned down to kiss her softly.

"How long have you bee awake?"

"Awhile," he smiled, reaching down to trace the skin of her stomach. "You're cute when you sleep."

"I'm not cute," Meredith giggled. "I'm a bride. Brides are supposed to be beautiful and pure."

"You're beautiful too. Pure…I'm not so sure about," Derek laughed. "But you're still cute. And you're mine."

"Yours," Meredith smiled. "Do you think your sisters have made it here yet? Or are they still flying?"

"I don't know," he laughed softly. "I thought they were going to kill us when we told them."

"Matt wasn't too happy about buying the last minute tickets," Meredith giggled. "Neither was Liz."

"I'm glad they're going to be here," Derek said softly. "As much as I love this plan for getting married…it wouldn't have been the same without them. So I'm glad they finally gave in."

"Your mom's so excited," Meredith sighed, snuggling closer to him.

"Hmmm," Derek nodded. "What do you want to do today?"

"Besides getting married?" she giggled.

"Well, that's tonight," Derek said, smiling down at her as he ran his hands through her hair.

"Well…" Meredith sighed, shoving him onto his back and rolling on top of him. "We could go have breakfast with your mom and Mark and Addie and wait for your sisters to come."

"Or…" Derek murmured, running his hands over her sides.

"Or we could go to the beach and lie in the sun," Meredith murmured, taking his earlobe into her mouth. "Be nice and tan for our wedding."

"Hmm," Derek moaned. "Can't be sunburned for the pictures."

"Good point," Meredith giggled.

"So we could just…stay here all day."

"What are we going to do here?" Meredith pouted.

"I can think of a few things…" Derek smiled, rocking his hips against hers.

Meredith moaned loudly at the feeling of his body beneath his. "Derek," she gasped as he reached down to stroke her gently. "Oh God…"

Before they could continue, there was a loud pounding on the door, and Mark's voice carried through the room. "If you two are fucking each other, I'd suggest stopping. Nance just called, their plane landed and they're on their way here."

"Tell them we'll see them at the wedding," Derek groaned, bringing Meredith back down to him.

"Right," Mark rolled his eyes. "She says that since you dragged them all the way out here, you've got to spend the day with them. They'll let you start the honeymoon tomorrow."

Meredith sighed as she rolled off of Derek, moving towards her suitcase. "He has a point," she said.

"I guess," Derek frowned. "But what am I supposed to do with this?"

Meredith followed his gaze down to his hardness, giggling softly as she pulled a bikini on. "I don't know," she shrugged.

"Seriously?" Derek frowned.

"What?" Meredith asked innocently, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"You're not going to help me out?"

"You have a hand for a reason," she shrugged. "I'll be waiting outside."

Derek groaned as he watched her walk out the door, his hand moving over his own length as he tossed his head back against the pillows, picturing Meredith's body on top of his, his pace picking up as he pumped his hand over himself.

Meredith giggled as he stepped out of their cabana a few minutes later, pushing herself out of the hammock to wrap her arms around his waist. "Everything taken care of?" she asked.

"It's just mean to deny a man sex on his wedding day," Derek frowned.

"Get used to it," she smiled. "According to Nancy and Kathleen, sex stops once you're married."

"Suddenly I'm changing my mind about this whole wedding thing," Derek said as Meredith dragged him down the grass towards the beach. "Where are we going?"

"Mark and Addison rented a cabana," she said, smiling as they approached a large tent set up on the beach. "Apparently the girls are already there."

"Derbear!" Caitlin giggled as she ran out of the cabana. "You're the best brother ever!"

"You weren't saying that last night," Derek pointed out.

"Well…no one's exactly excited about having twelve hours to pack for vacation," Caitlin giggled. "But now that we're here…this is amazing?"

"So I shouldn't change my name and move across the country?" Derek asked.

"We love you baby brother," Kathleen smiled as she came up to them with Meg in her arms. "We were just shocked."

