51. The Baptism

Disclaimer: Only in my dreams. But OMG, I met Patrick Dempsey last weekend at one of his racing events and let me tell you...that man is even more charming and gorgeous in person. I could barely contain my glee. So if I owned it, I'd be used to his dreaminess by now because I'd work with him every day. Man, Ellen is lucky. :P

Thanks for all the reviews. I really appreciate them. And thanks for all the birthday wishes; it was a great day! :)

The morning of the baptism had arrived, bringing with it a rather warm October day complete with sunshine. It would be hard to leave the sun behind when they went back to Seattle, but they were used to the rain. It made the sunny days that much more valuable. However, along with the warmth and sun came an ache in Meredith's body. Her brain was still enveloped in sleep, but she could feel a dull yet constant pain as it made itself known on her insides. As coherency filled her mind instead of a sleepy haze, Meredith began to think that it was just caused from the Shepherd family football game yesterday, which she had been suckered into playing thanks to her very convincing husband. She hadn't used those muscles in a long time, considering she hadn't played football since college. Or maybe it was her body's way of getting back at her for eating so much last night at Derek's mom's birthday dinner.

But as she opened her eyes and continued to wake up her mind, Meredith realized that the kind of pain she was feeling was the kind that came along with the joys of having a uterus. Cramps. Of course. She groaned, rolling over to press her body against Derek's in an effort to absorb some of his heat. Maybe that would soothe the twinge in her abdomen. However, unless he was draped directly over her like a heating pad, he wasn't providing much help. Meredith let out a sigh.

Derek felt her fidgeting around under the covers and opened his eyes, groggy with sleep. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice raspy.

Meredith squirmed around some more, hoping to fall back asleep. Maybe when she woke up again, the cramps would be gone. "My uterus is out to kill me," she groaned.

He looked to her sympathetically and brushed some hair off her face. "Do you have cramps?"

"Mmhmm..." she sighed. "It's Saturday. I'm due for my period on Monday." Meredith pushed her knees up to her chest, effectively rolling herself into the fetal position.

"Really painful, huh?" he guessed, trying to be supportive and stay on her good side. Derek knew that PMS-ing Meredith could be a little unpredictable, so he did his best to help her.

Meredith nodded, her back turned to him. "Yeah."

"Come here," Derek whispered. He gently pulled her to him so she was flush up against him, her back pressed into his chest. Derek lifted up her shirt a little and eased his hand below the waistband of her pants.

Meredith giggled despite her pain. "If you seriously think you're getting sex right now, the answer is no."

"I know that," he chuckled. "I'm helping you. My hand is warm. It'll help you feel better." Derek pressed his palm against her skin, and Meredith instantly felt better with his touch. "How's that?" he asked, kissing the back of her head.

"Better," Meredith breathed, resting her hand on top of his. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Derek whispered.

Meredith closed her eyes, letting her body relax. Having Derek close to her was always comforting. "Once I get up and start moving around, they'll go away."

"Did you bring anything to take to make them go away sooner?" he asked.

"No," Meredith said with a small yawn. "I forgot."

Derek thought for a moment, trying to come up with a way to ease the pain. He hated to see her experiencing any kind of discomfort. "Want me to ask Nancy if she has anything? She's right down the hall," he offered.

"What? No, that's embarrassing," Meredith dismissed with a shake of her head.

Derek laughed. "Why is that embarrassing?"

"Because. It's like asking for a condom or something."

"It is not," he argued. "It's completely normal; there's nothing to be ashamed of."

Meredith let out a groan. "Can we not have the 'womanhood is beautiful' talk? It's freaking me out."

Though it was a long shot, Derek decided to try again. "Why don't you just let me ask? And if she doesn't, I'll run to the store and get you something. I don't want you to feel crappy at the baptism," he said, trying his best to sound convincing.

"Damn, the baptism. Of course my body would pick today to rebel against me," she said, her voice muffled thanks to the pillow. "What time is it?"

Derek craned his neck to check the digital clock on the nightstand. "A little after seven. The baptism isn't until ten."

"Can we just lie here for a little bit? I don't want you to move your hand," Meredith said softly.

"Yeah." Derek kissed the back of her head again and breathed her in. They had gotten used to sleeping in the past few mornings. Returning to their normal routine was going to be difficult, but they knew staying here wouldn't last. Derek wrapped himself tighter around her. "Are cramps always this bad for you?"

