What an amazing response to the last chapter! I had no idea there were still so many lurking out there, and I appreciate the reviews so much. Here now is what turned into an epic epilogue to wrap everything up - I hope you enjoy it. (And if you felt cheated out of good sex in the last chapter...maybe this will make it up to you!)

At the time of posting this, I'm not sure exactly when I'll be doing a new story, or what it might be, but I may turn up again at some point with something to amuse you.

Epilogue

Four years later...

Meredith gazed out car window as they drove along the scenic highway leading out of Vancouver to the ski resort at Whistler. She was amazed at the sheer beauty of the area, unlike anything she'd ever seen before. Snow was piled high along the roadsides, and blanketed the towering spruce trees. After visiting with Cristina and Andrew in Vancouver for a day, they were going to do some skiing and take some time to enjoy themselves. It was February, and it was their plan to celebrate a special Valentine's day alone together.

It was amazing how time had flown, and how things had changed for all of them, she mused as Derek maneuvered the rental car around the curves. Cristina had married Andrew and relocated to Vancouver with him last year. He had a prestigious position with Vancouver General Hospital, and Cristina was finalizing her cardio-thoracic residency there. They had a beautiful home, surrounded by old growth cedars and large gardens that Cristina had no idea how to look after, but loved relaxing in.

Izzie and Mark were still in Seattle, happily working at SGH. Mark was one of the senior attendings; his plastic surgery skills in great demand after a well known movie star was injured filming in Seattle and Mark was able to stitch him up without leaving any visible scars. They had a baby boy two years ago, named Dylan who was blond as Izzie, with blue eyes and an impish attitude. Izzie was running the clinic, leaving her more time to spend with their son.

As for the rest of their intern group, Alex went into Pediatrics, and George had picked general surgery. They were both at Seattle Grace as well, along with Meredith. She was well on her way to becoming one of the youngest attending neurosurgeons in Seattle Grace history, and she loved every busy moment of it.

Her cell phone chirped then, and she grabbed it quickly. "Hello? Oh hey Iz...how's Gabi?" It was the first time they had taken vacation without their daughter, and she was missing her little girl more than she expected. Izzie was looking after her for the week, and she had been sending plenty of pictures for Meredith, along with daily updates on how things were going.

"She's fine, as always...you know how much she loves bossing Dylan around, Mer."

"I know...sorry..." Gabriella was precocious for her age, her glossy black curls and round blue-grey eyes winning over anyone that saw her. While she did love to boss Dylan around, she was also a cheerful, generous little girl who shared her toys happily. The girls at the SGH daycare loved her, and she was spoiled by all of the doctors. Addison and Callie adored her too, and were happy to babysit on occasion when their housekeeper/nanny was on a day off.

"Oh don't be sorry," Izzie laughed. "Dylan doesn't care...he just loves to follow her around! And then Mark comes home and plays with them both, just like a big kid himself, so we're having fun."

"Thanks, Iz. We're just about at the resort. I can't wait to see it...and you wouldn't believe how much snow is here! It's so beautiful..."

"Well, good luck skiing, and don't worry about Gabi. She's having a nap right now, but we'll call again when she's awake and you can talk to her."

"Good, kiss her for us..."

Derek smiled over at her, as she wrapped up the conversation. "How's things back home?"

"Good." Meredith skimmed through the pictures Izzie had sent, holding up her iPhone for Derek to glance at. "Aw...they were having a tea party!"

"Sweet...Dylan's a good sport."

"He is."

"I miss her too, honey..." Derek told her, reading her facial expression as only he could. He reached over and touched her cheek. "But I like having you all to myself for the rest of the week, too. Is that a bad thing?"

She caught his hand. "No, it's not bad...I'm okay, seriously..."

"We're almost there. Are you ready to relax?"

"I am. Not sure about the skiing part, though. Maybe I'll just hang out and look cute in my new parka," she giggled.

