"Are you sure it's okay that we bring them home?" Meredith asked, biting her lower lip as she swaddled Becky and set her on the bed beside her sister. "They were nearly a month early."

"You heard Dr. Childs," Derek said, referring to their pediatrician. "They're perfectly healthy."

"And you had the car seats checked?" Meredith asked, reaching out to adjust Melanie's hat

"They have to check them before we leave the hospital," Derek nodded as he set the packed diaper bag on the chair besides the overnight bag containing their own belongings. "We're ready for them to come home, Mer. They're three days old and healthy."

"I know," she sighed. "I'm just worried."

"There's no need to worry," Derek grinned as he scooped Becky into his arms, smiling down at her. "Right hun? Mommy's silly for worrying. You're excited to go home, and so is Mellie."

"Okay," Meredith sighed. "They're both fed, burped and changed. They should be okay until we get home."

"Good," Derek smiled, watching as she picked Melanie up and held her against her chest. "Mark's on his way up. We'll make him carry the bags, because I don't want to put her down."

"You know he's going to have a baby of his own soon," Meredith smiled as she rubbed Melanie's back slightly. "It would help him to practice with our girls, maybe he should carry Becky out."

"No one besides you and I are carrying our daughters out of this hospital," Derek said firmly.

"Uncle Mark is here," Mark announced as he walked into the room, smiling as he looked down at Becky. "Hey Beck, give me five." He frowned as the baby stared up at him before he turned to Meredith. "Mel, you won't leave me hanging, will you?" he asked, offering his hand to Melanie.

Meredith giggled as Melanie gurgled, then spit up a little bit on her shoulder. "They're not ready to do more than eat and sleep," she said as she reached for a spit up cloth. "Do you mind taking the bags?"

"No problem," Mark nodded.

"Thanks," Derek smiled as he moved carefully towards the door. "Ready to go home, Becky? We've got your room all ready for you, and your play room too. You're going to have so much fun."

"And Daddy will probably read to you," Meredith whispered as she trailed her finger down Melanie's cheek.

"Definitely," Derek nodded as he looked up at his wife. "Are you sure you don't need a wheelchair?" he asked.

"I'm sure," Meredith nodded, smiling softly at him. "I just want to go home, get out of here."

"I know, but your incision…"

"Is healing fine," Meredith said. "I have to come back to get the stitches taken out next week, but other than that, it's fine."

"Okay," Derek sighed. "But you have to take it easy. For me. And Becky and Melanie. We don't need Mommy back in the hospital."

"I will," Meredith nodded. "And our daughters are so quiet today. Hopefully that means there won't be any screaming at all today."

Derek smiled as they stepped out of the room and moved towards the elevators. As the doors slid closed, Mark smirked and looked down at Becky. "You know, this is where you little midgets first came to be," he said with a nod. "Right here in this very elevator, during a long shift…"

"Mark," Meredith hissed, staring up at him with flashing eyes.

"What?" Mark asked.

"You can't tell them about how they were conceived," Meredith rolled her eyes.

"Like they can understand me."

"That doesn't matter," Meredith sighed. "And…how do you even know that?"

Derek quickly busied himself with adjusting Becky, shifting her to lay against his shoulder so she looked at Meredith. "I think she just smiled Mer."

"She's three days old," Meredith rolled her eyes. "And if you're going to tell Mark about every time we have sex, it might be a very long time before the two of you talk again."

"That's not nice," Derek frowned.

"I can't believe I'm having this conversation when I'm bringing my daughters home," Meredith sighed. "Your daddy's an idiot," she said as she looked down at Melanie. "Just remember…Mommy's always right."

Derek laughed as the elevator doors opened and they walked to where the car was waiting in the pick up lot. "I would say that's not true," he said. "But I can't lie to my little girls."

"Good," Meredith smiled as Mark pulled the door to the backseat open for her. "Thanks."

"Sure thing Grey," Mark smiled as he threw their bags in the trunk and slammed it closed. "You need anything else?"

"I think we're good," Derek nodded as he set Becky into the car seat. "Thanks, Mark."

"No problem," Mark nodded. "Congrats again, Shep. Addie and I will give you a call in a couple days to see how everything's going."

