40. Husband & Wife

Disclaimer: I wish.

Suggested listening: 18th Floor Balcony by Blue October. That's the song I listened to the whole time as I wrote this. I think it sets the mood for the chapter. There's a link on my profile for your listening pleasure. Enjoy! ;)

The Wedding Day

9:00 AM

When Meredith Grey was a child, her mother never read her fairy tales. She was taught that Cinderella and castles didn't exist. And that happily ever after was crap. But that didn't mean she ever stopped believing in it. There was always that tiny bit of hope that maybe, just maybe, it was possible for her.

As it turns out, it was. She had found her Prince Charming. Except he wasn't always princely, and he had a tendency to be overly charming, but he was her Derek. And today, they would become husband and wife.

These were the thoughts running through her head this morning when she woke up. Surprisingly, she had slept well the night before and upon waking up, she didn't feel nervous. She felt calm, happy. The only thing that would make it perfect was if Derek was next to her. All of her thoughts were interrupted when Izzie opened the bedroom door slightly. Meredith couldn't help but smile when she noticed her friend's hair already set in large curlers.

"Good morning, bride," Izzie smiled cheekily as she entered the room with a cup of coffee for her; Cristina trailing behind her with a donut in her mouth.

Meredith sat up in bed and giggled through her yawn. "Thanks, Iz."

Both of her friends came down on the bed. "Are you excited?" Izzie asked happily.

"Of course I am," Meredith said with a laugh, taking a sip of her coffee.

"When are we supposed to be there?" Cristina asked as she glanced over to the digital clock on the nightstand. "Oh, and uh, happy wedding day."

"Thank you," Meredith smiled. "It starts at three. It's only nine so we have some time."

Alex appeared in the doorway and walked in, still trying to wipe the sleep from his eyes. "Hey. Happy wedding day," he said with a tired smile, giving Meredith a friendly kiss on the cheek before kissing Izzie.

"Morning," he grinned.

"Where's my kiss, Karev?" Cristina smirked. She shoved the rest of her donut in her mouth and reached over for Meredith's coffee.

Alex laughed. "In your dreams, Yang."

Izzie just rolled her eyes and laughed. "I'm going to make breakfast. If you need help with anything, let us know."

After her friends left the room, Meredith smiled softly to herself. All of this was really happening. Today, she and Derek would officially become a family. Today, she would become a Shepherd.

--

10:00 AM

Derek had been up for hours now. He had gotten up around seven, and couldn't fall back to sleep due to the excitement he was feeling. Today, he would be marrying Meredith Grey, the love of his life. It was going to be the happiest day of his life thus far, and he knew those days were only going to get better in the future.

All he wanted to do right now was be with her. They had seen each other only a few hours ago at the rehearsal dinner held the night before, but already, Derek missed her. He had grown accustomed to waking up with her every morning, so on this day, waking up in bed alone was a little strange. The fact that the next time he saw her, she'd be walking down the aisle was shocking to him. And he couldn't wait.

After getting out of the shower and putting on some comfy clothes, he heard his cell phone ringing on the counter and smiled when he read the name on the LCD screen.

Meredith

"Hey," Derek said softly as he answered the phone.

Meredith smiled when she heard his voice. "Hi."

"Do your friends know you're calling?" he asked with a laugh.

"No. But as far as I know, it's only against the rules to see each other before the wedding. No one ever said anything about calling," she giggled.

"Good. Because I was going to call you too", Derek confessed.

Meredith stood in her bedroom and peered out the window, smiling at the bright, sunny weather. "We got a nice day..."

Derek smiled and walked outside onto the small porch. "Yeah, we did. It's perfect."

"Is your mom there yet?" she asked softly as she stared at her wedding dress hanging on her armoire.

"Nope, not yet. I think Mark is picking her up at the airport now," Derek explained.

Meredith nodded. "When is Addison coming?"

"Uh, I think her plane gets in at one. So she'll be here," Derek said. "Did you talk to Lexie?"

"Yeah. Everybody is down in the kitchen eating now. Apparently, big occasions call for big breakfasts," she said with a giggle. "Lexie said Molly, Eric, and Laura will be here."

"Good," Derek smiled. "So how are you doing?"

"I'm excited. Lots to do though...," she said, letting out a deep breath.

"Don't worry about anything today. Today is our day," he said with a soft smile.