Derek smiled as he pulled Meg into his arms. "At least we had one person on our side, right sweetheart?" he asked as he tickled her slightly.

Meg giggled as she squirmed in Derek's arms. "I wanna go swim, Uncle Derek!" she cried.

"You do," he sighed. "Well, I suppose I can go take a dip in the pool."

"Yay!" Meg cried, wrapping her arms around Derek's neck.

"You want to come, Mer?" Derek asked, turning to smile at his fiancé.

"No, I'll stay here," she smiled, reaching for the offered margarita from Addison.

"Don't get too drunk," Derek warned, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "I don't want a drunk bride."

"Your bride will be completely sober," she smiled, running a hand through his hair before tickling Meg gently. "Have fun in the pool."

She watched with a soft smile as Derek took off towards the pool with Meg in his arms, tossing her into the water before jumping in himself and pulling her into his arms. He was so good with kids, and suddenly she couldn't wait to have children with him. He was going to be an amazing father, and she knew that it wasn't going to happen for awhile. But as Derek held Meg slightly on top of the water, helping her to float on her back, she could see that her children would be the luckiest kids in the world to have him as a father.

"I recognize that look," Liz smiled as she stepped beside Meredith, her eyes focused on Derek and Meg as well.

"What look?" Meredith asked.

"The wanting kids look," Liz smiled. "Kath and Nance both had it as soon as they got married. Am I going to have another niece or nephew in the next nine months?"

"We're waiting," Meredith shook her head. "Derek…well, he's obsessed with babies, but we can't have kids yet. When we get back our lease is up and we have to live in the trailer while the house is finished, and they're telling us October, which means we'll be lucky if we move in before the new year, and we can't have a baby while we're living in a trailer. So we're waiting."

"I know you're waiting," Liz smiled. "But Derek will be an amazing father. And you will be an incredible mother."

Meredith smiled slightly. "I know," she whispered. "You know that's one of the reasons I became a teacher?"

"Why?" Liz asked, looking carefully at her sister in law as the gentle wind whipped the hair in front of her face.

"Because I never thought that I would ever find a man I could trust enough to spend a lifetime with," Meredith breathed. "I never thought I'd have my own kids, so I thought that if I was a teacher, I wouldn't miss out on raising my own kids."

"That's…really sweet," Liz breathed. "And really sad."

"Well, sad pretty much sums up my life before Derek," Meredith sighed, then frowned. "I've been spending too much time with him. That was entirely corny."

"Derek's lucky," Liz smiled softly. "I know we've all said it before. But I really don't even know what he would do without you."

"Me either," Meredith smiled, setting her empty glass on the table beside her and reaching for the sarong wrapped around her waist. "I'm going to go swimming. Want to come?"

"No, go ahead," Liz smiled. "Enjoy Derek."

Meredith giggled as she slid into the pool behind Derek, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing a kiss to his cheek before moving to toss Meg into the air, feeling strangely complete. In a few years, this would be theirs. Their pool, their home, their little girl they were playing with. And it would all be perfect.

XXXXX

"Wow," Derek breathed hours later as Meredith stepped out of their cabana in a simple white dress, falling straight down her body, held up with a pair of thin spaghetti straps and falling to just below her knees. She wore a pair of simple white flip flops and his mother's veil hung simply from her hair as it curled around her face. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks," Meredith said, her face flushing slightly as she looked at him. He was dressed in a simple pair of khakis and a light blue button down, his hair already fluttering in the wind. "You look good too."

"Of course," Derek laughed, reaching for her hand. "Your husband is dreamy."

"You're not my husband yet," she teased.

"I will be in about a half an hour," Derek smiled. "Ready to get married?"

"Let's get married," she said, leaning in to kiss him gently before pulling away to pull him towards the beach where their family was waiting.

"There they are," Emma sighed as she saw them walking towards the large group of Shepherds gathered around the minister they had managed to find to perform the ceremony.

Lexie pushed George forward, and he smiled as he held up his camera, having been designated the photographer for the entire wedding.

