A/N Hi, I'm posting this chapter in hope that it will please all MerDer fans that were as disappointed as I was in borrowed/cancelled/fake weddings on the show. It felt like a therapy time writing it. Without further ado…

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"Feels good to escape, even if it's just for a weekend," smiled Derek when he was finally able to unfasten his seatbelt and stand up beside Meredith and Bessie's row.

"You say that now," Meredith made a skeptical face running through her handbag in search of a coloring book and some crayons. Bessie was now glued to the little window of the plane as much as her restraint allowed her to but it wouldn't be long till her interest waned. How much time can you spend watching clouds after all? "I'll look for that smile on your face when we're back learning from Izzie that we'll have bridesmaids in pink taffeta, you'll be wearing a top hat and a morning coat and somebody will be singing "Wind beneath my freaking wings". Damn, I can't find that book… I could swear I packed it."

"You know we're going to a wedding, right?" grinned Derek and reached for his briefcase pulling the book Meredith was looking for. "Here."

"Oh, thank God," sighed Meredith. "I don't know why I didn't think about taking some toys for Bess earlier. And yes, I know we're going to a wedding. But I made sure my dress doesn't make noise when it moves or stand up all by itself. Have I already mentioned it's not pink?"

"What colour is it?" asked Derek dreamily, his eyes moving along her body.

"You'll see," she grinned back. "And save that smile for later. You know we're not joining the mile high club today."

"Not today? When?" he quipped.

She quirked her eyebrow at him, "You're too eager. Trust me it's not that exciting as it appears to be."

"With the right person…" he smirked.

"How you can turn corny the hurried sex in the cramped toilet is beyond me," she looked up at him smugly. "You know, you're more excited about the plane flight than our two-year-old."

"I haven't been out of Seattle since… I came here," he said in wonder.

"You've never thought about leaving? Going back to New York?" she asked him seriously reaching for his hand and squeezing his fingers.

"No," he sighed. "I just… lived from day to day. Sometimes it felt as though time stopped after you left."

"It flied for me," said Meredith. "And now we can go steady… together."

"We can," Derek leaned to kiss her lips, "We should set the date."

"Yeah, we should. Your Mom's getting restless, your sisters apparently too," sighed Meredith.

"Mer, just… don't freak out," he smiled at her. "They're just my ugly sisters."

"I'm not freaking out," she shrugged wickedly. "I think they'll like me, especially after I tell them all about your dancing skills."

"You wouldn't…" he gritted out. The week following Meredith's bachelorette party proved very trying for his nerves as the news of his adventure leaked out and sent shockwaves of gossip and hilarity through the hospital.

"Derek, just… don't freak out…" she teased him mercilessly patting him on the abdomen. "I'd say you have a future in that field if you ever got tired of the scalpel… the way you tossed that shirt to the floor…"

"Meredith," he hissed loosening his collar.

"What?" she battled her eyelashes innocently. "Don't worry; I wouldn't ever let you. I'd get insanely jealous."

"You'll never let me forget that, will you?" asked Derek hopefully.

"Nope, I'm hoping for a repeat," she pursed her lips. "You're my private dancer."

Derek rolled his eyes and was about to reiterate when Bessie lost interest in the views outside and started to writhe in her restraint clearly displeased with her seatbelt.

"Mommy!" she whimpered. "I wanna go!"

"Go back to your seat, Derek," said Meredith opening the coloring book. "You'll change me when she'll tire me out."

Derek reluctantly retreated one row back. He'd taken a medical journal to occupy himself during the flight but he found himself a much more enthralling activity. He could just see Bessie leaning over her book, babbling to Meredith.

"It's your daughter?" asked gently an elderly lady from the seat next to him. "She's a beautiful little girl and so well-behaved."

"Yes, yes, she is," he nodded proudly, smiling widely.