"Just give it a try, Mer, you might enjoy the rush."

Meredith still looked a little skeptical. "And you've done this before...so don't laugh at me..."

He flashed her a grin. "Yeah, I've been on the slopes a few times," he admitted, without elaborating.

Then they rounded the last curve in the road, and the resort came into view. "Oh god, Derek...it's gorgeous! Even better than the pictures on the website." In the early evening twilight, with a light snow beginning to swirl gently from the clouds, the Fairmont Chateau Whistler rose like an elegant castle against the backdrop of the mountains.

"Happy Valentine's, honey," he grinned, pulling the car up to the front drive. As the car eased to a stop, she leaned closer and kissed his cheek.

"Happy Valentine's," she whispered.

"Let's have some fun," he replied, and pressed an open-mouth kiss to her throat, sending a current of desire along her veins. His tongue trailed lazily up along her jaw line, to her ear, making her shiver. "I'm really…really…going to enjoy this vacation…"

They were barely inside the luxurious suite, their bags dropped at the door, and all pretense of patience disappeared. Meredith closed the door behind them, and leaned back against it, looking at Derek. He stood in front of her, and placed his hands on either side of her, leaning into her. His eyes burned into hers, and she felt her heart beating erratically in her chest, seeing the raw passion there.

His lips traveled up to her temple, and down her cheek, touching her softly and fleetingly, before hovering over her mouth. Her lips parted a little, anticipating the feel of his mouth on hers, but he paused, maddeningly. So far he hadn't even touched her with his hands, or kissed her lips, but she could feel the heat coming off of him.

"Derek…" she whispered, arching her body up against his. That was all it took for him to crash his mouth down onto hers, overwhelming her with his intensity. She was craving the feel and taste of him, just the way she always did. No matter how many times they made love, it was always the same passion that burned up in scorching waves between them. He continued to kiss her, ravaging her mouth, his tongue sliding along hers, until they were breathing heavily. He still hadn't touched her with his hands, only his lips, and he finally drew back a little, catching his breath. His hands settled on her waist then, pulling her closer to him.

"It's been too long since had this chance to be a little crazy…" he said, his voice low with want.

"I know…and life gets busy…" she sighed, pushing his parka off his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. She placed her hands on his chest, feeling the solid muscle beneath the soft flannel shirt he wore. "You'll always be my addiction, Derek…like chocolate, or tequila…and I only crave more and more. Do you know what I mean?"

"You know I do," he assured her. "There are times all I can picture is your tempting body, so delicate and pliant...and it's all I can do to focus on what I'm doing..." He drifted little kisses along her temple, and her earlobe, his breath tickling her as he talked. "Now, can we do something about this craving? Can we satisfy our mutual addictions?" He slid his hands lower, to her hips, his thumbs pressing into her through the material of her jeans.

Her only response was to reach for the buttons on his shirt, undoing them slowly, and pressing her lips to his chest, tracing maddening little circles along his skin. He sucked his breath in sharply, at feel of her tongue, desire spiraling along his veins. Pulling the shirt away from his jeans then, and pushing it off him to the floor to join his jacket, her fingers traced the muscled contours of his chest, admiring the taut definition along the way. Giving him a sexy smile, she took his hand. "All I want is you in bed with me…on nice warm sheets, with fluffy pillows and you naked…."

Derek glanced over to the huge king size bed that dominated the suite, piled high with pillows and a feather duvet. "That's a good start," he agreed, taking her hand to lead her over there, kissing and tugging at their clothes along the way. As Derek paused to switch on the bedside lamp, Meredith pulled the covers away on the bed, and crawled up onto the pale lilac sheets. In the dim light, her skin gleamed, and Derek let his hungry gaze devour her.

