Derek Shepherd had stood in this OR several times, probably hundreds of time in the past two years, preparing to save someone's life. He remembered the first time, the way his hands had shook as he scrubbed in. But now, as he stared through the window and watched his wife get an epidural, his hands were shaking so much that he dropped the soap exactly six times before he was properly scrubbed in. Everything about this moment suggested that he was about to be Dr. Derek Shepherd; from the light blue scrubs pulled from his locker to the ferryboat scrub cap and surgical mask he was tying on, he looked like Dr. Shepherd. Except he knew that the next time he stepped out of this OR, he would be Daddy to two precious little girls.

"Derek," Meredith gasped, her voice filled with fright as he stepped out of the scrub room, immediately moving closer to her and taking her hand, squeezing it tightly as he looked around the room.

"I'm right here," Derek smiled, kneeling down to look into her eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"I…I can't feel my legs," she whispered.

"I know," he nodded. "Our girls are about to come, Mer. We're going to be parents in a few minutes."

"I know," she breathed. "I'm going to be a good mom, right? And they're going to love me?"

"An amazing one," Derek nodded.

"Alright, we're ready to begin," Dr. White said as she entered the OR. "Anything you'd like to say, Dr. Shepherd?"

Derek smiled as he looked down at Meredith. "It's a beautiful night to save lives," he breathed. "Let's have some fun."

Meredith smiled slightly at him, and he glanced at Dr. White as she made the first incision before he turned his attention back to his wife. "I say that before every surgery," he explained. "It's good luck."

"Hmmm," Meredith nodded. "You're wearing the scrub cap I got you for your last birthday."

"I wear it for every surgery," Derek said. "You bring me good luck. And now it's going to bring us good luck."

Meredith smiled softly, and he felt his own panic subside slightly at the fact that he could calm his wife. He wasn't sure if it was seconds or hours later, but when he heard the sound of loud cries filling the OR, he turned to see Dr. White gently lifting his first baby girl out of his wife's stomach.

"Oh Mer," he breathed. "Look at her, she's beautiful. This is our daughter, Meredith. Our daughter."

"Oh," Meredith sobbed as she watched her husband take the tiny baby into his arms, bringing her closer, looking at her tiny perfect features and her mass of dark hair, stuck to her head. "Hi sweetheart."

"Dr. Shepherd, we've got to give her the APGAR," a nurse murmured as she reached for the baby."

"And we have another Baby Girl Shepherd," Dr. White smiled as she carefully maneuvered their second daughter out of Meredith's stomach, her face scrunched and blonde hair matted against her head.

Derek held his breath for a moment when he didn't hear the healthy cries he had of his first daughter. "Derek," Meredith gasped, squeezing his hand tightly. "Why isn't she crying…"

Before she could finish her terrified question, Dr. White suctioned some fluid out of the little girl's lungs and her loud cries filled the room, much louder and more insistent than her sister's.

"Oh," Meredith gasped as the baby girl was placed in Derek's arms and he moved to show her. "Derek," she whispered, looking closely at the tiny features. "She looks like me."

"She's beautiful," Derek breathed as he handed his daughter to the nurse to join her sister. He knelt down to his wife, tearing his surgical mask off to press his lips against hers. "Thank you, Mer," he whispered. "God, I love you so much."

"I love you too," she breathed as she ran a hand through his hair. "What…where are they?"

"They're just testing their reflexes and cleaning them up," Derek murmured. "They're fine."

"You can go with them if you like," Dr. White said. "We've got to close and get Meredith to recovery, but we'll take good care of her if you want to stay with your daughters."

"I…" Derek glanced at the corner of the room where his tiny babies were being tended for by the nurses. He had never been this conflicted before, but he shook his head. "I'll stay with Meredith."

"No," she whispered. "You should go with them."

"Mer, you need me," he murmured.

"I'm fine," she shook her head. "They'll…I don't want them to be scared. They know you. Go with them."

Derek glanced at Dr. White for a moment. "You'll take good care of her?" he asked.

"Of course, Dr. Shepherd."

"Okay," Derek breathed, kissing Meredith again. "I love you."

"I love you too," she whispered. "Tell our daughters I love them too."

