12. Wedding Plans

Disclaimer: Not mine. But I am so incredibly proud of Meredith for how amazing she is in these episodes.

Is this fic getting old? I might just stop it soon if nobody is into it anymore. Let me know…

Meredith had been working in the pit almost all week. She technically didn't have to, it was more of an interns' job. But she was doing it as a favor to Bailey. Apparently Meredith had a hard time saying no, especially because Bailey had saved her life.

Working in the pit wouldn't be so bad if trauma cases led to surgeries. But it was flu season. And for days, those were the only cases that came into the ER, which sucked, because the flu was contagious. And she was getting sick. To add to it, Derek's mom was visiting in a few days and planning to stay at Meredith's house. And she wanted to make sure the house was in perfect condition when she arrived.

"What's wrong with you?", Cristina asked as she bit into her salad.

"Sick", Meredith muttered, her voice barely audible because her head was face down on the lunch table.

"Why don't you just go home", Alex suggested.

"Because. My interns are stupid and I can't leave them all alone in the pit", Meredith groaned. "I don't mean you, George."

"Thanks, Mer", George joked.

"Seriously though, Meredith. You should go home. Do you have a fever?", Izzie asked as she felt Meredith's forehead. "Damn it, Meredith, you're burning up."

"I'm fine", Meredith mumbled.

"Don't make me get Shepherd. He'll drag you out of here if he has to", Cristina warned.

"That'd be hot", Alex smirked.

"Alex", Izzie said shaking her head.

"Mer, if you're sick, you really shouldn't be treating patients", George told her.

"I'll just update charts or something", Meredith said with a sniffle. "Really, I'm fine."

Luckily, Dr. Bailey walked by their table, holding a stack of post-op notes. "Dr. Bailey, will you tell Meredith to go home?", Izzie asked.

"Why? What's wrong with her?", Bailey asked as she walked over to Meredith's listless form on the other side of the table.

"Just the flu. I'm fine, Dr. Bailey", Meredith said, lifting her head and putting on her best fake smile.

"Mhm. You look fine", Bailey said sarcastically. "I'm paging Shepherd. You can't work when you can barely open your eyes, Grey."

"Derek's in surgery. I can just…I'm fine", Meredith continued to protest.

Bailey shook her head. "Will one of you go take her to an on-call room? I'll tell Shepherd to take her home after his surgery."

"Sure, Dr. Bailey", George nodded. "Come on, Mer."

"Can you walk, Meredith?", Izzie asked softly.

"Yes. I can walk", Meredith said as she stood up a little too quickly. "Oh God…room…spinning."

Alex walked up and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close to him. "Don't breathe on me", he joked, supporting most of her weight as she leaned against him.

After they settled her into an on-call room, Izzie offered to stay with her until Derek was finished his surgery. Cristina dropped off her tote bag so she and Derek could leave right after he was done.

"Mer, do you feel like you're going to throw up?", Izzie asked in a quiet voice.

"No…yes…maybe", Meredith murmured into the pillow.

Izzie watched the minutes pass on the small alarm clock, hoping Derek would come soon. She had a surgery with Hahn in a half hour and she really didn't want to miss it.

"Iz", Derek whispered as he entered the room, much to Izzie's relief.

"Yeah…she's in here. She keeps dozing off. Do you need me to help get her up?"

"No I've got her. Thanks, Stevens", Derek said with a small smile as Izzie quietly got up from the foot of the bed and left the room.

Derek sat down next to her. "Mer", he said softly, not wanting to startle her.

"Hmm?"

"Come on. We're going home", he said as he rubbed her leg.

"But…you…surgery", she groaned.

"I don't have any more surgeries today", he told her, gently lifting her body from the hard mattress.

"Der…sleep", she moaned.

"You can sleep in the car, and once we get home. Come on", he whispered, kissing her forehead, noticing her obvious fever. "I don't want you getting any sicker."

"I'm in my scrubs."

