73. Going to a Wedding
Disclaimer: Maybe one day.
Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate all of them! This chapter is kinda long. I would have cut it in two, but it really wouldn't make sense to do that. First up, some sex. ;)
Izzie and Alex's wedding day had arrived. After months of cake tasting and dress sampling, October tenth was upon them. Today, Meredith and Derek would have to get dressed up. Crimson satin and black suit, respectively. An afternoon spent sitting in a churchy church, then celebrating the night away at the reception. A fun way to spend a Saturday, just not the early wake-up that came along with it.
The alarm went off at nine, blaring incessantly until Derek finally reached over to the nightstand and shut it off. He groaned into his pillow, the need to close his eyes and go back to sleep overwhelming him. Nine o'clock was late on a work day. But on a day off, it was no better than the crack of dawn, especially when the night before had been filled with marathon sex.
Meredith's eyelids fluttered open when she felt Derek pull her into his arms, nuzzling his face into her neck. "Morning," she murmured sleepily.
"Morning," he echoed.
"I don't wanna get up," Meredith pouted, running her hand over his warm thigh.
Derek smiled tiredly against her skin. "Sex?" he suggested. If there was one thing that always ensured a good start to the day, it was sex.
Meredith laughed, suddenly finding herself a little more awake, and rolled Derek on top of her. "Sex," she agreed.
"Happy wedding-day-that-isn't-ours," Derek chuckled, threading his fingers through her hair and leaning down to kiss her.
She giggled against his lips. "Hmm...you too."
Derek trailed his fingers down her belly and between her legs. He began rolling her already swollen bundle of nerves between his fingers, loving how her body responded instantly to his touch. Meredith arched her back to him and whimpered. "Screw foreplay, Derek. Just do it," she pleaded.
"Romantic," he teased, but still giving in to her. He thrust inside her and she immediately clenched around him. "Oh, Mer," he sighed.
Meredith bit her lip as she adjusted to him, then began rocking her hips back and forth. "Faster," she whispered, clutching his shoulders as he sped up his motions. Meredith swore she saw stars behind her eyelids as Derek made love to her, that's how incredible it was.
When he pulled one of her hardened nipples into his mouth, Meredith sucked in a breath. "Ah!" she whimpered.
Derek immediately withdrew from her, concerned that he'd hurt her. "Mer, you okay?" he asked worriedly.
Meredith clenched at the emptiness inside her, feeling bereft at the unexpected loss. "Yeah," she insisted, gently taking hold of him and guiding him back into her. "It's not that. Never that. My boobs. Just PMS-ing," she said, shrugging it off.
"Okay," Derek said softly, leaning down and kissing her. Meredith smiled and wrapped her legs around his waist as they resumed their movements. "Not hurting, right?" he asked.
She rolled her eyes playfully and laughed. "Farthest thing from that," Meredith assured him, gasping in pleasure as he changed his angle. "Holy crap!"
"Hmm..." Derek smirked.
When he slowed down dramatically, she gripped the sheets in frustration and panted. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Torturing you," he grinned naughtily, stilling completely and watching how she writhed beneath him.
"Derek, I'm horny as hell. Just do it," Meredith whined, pressing her fingertips against his back. He nearly pulled out completely before pushing back in again. Over and over and over. Moving so slowly that Meredith was fairly certain she might die from it all. "You're such an ass," she managed to laugh. When she squeezed around him, holding him in place, she looked up at her husband and smiled. "Now who's doing the torturing?"
Derek groaned and his shoulders shook as he tried to hold back from moving. Not that he could anyway, even if he tried, thanks to her death grip. "Truce," he begged.
"Hmm..." she pondered, running her fingers over her breasts and trailing her hand down in between them, stopping to stroke him where they were joined. "I don't know. This feels kinda good."
"Meredith, please?" he said, his voice strained and so pathetic that she had no choice but to give in.