"Meredith and Derek," the minister smiled. "You're about to take the biggest step a couple can take, a sacred ceremony that creates a special union between a man and a woman under God. Are you both willing to take this step today, in this moment?"

"Yes," Meredith and Derek said at the same time, smiling softly at each other.

"At this time, you may recite the vows you have written for each other."

Derek took a deep breath as he smiled at his bride, squeezing her hands tightly in his. She was completely beautiful as she stood before him, the ocean breezes causing her hair to curl slightly around her face, her dress brushing against his legs. "Meredith," he let her name out in one simple breath. "I love you so incredibly much. I know I tell you that every day, and I wish that there were words to express my complete love for you, but there aren't. You're so passionate, so full of life, and I depend on you to keep me sane. You complete me, Meredith Grey, and I know that I will never stop loving you. I'll never run, and I will always be there for you, anytime you need me. This is forever, Mer, I'll love you until the end of forever and then for another day after that."

Meredith smiled softly as she squeezed his hands tightly. "I….Derek," she said softly. "I still sometimes can't believe that I'm so lucky that you love me. I never thought that I would ever fall in love, and I wasn't sure I even believed in love. But because of you, I know that love not only exists, but it's the greatest feeling in the world. You were the first person to ever love me, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. I'm safe with you, and I know that you'll never hurt me. So today I want to make the same promise to you. I love you, Derek. And I always will. Even when I hate you. And I'll never run. You're everything I have, Derek, and I can't wait to complete my life with you. I love you, Derek Christopher Shepherd, and even if that's the only thing in this world that I'm sure of, that's enough."

Derek smiled softly as he squeezed her hands tightly. "I love you too," he murmured.

"And now it's time for the exchanging of the rings," the minister smiled. "Derek, place this ring on Meredith's finger and promise her, 'with this ring, I thee wed."

Derek smiled as he slid the ring onto Meredith's finger, pressing a gentle kiss to her hand as he said softly, "With this ring, I thee wed."

"Meredith, place this ring on Derek's finger and promise 'with this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring," Meredith whispered as she slid the ring onto Derek's strong hand. "I thee wed."

"I now declare you husband and wife," the minister announced. "You may now kiss the bride."

Meredith giggled as Derek pulled her firmly into his arms, kissing her passionately. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he dipped her backwards, neither one of them noticing the congratulations uttered by heir family or the snapping of George's camera. All they cared about was the fact that they were married.

"We're married," Meredith whispered as he pulled her to stand again. "Husband."

"Wife," Derek smiled widely. "Mrs. Shepherd."

"Oh," Meredith breathed, blushing slightly.

"I love your new name," Derek murmured, lacing their fingers together.

"Me too," she whispered, reaching up to kiss him again. "I love you so much."

"I love you too."

"Okay, are we ever going to get to congratulate you two?" Kathleen asked, drawing them both back into reality as they turned to face their family.

"I'm so happy for you both," Emma smiled as she gathered them both into her arms. "I couldn't imagine any couple better suited for each other."

"Thanks Mom," Meredith murmured.

"Your father is so very proud of you," Emma murmured, smiled down at Meredith's engagement ring. "He would have loved to be here today."

"Thanks Mom," Derek whispered, letting go of Meredith to pull his mother tightly into his arms. "I love you."

"I love you too," Emma murmured. "Make her happy sweetheart."

"I will," Derek smiled as he watched Meredith giggle with his sisters, her new sisters in law. She was completely glowing as she showed off her ring and played with her veil as it blew into her face. "She's incredible."

"Well, she is a Shepherd," Emma said as she looped her arm through her sons.

"Yeah," Derek said, inhaling deeply. "She is."

"Derek," Meredith giggled, reaching for him. "We need pictures. Before the sun actually sets."

Derek smiled as he took her hand and pulled her close. "Of course," he said. "How am I do deny my wife anything she wants?"

"Wife," Meredith whispered as she pressed her lips against his. "Best wedding ever."