50. Time with the Nieces

Disclaimer: If I owned it, Meredith would wear her engagement ring. (Come on, Shonda. What the hell?) And they would totally get married naked in a field of flowers.

Thanks to all that review. I really appreciate it!

The sun peeking in through the curtains in Derek's bedroom was certainly a big change from the dark, dreary days in Seattle. Meredith could see the light through the backs of her eyelids, and she woke sleepily with a smile. Getting to sleep late in the mornings was a rare treat, and she welcomed each opportunity. It was cozy under the covers; she would happily lie here all day with Derek. Meredith snuggled closer to him under their cocoon of warmth and blankets. Derek was still sleeping, so rather than wake him, she just enjoyed the peaceful silence. She eventually drifted back to sleep for a while, but woke up when she felt Derek pressing soft kisses to her neck.

"Hmm..." she sighed tiredly, but still managing a smile.

Derek pulled her closer to him. "Morning," he whispered.

"Morning," Meredith yawned, her body slowly breaking into goosebumps thanks to Derek's affections.

"How'd you sleep?" he asked, rolling on top of her.

Meredith knew he wanted sex, but decided to tease him a bit. "I'll let you know when I wake up..."

"You're awake now," Derek laughed against her skin as he kissed along her collarbone.

As she laid beneath him, Meredith could feel his erection pressing against her stomach. "Apparently...so are you," she quipped, keeping her eyes closed.

Derek grinned, running his hands along her sides. He lifted up her shirt a little and began kissing her stomach. Meredith sighed contentedly, letting her husband pay attention to her body. "I am...and I want to make love to you."

She bit her lip in an attempt to stifle a moan when he cupped her breasts in his hands, but was unsuccessful. "Derek..." she sighed, arching her back.

"Hmm..." Derek replied smugly. He pulled her shirt over her head before taking off his own. Thanks to the warmth under the blanket, Meredith didn't feel the cold air; instead, she felt herself heating up and was anxious for more. She pulled him down to her and kissed him hard. Her breasts pressed into his chest, making Derek groan. "Mer..."

Meredith trailed her hands down his bare back. "Naked," she breathed, as though it were an order. Using her legs she managed to kick the sweats and boxers off of him, leaving him naked above her. "You...condom."

Derek reluctantly got up out of bed and rummaged through the bag until he found one, then rejoined her under the covers. He hooked his fingers through her pants and panties. Meredith lifted up a bit so he could slide her clothing down her legs and Derek complied. "We're taking this slow," Derek said thickly as he planted tiny kisses on her thighs.

A small sigh escaped from Meredith's throat. "How slow?" she asked, running her fingers through his hair.

"Very slow..." he replied. Derek kissed up her body, from her thighs to her stomach and to her breasts before kissing her again. Meredith snaked her tongue into his mouth and moaned in pleasure. But still, she wanted more. She slid her hand down between them and started rubbing the small bundle of nerves between her thighs in an effort to relieve the growing pressure there.

Meredith gasped a little when he pulled her hand away, replacing it with his own. All of her efforts to keep him waiting failed, considering he'd gotten her naked and panting in a matter of mere minutes, so she simply let him do whatever he pleased, even though she thought the pleasure might kill her.

--

"Holy crap," Meredith panted, her voice shaky and scratchy. Sweat covered both of their bodies. They always gave one hundred percent with sex, and it never ceased to wear them out.

Derek held himself above her with wobbly arms. "I...wow," he breathed.

Meredith noticed how unsteady he looked, so she pulled him down. "It's okay," she whispered. "You won't crush me."

"Okay," Derek said, managing to laugh through his lack of breath. He rested his head on her chest and Meredith ran her fingers through his hair like she often did after sex. "I love you, Meredith."

"I love you, too." She felt him withdraw from her and he pulled her into his arms. "You don't think we..." Meredith asked nervously.

Derek shook his head. "We were quiet. And slow..."

"Very slow," Meredith agreed. "I thought I might die."

"Me too," he chuckled, brushing some hair off her face. "That was amazing, though."

Meredith smiled contentedly. "It was."

"I never want to get up," Derek joked. Being wrapped in each others arms as their heartbeats steadied and their breath returned always felt so safe and perfect. "Can we just lie here all day?"

"Hmm...fine with me," she giggled softly, tangling her fingers in his dark curls. "But I think everyone would get suspicious."