"Thanks," Meredith smiled. She pulled the straps tighter around Melanie and adjusted her hat before she looked across the seat at Derek. "You're sure she's strapped in tight enough?" she asked. "Because if she's not…"

"She's in," Derek nodded, carefully setting a teddy bear in Becky's lap. "There you go, hun. Something to entertain you for the car ride home."

Meredith leaned forward to kiss Melanie's forehead softly before she closed the door and carefully climbed into the front seat, wincing as she lifted a hand to her abdomen.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Derek asked as he climbed into the driver's side.

"It's sore," Meredith sighed. "But that's normal. Good thing I'm married to a surgeon, though, whenever you freak out about it you can just check to make sure it's okay."

"You're going to regret giving me permission to do that," Derek laughed as he started to back the car out of the lot.

"Okay, seriously?" Meredith asked as he pulled onto the road. "Is your foot even off the brake?"

"I have to go slow," Derek frowned. "This is their first car ride."

"I'm not asking you to go eighty," Meredith rolled her eyes. "But I would like to get the girls home sometime before their first birthday."

"Not funny," Derek sighed, but he sped up a little bit to be more with the flow of traffic.

"That's better," Meredith sighed, turning to look at the girls and frowning when she realized she couldn't see them with the backwards car seats. "We need to get mirrors or something so we can see them while we're in the car."

"They're fine, Mer," Derek smiled, reaching for her hand. "They're safe and happy."

"I know," she sighed, rolling her eyes as she watched the cars speed past them. "Now if we could only get home before night fall…"

XXXXX

"Okay, princess," Derek smiled, reaching to take Melanie out of her car seat. "This is your home."

"You're going to love this land when you're old enough," Meredith smiled down at Becky in her arms.

Derek carefully made his way up the stairs of the porch, Meredith following as he pushed the door open. "Here we are," he announced. "Mommy and Daddy love this house a lot, and you're going to love it to, I promise."

Meredith sighed as Becky let out a soft wail in her arms. "I think she's hungry," she sighed. "I'll feed her on the couch. Mom said she put another bassinet in there so Mellie can wait in there while you get the bags."

"Okay," Derek nodded, carefully placing his daughter into the newer bassinet beside the couch. "What do you need?" he asked as Meredith sat down and unbuttoned her shirt.

"I bought a breastfeeding pillow," she sighed. "But I don't know…just hand me that one for now?"

"Sure," Derek nodded. "I'm going to go grab the bags, I'll be right back."

"We'll be waiting," Meredith smiled as Becky latched onto her breast, sucking eagerly.

Derek moved back to the front door quickly, reaching into the trunk and grabbing both the diaper bag and the overnight bag he and Meredith had shared. This was it, they were really parents now, and for the next six weeks he and Meredith would be completely alone with their baby girls. He couldn't wait.

When he walked back into the living room, however, he was met with a sight he hadn't been expecting. Melanie was screaming from the bassinet, Becky was scrunched up on the couch as Meredith tried to change her diaper, and his wife was close to tears as she pleaded with her tiny daughter.

"I'm sorry, Becky," she whispered. "I know I'm a bad mommy but I'm trying. You just need to stop moving so I can change your diaper, and then I have to feed your sister. Please help Mommy out here, she's very tired."

"Mer," Derek breathed, dropping the bags and rushing to her side. "What happened?"

"I don't know," she snapped. "Mel started crying, but I couldn't get to her because Becky was still eating, and then Becky started crying so I thought she might be wet, and…Derek, how am I supposed to do this? I can't even take care of one of them, let alone both of them at the same time."

"You can," Derek nodded, moving to pick Melanie up and cuddling her close. "It's just going to take practice. And I'll be here for the next six weeks."

"What happens when you go back to work?" she asked as Becky finally stilled enough to get a diaper on.

"You'll be fine," Derek nodded. "They'll be older then, and they have to cry a little bit before we can get to them."

"You want us to let them cry?" Meredith frowned. "We can't."

"We have to," Derek sighed, kissing Melanie's head slightly. "Otherwise we'll never have another second to ourselves ever again."

Meredith sighed as she looked down at Becky. "I guess you're right," she breathed.

"Did Becky finish eating?" Derek asked, easing himself onto the couch beside Meredith.