"It must be a bit uncomfortable for you and your wife," stated the woman, making Derek inhale deeply. "I'm sorry, I'm talking silly; it's the business class after all-"

"No, you're right," Derek shook his head slightly. He wasn't going to prove her wrong. They were engaged. They contacted an architect and they were building a house. They bought rings which were now safely resting in Seattle. They now had to slip them on each other's fingers in a formal context and he'd be able to call Meredith his wife with clear conscience. They really had to set the date.

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"I hope you'll find it comfortable here," said Jen striding to the middle of the exclusive suite in her uncle's inn.

"Without a doubt," commented Derek under his breath eyeing a spacious Jacuzzi in the bathroom.

"Don't forget there's a child under our watch," whispered Meredith seeing the dirty in his eyes.

"I'll give you some time alone now," smiled Jen patting Bessie on the head as she made a short stop in her running tour of the suite. "You probably want to freshen up after your flight."

"We should try to coax Bessie into her nap but… she's buzzing with energy," sighed Meredith, taking off her jacket. It was much warmer than in Seattle. "She'll probably drop off during the dinner."

"Yeah, the dinner," grinned Jen, already at the door. "Meet us at 6 o'clock downstairs. Everyone's dying to meet you, you know, saving the lives of the bride and the groom and all that."

Meredith stared at Jen's retreating back. It felt as if it had been ages ago, in a different lifetime, when Jen and Luke were the patients rushed to the OR. It was her first day back at Seattle Grace, the day she was scared, hopeful and excited, all at the same time. She was desperately hiding from Derek the existence of his daughter. So much changed since then… yet they could still count the passed time in weeks, Jen's short hair was the obvious evidence.

Meredith's eyes roamed over their suite. The name exclusive really depicted the realities. They had two bedrooms at their disposal, a living room and a luxurious bathroom that was giving her dirty thoughts. And apparently her husband too, wait… her future husband. She got used to calling Derek her husband incredibly fast during the flight when they didn't bother to correct Derek's neighbor.

Derek moved their bags against the wall and stood beside the window, taking in the view and Meredith trotted to join him. Immediately below, people were bustling with preparations for tomorrow's wedding, then there were building belonging the winery, acres of wine fields and the edge of the ocean, a dark stormy line, barely visible in the distance.

"Wow, it's breathtaking here," murmured Meredith, her eyes widening at the sight. She might not be very enthusiastic with the type of wedding Jen was having but she understood. The scenery was magnificent. It was a perfect place to get married, if there existed one. "You know what?" she said softly standing behind Derek and encircling his waist with her arms. "We should get married on your land, on the cliff."

"It would be perfect," admitted Derek. "But not in the middle of the winter and with our house building in the background."

"Oh, right," she frowned remembering the harsh climate of the Rain City.

"And I'm pretty sure Izzie would go after our heads with as much as a suggestion of getting married somewhere else than in a church," he chuckled. "We'll think about it later. Let's unpack and try to tuck out princess into bed."

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With all the pre-wedding excitement coming to a peak in the form of rehearsal dinner, it was late into the night when guests slowly retreated to their rooms to take advantage of the last hours of rest before the big day. Meredith couldn't fall asleep long after Derek drifted off into the arms of Morpheus. She lied at her side tracing with her eyes the contours of his body; his hair spread around his head on the pillow, the tiny scar on his forehead, his crooked nose, the kissable lips, all basked in the pale moonlight. She felt completely at ease with herself and the world around her. She was at her precious lover's side. Their daughter was sleeping soundly in the other room.

She stirred her hand and her ring glinted in the ray of the pearly light. She was this girl now, this girl who wanted forever with a boy. She wanted that more and more every day. She almost envied a little Jen who was getting her forever the next day.

She and Derek would have to wait if they went on with the ceremony on the cliff. It was way too cold and windy now, even if the snow was exceptionally scarce so far. Apart from the weather, they would also have to wait for their house to be finished… and fight many battles with Izzie. Meredith closed her eyes with a sigh. Weddings were exhaustive… even thinking about them was. She just wanted to be married to Derek.