Meredith shook her head. "Not always. Sometimes, they suck the life out of me, but I can deal with it."

"I feel bad," Derek murmured into her hair.

"I'm fine, Derek," she assured him. "My uterus is just doing its thing so we can have kids, so it's worth it."

Derek couldn't help but laugh. "'My uterus is just doing its thing'...that's the strangest way I've ever heard anyone describe cramps," he teased, appreciating the fact that she had a sense of humor about it. "Are you sure you don't want me to ask her?"

Since Derek had placed his hand on her lower abdomen, the pain had subsided a bit, but Meredith knew he wanted to help her as much as he could. That was just who Derek was. "Mmm...fine. You can ask," she conceded.

Derek pulled his hand out from underneath the waistband of her pajama pants and Meredith immediately missed the warmth of him. "If she's asleep, don't wake her up. She already doesn't like me. No need to add salt to the wound," she said, rolling onto her back.

He bent down and kissed her forehead. "Okay," he chuckled. After he left the room, Meredith reached over for Derek's Spiderman pillow-cased pillow and held it close to her. She smiled; it smelled like him, the fresh woodsy scent that was uniquely Derek. Being in his childhood home, it felt like she was learning everything about him all over again. She reached for the picture of Derek and his father off the nightstand. Of course, he had aged since then, but the little boy in him was still there. He still had the twinkling, often mischievous blue eyes and the happy smile. It almost looked like a picture of Derek and their own child. Meredith closed her eyes and a picture of their maybe-one day-would be son appeared behind her eyelids. He looked like Derek, almost identical to the baby photos of him that she loved so much. Tears stung her eyes but she didn't feel the need to hastily wipe them away, for fear that doing so would erase the image of what she held in her mind.

Meredith placed a hand over her abdomen and smiled. Sure, the cramps sucked, but if a future little baby made by the two of them was the payoff, she was more than happy to suffer through. She heard footsteps approaching the bedroom door followed by the clicking of the knob. When Derek entered the room and found her crying, he stopped in his tracks. "Mer, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice full of worry. "Are you in that much pain?"

Meredith shook her head. "No, no. It's not that," she assured him. He sat on the edge of the bed, handing her the bottle of pills Nancy had given him while he held the glass of water for her.

"What is it?" he asked, brushing some waves of hair off her face after she sat up. "You're sure you're okay?"

She swallowed the pills quickly, hoping the relief would come sooner rather than later. "I'm fine," Meredith nodded. She handed Derek the glass, and was met with an incredulous expression. "I am," she stressed. "It's just..."

Derek's concerned eyes melted her resolve. "Seeing you in this picture, it just...I don't know. It makes me think about the little boy you were and how you grew up to be the kind of guy that asks his sister for cramp pills for me. I'm thankful, that's all," she shrugged, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.

"Mer," he whispered, lifting the covers and crawling back under them to join her. "I'm happy to do it. I love you." They laid down in the bed, face to face. It was warm and quiet, and they were safe from the rest of the world. Meredith wrapped her arm around his waist and smiled. When it came to the two of them, there was no such thing as personal space. Being intimate had been easy since day one.

"I love you, too," she whispered. He kissed her then, long and slow. The kind of kiss that made her skin erupt into goosebumps and turned her into a boneless pile of desire. If it weren't for the uterus rebellion going on inside of her, Meredith knew the clothes would be dropping to the floor by now.

Derek snaked his hand up her shirt and tickled her back with the pads of his fingers. She arched her body into his, smiling when she felt the heat radiating off of him envelop her like a blanket. "Can we lie here all day?"

Meredith laughed. "That would make us the suckiest godparents ever."

"Probably," Derek agreed.

"You didn't wake Nancy up, did you?" She ran her fingers through his curls, twirling one in between her fingers. This whole lounging in bed thing was something they could easily get used to.

Derek shook his head. "No, she was actually in the hall. And she doesn't think any less of you for needing them, by the way," he teased, resulting in a smirk from Meredith.

"Can you not make fun of me? I'm in pain," she reminded him playfully as she gently threw her knee over his leg. "It hurts less when I straddle you."

He grinned at her choice of words. "You don't have to apologize for that. Ever," he said, a naughty glint in his eyes.

A knock at their bedroom door brought their not so subtle flirting to a halt for the time being. Meredith quickly un-straddled her husband's leg and sighed; Derek was so comfy to snuggle up to. "Come in," he responded.

