15. Baby Pictures

Disclaimer: Shonda is brilliant. If I owned the show, I wouldn't have been able to come up with something so beautiful for Meredith and Derek in the season four finale.

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"I'm glad that you're so happy, sweetheart. And I know Meredith is the reason I have my son back. She saved you, Derek."

"Yeah", Derek said with a smile. "She really did."

"Hey", Meredith said after she opened the front door and put her coat on the rack.

"How was Joe's?", Derek asked with a smile.

Meredith entered the room and sat down on the couch next to him. "It was good. What did you two do?"

"Derek cooked for me", Linda smiled.

"Your son is a very good cook", Meredith giggled. "I'm not much help in the kitchen."

"Use that to your advantage", Linda joked.

Meredith laughed. "I do, believe me."

"Meredith can reheat leftovers better than anyone I've ever known. Although I'm trying to wean her off the microwave", Derek joked.

Meredith looked at him with a wrinkled brow. "Wean?", she asked with a smile.

"Maybe wean isn't the right word", Derek laughed, kissing her cheek.

Linda watched as they joked with each other. She could only imagine the love between the two of them. She was proud that her son had found the love of his life and had been given a second chance. And she was forever grateful to Meredith for giving her son that chance. Just looking at the two of them, Derek's mother knew they would make it.

"So mom, Mark and I decided that we're going to take you to the small café by the hospital tomorrow. And then, if you wouldn't mind, Richard wanted to see you", Derek explained.

"Oh that's fine dear. I'm looking forward to it", Linda smiled. "I should probably get to bed soon. It's been a long day."

"Sure", Derek nodded, taking his mother's hand. The three of them made their way upstairs to Alex's room, which would be serving as Linda's guest room. "I hope this is okay…", Meredith said, biting her lip.

"It's lovely, thank you", Linda smiled.

"And the bathroom—well, you know where it is already", Meredith said, tucking some hair behind her ears. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Linda nodded. "I'll be fine. Goodnight, dears." She pulled them each into a hug. "Oh, before I forget…I have baby pictures…in case Meredith is interested. I want you to keep them to show your children one day. I have plenty more at home."

"I would love them", Meredith said with a cheeky grin.

"Mom", Derek laughed. "That's like blackmail."

"Shut up", Meredith giggled.

Linda walked over to her bag and pulled out a blue photo album. "Here you go. Enjoy."

"Thank you", Meredith smiled, accepting the book and holding it against her chest.

"Night mom", Derek smiled as he and Meredith made their way across the hall toward their own bedroom.

"So…", Derek began as he shut the door.

"Hmm?", she asked, gently placing the baby book on the bed.

"You okay?", he asked, wrapping his arms around her.

Meredith smiled and kissed him softly. "Yeah. I don't know why I freaked out."

"So I was right?", he asked with a smirk.

"Yes", she sighed. "You were right."

"Told you."

Meredith rolled her eyes. "Shut up."

"I missed you today", he said, kissing her again before letting her go.

"I was in the kitchen for most of it", she giggled.

"I know. But I couldn't steal you away and have my way with you like I usually do", he joked.

Meredith unbuttoned her jeans and wiggled out of them. "Too bad", she teased.

"Evil", he smiled, shaking his head.

"I know." She pulled her sweater over her head and unclasped her bra. "It's a shame your mother is across the hall, because I'm horny and standing here in my panties."

"You know…we could…if you could keep quiet", he said, removing his own clothes.

"What does that mean?", she giggled.

"It means you're loud. Don't get me wrong—I love that you're…vocal. But I'd rather my mom not hear you", he laughed.

"Shut up", she said, hitting his chest.

"Come on, Mer. Please…" He gave her his best McDreamy smile before kissing her.

"We had sex four times last night. Is that not enough?", she murmured against his lips, her breasts pressed against his bare chest.

"You should know by now that I can never get enough of you…especially when you do that", he sighed, watching as she pulled off her panties.

"Hmm…not tonight", she shrugged, opening her drawer and pulling on a new pair of panties, followed by pants and a tee shirt.

"I can't believe you", he laughed in shock.

"Tell you what…the night your mom leaves…we can have sex all night long", she whispered into his ear.

"Fine", he sighed dramatically, putting on some pajamas.

"Besides, I'm dying to look through this", she said, scooting toward the pillows with the photo album in her lap.

Derek got under the covers with her and pulled her close to him. "Do you have any baby pictures of yourself?"