"That's okay. You can wear them home." Derek grabbed her bag off the table before helping her off the bed. "That's it. I've got you", he whispered, holding her upright.

Making it out to the car was a small struggle, but Derek finally managed to get her in the car and buckle her seatbelt. When they arrived home, Meredith had barely made it through the front door before clutching her stomach and going pale.

Derek knew she was about to get sick, so her quickly led her up the stairs and into her private bathroom. Meredith hunched over the toilet and began vomiting. "It's okay, Mer", Derek said soothingly, holding her hair back from her face.

When she was finally finished, Derek was sure there was nothing left for her to throw up. Meredith curled up into a ball on the bathroom floor. "Oh God", she groaned.

"Here you go. Sit up and gargle with some mouthwash", he said as he rubbed her back.

Meredith did as she was told before lying back down on the floor. "I'm cold and…this floor is…ick."

"Did you want to get in the bath? You might feel better", he said softly as he wiped the hair out of her face.

"I…yeah", she nodded.

"Okay. I'll be right back." He quickly gathered up a large towel along with her robe and came back into the bathroom. "Can you stand up, Meredith?", he asked while taking off her shoes and socks.

"Yeah", she nodded. With Derek's help she made it on her feet. He made sure she was steady before he turned on the knobs in the tub so it would be ready for her. He pulled the scrub top over her head, tossing it onto her bedroom floor. Then he reached behind her, unclasping her bra and pulling it from her shoulders.

A shiver went through her body, and Derek quickly rubbed his hands up and down her arms in an attempt to keep her warm. After removing her pants and panties, he guided her into the tub, making sure the warm water completely enveloped her body. "Mmm", she moaned softly. "Thank you, Derek."

"I love you", he whispered, kissing the top of her head. Derek knelt next to the tub, not wanting to leave her side.

"What are you doing?", she asked. Her eyes were fluttering to stay open as she lay listlessly in the tub.

"I don't want you to fall asleep", he chuckled softly. "Want me to help?"

Meredith nodded weakly. "Mhm."

Derek knew Meredith didn't like being taken care of unless she desperately needed it. But now, she was sick, and he was there to help her in any way he could. He wet her head, then lathered her lavender shampoo and conditioner through her hair. Meredith had a small smile on her face as he massaged his fingers through her scalp. "I love you, Derek", she yawned.

Derek smiled warmly at her. "I love you, too." When he was finished with her hair, he rinsed the top of her head and continued to wash the rest of her body. By the time she was finished, his shirt sleeves were soaked, as well as his knees. He chuckled softly, just appreciating the fact that she was letting him take care of her.

After getting out of the tub, he gently helped her dry off before slipping her into her robe. "I'm going to get you some crackers and water, and then call in a prescription for you. I'll be right back." He kissed her forehead before making his way downstairs.

When he grabbed her bag off the floor, he noticed that one of her friends, presumably Izzie or Cristina, had put some medication in there for her to take. Derek was thankful, because now he didn't have to go to the pharmacy and leave her home alone.

He walked back into the room and found Meredith under the covers. Her wet hair soaked into the pillow, causing a large wet spot on the red pillowcase. Derek shook his head and chuckled to himself. "Here you go. I want you to take one of these pills. It'll probably make you sleepy, but that's okay. You need to rest. And I have some crackers in case you get hungry", he said as he handed her a pill and her glass of water.

As she sat up, the front of her robe fell open. "Der…my boobs are showing", she giggled tiredly, after taking her pill.

"I can see that", he laughed. "And your pillow is soaked. I'll get you some pajamas and a towel for your head." He walked over to the dresser and pulled out a pair of his pajama pants along with a tee shirt and a pair of panties. "Do you need help getting dressed?"

"No. I can do it", she nodded. Derek handed her the clothes and left to get her another towel and pillowcase. When he returned, he found her hobbling in an effort to pull the flannel pants over her legs. "Mer", he said, attempting to stifle a laugh. She may have been sick, but it didn't make her any less adorable. "Need help?"