"Meredith, I have a heating pad for you," Derek's mother said upon entering the room. She smiled when she saw the two nestled beneath the covers. "I saw Nancy in the hall and she told me--I hope it's okay. I just thought it would help you."

Meredith smiled gratefully. His mom reminded her so much of Susan. She was kind and helpful, and completely accepting of Meredith since the beginning. She really hit the mother-in-law jackpot as far as she was concerned. "Thank you. You didn't have to do that." Meredith sat up in bed and accepted the heating pad, gently laying it on her abdomen.

"It's no problem, sweetheart," Linda smiled.

"Is there anything you need me to do, Mom?" Derek asked, not wanting to take advantage of resting with Meredith if his mother needed help.

Linda waved her hand in dismissal. "You two just get some rest. I'm sure you don't get to relax very often back home. It's still early...don't feel like you need to rush."

"Thank you," Meredith said softly. After Derek's mother left their room, Meredith smiled. "You have the best mom ever," she yawned, curling up next to Derek again and re-straddling him.

Derek kissed her forehead, letting his lips linger there longer than usual. "Hmm...I know," he chuckled. "I think she loves you more than she loves me."

"I don't think that's possible. You're a total momma's boy," she giggled, running her fingers through his hair again and settling at the nape of his neck.

"I am not," Derek argued, feigning hurt. Meredith smirked. "Okay, fine. I guess I am."

A smile came over her face. "Thank you." As she laid there with him, Meredith was filled with an overwhelming love for her husband. Even lying in their pajamas in bed together was intimate. Their connection had been there from day one and had never faltered. "I love you," she whispered.

Derek gave her a gentle squeeze. "I love you, too."

"I always wondered if I'd be here. When we...weren't together," she began. "...I'm not big on families, but...I really wanted to meet yours. And I'm really glad I did."

"Not so scary anymore?"

Meredith shook her head. "No, not scary."

"Is the heating pad helping you?" he asked.

"Yeah, it is," Meredith nodded. She pressed her hand over Derek's stomach and giggled. "You're absorbing all the heat," she teased.

"Well, you have me pinned to the bed with your leg, so I don't really have a choice," Derek chuckled.

She cupped his cheek and kissed him again. "I thought you liked when I pinned you to the bed," Meredith smirked.

"I do. Very much so," he grinned, slowly moving his hand down her back and below the waistband of her panties. Meredith gasped when he ran his hand over her bottom, arching her body into his.

"Derek!" she shouted softly. "Your mother is down the hall."

"I'm not trying to have sex," he laughed.

Meredith rolled her eyes. "You're touching my ass. It gives that impression."

Derek reluctantly removed his hand and sighed. "Ruin all of my fun."

"Oh right," she laughed. "Tell you what...tonight...me and you." Meredith tugged on Derek's tee shirt and pulled him on top of her, keeping her legs wrapped around his waist. "Sex."

"Not if you're not feeling well," Derek said, motioning to the heating pad draped over her abdomen. He kissed her again softly. All of this kissing was making the prospect of ever getting out of bed more and more unappealing.

Meredith moaned against his lips. "Well, you're making me horny, so I'd say it's almost a guarantee that I'll want sex all day. And that's highly inappropriate because we're going to be in a church. With a priest. And other holy things."

"Fine. I'll stop. But the minute we come back in here tonight...sex," he grinned before adding, "Only if you feel okay."

Meredith smiled. He always put her in front of himself. No one had ever done that before Derek came along. "Okay," she said softly.

"Knock knock," came Amy's voice from behind Derek's bedroom door. They both looked over and smiled. "Come in, Amy," Derek said.

"Hi--oh, are you okay, Meredith?" Amy asked upon entering, holding a sleeping Kyle over her shoulder.

Meredith blushed self-consciously and nodded. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just, uh..."

"I get it," Amy said graciously. "Those are no fun."

"No, they're not," Meredith agreed, giggling slightly. "How's Kyle?"

Amy propped the baby on her arm, laughing when he made a pouty face for being interrupted of his sleep. "He's tired today. Usually he's a late sleeper, so he wasn't very happy when we woke him up, were you honey?" she asked, kissing the top of her son's head.

"Can I hold my godson?" Derek asked, reaching his arm out for his nephew.

"Sure," Amy nodded as she handed Kyle to her older brother. "Maybe he'll be less fussy for you two. I don't think he likes me very much right now," she joked.