"You look like a perfect angel like that…" he muttered, looking down at her, seeing her open to him – the damp, pink skin of her pussy tempting him to put his mouth on her. His brain fogged from his desire; he could only stare at her, knowing the sweet taste and the intoxicating scent of her were waiting for him. He dragged his eyes away from her wetness, and saw her breasts rising and falling from her quick breathing – so round and ripe, the nipples taut and firm, just as tempting as the first time he woke up with her in his bed that long ago New Year's morning. A slow grin touched his mouth at the memory.

"What are thinking about?" she asked, holding her hand out to him.

"Just the first time you were in my bed," he confessed, lowering himself to kneel between her legs. "You were so feisty, and determined not to give in…"

"…and you were so full of yourself…" she giggled softly.

"Would you have done anything differently?" he asked, his voice thick with desire, as he cupped her breasts.

"Never…it was the best New Year's ever…"

"Seriously?" he had to ask, raising one eyebrow, his hands still making lazy little circles on her skin. "I wasn't sure you were even going to go out with me again…"

"You were damn sure…" she giggled again. "That was part of your allure…"

"Hmm…maybe…but enough talking now…I have plans for you," he grinned, burying his face against her cleavage, licking circles on her skin, leaving no inch of her untouched. His hands were warm on her, his palms sliding down her ribcage, across her stomach, as he continued to rain kisses everywhere.

Meredith abandoned herself to the sensuous feel of his mouth and his fingers caressing her, as the heat built in her core, and radiated through her. Her hips rose as she offered herself up to him, aching for his touch on her where she needed him the most. Then his hands were on her thighs, tracing the soft skin with his fingers, and following with his tongue.

Derek could feel her body trembling, and he slowly worked his way around to where he could tell she was aching for him. He breathed in her scent, and kissed her gently, his tongue just probing along her wet folds. Her body quivered, as he spread her legs wider, prolonging her erotic anticipation. She met his dark eyes for a moment, before he plunged his mouth onto her, kissing her pussy, exploring it with his lips, tongue and teeth. Her hips rolled up to his mouth, her thighs against his face, and her legs wrapped around him. She cried out, head back, eyes closed in delight as he sucked on her clit, harder and faster. She could feel a heavy, delicious warmth beginning to build between her legs, and Derek kept on drawing it out with every movement of his lips, every caress of his tongue, until with one last flick he brought her to the peak. The weight burst over her in a rush of warm pleasure that pulsed through her, over and over, as long as he kept sucking on her. It left her gasping, eyes shut, feeling helpless and drowned in the pleasure of it.

He eased his tongue away from her slowly, replacing it with his fingers, the sensation making her writhe and cry out. "God, Derek – I'm still having little spasms inside of me – I'm so wet right now…"

Without a word, he crawled back up to her, and hovered over her, supporting himself on his forearms, as he kissed her mouth, so that she could taste the lingering wetness on his lips. "I take it you liked that?" he asked her, not wanting to rush now, enjoying the chance to prolong their lovemaking.

Meredith looked up at him, brushing a stray curl of his hair off his forehead, and she smiled back at him. "You don't even have to ask me that…." She shifted beneath him, her body warm and soft against the hard muscle of his. He buried his face against her throat, and licked the sensitive skin behind her ear, making her shiver. Then his mouth traveled down to her shoulder, where he bit her gently, before soothing away the pain with his tongue. His hand was at her breast, thumb and fingers teasing her nipples, sending currents of need all through her. Her eyes closed and she sighed blissfully.

"Meredith, open your eyes," he said quietly.

She did as he asked, and let her gaze slide down to his hands, watching him caress her, feeling the delicious ache building again in her. His hand dropped across her belly, as his mouth claimed her nipple. His warm fingers probed at her, going right to her core. She gasped, as his fingers pleasured her, circling in a spiraling rhythm that sent her into erotic madness in seconds. After all this time together, he knew exactly what she needed at that moment – not too fast, not too slow, with just the perfect amount of pressure. It was the intimate familiarity borne from past pleasures shared, with the promise of delights to come, that made her shiver in anticipation and roll her hips to meet his hand, her body taut with want. His fingers kept going round and round, faster and stronger, pushing her to the edge of her climax. Need filled her completely, making it difficult to think or breathe. Even as he continued to tease her clit, his other hand played with her breasts, rolling her nipples, and stroking her skin. She wanted to beg or scream, or both – she wanted more.