Meredith dropped onto the bed. "Yes", she breathed. Derek easily pulled her pants up and helped her with her shirt. "You're warm, Mer", he said, pressing his lips to her forehead.

"That's because I'm sick", she sniffled.

"I know." He kissed the top of her head. After changing her pillowcase and giving her his dry pillow, he wrapped a towel around her hair and eased her back into bed. "Sleep", he whispered, crawling into bed next to her.

"Your mom…visiting…the house is…", she murmured into his chest, the medicine kicking in and making her drowsy.

"I know. We'll be ready when she comes", he assured her as he gently rubbed her back.

"Hmm. Okay", she mumbled. He felt her body fully relax in his arms as she drifted off to sleep. Derek kissed her forehead and wiped the stray strands of hair off of her face. After he made sure she was in a deep sleep, he carefully got out of bed to get her a cold washcloth for her forehead. When he returned, Derek chuckled when he noticed that she had kicked the covers off of herself and was snoring softly.

He spent the rest of the evening in bed next to Meredith just reading over some medical journals, careful not to disturb her. She looked so cute as she laid there with the washcloth draped over her forehead, her hair disheveled having not brushed it after her bath. Derek couldn't help but watch her sleep. Eventually he put his journals on the nightstand and turned off the dim lamp. He kissed her cheek softly, and wrapped his arm around her.

"I love you, Meredith", Derek whispered as be began rubbing her back. "And I'll always be here to take care of you, even when you say you're fine, because I know better than to believe you", he chuckled softly. "It's okay to not be fine sometimes. I always want you to be able to come to me, and talk to me about anything. I'm here for you. I love you so much." He kissed her again and soon drifted off to sleep, his arm protectively wrapped around her.

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The next morning—well, Meredith thought it was morning, but it was actually mid-afternoon—she awoke to find Izzie and Cristina at the foot of her bed, talking quietly.

"What? I…where's Derek?", she mumbled, still in a sleepy state.

"He got called into work this morning, and he didn't want to wake you", Izzie explained softly.

"And he put us in charge of you", Cristina said as she reached for the note he had left her. "Here. McDreamy left you a love note."

Mer,

I got paged for an emergency surgery. I'll be home as soon as I can. Hope you're feeling better. Be sure to eat and drink, and get some rest. I love you.

Love,

Derek

Meredith smiled to herself. She loved the little notes he would leave her when his shift started before hers in the morning. She could be in the worst of moods, but they always managed to brighten her day.

"How are you feeling, Mer? Do you still have a fever?", Izzie asked, reaching across the bed to feel Meredith's forehead. "Yeah, you still feel a little warm."

"I feel a lot better than I did yesterday", Meredith yawned. "I'm just a little achy."

"I'll go get you some Tylenol. And you should probably eat something. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, I'll just have a few crackers or something. Thanks, Iz", Meredith smiled, propping herself against the headboard.

"Okay, be right back", Izzie said before hopping off the bed and making her way downstairs.

"Are you spending your day off catering to me too", Meredith joked.

Cristina rolled her eyes. "No. But it's better than being home. Hahn has been over every night this week, and seeing as she hates me, I'd rather be here sitting in your sickbed."

"So what are we doing today?", Meredith asked, brushing the hair off of her face.

Cristina shrugged. "I planned on drinking, then crashing on your couch tonight."

"You can drink after we plan", Izzie said as she walked back into the room, balancing Meredith's Tylenol, food, and glass of water in one hand and a stack of books and magazines in the other.

"Plan what?", Meredith questioned as she took the pills and swallowed.

"The wedding", Izzie told them.

"Okay, listen Martha Stewart, I'm not spending my day off to help you choose fabrics and wedding toppers", Cristina said shaking her head.

"You're the maid of honor", Izzie reminded her.

"Actually, um…well, if you wanted to…I wanted you both to be maids of honor", Meredith said, biting her lip.