"I might…"

"You do", he laughed. "Where are they?"

"We're looking at yours right now."

"They're in this room, aren't they?", Derek asked, snatching the book away from her.

Meredith laughed. "Give me that."

"In your closet, maybe?"

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours…"

"Porny."

"I didn't mean it like that", she giggled.

"Are you sure?", he asked, kissing her softly.

"In three days, yes. I'm all yours. But right now, we're looking at pictures", she told him, grabbing the book back and snuggling closer to him.

Meredith opened to the first page and looked at a picture of him when he was no more than an hour old. "Oh Derek. Look at you", she smiled. "You had so much hair. And the blue eyes…look how big you are."

"Told you", he laughed.

They flipped through a few pages when Meredith began giggling. "Oh this one is being put in a frame."

"You're so mean."

"You in the bathtub with your curly wet hair and chubby cheeks. Oh, and the adorable little ass. That's frame-worthy."

He just laughed and kissed the top of her head. "If you're framing that one, I'm framing a blackmail picture of you too."

"This isn't blackmail. This is the cutest picture I've ever seen", she corrected.

"Which I happen to be naked in", he added.

"I love you naked."

"Hey, you had your chance tonight", he teased.

"Oh crap—is that Mark?", she squealed happily. "Oh my God it is…"

Derek leaned over to look in the album, spotting a picture of him and Mark in a little inflatable pool in Derek's backyard. "I forgot all about this", he laughed.

"How old are you two in that?"

"Probably three or four." Derek picked up the book to get a closer look. "Oh this is good. Matching swim trunks."

"Spiderman swim trunks", Meredith chimed in. "I'm framing this one too. I might get it blown up and put it on the wall."

"I don't think Izzie wants you messing with the décor of the house", he joked.

"In our house", she smiled. "I want to have lots of pictures in our house. My mom never hung up pictures and I…I want that for us."

"We will. We can have pictures everywhere." He kissed her cheek.

"And I want lots of pictures in the room where the kids are going to play", she told him. "Pictures of all of us together."

Derek looked at her in awe. "What?", she asked, flipping to the next page of the album.

"I just…hearing you say things like that…about kids and playrooms…"

"Does it make you want to sex me up and make a baby right now?", she giggled.

"Something like that", he laughed. "You are an extraordinary person, Meredith", he said, kissing her softly.

"Because I want pictures in the playroom?"

"No…well, yes. But…I just…every day I fall more and more in love with you. And when you say things like that, it makes me realize how lucky I am to be spending the rest of my life with you."

"I love you." Meredith smiled at him and kissed his cheek.

"I love you, too", he said, running his fingers through her honey blonde hair that lay softly on her shoulders.

"The kids are going to be cute. I mean, if they look anything like you in these baby pictures", she giggled, admiring the photos of Derek's childhood. He was such a cute and happy little boy. Meredith could only hope their own children would look just like him.

"They're going to be beautiful, and look just like you", he said, pulling her closer to him.

"Maybe they'll look like both of us."

"I can live with that", he nodded.

"Good. Now let's look at pictures. Because you're making me feel really nesty and in baby-mode."

"I am?", he asked, startled by her statement.

"Yes. But we—not yet. Eventually, but not right now. I want us to be married and settled into the house…maybe enjoy married life for a while…"

"Me too", he said with a smile.

"Good", she said, kissing him again. "Ooh look at this one…full frontal", she giggled.

"Oh God", he groaned. "Remind me to yell at my mom for giving us this."

"Oh relax. You were like two years old. Besides, I've seen it all before", she sighed. "Everybody has a naked baby picture like this."

"You have one then?", he laughed.

"I might", she said nonchalantly, continuing to page through the album. "I was a bit of a nudist baby. Apparently I ran around the house naked all the time."

"Okay, where is your baby book? I have to see it."

"Closet. Top shelf to the right", she pointed.

"Seriously? I can get it?"

"Why not?", she shrugged. But I'm not done with yours yet."

Derek walked over and got the pink book from the closet. "Meredith's First Years", he said, reading the front cover. "Who made this?"

"My dad I guess. My mom wouldn't have made it."

"Very fancy…" He made his way over and rejoined her in the bed.

"Are those your sisters, Der?"

"Yeah", Derek said with a warm smile. "That's Nancy, and Liz, and Kathleen is next to me, and that's Amy", he said as he pointed out each sister.