"Amy!" Nancy called from the hall. "Mom wants to know what booties you're putting the baby in."

Amy rolled her eyes playfully. "I'll be back. Would you two mind watching him for a few minutes?"

Meredith shook her head, happy to get the chance to spend some time with their nephew. "No, not at all," she smiled.

Derek's sister made her way out into the hallway. By now, the house was alive and full of activity. Meredith always wondered what it was like to grow up in a large family; now she knew. "Family events are a big deal here, huh?" she asked, smiling a little.

"Oh yeah," he nodded. "And this is just a baptism. You should have seen the weddings. They would start doing hair at five in the morning. Always fun though."

Meredith rested her head on his shoulder, watching as he rocked the baby in his arms. "Yeah," she whispered.

Kyle let out small cry and Derek smiled at him. "What's the matter, buddy? Is this whole baptism thing getting on your nerves?" he asked with a laugh. "It's not so bad, I promise."

Despite Derek's efforts at calming him down, Kyle's cries escalated even further and he wailed in Derek's arms. "You want to see if you can calm him down?" he asked Meredith.

"Um, okay," Meredith said hesitantly. Kyle paid no attention as he was passed from his uncle to his aunt; he just continued to cry, occasionally hiccupping. "It's okay, sweetheart," she soothed, holding the baby close to her chest as she had done with him before. At first, Kyle was resistant of Meredith's attempts to get him to stop crying, but when Derek began patting his back while Meredith let him hold her finger, the baby began to quiet down. "Hmm...we're a good team," she said softly before kissing her husband.

"We are," Derek grinned. "That or he just likes your boobs."

Meredith gasped. "Derek! You've been spending way too much time with Mark..."

"What? It's true," he shrugged, fixing Kyle's sock.

"Babies do that because it comforts them," Meredith explained. "And it'll be even more adorable when our babies do it."

Derek smiled; every time Meredith mentioned babies, he swore his heart leapt to his throat. Just a short time ago, any semblance of baby talk had her running for the hills. But now, every conversation was a "when we do," without hesitation. "Do you still want to start trying on our anniversary?" he asked.

Meredith ran her finger over Kyle's cheek, wondering what it would be like to actually carry a child. Or raise a child. It scared her and thrilled her all at once, but she wanted nothing more. "Unless something crazy comes up or we're just way too overwhelmed with work, then yeah," she shrugged. "I don't want to wait too long. Pregnancy and residency at the same time...that scares me a little."

"If you wanted to hold off, that's fine. I know it's stressful. We don't have to make up our minds now. I just don't want to rush into it if we're not ready," Derek said softly, kissing her temple.

"I think we'll be ready--I mean, work is going to be busy regardless," Meredith said, brushing her fingers over the dark hair of Kyle's head. "I just...I never even knew I wanted babies until you came along, and now it's all I think about sometimes. So...July. I think July would be good," she whispered, smiling when the baby grabbed onto her shirt with his tiny fist.

Derek wrapped his arm around his wife and pulled her close to him. "Okay."

"If I spend too much more time with your family, I'm going to move it up to now," she giggled, letting Kyle suck on her finger. "He looks a lot like you."

"All of the kids in the family are born with thick, dark hair. I'm guessing ours will, too," he said.

"Fine with me. I was born bald," Meredith whispered, turning her head to kiss him. "We should return him now so we can get ready. It's probably frowned upon to show up at a baptism in sweatpants," she laughed.

Derek smirked at her. "Probably, yeah."

--

Meredith hadn't seen the inside of a church since...she couldn't even remember. Maybe when she was in Europe with Sadie. There had been a few cathedrals. Or no, she had been to one since. Her roommate in med school needed a fill-in bridesmaid for her wedding and Meredith had volunteered her services. She remembered the horrible taffeta dress and the monstrosity of an up-do. She sort of remembered sleeping with one of the groomsmen that night, but maybe not. She had been drunk, so the details were a little hazy. Wait, no. The non-wedding of her best friend. That's the last time she was in a church. That turned out really well. All of these thoughts were going through her mind as she sat in the pew next to her husband and held a sleeping Kyle in her arms. Thankfully, her cramps had subsided somewhat, but now she was horny. And being horny in a Church was wrong on so many levels, especially when she should be paying attention and being a good godparent.