"But I thought…", Izzie started.

"Yeah, but—this is going to sound Derek-level cheesy—but you're both my sisters. I want you both to do it", Meredith said with a small smile.

""Really?", Izzie asked excitedly.

"Yeah", Meredith shrugged. "And it sort of makes more sense this way…I mean, instead of having one bridesmaid."

"So it's just going to be the two of us?"

"Yeah. I thought about Lexie, but I just…she's great, but I don't really know her like I know you guys, and I…do you think she'll mind?", Meredith asked nervously.

"I don't think she expects you to put her in the wedding", Izzie assured her. "But I think you should invite her."

"I am. She's sitting on my side. Everybody from the hospital is on my side."

"Who do you mean when you say everyone?", Cristina asked cautiously.

"Everyone…you know…Alex, George, Mark, Callie, Hahn, Bailey, the Chief. Maybe we can round up a few others."

"Damn it", Cristina said rolling her eyes.

"What?"

"Why Hahn?"

"Mark's idea. He's going to impress her with his best man skills", Meredith said before sneezing a few times.

"Look at it this way…you could impress Hahn with you maid of honor skills", Izzie said with a smile.

"Oh right, because I'm sure fluffing the train on the dress is going to get me in the OR", Cristina joked.

"I don't want a train", Meredith butted in. "Or a veil…but my point is…I need bodies on my side of the…whatever it's called. It's bad enough Derek has a thousand relatives."

"Is Addison coming?", Cristina asked.

"Oh…I um, I didn't even think about it. Do you think Derek wants her to come? We're all sort of friends in a completely strange way. Or would that be braggy—like rubbing it in her face. I don't want it to seem that way", Meredith rambled.

"I would ask Derek before you invite her. But it might be nice. It would give them a chance to catch up", Izzie reasoned.

Meredith nodded. "I guess I'll ask him."

"Now…wedding cakes", Izzie said, reaching for her magazines.

"Oh God", Cristina groaned. "Did Shepherd put you up to this?"

Izzie shook her head. "No, just thought I'd start planning. I'm one of you maids of honor now. It's part of my job description."

"You'd plan the wedding even if you weren't invited", Cristina pointed out.

"Shouldn't you be helping too", Izzie asked.

"I'm here. I'm helping", Cristina argued.

"Yeah, okay. So Mer…cakes."

"What about them?"

"What kind do you want?"

"Vanilla."

"What kind of vanilla?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"There's French vanilla, vanilla bean, white chocolate disguised as vanilla…"

"Uh…French vanilla", Meredith said quickly, knowing that Izzie's list of vanilla possibilities probably went on for pages.

"A traditional cake right? With stacked layers and fancy frosting and trim?"

"Yeah. Sounds good", Meredith smiled. She was thankful to have Izzie helping her. Meredith didn't know a damn thing about wedding cakes, or how to write a proper wedding invitation, or that the type of flowers "set the theme of the wedding", as she called it. And Cristina knew even less than she did. She was a huge help, and Meredith was convinced that if Izzie wasn't a surgeon, she'd made an amazing wedding planner.

The three of them spent the rest of the afternoon going over wedding details. Surprisingly, it wasn't nearly as painful as Cristina or Meredith thought it would be and they made a lot of progress. Meredith enjoyed spending this time with her friends. Lately, she'd been spending a lot of time with Derek, so getting an afternoon with Izzie and Cristina was welcomed. The day in bed allowed Meredith to rest and to relax, something she needed after such a stressful week at work.

Derek returned home later that night. He was supposed to do one surgery, and then come back home. But due to the massive pile-up on the nearby highway, he was stuck in the OR all day doing one surgery after another. But now, he was home. Well, Meredith's house, which he considered home because the love of his life lived there. He came into the bedroom to find Meredith looking through some of the magazines Izzie had left her.

"Hey you", Derek smiled as he made his was over to the bed and kissed her cheek. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. But I'm still congested, and I feel a little achy", Meredith told him.