Derek let out a sigh. "Yeah, probably." He extended himself on his elbow to check the digital clock on the nightstand. "It's ten o'clock. My mom might even be downstairs making breakfast."

"We slept late," Meredith said as she stretched her body, attempting to rid herself of whatever sleepiness remained. "Oh, I want to call home before Alex and Iz leave for work." She leaned over Derek and retrieved his cell phone. As she dialed, Meredith hoped they hadn't left yet. "Alex! Hey, it's Mer."

"Hey. How's New York?" Alex asked.

Meredith smiled. "It's great. We're having fun," she said, resulting in a naughty smirk from Derek, who was tracing lazy patterns over her stomach.

"Good," Alex said with a nod. He kissed Izzie's cheek when she walked into the kitchen holding Charlie in her arms. "Let me guess...you want to talk to the dog?"

"Oh, is that Mer?" Izzie interrupted. "Give me the phone." Alex handed the cordless off to her and retrieved his Pop-Tart from the toaster. "Hey. How are you guys?"

Meredith swatted Derek's hand away as they grew dangerously closer to her breasts. Talking to her friend while her husband was feeling her up was wrong on so many levels. "Oh, we're good. Yeah, we're having fun. Everyone is so nice."

"Oh good," Izzie said sincerely. "I'm holding your little guy now. He's such a good dog--kind of a bed hog. Like...really hogs it. Still a sweetie though. Do you want to talk to him?" she asked finally.

Meredith giggled a little at her friend's rambling. It seems it rubbed off on everyone she knew. "I know it's stupid, but I miss him so..."

"It's fine," Izzie said with a smile. "I'll...hold the phone up to him, I guess."

"Hi Charlie. It's Mommy," Meredith said with a smile, which only grew upon hearing the puppy bark excitedly when he recognized her voice. "And Daddy..."

Derek laughed when Meredith handed him the phone. "Hey Charlie."

"We just wanted to let you know that we're coming back for you--not that Alex and Izzie are doing a bad job. But we miss you. Be good, okay? We love you, Charlie," Meredith said sweetly. She would have gladly talked to the dog for longer, but knew her friends had to get to the hospital. "Bye, sweetie."

After Meredith said her goodbyes to her friends, Derek tossed the cell phone onto nightstand and rolled on top of his wife. "You," he said, kissing her. "Are adorable."

Meredith smiled against his lips. "Hmm...why?"

"Because," he replied, running his hands over her sides. "You are."

"Okay then," Meredith said with a roll of her eyes. She lifted her head to kiss him quickly before moving to get out of the bed.

As she padded around the room for the clothes that had been discarded before their morning romp, Derek cocked his head slightly. "What happened to staying in bed all day?" he asked, admiring her naked body before she pulled her clothes back on.

"I feel bad...if your mom is downstairs cooking breakfast, I should at least attempt to make myself useful, even if it's just making toast," she explained, tossing Derek his clothes.

Derek gave her a small smirk, but conceded. He pulled on his boxers and sweats, then looked to her playfully. "Think we'd get away with nap time?"

"For ourselves?" she aksed. "Probably not..."

"We could use jetlag as an excuse," Derek continued on. Obviously, his focus was on getting her back into bed as soon as he could. And as much as Meredith hated to protest it, she knew they should spend time with the family.

"Hmm...maybe," Meredith said noncommittally. "Now put your shirt on."

Derek slipped his Clash tee shirt over his head and hopped out of bed. "I need to pee."

"Me too," she replied as she ran a brush through her sex hair. There was no way she was going downstairs looking like she'd just had sex with Derek in his childhood bedroom. Somehow, that felt like a bad conversation to have over breakfast. "Hurry up," Meredith whined, knocking her finger on the attached bathroom door. "I really have to go."

He opened the door and smiled amusedly at her. "I was in there for thirty seconds, jeez..."

"Yeah, and I hope you put the seat down," Meredith said, combing her fingers quickly through his hair to smooth out some of the wild curls.

"I always put the seat down--and flush. That's more than most guys do. You're lucky to have me..." Derek boasted jokingly. He leaned against the wall with his arms over his chest while he waited for her.

"Prince Charming," Meredith giggled from behind the closed door. "Don't go down without me."