Meredith sat on her bed and picked up the picture she had of the two of them on her nightstand. "Our day," she whispered.

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

Meredith smiled as she felt the tears come to her eyes. "I love you too."

--

3:00 PM

Everything and everyone was ready. All of the guests were seated, which consisted only of their closest family and friends. It was small and simple, and exactly what they wanted. Derek was already in place, and now they were just waiting for Meredith, Izzie, and Cristina, who were just finished up getting ready in Meredith and Derek's new home.

As Meredith looked herself over in the mirror, she smiled. Her wedding dress was simple and light, perfect for an outdoor summer wedding. Her hair sat in soft curls on her shoulders, and she was wearing very little makeup. Meredith wasn't the girl who liked the pomp and frills. That wasn't her. The only thing that mattered to her today was her life with Derek.

After making the final preparations, the three of them emerged from the front door and made their way to the place where the small ceremony was being held, only a few feet away.

Richard was waiting for them and smiled when he saw them approaching. "Your mother...she'd be proud of you," he said softly; a sincere smile on his face.

Meredith returned the smile and bit her lip. "Thank you."

When the single violinist they had hired began playing, both of her maids of honor took their places and made their way down the small aisle between their guests. All eyes were on Izzie and Cristina as they walked one after the other.

Everyone's eyes but Derek's, who couldn't tear his gaze away from the love of his life waiting patiently for her turn to walk down the aisle. He felt the tears well in his eyes as she gave him a small, assuring smile. She looked beautiful.

"I love you," she mouthed.

"I love you too," he responded silently.

After her best friends were in place in the front, the small group of guests stood up and waited for her to walk down the aisle. Meredith took a deep breath and laced her arm through Richard's. The music started again and together, the two of them began walking. Meredith knew that she'd never forget this moment. Nor would Derek. His future and happiness was walking toward him. Meredith wore a small smile. And she looked completely calm. There was no trace of doubt or nervousness on her face.

Derek's breath hitched in his throat when she came to stand face to face with him. The need to touch her became so great that he reached his hand out to her and squeezed it softly. Meredith squeezed his hand back; the look in her eyes telling him everything she was feeling without words.

As the justice of the peace began speaking, Meredith's mind couldn't focus on what he was saying. All she could think about was the man in front of her, and how much she loved him. She found the love of her life without ever trying. She had done the one thing her mother couldn't. The little thing called happily ever after. Realistically, it wasn't always going to be happy. But she knew that the ever after part was what mattered.

They'd be there for each other through everything. Today was just the beginning of the rest of their lives together.

"Do you, Derek Shepherd, take Meredith Grey to be you lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as you both shall live?"

Derek smiled, his eyes filling with tears. "I do."

"And do you, Meredith Grey, take Derek Shepherd to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Meredith whispered confidently as several tears escaped her eyes.

After the wedding bands had been placed on each of their fingers, the justice of the peace pronounced them husband and wife. And before Meredith even had the chance to savor the moment, Derek pulled her tightly against his body and kissed her, showing her exactly how he felt about her without saying anything. It didn't matter that they had an audience, no matter how small. It didn't stop them from kissing each other as they would if they were alone.

When their lips finally parted, Derek rested his forehead against hers and smiled. "I love you."

Meredith smiled peacefully and took his hands in her own. "I love you too," she said softly.

"We're married," he said in astonishment, chuckling slightly.

"Yeah," Meredith giggled as a fresh sheen of tears covered her expressive, green eyes. "We are."

--

The reception followed the small ceremony and the guests meandered on over to the adjoining area adorned with tables and chairs.

Meredith and Derek never left each other's sides as they greeted their guests. Linda Shepherd was the first one they approached, and she immediately took her son and new daughter-in-law into her arms.

"Congratulations," she said happily. "I love you both so much."

"Love you too, Mom", Derek smiled, kissing his mother's cheek.

"The ceremony was just beautiful. I think it was perfect for you two," she gushed. She fixed her son's tie and Meredith smiled slightly at the motherly gesture.

"So do we," Meredith said softly. "It's...we didn't want anything too big."

Linda beamed proudly at both of them. "It was just wonderful. And Meredith, you look beautiful as always."

Meredith blushed slightly and bit her lip. "Thank you."

"What about me?" Derek pouted.

Linda rolled her eyes and laughed. "You're my baby boy. You always look handsome."