She uncrossed and re-crossed her legs, pulling her skirt over her knees. Derek had assured her over and over again that it was long enough, but she wouldn't stop fidgeting with it. "Mer, it's fine," he whispered, leaning over to wrap his arm around his shoulder.

"No speaking. church," she whispered back. Kyle looked up at his aunt and gave her a frown. Both Meredith and Derek had to bite back their laughs at the grumpy look on his face. Just as they were sure there was going to be an outburst, he discovered Meredith's hair, and took a handful into his mouth. Meredith thought of taking it from him, but he seemed occupied and content, so she decided against it. Derek looked over to her and smiled. Meredith had the aunt thing down perfectly.

When it came time for the priest to pour the water over his head, of course he had a fit, which everyone expected. The little boy was just angry with the world today, it seemed. Luckily, after Meredith started bouncing him a little bit, he fell asleep with his head resting on her shoulder, his little hand clutching onto her blouse. He remained quiet for the remainder of the service, happy to have his aunt holding him.

After exiting the Church, all of the family that attended the baptism, including everyone but the littlest Shepherd kids, gathered outside for pictures. Meredith was learning that Derek's mom documented every event in their lives. Her own mother wasn't big on family albums, so she was thankful that Derek's was. At least they'd have pictures to show their kids, even if most of them came from Derek's side. Linda called out for Meredith and Derek to come forward for a photo with their godson. "Okay, how about you two stand right here and hold Kyle between you?" she asked.

The two followed Linda's orders, posing for pictures with the baby and the rest of the family outside the Church. It took nearly an hour until the little photo session ended and they were free to go back to the house for the family party. Meredith wanted nothing more than to get home and change into a more comfortable outfit. Getting dressed up was nice, but she much preferred her jeans and slippers to skirts and high heels. She and Derek were relieved to find out that the party was casual dress--yet another reason why Meredith really loved her husband's family.

Upon arriving back at the house, the two went up to their bedroom, anxious to get a few minutes of alone time. As soon as the door clicked shut, Derek pulled her into his arms and smiled. "We're good godparents."

"Hmm...I think so," Meredith giggled. "I was afraid I'd get nervous and accidentally drop him in the fountain thingy, but I didn't."

"We did good," Derek said in agreement. "And you...very hot."

Meredith wrapped her arms around his neck and smirked. "Yeah?"

"Mmhmm," he murmured. He reached around her and worked his fingers on her zipper, letting the brown skirt fall to the floor.

"Derek, what are you doing?" she asked, unable to stop herself from giggling. Meredith knew full well what he was doing. And if they were at home, she wouldn't have a problem with it. But with a house full of family downstairs, letting him strip her down seemed wrong.

Derek smiled, grabbing hold of her bottom and picking her up. Meredith wrapped her legs around his waist and her hands traveled through his hair and down to the back of his neck, where she nimbly undid his tie, dropping it onto the floor below. "Helping you change," he said simply, dropping kisses on her neck.

"You're making it porny," Meredith corrected. The familiar tingle inside her was growing more and more with every second, almost enough to let him take advantage of her right then and there. They could probably get away with it, but still, she wouldn't let it happen; not right now, anyway.

"I am," he agreed, gently dropping her down on top of the bed. Meredith scooted over to make room for him.

When he dropped down next to her, she smiled. "Later. Definitely later."

"You're feeling better, right?" Derek asked, running his hand over her abdomen, as if to sense any lingering pain she felt.

Meredith nodded. "Yeah," she whispered. "I am."

Derek rolled on top of her and pulled her blouse over her head. "You sure?" he questioned again, kissing above the lace of her bra.

"Derek, seriously," she laughed. "We should have been back downstairs by now..." Meredith could feel his growing erection through his suit pants and she gasped. "And you have to get rid of that."

"Quickie?"

Meredith laughed and rolled her eyes. "No."

"Fine, later," he sighed in resignation, kissing her one more time before sitting up. The two reluctantly hopped off the bed and quickly changed into more comfortable clothing. As they exited their bedroom, Mark was walking out of the bathroom in the hall. He eyed them up and down before grinning.

"You two had sex, didn't you?" he asked.

"No, we didn't," Meredith answered, shaking her head. "Almost, but no," she added as an afterthought.

Derek reached over and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Just wait..." he whispered into her ear. Meredith nudged him playfully with her elbow. She really preferred if Mark didn't know about their pending sex. Luckily, Derek's sister called them downstairs before Mark could ask any more inappropriate questions. They re-entered the living room, where family and friends were gathered, all there to celebrate Kyle's baptism. Amy and Tom walked over with Kyle and Derek grinned. "How you doing, Kyle? Still mad at all of us?" he joked.