Derek smiled to himself. He knew she was just having new family jitters, but the fact that she wanted him near her still made his heart sing a little. "I'm right here."

She emerged from the bathroom a minute or so later and found Derek leaning against the adjacent wall. "Ready?" Meredith asked, extending her hand.

"Yep." Derek threaded his fingers with her own and the exited the bedroom. As they walked down the stairs, they could hear small children laughing and Spongebob's voice coming from the television. It was so homey here, and Meredith knew why Derek is the warm, compassionate person he is.

"Good morning, you two," Linda greeted them as she simultaneously held Kyle over her shoulder and gathered the little kids into the kitchen. "You're just in time for breakfast. Nancy and John are setting out the food."

Meredith bit her lip, feeling a little guilty. "Oh I...you could have woken us up. We would have helped," she said meekly.

Linda smiled at her daughter-in-law. "Oh sweetheart, you two flew here from across the country. You had to be exhausted. Besides, this is your vacation. And John is a chef, so he was happy to do it," she said with a laugh. "Come on, let's go in the kitchen before Mark eats it all..."

"So you have babysitting duty?" Derek asked. They walked into the kitchen, inhaling the scent of bacon, eggs, pancakes, and other breakfast foods they rarely ate due to the get-up-and-go routine of their jobs. Sitting down for breakfast was definitely a welcomed treat.

"The girls and their husbands had to go to work for a while. But everyone will be back later on today. Luckily, I have some grown-ups here to entertain them," Linda said. She kissed her grandson's head and gestured to the table. "Go ahead and take your seats."

"Does anybody want to feed him?" Linda asked, referring to Kyle, who was contentedly sucking his thumb while propped over his grandma's shoulder.

"I will," Nancy offered.

After Linda handed the infant to her daughter, Meredith couldn't help but watch Nancy with her nephew. East coast Nancy seemed far more friendly than west coast Nancy. Of course, Meredith knew she was just looking out for her brother, but still felt a little disappointed by their less than pleasant introduction. But now, after seeing Nancy interact with her own children as well as her nieces and nephews, she began to see the woman in a different light--not that they'd ever be best friends, but maybe over time, good sisters-in-law.

"Aunt Meredith, can we do something fun today?" Sammy asked, obviously growing attached to her aunt.

Meredith took a sip of her orange juice and smiled at the little girl. "Sure, sweetie. As long as it's okay with your mom and dad, and your grandma..."

Sammy's eyes brightened and she looked to her mother, hoping for the answer she wanted to hear. "Can we, Mommy?" she asked excitedly. The other little girls seated around the table also looked to her with expectant smiles.

"It's fine with me, as long as it's not too much trouble," Nancy explained, giving her daughter a soft smile. "The kids can be a handful sometimes..." she said to Meredith and Derek as she fed Kyle.

Derek laughed. "I used to babysit all the time when I lived here. I think I can handle it."

"Okay then," Nancy shrugged, smirking slightly at her brother's naivety. Taking care of a a few kids in the confines of a house was one thing, but taking a bunch of little girls out for the day was another. It's not that she didn't trust Derek and Meredith, she just knew they'd come home with a few gray hairs by the end of the day.

"So we can?" Morgan asked, her little face and hands covered in pancake syrup.

"Sure, Princess," Derek said with a grin. "Where do you guys want to go?"

"You can come, Mark," Meredith offered, taking a bite of her omelet. She could easily get used to this sit down breakfast thing. All of the food was amazing. Clearly, being a member of the Shepherd family had its benefits.

Mark let out a laugh, nearly choking on his bacon. "No, I'll hang back here. You guys go...have fun," he said as he took a sip of coffee to clear his throat. "I already promised the boys I'd help them beat their video game anyway."

Mark's response stirred up a small panic in Meredith. Surely taking a few little girls out for the day couldn't be so hard, right? She decided to push those thoughts to the back of her mind. If Derek wasn't nervous, she wasn't going to be either.

"Can we go to the circus?" Carly asked, playing with the sleeves of her Dora the Explorer nightgown.

"I don't think the circus is in town, hun," Derek chuckled.

Meredith took a sip of her coffee from the flowery mug, letting the caffeine run through her veins. Somehow, she knew she'd need her energy today. But watching Derek interact with his little nieces warmed her more than the steaming beverage. It was moments like these that made her realize how lucky she was to have Derek in her life.

