A/N: Thanks so much for those that leave reviews, they mean so much, and hearing you're enjoying the story really gives me motivation to write more. I looked at my stuff for Carolyn's visit, and I'm going to stick with it for a few more chapters. I'll try and upload them fairly quickly so that I can move on, but I really love writing her, so I'm sure this won't be the last we see of her!

Disclaimer: Shonda Rhimes owns it not me!

In honour of his mother's arrival, Derek had decided to make dinner for his two favourite women that night. So while he watched the pots and pans heating on the stove top, Meredith and Carolyn sat at the kitchen table, the three of them discussing their plans for thanksgiving the following month, and Christmas the month after that.

"You definitely want to be there for Christmas with all the kids, they get so excited when they think Santa's been. You used to come round for dinner on Christmas day. You missed it all last year. Do you really want to deprive them of their uncle Derek again sweetheart?" Carolyn turned from her son to Meredith when Derek began to hesitate. "Meredith sweetheart, tell him how wonderful family Christmases are."

"I don't think I ever had a family Christmas in Boston." She admitted, "and I don't really remember much about Christmas in Seattle, but it might be nice to see the kids opening their presents. If you'll have me of course. I've never done that, so I think it might be nice, and I get to meet your family." She looked towards Derek, who smiled at her, and she grinned back as he walked over to kiss her. He loved it when she spoke of his family, almost as though she were excited to meet them, despite her less than pleasant run in with Nancy the year before. He wondered at first if she was simply trying to please his mother, but the twinkle in her eye when she mentioned his nieces and nephews made his heart melt, and he knew with absolute certainty that he was making the right choice by waiting for her to be ready. instead of pushing her, he'd begun gently encouraging her to think about the future. when she'd let things like marriage and babies slip out, he'd supported her, and dreamed with her and it began to scare her less and less, she was looking further than just a few months into the future. she was thinking about a lifetime, their lifetime, together for all eternity.

"Okay," he said pulling away, "I'll see how much time we can get off work and we'll come for Christmas, thanksgiving will probably be the hospital family, seeing as we'll probably have to work then if we're having Christmas off. The chief might let us have both, but I'd sooner get paged in on thanksgiving than forced to cut short Christmas with the family." Carolyn began telling them the plans for the Christmas period, and Derek began formulating his own in terms of flights and the number of days he could get off from the hospital. Their conversation was interrupted when Meredith's pager went off. Meredith frowned at the screen, wishing she could've stayed to talk more about Christmas in the shepherd household but knowing that she was needed at the hospital.

"It's a 911 from Bailey. She said she wouldn't page unless she desperately needed me, so I'm gonna have to go. I'm really sorry Carolyn, she knew you were coming, and she promised she wouldn't page if she could help it." She rambled, reluctantly getting up and walking towards the door "save me some dinner okay?" she kissed Derek on the cheek as she ran out to the car.

"That's fine sweetheart, I'll see you later," She grinned at Meredith as she left them alone waiting until they heard the car leave the driveway before mentioning the real reason for Carolyn's visit.

"You're right sweetheart," she told him, gazing at him with a look of pride. "she's the one. That's the girl you've been waiting to find." She grinned, unable to resist the urge to pull him into her arms. She'd known it from the moment she stepped off the plane and saw them at the airport together; Meredith and Derek were made to be together. "I think now is the time your father would've wanted you to have my engagement ring. It'll need adjusting, and maybe modernising a little but I think he'd want it to go to Meredith. It wasn't right for Addison, she was a placeholder. She was lovely, but she wasn't right. She had to push you towards Meredith, and I'm so grateful she did. Meredith is a wonderful young woman. But if you hurt her, there will be serious consequences young man." She kissed his cheek as he smiled at his mothers words.

"I'm not gonna hurt her." He promised. "she's special. I've never felt this way about anyone. Least of all Addison. Even when I'm angry, or make a complete fool of myself. Every time I upset her or say something that scares her, she's still there, still fighting for us. I know she's terrified much of the time, but she's trying so hard. I can't imagine my life without her in it." He paused to wipe a little moisture from his eyes. Carolyn smiled proudly at him, knowing he was exactly where he should be. She was grateful right then for Meredith, for she had made Carolyn's only son sparkle again. He smiled and laughed and it reached his eyes, something she hadn't seen since the very beginning of his relationship with Addison.

"So, what are we going to do with this ring?" She asked him, knowing he would want to go over every tiny detail, the same way he did when he was a boy.

"I actually have a ring design if you'd like to see it. Meredith was colouring with a young patient, and I stole her drawing. It's so unbelievably her, simple but elegant. I'd like to get it made up for her. The ring already has history, I just think this would make it even more special. One day, I want to tell my kids about it, pass it down to my son for his own wife." He walked towards Meredith's study where his jacket was hanging on the chair, pulling out the drawing and showing it to his mother.