"Want me to give you a massage?", he asked with a grin.

"If that's your way to get me to have sex with you, then no. But if it's just a massage, yes. I would love one."

"Okay", Derek laughed. "But I want you to eat something. I have some soup heating up for you downstairs. And I got you ginger ale."

"You did?", Meredith asked with a smile.

"I did", he nodded, kissing her softy.

"You shouldn't kiss me. I'm contagious", she giggled against his lips.

"I can't not kiss you", he murmured.

"I love you", Meredith breathed, wrapping her arms around him.

"I love you too", Derek said softly, returning her hug. Every time Meredith said I love you, Derek swore his heart fluttered. A short time ago, those three words never came out of her mouth. But now, she was saying it so often, like a habit. And he would never get tired of hearing her say it.

"Did you want to come downstairs to eat, or did you want me to bring it up?", Derek asked her, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear.

"I'll come down."

"Where is everyone?"

"Joe's. I told them to go out. I felt bad having them sit here with me all day."

"Sorry I wasn't here today. The ER got flooded with crash victims", Derek explained as they walked downstairs and into the kitchen.

Meredith shrugged. "It's okay. We got a lot of wedding planning done."

"Did you?", he asked with a smile as he got soup for both of them.

"Yep. We're getting a French vanilla cake with all sorts of fancy named things I can't even pronounce. And we narrowed down the flower choices. I wanted to get your opinion on them. Oh, and we picked out some sort of weird trimmed invitations", Meredith said excitedly. "But we couldn't agree on a bridesmaid dress color."

"You asked both of them, right?", Derek asked.

"Yeah. Izzie was so excited, and Cristina didn't mind. I can't just pick one of them, you know?", Meredith asked as she ate her soup.

Derek nodded. "Yeah, I think it's great."

"Are you okay with the cake and everything? Sorry…I probably should have asked you. This is important stuff and I didn't even ask", Meredith said biting her lip.

"It's okay. I trust you", Derek assured her, kissing her cheek again. He couldn't help but kiss her tonight. When they were at work, he would always pull her aside in the hallway for a quick kiss and hug, but today they spent the whole day apart. He had only been gone for a few hours, but he missed her. He missed their little moments together, so tonight he just couldn't help himself.

"Okay", Meredith smiled. "So…we were talking about the guest list…and um, well…would you want to…invite Addison? I mean…I know we're all sort of friends, and I just thought…maybe you'd want to…if not, it's fine, but I wouldn't mind…you know, if you wanted to", Meredith rambled.

"Hmm?", Derek asked, taken aback by her suggestion.

"I…never mind…I shouldn't have said anything", Meredith started.

"Oh no…it's not that…I just…you'd be okay with that?"

Meredith nodded slightly. "Yeah. But if you think it would be rude, then don't. I don't want it to seem like we're rubbing it in her face. That would be mean, and I don't want her to hate us."

"She won't think that. I'll call her and ask. But I'm sure she'd like to visit eventually anyway, you know, see everyone", Derek told her.

"Okay", Meredith nodded, scrunching up her nose as she sniffled. "But if you change your mind, don't feel like you have to. I just thought it might be nice. But I'm really not good at stuff like this, so…"

Derek smiled. "You're amazing, Meredith. You're amazing and thoughtful and I'm completely in love with you."

Meredith rolled her eyes at his cheesiness. "I love you too", she said as she walked their bowls over to the sink. "And I believe you promised me a massage."

"I did", he agreed. "Did you take your medicine today?"

"I'm not five, Derek. And yes, I did", she laughed as they made their way back upstairs.

"Good", Derek smiled as they walked back into the bedroom. "Okay, shirt off."

Meredith giggled. "Yes, Dr. Shepherd", she said as she pulled her shirt over her head, and dropped it onto the bed, followed by her bra. Derek got her body lotion off of the dresser and came back over to the bed. Meredith rolled onto her stomach and rested her head on her pillow.