"I will," Derek promised, squeezing her hand one last time before he turned to his daughters, preparing to be a father for the first time.

XXXXX

Pain.

That was all Meredith could feel as her eyes fluttered open, and she briefly wondered if she had been hit by a bus. Every bone in her body hurt, and it was a huge struggle to even open her eyes. But then she ran a hand over her stomach that was a lot smaller than it had been that morning, and she suddenly remembered why she felt like death. Her daughters were here.

She sat up quickly, grimacing in pain as her stomach protested the movement. She winced, knowing that there had to be stitches from the c-section, and that she would have a long recovery ahead of her. But in that moment, she didn't care.

"Whoa," her husband's voice said as she felt his weight join hers on the bed. "Slow down there."

"Derek," she breathed as she opened her eyes. "The girls…where are they?"

"Right here," Derek smiled, looking at the bassinet to the side of her bed. "They've been waiting for Mommy to wake up."

"Oh," she gasped, looking down at the two sleeping girls. "They're…so perfect."

"I know," Derek smiled. "I haven't held them. I didn't want either of them to feel neglected if I held the other first."

"Can we…can I hold them now?"

"Of course," Derek smiled, reaching for his look alike and placing her gently in Meredith's arms before he reached for the tiny clone of his wife.

"Which one is this?" Meredith whispered.

"I didn't name them," Derek shook his head as he offered the baby in his arms a finger to tug on. "We should decide that together."

"They don't look alike," Meredith observed. "This one looks like you."

"She does," Derek smiled. "What do you think?"

"I think…she should be Melanie," Meredith whispered. "She looks like a Melanie."

"She does," Derek said as he smiled down at the baby in his arms. "And that makes you Becky."

"Welcome to the world, my beautiful baby girls," Meredith whispered as she reached out to stroke Becky's cheek. "I'm your mommy."

"And I'm your daddy," Derek murmured.

"We're so glad that you're finally here," Meredith whispered. "And we're going to love you so much."

"We already do," Derek said. "You're the most perfect little girls in the entire world."

Meredith smiled as she shifted her eyes to look up at Derek. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too," he smiled, closing the distance between them to press his lips against hers. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore," Meredith nodded. "But…amazing."

"Good," Derek smiled. "I'm so proud of you."

"Hmm?" Meredith whispered, her eyes fixated on the baby in her arms.

"You've been so amazing with this pregnancy," Derek breathed. "And now…now we have our baby girls."

"Can we switch?" Meredith whispered. "I want to hold Becky."

"Of course," Derek smiled, shifting to place Melanie in her free arm. "Oh, Meredith," he whispered, blinking back tears as he stared at his wife cradling their babies close to her. "I don't think I've ever loved you more than I do in this moment."

"Well, that's good," Meredith giggled through her tears. "Because I just gave birth to your children."

Derek smiled as he reached to take Melanie out of her arms. "Hi princess," he whispered. "You're so beautiful. Oh, Mel, I'm so excited to have you and Becky here with us."

Meredith giggled as she looked down at Becky. "She looks so much like me," she whispered.

"She's beautiful," Derek smiled. "They both are."

"How long was I asleep for?" Meredith asked.

"About an hour," Derek sighed. "We have a little while before they'll take the girls back to the nursery."

"Oh," Meredith frowned.

"What's wrong?" Derek asked.

"Just…we have to give them back," she sighed.

"Only for tonight," Derek smiled. "And probably tomorrow night. But we'll probably be able to take them home the day after that."

"Home," Meredith breathed. "Derek, can you get their blankets? I want them to have them when they're in there tonight. I don't want them to be scared."

"They won't be," Derek smiled as he shifted Melanie into her arms and reaching for their baby bag. "They have each other."

"Here we go girls," Meredith smiled as she looked down at her daughters. "Look what Daddy has for you."

"Mommy made these blankets for you," Derek smiled. "We've got purple for Mel, my perfect little princess. And pink for Becky, my beautiful butterfly."

"Say thank you Daddy," Meredith giggled.

There was a knock on the door and a moment later Mark stepped in, Addison behind him as she rested a hand on her swollen belly. "I heard that there were two beautiful girls born today," Mark smiled as he moved to the bed. "I guess it's true."

