Hello!

So Meredith and Derek are...well, I was going to say in love again, but they never stopped being in love, did they? But they are together again!

We're now going to have a time jump of about 2 months, but you're going to have lots of flashbacks to explain everything that occured in that time.

Enjoy! :)

"Do you need help?"

He bit his lip and winced slightly at that. For once, it wasn't due to physical pain, but rather what he knew would soon be coming.

"No. I...I'm okay. Going to the toilet." He replied as he pulled his chair a little closer.

"I've been awake longer than you. You've been sat on the side of the bed for almost ten minutes." Meredith said as she sat up, and turned on the bedside light. "I could tell you were trying to be quiet, but I can hear how much pain you're in."

"It's okay. I'm okay." He muttered with a shake of his head. She was right though, he'd been sat there, staring at his chair and trying to prepare himself for a move that he knew would hurt, while also dealing with his current pain.

"No, you're not. You're definitely not okay."

She was hoping to stay in bed, but she could tell she was going to have to get up for this, so she did. Sh e sat down on the bed next to him, and grasped his hand before pulling it over, placing their conjoined hands in her lap.

"The pain isn't getting better." She said after a minute.

"It's...getting worse." He admitted regretfully, but honestly, through a mutter.

She swallowed. He was right, but she didn't want to be that harsh. "I think we should talk about what Dr Twines mentioned."

He shook his head. "Surgery is too risky."

"You're scared of the risk of more pain or the risk of having a surgery?" She asked. "Because we haven't even talked about you going back to work and we've barely left the house over the last 2 weeks so...honestly, I'm not sure how much worse a surgery could make it."

"I'm just-" He sighed.

"You're scared." She finished for him.

He swallowed before admitting, "Terrified."

Meredith paused before she entered his bedroom, quickly counting the pills again. Normally, he'd do it, but she wanted to let him rest.

Of course, all he'd said since they returned home was that he didn't need to rest, and that he wanted to do everything and anything, making food and folding washing.

Of course, all she'd said in return to that was that he most definitely did need to rest, and that she was going to take care of everything around the house and...well, order food. There was no way she was going to cook them a meal.

"Hello." She greeted with a smile. "Drug delivery."

"Mmm. My favourite."

"I have your regular night-time pills, and some extra meds, which you can or cannot take depending on your pain." She explained as she pushed his chair out of the way, and sat on the side of the bed where he was half-lying, half-sat-up on a stack of pillows. "Hopefully none of them?"

"You have to understand what you're signing up to here."

"I'm a neurosurgeon. I've read the papers. We-" He squeezed Meredith's hand, and looked to Mark. "We've read them. We understand them. We understand that...that surgical intervention is the last thing recommended for arachnoiditis but...if you can reduce the other damage- the stenosis, the scar tissue build-up, hopefully without making my arachnoiditis too much worse, then maybe I can cope with the pain levels."

"And you've got a secure support system that will be able to assist you over the six to ten week recovery time?"

He smiled. "Definitely."

"We're going to smother him with love. He's going to hate us so much." Mark muttered as he ruffled Derek's hair affectionately.

Derek's smile became a smirk.

"So, you understand the risk, I've confirmed that you've got the support system required...you know what that means?"

He sighed. He was scared as hell. "Yeah. It...it means surgery time."

"I'm going to say yes to the extra meds, but...just one tiny dose."

"So the pain is okay?"

"Pain is-" He paused as he took the pills, along with a swig of water. "-okay, yes."

She smiled. "I love it when you say that. A little bit too much."

"Me too-" He agreed with a similar smile.

"Now...heat or cold?"

His eyebrows creased for a moment before he decided on his answer, "Cold."

She nodded, and almost started to head back to the kitchen when his call stopped her.

"Wait-"

She paused. "Yeah. You okay?"

"Come here." He requested.

She smiled for a moment in the doorway before heading too him, sitting down on the edge of the bed beside him and facing him again. "Since I'm staying, I'll ask now- how are you feeling? Have you dragged me here to massage your back? You're not very sneaky, you know, you've done that a hundred times since your surgery now."

He smiled back. "No-" He grasped her hand. "All I want is you."

"No alterior motive?"

"Does me asking for a kiss count as an alterior motive?" He asked with a cheeky grin.

She rolled her eyes and kissed him. Twice, in fact.

"How's the pain now on a number scale by the way? Forgot to ask that."

"About a six."

She smiled. Over the last eight weeks, she'd had almost nines, eights and sevens exclusively while he was recovering. "I'm impressed. Not...not that I haven't been impressed all freaking day."

He grinned. "Well, it's safe to say Dr Twines did a good job."

Her smile grew to a similar grin. "Thirteen hours, Derek. Thirteen whole freaking hours. I can hardly manage past the six mark, and I'm able bodied. Even sat down, I wouldn't be able to do it."

"I'm just sorry you couldn't be right by my side." He sighed.

"I know. But...now people know, it's very obvious when you play favorites." She returned. After leaving his room for the first time after it happened, she'd recieved a lot of stares. It was only when one bold nurse cracked a loud joke that she realised that they'd figured out from his actions and her reactions that they were together, and that the secret was spilled.

"But she's alive, and the tumour is gone. Completely."

She kissed him again and again. Of course, she always thought Derek was extraordinary kissable, but seeing him or talking about him being a hot-shot neurosurgeon set something off in her. "You are just...the best thing in the world. You know that? And you know what I said before surgery that I would never leave you no matter what happened and I stand by that, but...god, Derek...you just doing your things is just-" She sighed. "I love you."

He grinned. "And I most certainly love you too."

She kissed him again. Earnestly? She could keep on kissing him forever.

"But-"

"But?" She repeated.

"I sat still for thirteen hours today operating, so all of my muscles ache like hell, and you were supposed to be getting me some ice." He pointed out. Neurosurgery was not the kind of speciality where it was possible to take breaks, nevermind just take a second to breathe and put all instruments down, so long double-digit-long tumour removals put any surgeon on the floor against a wall with tight, painful muscles, nevermind him.

She rolled her eyes. "Right. Of course. You love me because I am your slave. Get me this...do this...do that..." She teased. "Or, of course, the worst of all...kiss me."

"Hey!" He chuckled. "You like my kissing. You say that isn't a chore."

She kissed him once more. Last time. Well...last time before she left the room for thirty seconds for some ice, then she'd continue again. "Yep. Hate kissing. Definitely a chore. Now, ice!"

Then it was his turn to roll his eyes as she headed out of the room, a grin still on her face.

"Meredith."

She paused, again. "What now?" She asked, although she was still grinning wide.

"I love you. I love you so, so, so much-" She kissed him. "Best, favourite boyfriend ever."

"I'm not dying, Mer. It's just surgery."

"I know. But you know that mood impacts complication rates, so I'm giving you so much love that your spine will be back to normal before you even get out of the recovery wing."

He smiled. "That's adorable, but not how it works, I'm afraid."

She giggled. "I know. But a girl can dream."

"I didn't tell you I loved you."

"I know you love me though." She shrugged.

"I like to tell you before you go. You know I do. You do too."

"I'm getting an ice pack out the freezer. I'm literally going to be gone for ten seconds."

"I'm still going to tell you-" He smiled. "I love you, Meredith Grey."

She smiled. "And I most, most definitely love you too, Derek Shepherd."