Derek could feel her silky heat around his fingers, tightening around him, and he increased the tempo, stroking her faster. He shared in her sweetness, savoring the way she looked, so flushed and alive under his touch. "God, Derek, I want you…" she finally moaned.

"I know you do, honey," he laughed softly, "just relax now and go with this."

"Relax?" she breathed – that was the last thing she was capable of at that moment. Before she could beg him again, her climax exploded, her muscles convulsed and throbbed in the pleasure pouring through her. Her eyes met his again, and she couldn't keep back the moans of absolute satisfaction, seeing the hunger in his expression for her. It thrilled her all over again, knowing how much they wanted each other. The shuddering finally quieted, and her body eased back against the sheets, and he stroked her face.

"You have very talented hands, Derek," she whimpered, kissing the palm of his hand, then licking slowly along his wrist, the delicate touch now making him shake. "Maybe you should have been a surgeon..."

"I aim to please," he murmured lazily.

Meredith looked at him, her eyes half closed, and her hair in a riot around her face. "Mission accomplished, then."

"Well, not quite," he said teasingly. "This isn't over yet, honey."

With that, he slid between her legs, fitting himself to her and pulling her leg up his thigh. "I've been holding back for this long enough," he said, "but I can't wait any longer. I have to have you now, Mer. Let me love you." He pressed himself against her, hot and throbbing, yet managing to hold back from pushing into her, despite how much his body was shaking from the effort, wanting her.

She nodded, feeling him hard and urgent between her legs. "Just love me, Derek…yes…" She let her legs fall apart for him, and he slid into her, groaning in satisfaction at the feeling. He filled her completely, taking her with a ferocious intensity that took her breath away. Thrusting hard and fast, he lost himself in the moment, pulling her up higher against him. He tried to slow down - he wanted to slow down and just stay there forever, but his need was too demanding. At that moment, there was nothing but naked desire in his blood.

"Ah, god, Mer…I can't hold on…" he muttered hoarsely, feeling the climax coiling, pulsing in his balls, ready to wrench through him.

Meredith wrapped herself around him, having no choice but to give herself to him and enjoy the ride. Her own need was peaking, and she needed him just as much. "Do it, Derek… just let it go…I'm ready…" she urged him, sensing his frantic desperation, letting herself get swept along with his release, clenching around him, and holding onto him tightly.

They crashed back to earth, panting, enveloped in the haze of satisfaction, waiting a few minutes before trying to speak. His body was heavy on top of her, and he finally rolled away, staring up at the ceiling. "You are an amazing woman," he murmured, too content to move for the moment, his body still quivering from the aftershocks of the orgasm.

Leaning up to rest her chin against his chest, Meredith could only smile at him, her whole body too sated and relaxed to do anything else for the moment. Her eyes drifted closed, as he rubbed slow circles on her back. "Love you…" she half-whispered before sleep claimed her.

"Love you back, honey…" Derek replied, before losing himself to sleep as well.

After a day on the slopes, Meredith was convinced she was totally uncoordinated, unable to navigate even the easiest hill without the aid of an instructor, and then Derek. She loved the crisp winter air, the brilliant sunshine and the rush of trying something new, but she realized this sport took more than she was willing to give at the moment. The afternoon was waning, when she looked at Derek, who was waiting patiently for her at the bottom of the beginner slope. He leaned easily on his ski poles, his eyes hidden behind the goggles, his black curls tousled from the day's activities.

"Stop laughing…" she admonished, coming to a less than graceful stop beside him, trying to keep from falling over.

"I'm not…" he smirked, pulling on her gloved hand to bring her in for a kiss. Despite the chill, his lips were warm against hers, and she sighed happily.