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Meredith smoothed over her dress for the last time and graciously made her way down the aisle to the simple altar where Luke was nervously awaiting in the company of Derek, a reverend and two bridesmaids. Meredith felt a bit self-conscious. Momentarily, the attention of the crowd was focused on her before all the eyes turned again to the back, anticipating the bride. Derek's never did, they kept devouring her, studying her form clad in the light lavender dress, as though she was the bride. She gave him a bright smile taking her place opposite him at the altar.

Seconds later they shared another smile as Bessie followed merrily her mother's way up. And then Jenny was led by her father to meet her future husband to the sounds of soft violin music.

"We are gathered here today to celebrate one of life's greatest moments, to give recognition to the worth and beauty of love and to add our best wishes to the words that shall unite…" were the last words that Derek and Meredith were able to register clearly. Since they got back together, every day was a little celebration of their love yet the concept of marriage brought them closer on a whole completely new level. They stared at each other unabashedly. Just as Meredith thought when she was first asked by Jen, they sucked at being the attentive maid of honour and the best man, though for completely different reasons than she had expected. They just wanted to push Jen and Luke from the little altar, well, maybe the curious audience as well, and take their places. Meredith woke up from her daydream just in time to give Derek a discreet sign to hand Luke the rings.

She felt a strange surge of emotions as she watched her friends exchange the bands and then kiss for the first time as a married couple. She cheered and clapped with everyone else looking back at Derek; he was watching her all the time. She picked Bessie up, placing her on her hip and took his arm, following Jen and Luke for the reception. Jen turned back abruptly and thrust her bouquet at Meredith.

"Catch!" she winked at her and resumed her place at Luke's side.

Meredith blinked at the flowers and looked up at Derek's amused face.

"I don't wanna spend another day not being married to you," she whispered softly.

"Okay," he smiled and buried his face in the crook of her neck sandwiching Bessie between them in the process.

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Meredith entered the enormous white tent for the second time that day frantically scanning the crowd in search of Jen and Luke. In the corner of her eye, she saw Derek and Bessie approaching the reverend with an apologetic smile.

She hoped no one took any notice of their short absence following the end of the speeches. Jen and Luke surely didn't; Meredith doubted they paid any attention to anything that wasn't them that day. Finally her eyes rested on whom she was looking for. The bride was sitting on her husband's knees feeding him with cake.

"Hey," Meredith stood before them nervously. "D'you think you could spare half an hour of your newlywed bliss and help me and Derek with something?"

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"You two are more crazy than me and my husband of four hours," laughed Jenny fifteen minutes later as she made a circle around Meredith making sure the new bride looked ready for her wedding. "But I've always known that!"

"Mommy getting married! Mommy getting married!" squealed Bessie running up to them and tugging gently at Meredith's lavender dress. "Daddy says hurry up!"

"Daddy's impatient," Meredith shook her head with a laugh. "I am too," she sighed, "I feel like I waited forever for this."

"Maybe you did," said Jen standing in front of her. "Are you sure you want to go on with that?" she readjusted the strap of Meredith's dress. "We could find something more bride-like for you."

"You mean white?" Meredith scrunched her nose. "Lavender's my colour. Besides, I don't think I qualify as a white bride," she grinned running a hand through Bessie's hair.

"You've got all the necessary stuff?" asked Jen. "The license and all that?"

"Yeah," grinned Meredith. "We had to bribe a few people in the line to the clerk's office but we got it just before the closing hours."

"The rings! What about the rings?" Jen remembered suddenly.

"Uhm, that's taken care of too," Meredith bit her lip mischievously. They had a beautiful set of white golden bands they chose together… a plane flight away from here. They didn't have neither the time nor the will to buy new ones; they contented themselves with… cheaper substitutes.

"Are you ready?"

Meredith took a deep breath and nodded determinately, "Yeah. Go on."

