"We should talk." She said as she looked in his eyes.
"We need to talk." he whispered as he brushed one of her bangs away from her face.
It took a couple of minutes for either one of them to start the conversation. For the moment they were just lost in each other, neither one of them wanting to break the moment.
"You know typically talking requires verbal communication." she joked, she felt the butterflies fluttering around her stomach.
"I'm just... taking you in." he smiled watching as she blushed.
"Derek." she whispered bowing her head.
"Your cute when you're all flustered." he told her as he gently pulled up chin back up so he could meet her eyes once again.
"I don't know what to say to you." she giggled.
"I love you." he said simply.
A smile grew on her face as she looked at him, never losing eye contact.
"I love you and I never stopped loving you. Meredith, I want to spend the rest of my life with you, I can't imagine it with anyone else."
"Derek, I'm not the same girl I was, I'm broken and dark and twisty. I love you too. So much, but I'm so afraid that one day you'll wake up and realise that this was all a phase and you don't actually love me but the old me." she looks away.
"Meredith look at me." he said gently, a few seconds later she turns to him.
"Your perfect. Everything about you is perfect and there's not a day that goes by where I don't look at you and think that, there never will be. You're it for me, you and our daughter."
"What if one day you realise that you haven't forgiven me?" she whispered, a tear rolling down her smooth cheek.
"Forgiven you for what?" he frowned.
"Ellyse."
"Oh Mer." he sighed.
"Believe me, I have forgiven you. You gave me the greatest gift I could have dreamed off and you gave her to me as the person you raised her to be. You did that Mer, you did it all and I will never be able to repay you."
She looked deep into his eyes, enchanted by his words. She leaned forwards and their lips met once again, softly. It wasn't about passion, it was about love. An all consuming, everlasting love that they had for one another. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she kneeled up and moved closer to him. He pulled away to breathe.
"So?" he smirked.
"So?" she teased.
"What does this mean?" he asked playing with the hair that fell in her pony tail.
"It means that I love you, Derek Shepherd." she smiled.
"I love you too, Meredith Elizabeth Grey." he kissed her.
She laid down next to him, her head resting on his chest. She hadn't felt this happy in a long time and it felt normal be so so comfortable around Derek. His fingers waved through her hair gently and she felt her eyes beginning to sting as she fought the fatigue but soon they were closing over.
"Mer." She heard.
"Meredith." He whispered and she lifted her head.
"Go to bed. Your tired." He smiled.
"Mhm." She muttered as she stumbled up.
She walked to her room and turned around to see him sat on the sofa messing his hair.
"Der, are you coming?" She whispered holding her hand out to him.
"Are you sure?" He asked her.
"I'm positive, come on." She walked over and grabbed his hand pulling him tiredly to her bedroom.
She quickly got changed into her pyjamas and got into bed, he slept in a grey navy t-shirt and some grey joggers.
"You still a left side then?" Derek grinned referring to the side of the bed she slept on.
"Always." He chuckled quietly her eyes not opening.
"Good. Go to sleep Mer, I love you." He kissed her forehead as he laid next to her.
"Love you." She muttered.
She turned around to face the opposite direction and he took it as his chance to wrap his arms around her. He sighed with contentment, if felt good to finally have her back in his arms in the way she should be.
6am. An internal alarm. Derek woke up with the birds, the apartment silent but the quiet snores from the woman that laid next to him made him smile. He laid there for as long as he could before he needed to get up, he couldn't lay still for that long when he wasn't sleeping so he decided to make some coffee.
Pulling himself out of bed seemed a lot more difficult when it was her bed, he watched her lips smack in her sleep as she turned over and smiled at how at peace she looked. She hadn't looked at peace for a long time but recently she was sleeping again, and that made him happy because it meant she was looking after herself. He slowly walked out of the room towards the kitchen as he didn't want to disturb her, he also knew that Ellyse would be awake soon because she had gotten his genes for early morning rises and he didn't want her to wake Meredith.
It took him a while but he finally figured out how to work Meredith's coffee machine and was soon blessed with a hot cup as he rested on the sofa, the volume of the tv on low as he watched the news. The presenter was talking about the water crisis in third world countries, showing images of children looking malnourished, it made him realise how lucky he was to have access to things they didn't and how lucky he was that his daughter was healthy and happy. He sat on the sofa for the next hour in his happy place until he heard small footsteps on the floor boards. They were heading towards Meredith's room and he swiftly got up.
"Ellyse." He whispered as he stood at the door to the living room.
Ellyse jumped slightly but turned around quickly, a tired smile taking over her face when she seen him.
"Daddy." She muttered as she rubbed her eyes and walked over to him. He picked her up and rubbed her back as she rested against his body.
"Good morning." He whispered bringing her into the living room.
"Where is mommy?" She asked.
"Mommy is still sleeping." He smiled playing with her brown curls.
"Oh." She sighed with a yawn.
"Are you still tired?" He frowned slightly.
She nodded her head.
"Come on." He held her small hand and they quietly walked back into Meredith's bedroom.
"Let's go back to sleep, don't wake mommy though okay?" He smiled.
"Okay." She whispered and got in the middle of the bed, turning into Derek who got on the other side of her.
They fell asleep quickly cuddled up together as a family.
The leaves had began to fall off the trees as they walked through Central Park, Meredith and Ellyse sharing a giant pretzel. They had just come from the hospital for her final weekly therapy session, she would still have therapy but now her sessions would be every three weeks rather than every week.
"Mommy, 3 more days until I'm 6!" The girl skipped.
"I know! 6! Stop growing!" Meredith whined to her.
"I'm two hands now." She said happily as she held up 5 fingers and 1 finger on the other hand.
"Your a big girl." Meredith smiled sadly.
"How do we have a six year old?" Derek laughed, wrapping his arm around Meredith's waist.
"I know. It's gone so fast."
"I still remember the day you told me you were pregnant." He smiled.
"Me too. I was so scared to tell you." She chuckled.
"We were 18, I was terrified." He laughed as she did.
"I'm sorry Mer." He said.
"Sorry for what?" She was confused.
"For what happened back then, I know we've talked about it and it's in the past but talking about then just reminds me of it. I truly am sorry."
"I know Derek. We don't have to talk about it anymore, your forgiven. Let yourself move on." She smiled.
"It just makes me sad because it meant I missed out on her." He nodded towards Ellyse.
"I'm sorry for that." Her eyes twinkled.
"I love you." He pecked her lips.
"Mm. I love you too."
"Let's make a deal." Meredith smirked.
"Okay?" Derek was curious.
"Let's not talk about the past, it just means we're going in circles and I don't want that." She nodded adamantly.
"It's part of our story Mer." He chuckled.
"No. It's part of our old story. This is our new one." She said as she gestured her hands to the city.
"Our new one."
"Our healing hearts." She giggled.
"Cheesy Mer." He laughed.
He held her hand, walking through the park as the leaves fell around them. Ellyse running into a pile of them and throwing them around making them both laugh, they soon got into a leaf fight, squealing at one another as Derek chases Ellyse and swung her in the air. This was their life, and it was perfect.