"Thanks," he said with a laugh.

"Okay, I'll catch up with the two of you later. Go see the rest of your guests," Linda said, squeezing Meredith's hand softly before letting it go.

Derek and Meredith walked over to the group of their friends and were immediately greeted with claps and cheers. "Congratulations!" Izzie said excitedly as she hugged them both. The rest of their friends eventually gave their congratulatory hugs, including Cristina, which could only be explained by the glass of wine in hand.

The next cluster included Richard, Adele, and Addison. Meredith swallowed hard as they approached them. Addison looked as leggy and fabulous as ever, probably more so than the bride. Derek didn't seem at all phased by seeing her and they gave each other a friendly hug. "Congratulations", Addison said with a sincere smile as she pulled Meredith in for a hug.

Meredith smiled and hugged her back. "Thank you, Addison."

"You both look wonderful", she said softly. "And the ceremony was just beautiful."

"Thank you," Derek grinned.

"There she is...," Mark grinned, walking over to Addison; his suit jacket already draped over a chair.

Addison rolled her eyes and smirked. "He never stops. I'll catch up with you two in a bit."

"Okay," Meredith laughed. She and Derek directed their attention to Richard and Adele. "Thank you both. Not just for coming today, but for...you both really care about us, and I just...thank you."

"Congratulations," Adele said with a smile. Both she and her husband hugged the two of them. "We're so happy for you."

Derek smiled and squeezed Meredith's hand. "Thank you."

Bailey walked over to the newly married couple and smiled. "Congratulations."

"Hello, Dr. Bailey," Meredith smiled. "Thank you for coming."

"Thank you for having me," she said graciously. She took Meredith's left hand and admired the new wedding band on her finger. "You did good, Shepherd."

Derek laughed. "Thanks."

"Never thought I'd see the day when my intern married my boss...but you two have always been full of surprises," she laughed.

"Just admit that we're your favorite," Derek replied with a smirk.

"He's still cocky. Marriage hasn't changed a thing," Bailey said jokingly.

Meredith giggled. "I guess not."

"Mehdif!" a small voice called out amongst the crowd. Meredith and Derek turned around to see their little niece with outstretched arms.

"Hey there, Laura!" Derek said excitedly as Meredith's step-family walked over to them.

"Dek!" she squealed, clapping her hands together.

"Can I...?" Derek asked, looking to Lexie who was holding her.

Lexie nodded. "Sure." She handed the small girl over; Laura wore a yellow dress and little white sandals, and looked even more like Meredith than the last time they had seen her.

"Hey there, sweet pea. Remember us?" Meredith asked with a giggle. She tickled the little girl's belly and Laura laughed happily.

"Congratulations. It was a beautiful wedding. And that's...quite a house," Lexie said with a laugh.

"Thank you," Meredith said softly. "And thank you all for coming. It means a lot to us."

"Thanks for having us. Laura was really excited about this, "Molly remarked with a smile, watching as her daughter played with Derek's suit jacket.

"It's so nice to see you all again," Derek grinned.

After they had greeted everyone, he and Meredith managed to sneak off to the backyard of the house for a few minutes alone. They hadn't gotten the chance to really talk all day, and they both needed a few minutes with just the two of them.

"So...," Meredith whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him softly.

Derek smiled and pulled her close. "So..."

"You're my husband," she giggled slightly as the tears came to her eyes. "Never thought I'd have one of those."

"I always knew we'd make it," Derek replied. He wiped the tears from her face with the pad of his thumb and kissed her forehead.

Meredith met his eye line and smiled. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," he whispered.

"Do you feel different?" she wondered aloud, running her fingers through his hair.

"Not different. Just...more in love with you than I've ever been," he breathed.

Meredith hugged him tighter, never wanting to let him go. "I love you so much." There was a time when she never said those words, and now, they were the only words she could think to say at the moment.

"I love you too," he said softly. "And you look beautiful."

"You like the dress?" she asked with a smile.

"I love it. And I can't wait to take it off of you," Derek said with a smirk.

Meredith laughed. "We are not having sex against the house...we didn't even get pictures yet."

"I can wait. Tonight...we're not getting any sleep," he grinned as he leaned in to kiss her again.

"Looking forward to it", she said with a giggle. Meredith rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes, savoring the moment with her husband. "I'm a Shepherd."