Jen lifted the hem of her snow white gown, "Just don't run away," she teased and disappeared around the fence separating the bumpy road from the wine field. Meredith lowered herself to level of Bessie's eyes, "We're done with running away, no more running," she whispered trying to blink back the tears forming in her eyes. She was turning into a complete sap. "Care to give mommy a hug?"

She tightly squeezed Bessie to her chest when she put her little arms around her neck, "I would never get to this place without you, you know princess?" she inhaled deeply in Bessie's shoulder. "We were there for each other. But from now on… forever… Daddy will be there too." She laughed freely at herself and stood up taking her daughter's hand.

"Let's go, Daddy's waiting. I think you're promoted to a bridesmaid."

Bessie nodded solemnly, apparently feeling the magnitude of the moment. They slowly walked to the wooden gate and Meredith couldn't imagine the more perfect setting. They stepped on to the small lawn that constituted an entrance to the wine fields. At the end of the green square grew a dwarf tree in the shadow of which stood the reverend and Derek. Jen and Luke with matching grins on their faces, flanked the sides. The audience was limited to the minimum, there wasn't the whole hospital breathing down their necks, no panicking over who should give her away.

She approached them slowly with Bessie. There was no altar this time. Just bare nature, simplicity. They were on a hill overlooking wide fields and the coast wrestling with the rough waters of the ocean. For the second time, she took the place facing Derek but now, she was right where she should be.

"We are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses to join Meredith and Derek in matrimony, which is commended to be honorable among all men; therefore, is not by any, to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, discreetly and solemnly. "

Derek locked his regard with Meredith's, meeting nothing else than what he was feeling himself, love, faith and tenderness.

"Meredith and Derek, life is given to each of us as individuals, and yet we must learn to live together. Love is given to us by our family or by our friends. We learn to love by being loved. Learning to love and being together is one of the greatest challenges of life and is the shared goal of a married life."

Truer words were never spoken about her relationship with Derek. She learned to love, to truly love unconditionally, thanks to Derek's unrelenting love for her. And wasn't her life with him a challenge…

"It is now the time for your vows."

Derek gave her the familiar McDreamy smile he wore so many times when looking at her. It was his second wedding, his second marriage, but what he felt now was incomparable to anything he went through with Addison. When he faced Addie at the rich altar in an old cathedral, he was scared and overwhelmed with the whirlwind of wedding preparations and the ceremony itself. He didn't even think about the feelings for his bride. With Meredith everything felt different, simple, exhilarating, exciting.

"Katie Bryce, 16-year-old female, subarachnoid aneurysm from a fall during rhythmic gymnastics. It was the first surgery we ever scrubbed in together. Our first save."

Meredith's eyes became glassy at the reminiscence of her very first day of her internship, her humiliation and horror at the discovery that her drunk one night stand turned out to be her boss, her unsuccessful attempts at staying away from him…

Derek went on with the milestones of their professional/personal relationship, they were always mingled together.

"The patient with a cerebral cyst. Though save but we did it. I kissed you in the stairwell… after the surgery. And the one when Dr. Bailey kicked you out of the surgery because she caught us," he smirked wickedly, "in your driveway in my car."

She could feel her cheeks reddening. Thank God, there were only Jen, Luke and the reverend and Bessie didn't understand what Derek was getting at.

"And there was the 7-hour craniotomy," sighed Derek, "and you held the clamp the entire time, never flinched. That's when I knew you were gonna be an incredible surgeon."

"And then," Derek's voice took a serious note, "There were many surgeries, the whole two years' worth of them, away from Seattle Grace, from me. That's when I knew I needed you."

"Then you came back to me," he continued, "with our miracle of a daughter and made me move forward. If there's a crisis, you don't freeze; you move forward because you've seen worse, you've survived worse. And you know we'll survive too. You say you're all… dark and twisty," smiled Derek, his eyes becoming bright blue, "but that's not a flaw. It's a strength. It makes you who you are, the love of my life," he finished gently.