"It's okay. I know I'm done for the day. Why don't you go do something a little more challenging…I can tell you want to."

"Are you sure?"

"Go ahead…I'll watch. Then we can go back inside and warm up."

"Okay. We have a few more days anyway, Mer. You'll improve, I promise." Derek kissed her again, and made his way to the ski lift, waving to her as she watched him. He was so confident, so graceful as he navigated the complicated twists and turns; he made it look so easy. She marveled at this side of him she had never realized existed before, even though he'd always been so physically active.

By the time he joined her again, his face flushed and his eyes bright with enjoyment, she just shook her head at him. "Okay, you've been holding out on me. Since when did you become a skiing wizard?"

"Now that, honey, is a long story that doesn't deserve to be told standing out here in the cold," he grinned, slinging his arm around her shoulders. "Let's go in and have some drinks by the fire, and I'll tell you the whole thing."

"Hmm…okay," she assented, consumed with curiosity.

There was a fair crowd of après-ski couples gathered in the lounge by the time they reached it. A large fireplace dominated the space, giving off a welcoming warmth, and several club chairs were placed in groupings around it. The sound of voices rose in the high-ceiled room, punctuated by laughter. Derek snagged a couple of chairs close to the fire, holding one out for her with a grin. Several of the other women in the room gave him appreciative looks, admiring the way he combined easy sensuality and elegance in his dark jeans and white cableknit sweater.

Meredith smiled up at him, and he leaned down to kiss her lips. "You're making quite an impression," she murmured.

"So are you," he replied. She was wearing a mint green turtleneck sweater and slim jeans tucked into soft grey boots, her hair in a tousled cloud. "You're so beautiful."

"I'm still waiting for you to finish the story," she reminded him before the waiter came by to take their drink orders.

"I know." He ordered a glass of scotch for himself, and chardonnay for her, before he settled into the chair beside her. "Let's see…once upon a time, there was a young man in New England that loved to ski. His parents encouraged him, seeing that it kept him out of trouble…"

"You, of course…"

Derek nodded, remembering. "Me…I competed in a lot of different tournaments, always wanting to get better. I loved it. My goal was to compete in the Winter Olympics, and I was so close. I had one final competition that would determine the placing, actually…" He paused, and took a sip of his drink, lost in the memory. Meredith touched his arm, suddenly worried about where this was going. He gave her a smile, covering her hand with his own. "Unfortunately, in that race, I lost control going around one of the gates, and I went flying off a tree along the edge of the course. Broke my leg in three places, damn near broke my neck…"

"God, Derek…you could have killed yourself…"

"It was nasty," he admitted quietly. "Enough that it ended my Olympic hopes."

"I'm so sorry…why didn't you ever tell me before?" she asked softly.

He shrugged. "It was a long time ago. I don't think about it much anymore. I ended up going on to college, my parents were killed, and the rest is history…"

"Became a lawyer, and ended up in Seattle…"

"…and in bed with you…" he finished, saluting her with his glass. "I love you, Meredith. I love our life, and our family…"

At that moment, Meredith's phone chirped again, and she held it up. "Izzie again…"

Derek glanced at his watch. "Gabi should be awake yet…"

"Hey, Iz…good…we're just sitting by the fire here…"

"Good, I have Gabi here, she wants to say hello."

The phone shifted over to Gabriella, and Meredith smiled as the little girl giggled. "Hey, baby…how are you?"

"Good Mommy…I miss you."

"We miss you too. You being a good girl for Aunty Izzie?"

"Oh yes. Me and Dylan been playing lots…and Unca Mark too!"

"That's good. You can talk to Daddy now, okay? I love you sweetie…we'll be home in three more sleeps…"

She handed the phone to Derek, watching him as he chatted with her for a couple of minutes, his expression tender. "Bye Gabi…Daddy loves you too...sleep tight…" He finished the conversation and gave her phone back. "She talks faster than you do…" he teased her, but she could see how much he missed their daughter too. Gabriella had held his heart in her tiny little fist from the moment she arrived in the world.