"How about you girls go the apple orchard and pick me some nice, fresh ones I can use in my pie?" Linda suggested, looking lovingly to her granddaughters scattered about the breakfast table.

"Okay!" Audrey nodded enthusiastically. She looked to her aunt and uncle. "Can we?" she asked.

Meredith smiled at the brown haired girl with blue eyes just like her uncle's. All of the Shepherds really did look alike, she noticed. "That's fine with me."

"Sounds good," Derek agreed. He finished off his waffle, washing it down with a sip of his orange juice before looking to his mother. "Is there an apple orchard nearby, or do I have to drive three hundred miles?" he asked jokingly.

"You'd drive three hundred miles for the girls," Mark laughed. Meredith giggled, knowing it was the truth. Even though Derek hadn't seen his nieces and nephews in a while, they still adored him.

"Remember Shady Maple, where we took you kids when you were little? It's only twenty minutes from here," Linda explained as Nancy handed Kyle to her so she could burp him.

Morgan crawled into Derek's lap and smiled up at him. "When can we go?" she asked in her three year old voice.

"In a little bit. We all need to get dressed and ready, then we'll go sweetie," Derek grinned, tickling her sides. The little girl's laughter filled the room and everyone around the table smiled. Meredith squeezed her husband's thigh gently. He looked over to her and kissed her temple. She really could get used to this family thing.

--

Meredith rummaged through their suitcase, looking for an appropriate outfit to wear to an apple orchard. She'd never been to one, so she really didn't know what the appropriate dress was. "Derek!" she called, her voice making its way into the bathroom.

"Yeah?" he asked, gliding some deodorant under his arms before pulling on a tee shirt. Meredith bit her lip and admired his naked upper half for a moment before speaking. Part of her wished the bottom half was naked too, but this would suffice for now.

"What do I wear?" Meredith asked hastily, hands on her hips. The fact that she was barely covered besides her bra and panties certainly wasn't a motivator for Derek to put his own shirt on. If he hadn't promised his nieces that they'd be ready in an hour, they'd already be having sex again.

Derek swallowed hard, keeping his eyes on her own. "Jeans, a sweater...nothing fancy," he shrugged. "It's a little cold, so you'll probably want to bring a jacket too."

"Okay," Meredith nodded. She pulled on her jeans, zipped, and buttoned them. After pulling on a camisole and a cranberry colored sweater, she looked herself over in the mirror. Satisfied with her choice, she took the brush from the nightstand and smoothed it through her waves.

Derek smirked. "I brought a red sweater too. I bet we'd look cute if we matched," he said, trying his best to keep a straight face.

Meredith noticed the beginnings of a grin on his face in the reflection of the mirror. "Oh, yeah right," she laughed, spinning on her socked feet to face her husband. "We are not dressing like twins..."

"You're cute when you snap at me," Derek smiled. He grabbed a brown sweater from his suitcase and quickly pulled it over his head. When he wrapped his arms around Meredith, she immediately melted into him, breathing in his scent.

"I'm not snapping," she said, running her fingers through his hair. "A little scared, but not snapping."

He kissed her forehead, letting his lips linger on her skin longer than usual. "Oh, it'll be fun," Derek said reassuringly. "We get to go in Nancy's mom van and listen to Hannah Montana...what's scary about that?"

"Okay, now I'm just nauseous," Meredith giggled. "You're sure you want to do the whole kid thing with me?"

"Yes," Derek chuckled softly. "I want to do the whole kid thing with you."

Meredith kissed his jaw line. His stubble prickled her her lips but she just smiled; that was Derek to her. "Even if they're crappy?"

"They'll be anything but crappy. They're going to be perfect," Derek grinned proudly. "And obviously geniuses."

"Geniuses with split ends," Meredith corrected, glancing over at the clock to make sure they weren't keeping the little girls waiting downstairs.

An bigger smile came over Derek's face and he pulled her closer. "Even better."

The pitter-patter of feet were heard running around downstairs in the living room, and Meredith pulled back a little from their hug. "We should probably get going soon. I don't want to keep them wondering where we are."

Derek kissed her, savoring the feeling of his lips on hers. He didn't know the next time they'd be able to share a kiss like this, so he figured he'd make it count. "Hmm...we're going to bed early tonight," he said between kisses.

"Why?"