"You all look alike", Meredith said as she studied the picture.

"Everybody used to say that. All of us have dark hair. Blue eyes too, except Nancy. Hers are brown", he told her.

"What number kid are you?"

"Third. Right in the middle."

"Must have been fun…", she joked.

"Oh yeah", he said sarcastically. "I had Mark though, so it wasn't that bad", he said before pausing. "Oh Meredith…"

"What?"

"You are the most beautiful baby I've ever seen", he grinned, looking at a picture of her minutes after she was born.

"I was scrawny and bald."

"And adorable", he added. "Is that Richard?"

Meredith looked over. "Oh wow…yeah."

"He was there the day you were born?"

Yeah. I was born at Seattle Grace."

"You were? How did I not know that?"

"I thought you knew", Meredith shrugged.

"Nope", he said softly. "So you were in the OR while in the womb, huh? No wonder you're a brilliant surgeon."

"I think it's just in my blood", she shrugged.

"Must be", he agreed. "I never realized how much you and your mom look alike. She looks just like you in these pictures. It almost looks like you holding a baby."

"One day…", she smiled, kissing him softly.

"I hope she has your eyes…and your laugh", he said with a smile, carefully studying each of her baby pictures.

"She?", Meredith asked quietly.

"Or he. I just picture us with girls", he shrugged.

"You do?"

"Yeah. Why? Do you?"

"I don't know. I never really thought about it", she confessed. "Don't you want a son…that way you're not completely outnumbered", she laughed softly, looking into his eyes. All of this kid talk scared her and made her nervous, but she couldn't help but feel happy. Before she met Derek, she wasn't even sure she ever wanted kids, but now, she couldn't stop thinking about it. Maybe she was just hormonal, but lately, she had been nesting and wanting a baby. Sometimes, it was all she thought about.

"It doesn't matter to me. As long as they're happy and healthy. I just see us with lots of pink…you know, Barbies and dress-up clothes", he laughed.

"Really?", she asked, a small smile tugging on her lips.

"Yeah. Or I could be totally wrong. We could have little boys running around the house…"

"Boys that look like you", she said softly. "With the blue eyes and curly, dark hair…"

"We could", he smiled. "Or we could have one of each. Maybe we'll even have quads or something…"

"Pssh. Unless you have magic sperm or something, there's not going to be four babies in my uterus", she told him firmly, unable to hide the smile on her face.

"Technically, it wouldn't be my sperm. It'd be your eggs", he argued.

"Well, you're super-sperm would be the ones fertilizing them", she shot back.

"My super-sperm, huh?", he laughed.

"Yes", she nodded. "Because I know that the day we decide we want to have a baby, you'll have me knocked up in ten seconds."

"Well that's romantic", he joked, kissing her quickly. "No matter what, they're going to be happy and loved, because we're going to be great parents…"

"Yeah", she whispered, her happy, joking demeanor suddenly changing into seriousness.

"Mer, what's wrong? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to freak you out. We're not going to have kids until we're ready for them. I just—"

"Oh no, it's not that…it's just…", she paused, letting out a breath. "I never did the things that kids should do. And I don't want our kids to miss out on it—any of it."

"Wait…what do you—", he asked.

"Derek, I…I never went trick or treating. I never…sat on Santa's lap at the mall and told him what I wanted for Christmas. I mean, I had presents on Christmas and my birthday, but I was usually with the nanny. My mom was never there. Birthdays were crap. There was no Easter bunny, no Tooth Fairy, no birthday parties—well, not after I was five years old. There was just…no magic. And I—our kids have to have the magic…", she said softly, wiping off the tears as they fell down her face.

"Meredith", he said, putting her baby book aside to pull her into his arms.

"Sorry, I think I'm just PMS-ing. It's stupid and…I'm okay", she shrugged.

"Meredith, it's not stupid. And it's not okay. Your childhood—no kid should ever have to go through that. Kids should get holidays and birthday parties. And I know that you can't change what happened, but I promise you that our kids will feel it—the magic. It's not too late for you to get it too. Seeing them happy will make up for it", he smiled, kissing her forehead. "We're going to celebrate everything—every holiday, every birthday, first words, when they crawl and walk, every time they use the potty…"

"That's gross, Derek", she giggled.

"I don't care, we're doing it anyway", he laughed. "Every good report card—and let's face it, every report card is going to be excellent. Every graduation—preschool through med school. We'll even celebrate for no good reason at all."