"You're a Shepherd," he repeated.

"I'm glad I'm a Shepherd," she said quietly. The silence was soon replaced by the sound of the violinist playing in the front of the house.

Derek tilted up her chin with his finger and kissed her sweetly. "Dance with me."

"Right here?" she asked amusedly.

"I'd rather dance with you out here. Our first dance as husband and wife...may as well make it special," he grinned.

Meredith looked up at him and smiled. "Okay."

Together, the two of them danced on the patio of their backyard. Nothing could ruin the perfection of the day. Just the two of them, enjoying the first moments of being married, joining them together as a family forever.

The reception was just what they'd hoped it would be. They were surrounded by family and friends who genuinely cared about them. There was picture taking, dancing, toasting, eating, drinking and everyone had more fun than they had ever imagined. It was a day that neither of them would ever forget. The event lasted into the night, even though most of them were due back to work in only a few hours. However, it seemed as though Meredith and Derek's wedding day trumped any work obligations.

Around two o'clock AM, the final cluster of friends finally departed, leaving Meredith and Derek completely alone. It was late, but neither of them were tired. The adrenaline of the day coupled with what was to come once they officially consummated their marriage later on that night were enough to keep them awake for days.

Meredith's heels had been abandoned somewhere on the grass hours ago, along with Derek's suit jacket, which was draped over one of the chairs scattered about the lawn. Right now, the only thing on either of their minds was each other. The kisses were kept chaste throughout the evening, and now, there was nothing more either wanted to do than begin the love making right out in front of the house.

Surprisingly, they made it into their new home where they would be spending the night. Derek pressed his lips against hers and manuevered them through the house and up the stairs toward their bedroom, which was the only finished bedroom so far. They made love well into the night, only stopping when their bodies had exhausted all their energy. Meredith rested her head on Derek's chest and attempted to even out her breathing.

"Oh God," she panted, pressing soft kisses against his chest. "Married sex...pretty damn good."

Derek ran his fingers down her bare back and kissed the top of her head. "Another round?" he asked breathlessly.

"My legs are shaking," she giggled.

"I guess I'm doing my job right...," he chuckled. Derek put his hand against her chest and felt her heartbeat. "Your heart is beating a mile a minute."

"Are you trying to feel me up?" Meredith asked, raising her head to look at him.

"You're my wife. I'm allowed to feel you up," he retorted jokingly.

"Hmm...good," she breathed.

Derek looked out the window. "The sun is coming up," he commented, combing his fingers through her hair.

"That's because we've been having sex for almost four hours," she laughed.

"In our bedroom...," Derek added, pressing soft kisses on her shoulder.

"We lost our new bed virginity...," she said with a giggle.

"We definitely did," he agreed, smirking slightly. "And what a way to lose it..."

Meredith rolled onto her back and placed a hand over her bare stomach. "I love our bedroom."

"We're good decorators," Derek chuckled. He reached over and laced his fingers through hers.

"And good bed choosers. I'm glad it didn't collapse underneath of us," she said with a tired giggle, slowly succumbing to the sleepiness as it came over her body.

"We worked hard tonight," he grinned.

"I love you, Derek," Meredith whispered, rolling onto her side and wrapping her arm around his waist.

Derek pulled her up against his body. "I love you too, Meredith Shepherd."

Meredith smiled at the way the sound of her name rolled off his tongue, as though she was always meant to be Meredith Shepherd. As she drifted off to sleep, she realized that indeed, she was. And being a Shepherd was all she ever wanted to be.

--

It was nearly one in the afternoon before either of them woke up that day. Thankfully, they had saved up enough vacation days to be able to have a day's worth of resting before their trip to Italy for the honeymoon.

The newly married activities had only ceased hours before, and both were completely exhausted. Meredith's eyelids fluttered open when Derek pulled her naked body into his arms and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"Hmm...," she sighed, running her hand along his thigh.

Derek kissed her collarbone and smiled. "Morning."

"Afternoon," she corrected sleepily.

"Love you," he whispered as she rolled over in his arms to face him.

Meredith sighed contentedly and looked at him with tired eyes. "I love you too."

A few moments of comfortable silence passed before Meredith spoke. "You know what I just remembered?"

"Hmm...?" Derek asked, kissing her forehead.

"We didn't read each other our vows yet," she reminded him.