Derek squirted some lightly scented lavender lotion into his hands, massaging it through his warm palms before rubbing it up and down her back, paying extra attention to her sensitive spots that he knew all too well. They both enjoyed their intimate moments like this. For them, intimacy came in ways other than just sex. Sex was important to them, and it deepened their connection, but simple things like this were just as beneficial for their relationship. It was another way to express the love they felt for one another.

"Oh God", Meredith moaned when he began rubbing her shoulders. "Thank you, Derek."

"My pleasure", Derek said, leaning over and kissing the top of her head. "I'm happy to do it."

Derek spent almost an hour just rubbing her back. He made sure to cover every part of her, from her shoulders and spine down to her hips and tailbone. When he was finished, Meredith was completely satisfied. She rolled onto her back and stretched her body before sitting up and pulling her shirt back over her head, letting her bra fall to the floor. "That was amazing, Derek. I feel so much better", she yawned, snuggling her body close to his.

Derek kissed the top of her head, wrapping his arms around her and pulling the covers up over both of them. "You're okay with this, right? The wedding? I don't want to rush you into anything. We can wait…you know, if you wanted to hold off a year. I just don't want you to think I'm forcing you into anything", Derek said softly.

Meredith sat up and looked at him. "Derek", she said, caressing his cheek. "I…of course I'm okay with this. You're you and…we're practically married now…and this is…I feel good about this. And you know if I wasn't ready, I wouldn't be picking out wedding cakes because I'd be too busy freaking out. I'm actually excited…really excited. And I rarely get excited about things, so this is…I don't want to wait. We're going to do this, and we're getting our happy ending, Derek", Meredith said, tears filling her eyes as she took his hand in her own. "And nothing is going to stop us from getting it."

With his free hand, Derek tipped her chin up and kissed her softly. "I love you, Meredith."

"Mmm…I love you too", she smiled as several tears escaped her eyes.

"And the house…we…I know we're building it, but…do you like it? I didn't even…that was wrong. I should have asked you what you wanted. God, I feel like such an ass sometimes…it's our house and I…you should have had—"

"Derek", Meredith cut him off. "Stop. Yes, you had plans drawn up, but we didn't just build that house on the paper. I had input. I was the one who changed up the entire floor plan of the upstairs, and decided to put up a fence, and have a balcony outside of our bedroom and…other things, too. I had input, Derek. We did this together. It's our house…where we're going to live and raise a family and spend our lifetime together. I—for once, I know that I have a good future ahead of me. With you. That's the important part here, Derek. That I spend it with you. Nothing else matters."

"Okay", Derek breathed. "It's just…I love you so much, and I…sometimes I feel like I don't deserve you. I've put you through hell, and you still love me at the end of the day. You're gracious, and forgiving, and kind. And I just want the best for you", he said with a small smile, tears welling in his own eyes.

"You're giving me more than I ever thought I'd have, Derek. We're getting married, and we're going to have kids and live in this amazing house that we're building. That's a little more than I ever thought I'd have. I always thought I'd end up alone. Happy things never happened to people like me, but…then I met you and everything changed. And I thought that maybe…maybe I have a shot, you know? Maybe I'd met him. Maybe I had found someone I could call the love of my life", she said as the tears built back up in her eyes.

"And yes, we've been through hell. But Derek, you are the love of my life. If I've learned anything in this past year and a half, it's that. And I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you…to call you my husband, and watch you be this amazing father. That's…to have that…it's all I need."

"Me too", Derek said softly as he pulled her closer into his arms. "God, I love you", he said as he pressed his lips against his. "I love you so much."

Meredith smiled against his lips. "I love you too. Forever."

I felt like Derek still had some apologizing to do, just like he does on the show. Derek's mom will visit next. And yep, I'm bringing Addie back (if I decide to continue this). I loved her in 4.13. She was so amazing, and I realized just how much I missed her on the show.

Please review.