"Because," Derek answered, "I'm going to be horny..."

Meredith giggled. Her husband could be half asleep, and still insatiable. She ran her hands down his back and eventually settled her hands in the back pockets of his jeans. "Yeah?"

"Is today a day?" Derek asked rhetorically. He scooped her up in his arms and Meredith gasped, but wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Last I checked, it was," Meredith played along. Just as she was about to grind herself against his body, she thought better of it. That would no doubt lead to sex, and right now, they didn't have time for that.

"Well then, I'd say it's kind of guaranteed." Derek gave her one last kiss and set her back on her feet.

As they were putting on their shoes, a small knock came from the other side of the bedroom door. "Come in," Derek called.

Sammy walked into the room, all dressed and ready to go. "Are we going soon?" she asked them excitedly.

Meredith smiled at the little girl. "Yep, we're coming down right now, sweetie," she replied.

"Can I have a piggy back ride?" Sammy asked her uncle sweetly. Meredith watched as Derek knelt down and the child wrapped her arms around his neck. He really would make a beautiful father one day, and Meredith smiled at the thought.

The three of them walked downstairs to find Audrey, Morgan, and Carly all ready to go with their jackets on. Derek let Sammy down and Nancy helped her put on her own. When she handed Derek the keys to the minivan, she smiled. "If you take them somewhere to eat, keep the sugar to a minimum. Because if they're bouncing off the walls when you bet back, I'm making you deal with them," Nancy teased her brother. "Go, have fun."

Derek laughed, giving his older sister a smirk. "You're still as bossy as you were when we were little. Don't worry, Mer and I have it under control," he said. "Did everyone go to the bathroom?"

"Yes," the little girls nodded in unison. "Can we go now?" Audrey asked.

"Yeah, let's go," Derek smiled, opening the front door and letting the four little girls file out ahead of him and Meredith. "Ready to play parents?" he asked, grinning.

Meredith rolled her eyes at his ability to be corny in nearly every situation. "Sure."

When they reached the minivan, they made sure each girl was buckled safely into her seat before taking their own up front. Meredith and Derek barely shut the doors when a music request came from the backseat. "Aunt Meredith, can you put on Hannah Montana?"

Derek looked at over her and smirked. "Did I call that or what?" he laughed.

"Is it already in the CD player?" Meredith asked them, searching the glove compartment in search of it.

"Yeah," Carly nodded. "Mommy and Daddy didn't take it out when we got here."

Meredith pushed the play button and the music filled the car. It wasn't what either she or Derek would prefer, but they could bear it for a half hour or so. "Better than the Clash?" Derek asked sarcastically.

Meredith laughed. "It's not that bad...kind of catchy."

"You want me to burn you a copy?"

"No I'll pass, thanks," she replied teasingly.

"Aunt Meredith, do you watch Hannah Montana?" one of their nieces asked from her place in the backseat.

Derek glanced over at her quickly and gave her a tiny smirk, waiting to see how she answered them. "I wish I had time to. Uncle Derek and I are always working. Is it a good show?"

"Mmhmm," Morgan, the three year old, said as she sipped on her juicebox. "'S funny."

"Uncle Derek, I have to go pee," Sammy called out from the back.

Derek shook his head and smiled. He loved his nieces, but they were a handful sometimes. "We'll be there in ten minutes, Sam. Can you hold it?" he asked, glancing in the rear view mirror.

She dropped her head back against her seat and sighed. "I'll do my best."

"Aren't girls fun?" Meredith asked with a giggle. She reached behind her and handed Morgan the doll she had dropped on the floor of the car. "There you go, sweetie."

"Tank you," Morgan smiled, hugging it close to her.

Derek was amazed at how comfortable Meredith was with their nieces after only having met them yesterday. "They are fun. But you...you win the prize," he grinned.

"And why is that?"

"Because," Derek began, but when he went to speak, he stopped himself. "I'll let you know later. It would be inappropriate."

Meredith rolled her eyes and smacked his arm gently. "Derek," she hissed. "G-rated today."

"Fine. Today. But tonight, you're all mine," he said in a low enough voice so the girls wouldn't hear their conversation, although the music seemed to be keeping them pretty occupied.

"Tomorrow is the big football game. I need to let you rest up," she teased.

"If I'm playing, so are you," Derek informed her. He stopped at the red light and glanced over to her, seeing what her reaction to the news would be.