The baby looked to Derek and gave him the smallest of smiles, seeming much more awake than he was earlier in the day. "Maybe he's just p-i-s-s-e-d about that white outfit you're making him wear," Mark teased, ruffling the hair on the top of Kyle's head.

Amy and Tom laughed. "I'm sure it's a little itchy. I wouldn't want to wear it either. You want to get changed, pumpkin?" Amy asked her son before kissing his cheek. "I packed him some extra clothes in his bag."

"Oh, we'll change him if you want," Derek offered.

"You sure?" Tom asked.

Meredith nodded. "Yeah, we'd love to."

"I'm surprised you two don't have a baby of your own yet. You're so good with him," Amy laughed. She grabbed Kyle's bag off the couch and handed it to Derek, who smiled.

"Soon," he replied. "Mom already said that the next baby born better be ours."

"It better be," Tom chuckled. "Amy and I want to start trying for another one soon."

Mark nearly choked on his beer. "What?"

"Seriously?" Derek asked as Amy handed Meredith the baby. "But Kyle's still so little..."

"We want them close in age...kind of like how Mom and Dad had the four of you so close together," Amy teased. "I always hated how I was the accidental miracle that happened six years later."

Derek laughed at his little sister. "Well, I guess for a pediatrician, you don't have a tough schedule..."

"Take it back!" Amy said, pretending to be offended. "Brain surgery isn't all that impressive."

"It is, actually," Derek smirked.

Amy rolled her eyes playfully. "Go change my son," she laughed.

"Fine," Derek conceded. He placed his hand on the small of Meredith's back and the two walked into the den, which was unoccupied.

Meredith waited for Derek to set out the changing mat before lying the baby down on top of it. "By the time we have kids, there's already going to be twenty Shepherd grandkids," she giggled.

"Save the best for last," Derek boasted. He pulled a clean diaper from the bag and handed it to Meredith, who looked at him incredulously.

"Me?" she asked.

"You're a good diaper changer," he complimented as the two worked together to get Kyle out of the fancy, white outfit he was in. The baby squirmed around a bit, but they eventually succeeded.

Meredith began to peel off the adhesive on the diaper Kyle was wearing, then looked to Derek. "He's going to pee on me. You know how baby penises are."

Derek laughed heartily at her remark as he searched through the diaper bag. "No he won't."

"How do you know?"

"Pee-pee teepee," he said, showing Meredith the cone-like contraption he pulled from the bag. "You put this over his...and it saves you from getting peed on."

Meredith looked to the strange object curiously. "That's the weirdest thing I've ever seen. How do you know what it's called?"

"I have six nephews," Derek shrugged. He pulled the old diaper off the baby and set the cloth teepee covered in baseballs over him. "See?"

"We're going to have to get one of those one day," she giggled, pulling a wipe from the pack. "I know you think we're having girls, but with your DNA, I'm sure we'll end up with a boy in our set of quads..."

"Quads would be fun," Derek grinned as he fastened a new diaper on Kyle.

Meredith pulled a blue outfit with a giraffe on it from the bag and handed it to her husband. "Oh yeah..." she said dryly. "When they ship me off to the psych ward after I go crazy, you'll see how fun it is..." she said teasingly. "Kyle, Uncle Derek is silly." The baby let out a tiny laugh and reached for Meredith's hair again, holding a few strands between his little fingers.

"You like playing with her hair?" Derek chuckled as he snapped the boy's outfit together. "There we go. All done." He picked Kyle up off the couch and kissed his cheek. "That's more comfortable than your Church outfit, isn't it? I helped Aunt Mer change her outfit, too..." he grinned.

"Derek!" she hissed. "No porny talk..."

"Later?"

She rolled her eyes and took the baby from him, propping him over her shoulder. "Yes, later. Right now, family stuff," Meredith said, kissing Kyle's cheek. "And food."

There would definitely be porniness later. She would make sure of it.

--

By the time the last of the guests left the party, it was nearing ten o'clock. It had been a long day, but a fun one. There was food and conversation, and Meredith and Derek also partook a game soccer, tag, and a few rounds of Go Fish with the kids. As it turns out, little kids are never ending supplies of energy. As soon as one activity ended, they were anxious to begin another. After the excitement of the day wore off, Meredith and Derek found a cozy spot on the couch and snacked while conversing with the family. Hearing Derek's mom reminisce about Derek and Mark's childhood was by far the most enjoyable part of the day, at least for Meredith. Derek and Mark might have a slightly different opinion.