Derek smiled. "Do you want to?" he asked. They decided to save their personal vows for each other's ears only. The vows were something important to both of them, and they didn't feel as though reciting them in front of a group of people was necessary. They knew how they felt about each other, and that was all that mattered.

She put her hand on his cheek and smiled. "Okay."

Meredith reached into the nightstand and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. Derek looked at her curiously and smiled. "How long have they been in there?"

"Yesterday when I was getting ready in here, I put them in there," she confessed, giggling slightly. "I already lost my shoes somewhere on the grass. I didn't want these getting lost too."

Derek laughed as he sat up in bed. "Good thinking."

"Where are yours?" she asked as she, too, sat up in the bed and pulled the covers over her upper half.

"In the pocket of my pants," he replied. He leaned over the side of the bed to pick up his discarded pants and Meredith giggled at his exposed ass. Derek sat upright again and looked to her. "What?"

"Nothing. I was just checking out your butt," she explained, smiling coyly. "It's what I woke up to the day after we met."

"Hmm...the night you took advantage of me?" he asked amusedly. "Trying to take advantage again?"

Meredith laughed and leaned in to kiss him. Cristina would probably mock her endlessly if she listened to their banter, but she didn't care. This was all she ever wanted with him. "There's going to be a lot of nakedness for the next two weeks on the honeymoon. So...vows now. Naked later."

"Okay", Derek said softly, kissing her again before smiling. "You first."

"Okay", she whispered. Meredith unfolded the piece of paper and cleared her throat before beginning. "Derek, on this day, the day of our wedding," she began before interrupting herself. "Well, day after our wedding...I want to say how blessed I feel to have you in my life. And how grateful I am to have made it to this day. Before I met you, I didn't believe that love like this existed. But you proved me wrong. We've had our share of heartache, but through it all, you never gave up on me. For the first time in my life, I understood what is was to love and be loved unconditionally. And as we build our life together, I just want you to know that I will always love you, support you, and believe in you in the same way you do for me. A while ago, you told me to take what we had on faith and I did...and I'm so glad I did. You, Derek Shepherd, the love of my life, gave me a reason to believe. And I know that in the future, those reasons will only grow stronger, just as my love for you grows every day of our lives. I love you," she ended softly as tears escaped her eyes.

Derek took her hand in his own and smiled at her. He wiped away his own tears before brushing hers away as well. "Meredith," he whispered. "That was..." He couldn't think of the right words to use, so he simply cupped her cheeks in his hands and kissed her tenderly, unable to fathom how much he loved the woman next to him. His wife.

Meredith smiled and rested her forehead against her husband's. "I really do mean every word of it," she said quietly.

"I know," he replied, brushing some soft curls off her face.

"Read yours," she urged.

"Okay," Derek smiled. "Meredith, I know that anything I say will be inadequate in describing how much I love you. You saved me. That sounds corny and you'll probably make fun of me for it, but it's the truth. And you did it without trying. The day I met you was the day I started to feel alive again. I fell in love with you fast and hard, and that love has never faltered, and never will. Waking up next to you every morning, sometimes I still wonder how I got so lucky. The love and joy you bring to my life is indescribable. And as your husband, I promise to always give you the same love and joy you have given me. You, Meredith, my wife, my partner, and one day, mother of our children, are the love of my life, and my very best friend. And I vow to stand by your side and love you with all of my heart for the rest of our lives."

Meredith squeezed his hand and wiped a few more tears off her face. "Der," she said almost inaudibly. "I love you. I love you so much."

"I love you," he whispered, pulling her into his lap and hugging her tightly.

"Yours were better," she murmured as she kissed his jaw line.

Derek smiled at her. "I liked yours more."

"Thank you, Derek," she said softly.

"For what?" he asked, cocking his head curiously.

She shrugged. "Being you."

"Thank you for being you," he whispered in response, rolling them over and pressing her into the mattress.

"What are you doing?" Meredith asked half-heartedly. She ran her fingers through his hair and played with the curls on the back of his neck.

"I...am going to make love to my wife," he whispered, kissing her neck.

"I think I like this married thing," she giggled; her body erupting into goose bumps from the attention Derek was giving her.

He smiled, looking at his wife with the love and adoration reserved just for her. "And this is just the beginning..."

They're finally husband and wife! Hope you liked it. :)

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