Meredith blinked away the dampness gathering in her eyes and let out the breath she was holding. Derek had no trouble finding beautiful corny words whereas she racked her brains desperately since she told him she wanted to get married right away. In a few short sentences, she wanted to convey all that she was feeling for him and it seemed simply impossible.

"I was thinking and thinking what to tell you in the vow," she admitted," because people generally remember the important moments of their lives, and even I agree that a wedding is kind of important," she rambled making Derek grin widely. "Uhm, I want to make sure that you know, that you remember, in every moment of your life. I want you to remember me saying I love you. I don't ever wanna live without you. You changed my life. Our love, it's our plan, our goal. But now it's time to look around and drink it in."

She glanced at the reverend, letting him now that she finished. She heard sobbing behind her and turned to see Jen in tears.

"Sorry, sorry," she wiped her nose with one hand, the other balancing to stay straight as she filmed the ceremony with her mobile. "It's just… so beautiful."

Meredith looked back at Derek, whose eyes were burning her skin with the force of the desert sun.

"Wedding rings are an outward and visible sign of an inward spiritual grace and the unbroken circle of love, signifying to all the union of this man and this woman in marriage."

Luke stepped up and took out their rings and Meredith almost burst out laughing at the reverend's staring fixedly at the pair of rings… The rings that would have to do until they got back to Seattle and replaced them with the real ones. The rings that cost 50 cents each… one ruby red, the other stormy blue, two plastic rings they obtained from the toy vending machines standing in the inn's lobby. They spent good fifteen minutes opening capsules until they got two rings. It almost brought a temper tantrum in Bessie as they had to throw all the gadgets to the bin. They were too small for Bessie to play with yet.

The reverend cleared his throat, "Repeat after me…"

"I Derek, take thee, Meredith, to be my wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, and I promise my love to you forevermore." He took her hand gently and slipped the red ring on her finger until it met the delicate engagement ring with a soft click.

Meredith took the remaining ring and pronounced, "I Meredith, take thee, Derek, to be my husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, and I promise my love to you forevermore."

She tried to put the blue ring on his ring finger following his example but… it turned too small, not even able to pass it over the fingernail. She stifled her laughter and brought it onto his pinkie, fortunately, this time it fit.

The reverend sighed but made no comment. He must have seen stranger couples in his noble career. "Meredith and Derek, as the two of you come into this marriage uniting you as husband and wife, and as you this day affirm your faith and love for one another, I would ask that you always remember to cherish each other as special and unique individuals, that you respect the thoughts, ideas and suggestions of one another. Be able to forgive, do not hold grudges, and live each day that you may share it together, as from this day forward, you shall be each other's home, comfort and refuge, your marriage strengthened by your love and respect."

"By the power vested in me by the State of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Nothing could make Derek happier this very moment than those last few words. Their hands still clasped tightly together, they leaned towards each other until their impatient lips brushed gently. Soon Derek tilted her neck with his fingers and intensified the kiss. Their ears registered distant clapping and happy yells of their daughter but their tongues couldn't let go of each other. They parted only when Meredith felt her dress being pulled by Bessie. "Mommy, Daddy! Behave!"

They all giggled and the reverend announced with a smile, "I present you to the newly married couple, Meredith and Derek."

Derek picked Bessie up from the ground and the three of them drowned in one big hug, smiling and laughing, Meredith brushing imperceptibly a lone tear that escaped down her cheek.

Derek leaned to her ear and whispered, "Just don't give Bess your bouquet, okay?"

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A/N I'm simply dying here to know your thoughts about this chapter, begging to get to know your opinions!

In the meantime, the next update follows with the wedding night and we learn what Meredith decided about her name…

Yours,

Em :)

P.S. I got some requests after the last chapter to deliver the dancing naked Derek. I was too far in writing the next chapter but I can include that somewhere in the sequel… :)))) Yay or nay?