"When Derek was little, he had a terrarium full of frogs," Linda said, taking a sip of tea. "Disgusting little creatures, but he loved all of them..."

Mark sighed. "Here we go..."

"And one day when I was out gardening, Mark decided to take one of them and stick it in the microwave. Derek's favorite frog. Oh, what was his name dear?" she asked her son, who was sitting next to his wife on the couch.

"Riblet," Derek said, Meredith snuggled into his side.

"Riblet! That's it. I remember I walked into the house to check on you kids and I saw Mark standing on the kitchen chair--you couldn't even reach the microwave," she laughed, patting the top of Mark's hand. "Anyway, he put Riblet in there and--"

Mark decided now would be a good time to defend himself. This was one of Mrs. Shepherd's favorite stories, and he always had to make sure he set the record straight. "I never pushed start..."

"Derek, where were you?" Meredith asked with a giggle.

"Probably looking for my frog," Derek responded, throwing an amused glance at Mark. "We weren't fighting or anything, so he wasn't out to seek revenge," he laughed. "Just a little science experiment. Exploding frogs."

"He never exploded!" Mark argued, taking a sip of his beer. "He smelled like popcorn for a few hours after sitting in the microwave for thirty seconds. But no explosions."

"They never told you that story?" Liz asked Meredith.

Meredith shook her head. "I thought I'd heard everything, but I guess not..."

"Did Derek ever tell you about the time we were potty tra--" Nancy began before Derek interrupted.

"Nance, please," Derek pleaded jokingly. "No more blackmail."

Nancy gave have her brother a smirk. "This isn't blackmail. These are adorable childhood stories."

"Well then, I guess you won't mind if I pull out your adorable prom pictures," Derek retorted, a challenging smile on his face.

"You wouldn't."

Derek laughed. "I know where they are."

"Fine, I won't tell that one," Nancy sighed.

"Ooh, I have one." Kathleen straightened up on the couch and cleared her throat. Meredith could tell this would be a good one, then again, every story she'd heard so far was priceless. Even if her husband and Mark were the targets. "Remember when those two were really little--I think I was eight. Nance was six, so they were only four. Dad was going to take them camping for the weekend, and they slept with their fishing gear on. Little vests and hats. They were so excited," she smiled, recalling the memory. "They even pitched a couch cushion tent in the living room the night before."

Mrs. Shepherd subconsciously ran her finger over her wedding ring. Derek's dad had died many years ago, but Meredith could tell that she still missed her husband. Even the thought of losing Derek made Meredith sick to her stomach; she couldn't imagine having to go on, not to mention being there for her children. Derek's mother was a strong woman, and Meredith admired her for that. "You two always loved doing things with him."

"I remember when Mom was in the hospital, right after she had Amy, Dad took us to the store and let us pick out balloons and cray paper so we could decorate the house," Liz said.

"And you boys both chose black balloons for your newborn sister," Amy laughed, a sleeping Kyle resting in her arms. "Apparently I was hated for being a girl..."

"We didn't hate you," Mark rebutted. "Derek and I were just hoping for a boy...someone to do our dirty work so we wouldn't caught."

Linda shook her head in amusement. "You boys never got away with anything, not even at your most clever..."

"That's only because we always got tattled on before we could do anything," Derek explained, smirking at each of his sisters.

"We were good tattlers," Nancy shrugged. "Not our fault you guys could never out-smart us."

Mark grinned. "Oh we did. A few times, actually."

"Like what?" Meredith asked, giggling. All of these stories made her realize why Mark and Derek were such close friends. Growing up in a house full of girls, they relied on each other for entertainment. It made her thankful that they were friends again. She could tell how much happier they were now than back in the days when Mark first moved to Seattle.

"I'll tell you later," Derek whispered into her ear. Apparently, whatever those two had gotten away with was still too good to share.

Meredith smiled. "Okay."

Reminiscing with the family had been fun, but now, Derek wanted nothing more than to have some alone time with Meredith. It had been a long day full of activity. And they always helped each other wind down. "I think we're going to head up to bed," Derek said. He stretched then got up off the couch, Meredith next to him. "We'll see you guys before we leave tomorrow afternoon, right?"