"I beg to differ, honey...you're the lawyer, after all..." Meredith wrinkled her nose at him playfully. "Not that there's anything wrong with that..."

Derek grinned at her. "Well, so you keep telling me..."

"Let's go have dinner...I've worked up an appetite after all that fresh air and exercise..." she urged him, tugging at his hand.

"And you'll work it off again later…" he smirked with a wink, before jumping to his feet. He tucked her hand under his arm as they made their way to the restaurant, completely absorbed in the moment with her, as always.

Meredith woke up the next day, surprised to find that Derek was already up. She rolled over and cuddled up to his pillow, inhaling his scent. Her eyes fluttered closed again, and she started to drift off, when she felt his strong hands on her back. "Wha—" she mumbled, intent on going back to sleep.

'Good morning sleepy," he murmured in her ear.

"Derek, it's 6:00 a.m., and we don't have to be anywhere early, why are you so cheerful?" she muttered into the pillow. "I want to sleep—" She swatted at him to leave her alone, but he straddled her body, starting to massage her back slowly. Reluctantly, she surrendered to him, then started to moan from how good it felt. "Oh, God, that feels wonderful," she sighed. "I have a lot of aching muscles from yesterday…"

"I'm sure you do, but are you talking about the skiing of our other activities…?" he teased her, his thumbs digging in harder, then moving lower on her back, down her spine. She felt boneless under his touch, totally relaxed. "That feels better, doesn't it?" He dropped a kiss on her shoulder, as he hands continued to knead her skin.

"I may never move again," she moaned. "Don't stop," she begged as his hands slowed.

"I'm going to start the shower, be right back."

Meredith ducked her head under the pillow, listening to the sound of the water running. She was more awake now, her arousal piqued from Derek's hands on her. When he didn't return to the bed, she sat up, and stretched, looking for him. She pushed the sheets away, and stood up, heading towards the bathroom. Derek had his back turned to her, and when he heard her, he turned to look at her. Steam eddied about him, and drops of moisture from the shower clung to the dark stubble along his jaw. His skin was already damp from the warm air, and his hair curled even more in the steam. She closed the gap between them and raised her face to him to kiss him, and run her hands through his hair. He pulled her closer, tight against his lean body, sending shivers through her.

"Couldn't resist, could you?" he teased her, before pulling her in under the hot water.

"Still pretty damn sure of yourself…" she murmured. "Even after all this time…"

"It's a gift."

"The gift that keeps giving…" she giggled, wrapping herself around him, feeling his hard cock sliding between them. Grabbing the soap, she lathered a soapy froth in her hands, closing her fingers around him, pulling and stroking on him. With a low growl, he pushed her against the wall, and kissed her hard, hands in her hair. Their wet bodies slipped and rubbed on each other, igniting the passion to fever pitch. Before she could drop the soap, he picked her up, and held her up against the slick tiles. Just as quickly, he thrust into her waiting warmth, and once again, he was hard and full inside of her, deeper than usual. She lost herself in the sensation, her nails digging into his back. He pumped into her harder, as she wrapped around him, her back against the wall, until they were both panting and breathless from wanting more. The hot water was pulsing over them, steam enveloping them as her body tightened from the imminent orgasm, both of them lost to everything else. "Damn…oh god you feel good…" she moaned, blinking away the rivulets of water from her eyes.

"You too…" he managed to mutter, as the climax began to claim him as well, her sweet body taking him into ecstasy all over again.

"I never want to wake up without you…" she panted, as he eased her down to her feet. "I love you so much…"

Derek took her face in his palms, his eyes burning into hers. "I love you just as much, Meredith…for the rest of my life…"

P.S. A big thanks to dakotalady for her suggestion to me that Derek & Meredith needed to take a skiing trip to Whistler!