"I think so," Meredith sighed. "I'm not good at this, Derek."

"Yes you are," he smiled, moving his free hand to push her hair behind her ear. "You just need practice."

"How come you're so good at this?"

"I watched Kath and Nancy," Derek shrugged. "And I've taken care of dozens of sick kids."

"This is when I wish I'd opened a day care," Meredith sighed, looking down at Melanie. "She's okay?"

"She is," Derek nodded. "Just wanted Daddy to cuddle with her."

"Good," Meredith nodded, leaning into the cushions.

"Are you hungry?"

"Starving," she nodded.

"Mom said she'd come over to help us out tonight," Derek said. "You me to ask her to pick up a pizza?"

"Hmmm," Meredith sighed. "How about a salad?"

Derek stared at her for a moment before he asked, "Salad?"

"Yeah, you know, lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, all mixed together with dressing on top?" Meredith giggled.

"I know what a salad is," Derek rolled his eyes. "I wasn't aware that you did."

"The girls are still eating through me," Meredith shrugged. "I have to make sure I eat enough vegetables for them."

"Right," Derek said. "I'll call her and ask to pick up a couple salads. You want a sandwich or anything?"

"Nope," Meredith shrugged.

"Okay," Derek smiled, reaching into his pocket. "You know what, I left my phone in the car. Can you hand me the cordless?"

"I'll call her," Meredith sighed, handing Becky to him. "I have to pee anyways."

"Okay," Derek smiled as he carefully cradled his daughters close to him. "Well," he smiled as he laid his daughters down on the couch cushion in front of him. "I believe that this is the first time we've had just the three of us. What do you think of your home? It's pretty amazing, isn't it? Mommy and I built it ourselves, and we were thinking of you when we built it. I'm so glad that you're finally here. I've waited so long for a little princess, and I guess I waited so long that I was rewarded with two perfect little princesses. I love you both so much, and I'm going to promise you that you're going to have everything you need. I'm a doctor, which is a big important job, so I might have to stay away for the night sometimes, but you'll always be the most important thing in my life. Well, you and Mommy.

"I know you're used to having everything you need right away because that's how it worked while you were in Mommy's tummy. But now that you're in the real world, I'm going to teach you something called patience. And if you can learn this now, well… you already know something your mommy doesn't. But don't tell her I said that, because even though she's really cute when she gets mad, today's a really happy day, and I don't want her mad at me."

"And why would I be mad at you?" Meredith asked as she came back into the room, kneeling on the floor in front of the couch cushion where her daughters lay, quietly sleeping.

"Nothing," Derek shook his head. "Father daughter stuff."

"Father daughter stuff that includes making fun of Mommy?" Meredith asked.

"Never," Derek smiled as he leaned forward to kiss her softly. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," Meredith nodded, reaching for Melanie. "And you can stop asking me that. I'll tell you if anything's wrong."

"I know," Derek sighed as he cradled Becky close to his chest. "I just…worry. You're the mother of my children, so I worry."

"Oh, that's all I am now?" Meredith smiled. "Not your wife? Just the mother of your children?"

"Yes, now you've seen my plan unraveled," Derek laughed.

"You're an idiot," Meredith sighed as she stood from the floor, cradling Melanie close as she sat down beside him on the couch. "So…this is our family."

"This is it," Derek smiled. "The Shepherds."

"The Shepherds," Meredith smiled, offering Melanie her finger. "I like it."

"Me too," Derek laughed. "What do you think, girls? Are you happy with your family?"

"You should be," Meredith added. "You're Shepherds. And even though Shepherds are kind of crazy, they're pretty cool. So you should be really proud to be Shepherds. I know I love being a Shepherd."

"Oh, Mer," Derek smiled, kissing her softly before looking down at Melanie, then Becky. "I can't believe how beautiful they are."

"They really are," Meredith murmured as she slid Melanie's hat off her head and pressed a kiss to her dark hair.

"Perfect, just like their Mommy."

"And their Daddy," Meredith smiled. "Though I'll never admit that again."

Derek laughed as Becky whimpered slightly and he curled her close to him. This was it. This was his family, and this was perfect. It was scary, taking care of twins, but they could do this.