Meredith shook her head adamantly. "No, I'm not," she said in her best serious voice. "No hand-eye coordination, remember? I'd be the reason my team lost. You're blood related, you have to play."

"You seriously won't play? Even if I beg?" he asked.

"I'm immune to your begging, Derek," Meredith sighed, smoothing out the sleeves of her sweater. "Not gonna work."

Derek smirked. "Evil." He pulled into the parking lot, inwardly thankful that there hadn't been too much traffic. The music was starting to get stuck in his head, and he couldn't let that happen. "Okay, we're here. Everybody out. Hold hands so you don't get lost. Morgan, I'll come get you," he smiled to the little one sitting in her car-seat.

"I got her," Meredith offered, who was sitting on the same side of the car. She got out of the passenger seat, stepped into the backseat, and retrieved the three year old from her car-seat. "There you go, hun," she giggled, setting the girl on her feet.

"Hand," Morgan said, reaching up and curling her fingers around Meredith's.

"Right," Meredith nodded. She gave the girl's hand a little squeeze, smiling at how trusting she was of her.

Derek smiled a little at the sight. "Okay, everybody ready?" he asked.

"Yep," Carly said, speaking for the rest of the girls.

After paying the small admission fee for the six of them, Derek wheeled over the wagon they'd brought with them and filled it with a few baskets for the apples. "Ready to go pick apples, girls?" he asked in his best excited voice.

"I have to pee, Uncle Derek," Sammy reminded him, hopping up and down a little.

"Oh, right. Okay, anybody else have to pee?" Derek asked the others. The little girls shook their heads and he looked to Meredith. "Would you mind...?"

Meredith smiled. "No, it's fine. Come on, Sam. I'll take you." Sammy took hold of Meredith's other hand, anxious to get to the bathroom. "Morgan, do you want to stay with Uncle Derek or come with me?"

"Come with you," Morgan said, pointing to her aunt.

After the three of them were on their way to the nearby restroom, Audrey smiled to Derek. "I like her, Uncle Derek."

"Aunt Mer?"

Audrey and Carly nodded. "She's really nice. And she's fun too."

"She's pretty," Carly giggled.

Derek knew that his nieces were only six, but still, the fact that they, too, welcomed Meredith into the family made him smile. Everyone in the family made her feel at home, actually, and he was thankful, especially given Meredith's uneasiness when it comes to family approval. "I think so, too," Derek grinned.

"Can you please have a baby soon?" Audrey asked, her voice sounding exasperated, as though she'd asked the question many times before without any success.

Derek laughed out loud. "We're going to, I promise."

"How soon?" Carly asked persistently.

"Well, uh..." Derek stalled. How does one explain family planning to six year olds? "Aunt Mer and I...we work almost every day for long hours. So before we have a baby, we want to make sure we can be home enough to take care of him or her."

"But you will one day, right?" Audrey asked.

Derek nodded, giving his niece a smile. "Yep. Definitely."

"Will you let us babysit?"

"Sure, girls," Derek laughed.

Meredith rejoined the group with each girl holding one of her hands. "We're back. Sorry, there was a line."

"It's fine." Derek kissed her cheek while the girls ran ahead toward one of the long lines of orchards. Meredith smiled and took his hand. She had never been a fan of family time, but this was actually fun. "Carly and Audrey were grilling me on when you and I were having a baby..." he said with a chuckle.

She raised her eyes to meet his, a smile tugging on the corners of her mouth. "And what did you tell them?"

"I told them yes, but not right now," he said, snaking an arm around her waist. Meredith leaned into him so she could absorb the heat radiating from his body. "You're a hit, by the way. They told me how much they like you--and how pretty you are."

"They said that?" Meredith asked. She and Derek handed the girls a basket so they could start collecting apples off the small trees that lined the rows of the orchard, while the two of them just enjoyed the time they were spending outdoors. It reminded them of back home, taking walks with Charlie together out on the land, just like they used to do with Doc.

Derek kissed the crown of her head. "Yeah, they did. You're a good aunt, Meredith. Of course, Laura could have told you that," he grinned.

Meredith giggled softly. "I miss her," she sighed. "Now that Molly and Eric live closer, we should watch her...just for the day or something. Take her somewhere or bring her to the house. Her birthday is in a few months, maybe we could do something then," Meredith suggested, sidestepping a rotted apple lying in the grass.