"Oh wow." Carolyn gasped taking the picture in her hands, "that really is something isn't it? Who are you going to use? I know a lovely little place that would sort it for you. They looked at Kathleen's a few years ago when the stone chipped while they were on holiday. There was a jeweller close to where they were staying but they said that this guy was the best. He's a real artist, I have their number somewhere, remind me to give it to you before I leave. Anyway, here." She passed him a small velvet box with her ring inside.

"Thanks mom," he whispered, trying to hide his emotions over seeing it again after so long. "she'll take amazing care of it, I promise."

"I know," Carolyn smiled as she pulled her son into her arms again. "I know."

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"I'm here Dr. Bailey," Meredith panted as she ran up to her mentor, "What do you need me for?"

"How's it going with Mrs. Shepherd?" Bailey pried, testing the waters to see if her former intern needed the escape she was offering.

"It's actually really nice," Meredith smiled, "I didn't expect to like her, at least not so soon, it's sweet seeing the two of them together. And it's not awkward with me there, so I'm having a really good time." Bailey smiled, wondering at how Dark and twisty Meredith had transformed into the bright, shiny young thing that was actually excited to be meeting her boyfriends mother.

"I'm almost sorry I paged then," she smiled, "almost but I doubted you'd want to miss out on a neuroendocrine tumour wrapped around the renal artery and celiac artery, particularly not on a twelve year old."

"Are you kidding? Isn't that rare?" Meredith asked, her mind going over all she'd learnt about such tumours and what they could do to fix it.

"It's certainly more exciting than appys and colys." the resident confirmed. "The head of paeds was pulled in to another surgery, so he asked if I could find myself a good team and take it off his hands. He's being prepped as we speak. Meredith followed Dr. Bailey towards their patients room, her surgical high already beginning to build.

MDMDMDMDMD

It was rare that Derek sat down and just talked about what he was feeling, but with his mother he made the exception. He hadn't sat down and talked to her since he decided to come to Seattle, and he was grateful that with Meredith gone he could just talk and cry and share his pain with the woman that raised him. He told her of his fears about losing Meredith, and the fact that he loved her so much that he physically hurt anytime she was upset or unsure. Carolyn sat and she listened intently, knowing that her son simply needed to get things out, she offered a few words when they were needed, but mostly she just sat and listened to what he had to say, and held him when he cried, cried for what he had lost, and what he had gained. She noticed him change when he spoke about Meredith, his eyes sparkled, and he couldn't contain a slight smile, even when he opened up about her drowning and the pain of Cristina's wedding. It was almost as though she brought him back out of himself, as though he were hiding behind all the hurt and the drama, and had suddenly resurfaced. She smiled as he nursed his coffee, silent after hours of talking, their plates long since cleared away. They didn't need words anymore, he was content after his release, and now he was taking stock, just like when he was a boy. The door creaked and Meredith entered the kitchen, a tired smile on her face when she saw Derek and Carolyn at the table. She went in and kissed Derek, pulling him out of his trance, and making him grin against her mouth.

"I missed you," she said, never once looking away from his eyes, "it wasn't the same boasting about my cool surgery without you there." She wrapped her arms around his neck and he put his round her waist, rocking her gently as she rested her head on his shoulder. He kissed her forehead before glancing up at his mother, who smiled at the gesture.

"I'd best be off to bed, busy day tomorrow," she announced knowing that the two would want a little alone time before bed. Smiling at the pair of them as they said their goodnights before she slipped out of the room and up the stairs.

"Are you hungry?" Derek whispered as his mother retired to Izzie's room.

"Starving," Meredith admitted pulling away from Derek and sitting at the table. Derek pulled her dinner from the fridge and began reheating it, setting it in front of her when it was hot.

"I love you so much," he told her as he took his place next to her, resting the side of his head on his hand as he watched her eat.

"I love you too," she said, her mouth full. Derek laughed at her as she shovelled forkfuls into her mouth like a ravenous child.

"So what was this surgery?"

"Well, Bailey had never seen it before, and she has this real thing about me going into paeds or general, so she paged me cause she thought I'd love it…" Derek watched her animated face as she told him about her surgery, nodding occasionally and laughing when she wanted him to. He barely took in a word of what she was saying, he was too focussed on the curve of her nose and her tiny laughter lines, her tired smile and the beautiful aroma that surrounded her. He loved every bit of her. And he was going to ask her, not tonight but he was going to ask her. He was going to ask Meredith grey to be his wife and he knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was going to say yes.

A/N: I didn't mean to bash Addison in this chapter, I actually love her as a character, and will hopefully bring her in later in the story, but I think she needed to push Derek into Meredith's arms so they could both be happy. Anyways hope you enjoyed :)