Derek smiled proudly as he reached for Becky again. "Girls, this is your Uncle Mark and Aunt Addison," he whispered. "And this…is Becky. Rebecca Elizabeth Shepherd."

"And this is Melanie Emma Shepherd," Meredith smiled. "Your Aunt Addison thought of your name," she whispered to the baby."

"They're so beautiful," Addison whispered.

"Now, Shep, which one is going to marry my boy?" Mark asked with a smirk.

"They aren't marrying a Sloan," Derek shook his head. "No one is good enough for my girls."

"You're going to have quite the wake up call in about thirteen years," Addison smiled.

"We're not talking about that," Derek shook his head, frowning as Melanie opened her eyes and let out a soft cry. "What's wrong with her?"

"I think…maybe I need to feed her?" Meredith asked, biting her lower lip.

Before Derek could answer, Becky's cries echoed her sisters and Mark turned to Derek with a grin. "Good luck, Shep," he said. "We'll get out of here so Grey can feed them."

"Thanks," Meredith sighed as she reached for Becky.

"We'll come back tomorrow," Addison nodded, kissing Derek's cheek quickly. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," Derek smiled, watching as their friends walked out of the room. "You okay?" he asked, watching as Meredith pulled her hospital gown down and held each baby to a breast.

"Fine," she nodded.

"It's okay to feed them like that?" Derek asked.

"Tandem feeding," Meredith nodded. "It's normal. I can't have one of them starving."

"No, I guess not," he smiled as he ran a hand over Melanie's capped head.

"Though…while I'm doing this do you mind going to get me something to drink?"

"Of course not," Derek shook his head. "What do you want?"

"Apple juice?"

"On the way," Derek nodded.

"Thanks," Meredith smiled. "I love you."

"Love you too," Derek said, kissing her softly. "Love you too, Becky and Melanie."

"Say bye to Daddy," Meredith murmured. "He'll be back soon."

She watched Derek slip out of the room, smiling down at her daughters. Becky had already detached herself from her breast, and was staring at her mother with wide blue eyes. Melanie latched off a moment later, staring at her with similar eyes. Meredith smiled as she stared down at her daughters, carefully bringing her knees up to rest the tiny babies against her legs, her hands holding their heads steady.

"Hi girls," she whispered. "I've been waiting so long for you to come. And I know that I complained a lot about being pregnant and having to stay in bed all day but it was completely worth it. Because now you're here. You're here, and you're both completely amazing. I don't really know much about being a mommy, but I promise I'm going to try as hard as I can to be the best mommy in the world. You already have the most amazing man in the world as your daddy, so I'm going to try to be an amazing mommy. You're the two most beautiful little girls in the entire world, and you deserve to have the best parents in the world. So that's why I'm going to be the best mommy in the entire world. I want you to have everything I never had.

"And you've already got so much. We have a nursery waiting for you at home, even though you're going to sleep in Daddy's bassinet in our room for the first couple days. But you've got a play room filled with toys, even though you won't be able to use them for a really long time. And you have a grandma and lots of aunts and uncles who are going to spoil you rotten. When you're older, I'll be sure to teach you the eyes that your daddy can't say no to. Especially you, Becky, because you look so much like me, and your daddy never says no to me. And Miss Melanie, I'm afraid that you're going to be the female version of McDreamy, because you look so much like your daddy. He's not going to be happy if you have as many boys going after you as he does nurses, but that's not for a long time, so we'll get him used to the idea."

"I love you both so much. I never thought I would have kids, but your daddy convinced me that it was possible. Your daddy's convinced me to do a lot of things that I never thought I could, and he's going to do the same for you. He already loves you so much, and you can do anything you want to. We're going to make sure that you both have everything you need, and we're going to love you so much."

"Hey," Derek smiled as he entered the room again, placing a bottle of apple juice on Meredith's bedside. She smiled up at him as he slid into bed beside her, reaching for Melanie. She leaned her head against his shoulder as they looked down at their brand new babies, completely content to remain silent. For the first time ever, the Shepherd family sat silently, completely content to be together.