"I'd love to," Derek whispered, pulling her a little closer. "You cold?"

"I'm good," she breathed. Meredith put her hand on his cheek and pressed her lips to his, smiling at how warm they felt against her own. "I love you."

Derek wrapped his arms around her waist, watching the girls out of the corner of his eye. He could be a good uncle and kiss his wife at the same time. "I love you, too."

--

After spending a little over an hour at the orchard, breathing in the fresh fall air, the six of them piled back into the van with their twenty dollar's worth of apples and headed toward the city for a place to eat lunch. Of course, all of the walking was good exercise, but the need for food was obvious. The last thing Meredith and Derek wanted to do was go home with four whining little girls. And both were more than happy to treat them.

As the city neared, Derek looked to the backseat in the rear view mirror. "Where to, girls?" he asked.

"Chuck E. Cheese!" Sammy called out.

Meredith turned to Derek quickly, her eyes pleading with him to somehow suggest something else. She'd never been to Chuck E. Cheese, but could only imagine how horrible a restaurant with a cartoon mouse and a ball pit could be. Luckily, Derek intervened. "I don't think there's a Chuck E. Cheese around here, hun," he said apologetically.

"But I want pizza," Audrey protested.

Derek, being the clever uncle that he was, came up with a quick fix. "There's a Pizza Hut nearby. How's that sound?"

"Okay," they agreed happily. That was easy enough. Derek switched lanes so he could turn onto the boulevard. The restaurant was only five minutes away, and it was only a Thursday afternoon, so when they pulled into the parking lot, it wasn't too crowded, just a car here and there. "When we get inside, indoor voices, right?"

The little girls looked to him, exasperated expressions on their faces. "We're not babies, Uncle Derek," Carly reminded him as they all unfastened their seatbelts.

Derek laughed. "You're turning into your mom, Car."

After filing out of the car, Meredith and Derek each took the hands of two girls and walked across the parking lot. It was fairly empty, but they figured it was always better to be safe. Derek reached out to hold the door, letting the others pass through before himself. Meredith brought up the rear and smiled at him. "Thank you, Uncle Derek," she giggled teasingly.

"If you get to call me Uncle Derek, I'm referring to you as Aunt Meredith," he shot back jokingly. Derek took her hand and joined the four little girls in front of the hostess stand where they were waiting to be seated.

"It's probably better if we don't then," Meredith reasoned, unable to hide her smile. She squeezed Derek's hand and he squeezed back. Going to Pizza Hut with four of their nieces wasn't romantic, but she and Derek would make the most of it.

The hostess eventually seated them at a wrap around booth near the window, big enough to hold all of them comfortably. The little girls scooted to the center of the booth, then Meredith and Derek sat on opposite ends so they could be of assistance should any of them need anything. "Are you guys allowed to have soda?" Derek asked while they were looking through their menus.

"Your sister gave me a sippy cup for Morgan," Meredith said, reaching into her bag for the little purple cup. "She said no s-o-d-a for her."

"Mommy lets us," Audrey nodded. "But she doesn't like us to have caf...caf something."

Derek smiled at his niece. "Caffeine?"

"That's it!" she giggled. "What is that?"

"It's like sugar," Derek explained. "Sometimes sugar makes you so hyper that you bounce off the walls. And if you girls start bouncing off the walls at grandma's house, your moms are going to yell at me," he laughed.

Meredith browsed through the menu. "Sprite doesn't have caffeine. Does everyone like Sprite?"

"Uh huh," the little girls nodded, sitting up a little in the booth when the waitress approached the table. The short brunette pulled a pen from her pocket and flipped open her note pad to take down their orders. "Hi, I'm Lauren, I'll be your server. Can I start you off with something to drink today?" she asked with a friendly smile.

Derek set his menu down on the table top. "Hi," he greeted. "Can we have a pitcher of Sprite and...and an apple juice," he added for Morgan.

"Sure." The young girl scribbled it onto the pad and looked up again. "Any appetizers?"

He looked to Meredith, who shrugged. "An order of fries?" she suggested, though it sounded more like a question than a food order.

"Okay," Lauren said with a smile. She tucked her pen and notepad back into her apron and walked away from the table, a small bounce in her step.