"Absolutely," Kathleen said with a smile. "We wouldn't let you three leave without saying goodbye."

They all said their goodnights, then Meredith and Derek went upstairs toward their bedroom. The door had barely shut behind them when Derek pressed his lips to hers, kissing her with all he had. Meredith moaned into his mouth and threaded her fingers through his hair. The intimacy they had to keep chaste in front of the family was unleashed as soon as they were alone.

Derek eased her onto the mattress. "You sure you feel okay?" he asked between kissing her. "If not, we don't have to..."

"I'm fine, promise," Meredith whispered as she began pulling off his shirt. "I need you."

"I need you, too."

After she successfully removed his shirt, she wasted no time in removing her own, tossing it onto the floor. "I want this off, too," Derek smirked, unhooking her bra and sliding it down her arms.

Meredith unzipped his jeans, managing to get them off with her feet while he gave attention to her breasts. He bit down on the sensitive skin and she whimpered. Derek always knew exactly what to do to her body, working her until she could barely take it anymore. "Derek..." she moaned.

He quickly fingers worked at her pants, pulling them down in seconds, along with her panties. "Condom," Meredith breathed. "Go...in the bag."

"Okay." Derek hopped up off the bed and searched for a condom in their bags. After checking in zipper compartments and pockets, there were none to be found. He sighed. "I can't find any."

"What?" Meredith asked. She sat up in the bed and looked to her husband. "How many did you pack?"

"I only used the one from my wallet the other day. You had the no sex rule, so I didn't pack any extras," Derek replied.

She groaned. "Well then, I guess we're not having sex..."

"We're having sex," Derek argued. He wanted it just as much as she did; there would be sex, even if he had to make a trip to the drug store. "We can go condom-less. Or I can ask Mark."

"Why would Mark have condoms with him?"

Derek laughed as he pulled on a tee shirt. "He's Mark. He's carried condoms with him since he was sixteen."

"He's going to use this against us forever. You know that, right?" Meredith asked, dropping her head back on the pillows.

"Well, it's either shameless teasing for years to come. Or we can wait until we get home," Derek reasoned. He really hoped she'd be willing to suffer Mark's immaturity. Her nakedness was too much for him to handle. And taking a cold shower was far less appealing than making love to her.

Meredith had no choice. "Fine. Go ask him," she conceded. "Next time...don't listen to my stupid rules. We always end up having sex anyway."

"Good to know," Derek chuckled. He leaned down and kissed her, then pulled the covers over her body. "Keep warm."

"I will," Meredith giggled. She couldn't be mad at him, no matter how hard she tried. His damn McDreamy-ness always won her over. Derek gently closed the door behind him, bracing himself for what was sure to be an amusing conversation as he made the walk of shame down the hall. He knocked on Mark's bedroom door.

Mark opened it a few moments later, a curious expression on his face. "What's up?"

Rather than risk someone overhearing, Derek walked into the room. "I need a condom."

Mark grinned at him. "You and Grey forget the stash?"

"Mark, please. Condom," Derek begged. "Mer's waiting for me."

"How many do you need?" Mark asked, taking his wallet from on top of the nightstand. "Four? Five?" he teased.

Derek rolled his eyes. "You really have five condoms with you?"

"You never know when you're gonna need them," Mark shrugged in his defense. "Like now, for example. So how many?"

"I don't know...two, I guess," he replied. Mark handed Derek two condoms, clearly amused by the situation. "Thank you."

"Have fun!" Mark said with a naughty smile as Derek quickly made his exit. "Don't be that loud. I'm tired!"

Derek waved his hand in the air, acknowledging Mark's request. He turned the door knob to his own room. Meredith looked over at him, smiling. "Did he have some?"

"He offered me five. I took two," Derek said as he tossed them onto the bed. He pulled off his clothes and rejoined her under the covers.

"What? Five?"

"Don't ask..." Derek chuckled. "I never thought asking Mark for condoms would be more embarrassing than asking my sister for Midol. Turns out I was wrong."

Meredith smiled at him. "Well, I appreciate it--both times."

"I'm a good husband," he said amusedly, kissing her again.

Meredith giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I think so, too."

Hope you liked it! I just finished school for the semester last week, so I'm going to try to bank lots of updates so I can post more often. Thanks so much for all of your patience, you guys!

Reviews make my day! :)