Meredith smiled slightly. "Okay."

"And I'm sorry, Meredith. Stuff like that—I took it all for granted, but…you deserved better than what you got. I never would have guessed that this happy little baby girl in these pictures ever had that kind of childhood", he said sadly, picking up the pink photo album once again and flipping through the pages.

"That's before I really knew what was going on. Had I known what a crap-fest my childhood would turn out to be, I wouldn't be smiling in those pictures…or naked", she said rolling her eyes. "Damn, I'm naked a lot in this…." She took the book from Derek and starting turning the pages. "I'm a stripper."

"You are not", he laughed, attempting to lighten the mood. It broke his heart to think that Meredith grew up without all of the things that come along with childhood. And he knew there was nothing he could do to change that. But knowing that she wanted better for her own children than she herself had was proof enough that she would be an amazing mother.

"Yes. I am", she argued.

"Mer, you look beautiful in these pictures, naked or not", he laughed. "Oh look at this one…kindergarten graduation."

"I remember that the dress was so itchy, but I loved the little sandals", she laughed.

"You look very stylish…the little diploma and cap on your head", he smiled, kissing her cheek. "Your dad looks a lot like George."

"You think so?"

"Yeah…in all of these pictures", he nodded. "You were with your dad a lot, huh?"

Meredith smiled. "All the time. I was so attached to him. I mean, I played with the little kids around here growing up, but he was the one I was with the most."

"Are these the kids you played with?", he asked, pointing out one of the pictures.

"Mhm", she nodded, looking over briefly before continuing to look at Derek's album.

"They're mostly all boys", he laughed.

Meredith shrugged. "I got along better with the boys. They all loved me. In fact, this one right here…", she pointed. "Sammy, he was my first boyfriend."

"You're three years old in this picture", he said in shock.

"He was a good kisser", she said, smiling sweetly.

"Seriously? You had you first kiss at three years old?"

"Aww, jealous?"

"No, just a little…shocked", she laughed. "So, what was it like?"

"We were playing house in his backyard. I was the mommy and he was the daddy. And…I don't know. We just leaned in and kissed each other", she said with a shrug.

"Was there tongue involved?", he joked.

"Pervert", she laughed, smacking him softly. "And you call me Porny…"

"That's my nickname for you", he said with a smirk.

"Ass."

"Is that your nickname for me?"

"I think it works", she nodded. "And no. There was no tongue. Tongue didn't come until much later. But yours is my favorite."

"I do have a magical tongue", he agreed.

"Okay, now your nickname is Cocky Ass", she giggled.

"Yep. Porny is the perfect nickname for you", he laughed, pressing his lips against hers. She laughed against his lips, giving him the chance to slip his tongue into her mouth. Her giggle soon turned into a moan and she closed her eyes, letting herself succumb to the pleasure of him kissing her so passionately.

"Wow", she said breathlessly as they pulled back for air. "That was…"

"Yeah", he breathed, wiping the hair put of her face.

"I love you, Derek", she said softly.

"I love you too", he smiled.

"And I love your pictures", she giggled.

"We'll hang up all the ones you want in the house. And we're hanging some of yours up too."

"Fine. Just not the naked ones. Visitors might get the wrong impression."

"Probably", he chuckled. "Oh look at this one…you're covered in chocolate. This is one for the playroom."

"At least I'm not naked", she joked.

"Now there's an idea—you naked covered in chocolate…", he said with a sly grin.

"Yeah, I'm the porny one", she sighed, rolling her eyes.

Derek just laughed and kissed the top of her head. Together, they continued to look through the photo albums. Each picture made Meredith realize how much she wanted a baby with Derek. Maybe they would have boys that looked just like him with the blue eyes and happy smile. Or maybe he was right, and they would have daughters with her blonde hair and green eyes. Maybe they would get one of each. No matter what, she knew that he was the only person in the world she'd want to be the father of her children.

And Derek, he already knew that Meredith would be a wonderful mother, despite the doubts she had in herself. The only way Meredith and Ellis were alike was in their surgical brilliance. Meredith wasn't coldhearted or emotionless. She was warm, loving, and kind. She put people before herself. She cared about her friends dearly, even her own patients. And when the time came for motherhood, the apple would fall far from the tree.

Please review. They give me lots of motivation to write. And again, let me know if this fic is getting old…

Thanks to all my great reviewers and readers. I really appreciate it.