"What kind of pizza do you girls like?" Derek asked. He scanned over the possible toppings, searching for one that they would all agree on. Meredith wasn't picky, but getting four little girls to decide on could be a challenge.

"How about pepperoni?" Meredith said, offering up a suggestion when none of the girls made one.

"I like pepperoni," Sammy agreed as she grabbed a crayon out of the small red cup sitting on the table. She began coloring on the children's menu all of the girls had been given when they were seated. The way she bit her lip in concentration made Meredith smile. Sammy reminded her a lot of herself at that age. When she remembered that Sammy was Nancy's daughter, she laughed a little in spite of herself. The irony was almost too great, even for her.

The waitress set the fries, pitcher, five cups of ice, and the glass of apple juice down the table, distributing them to everyone seated. "Do you need another minute or are you ready to order?" she asked politely.

"Half pepperoni, half plain?" Derek asked the girls before giving the official order. They seemed more interested in coloring and completing the maze on the kids' menus than the pizza order, and when he got simple nods of approval, he laughed. "A large half pepperoni, half plain, please."

"Sure," she nodded, jotting it down. "Anything else?"

"No, that's all," Derek said. He collected his and Meredith's menus and handed them back to the server. "Thanks." He began pouring the soda into the cups while Meredith carefully poured the apple juice into Morgan's sippy cup. It surprised her how normal all of this felt, like they were their own little family of six out to eat.

Derek slid the basket of fries to the center of the table, making sure each of his nieces could reach them. "We need ketchup, Uncle Derek," Audrey said as she reached for one.

"Ketchup, right," he agreed. He grabbed the bottle and began squirting out a little on each of the serving plates. Meredith laughed when she noticed how he was writing each girl's initial with it. Obviously, Uncle Derek just did cool things like that, something Meredith never would have thought to do. He passed each plate to the correct girl, even handing one to Meredith, with an "M" written neatly with the condiment.

She giggled and accepted it. "Thank you, Derek." Meredith took a fry from the basket, careful not to mess up Derek's art as she dipped it into the ketchup. "I think you need a "D" on yours."

"Fine," Derek laughed. He squeezed a "D" shaped letter onto his plate before running his own fry through it. He wasn't one to eat pizza and fries, but Meredith figured that for his nieces, he'd make the exception. Even if he and Meredith stopped off at the drive-thru after work on rare occasions, he'd opt for a salad while she had no qualms about ordering the Big Mac.

When the pizza finally came to the table, Meredith all but attacked it like a wild animal. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until the smells of the pizza wafted up her nose. "Who wants plain?" she asked, wasting no time in distributing it to the girls.

"Me," said the voices of Carly and Morgan. Meredith smiled, handing a slice to each niece. By process of elimination, Derek handed pepperoni to the other two girls and Meredith, knowing that's the kind she would want. He took a slice of plain, part of his attempt to cut back on the calorie intake.

"I can't reach," Morgan frowned as she attempted to hold the slice in her tiny hands and tried not to drop it off the table.

Meredith caught it before it nearly fell onto the seat. "Wanna sit on my lap, hun?"

Derek looked up at her, a smile on his face. He watched as she lifted the the three year old onto her lap like it was the most natural thing to do; she slid Morgan's plate next to hers and helped her fold the pizza in half so she could eat it more easily. Derek couldn't even begin to guess where Meredith got her mommy instincts; her mother certainly didn't have many to pass down in the gene pool.

As Meredith took a bite of her slice, she caught Derek looking at her, a cheesy grin plastered on his face. "What?" she giggled.

Derek shook his head. "Nothing."

"Uncle Derek always looks at you like that," Sammy observed, wiping some sauce off her chin with a napkin.

Meredith blushed a little, much to Derek's amusement. "That's because I'm in love with her."

"Like how Prince Charming is in love with Cinderella?" Audrey asked.

Derek looked to Meredith and smirked, knowing how humorous she would find the comparison. She rolled her eyes at him. Rather than trying to find a better fitting analogy, Meredith just smiled. "Yep, just like that."

Sorry this chapter is so long. I was going to break it up into two, but I couldn't find a place to stop it that would make sense. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it. My semester ends next week, so I should be able to bank more updates so I can post more often. Thanks for your patience; I really do appreciate it.

My 20th b-day is on Tuesday. Reviews would make me happy, just saying. :)