"Fine," she whispered, releasing her hold on him. Derek immediately began thrusting in and out quickly, and Meredith pressed her hands against the headboard to keep from moving all around the bed. "Derek!" she gasped. "Harder!"
Rather than tease, and knowing it could get him in trouble, he started moving harder, causing them both to lose their breaths in a matter of seconds. Just as Meredith was sure she would die in mind blowing pleasure, Derek thrust deeply and she unexpectedly orgasmed around him. She screamed out in ecstasy and thrashed her head around on the pillow.
Derek kept moving inside her, determined for her to come again. "Again, Mer," he encouraged. "Come on, Meredith..." He stroked her with his thumb and like clockwork, she started right back into another one. Seconds later, Derek let go too. The feeling of him releasing inside her drove Meredith right over the edge to a third orgasm, her mind completely turned to mush by now. She saw nothing but bright lights and stars, unable to train her eyes on Derek's like she usually did. Not today, after what he'd just done to her body.
Neither of them spoke, or was able to speak, for minutes afterward. The aftershocks of her orgasm were still pulsing around him, and he couldn't bring himself to withdraw from her yet. Derek pressed kisses to her sweaty chest, heaving from the rigorous activity her body had been blissfully put through. "Oh..." Meredith panted. "...my God."
"That rivals our wedding night," Derek said, his face resting between her breasts.
"In the spirit of another wedding today, I guess it was appropriate," Meredith giggled. "I hope I'm able to walk down the aisle..."
Derek finally slipped out of her and dropped down next to her in bed. "Try explaining that one to the priest," he laughed.
"I'd make you do it." Meredith curled up next to him and kissed his cheek. "Love you, Der," she said softly.
"I love you, too," he said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
She glanced over at the clock and sighed. "Iz wants me over at the house by eleven. I should get up."
"No," Derek chuckled, pinning her beneath him so she was trapped.
Meredith looked up at him and giggled. "I think if we had any more sex right now, I might actually die. And I'm the maid of honor. The maid of honor can't die on the bride's wedding day. That would be very mean," she pointed out.
"Hmm...fine," he relented, rolling off of her, but not letting her up until he kissed her again.
"Sex tonight. All night," she promised against his lips.
Derek smiled. "I can live with that."
She reluctantly got up out of bed, immediately missing the warmth of her husband. "I need to shower," she yawned.
"No shower sex?" he asked playfully.
"No," she said sternly, unable to suppress her smile as she walked naked into their bathroom.
Morning sex was definitely the best way to start the day off right.
--
"Alright, so I'll meet you at the Church," Meredith said, gathering up her make-up, dress, brush, and socks to dance in at the reception, because even the thought of wearing her heels all night gave her blisters.
"What am I supposed to do while you're gone?" he asked as she poured her tea into her travel mug.
"Write me a letter," she teased. "Remember to shave. Oh! Wear the dark red tie so we match in the pictures--Izzie's rule. Not mine. And bring their wedding gift. If I think of anything else, I'll call you," Meredith rattled off.
Derek nodded. "So why are you going this early?"
"I dunno," Meredith said, rolling her eyes. "Iz is making us breakfast and insisted on setting my hair in curlers. Apparently, she thinks I'd half-ass it if I did it myself," she giggled. "No guys allowed, or else I'd drag you with me."
"Where's Karev?"
Meredith bit her lip. "He slept in your office last night. Iz didn't want him to see her before the wedding, so I offered up our bed with the good mattress. I wanted him to have a good night sleep, maybe watch TV if he wanted to. Sleeping in an on-call room bed the night before your wedding? Not a good idea..."
Derek smiled at her generosity. It was little things like that that made it so easy to fall in love with her over and over again every day. "What?" she asked.
"Nothing," he shrugged. "That's just really nice of you to think of him, that's all."
"He's family," she said simply, walking around the counter and kissing him. "Alright, I should go. See you at one. Love you."
"Love you too," Derek said softly as they made their way to the front door. He hugged her quickly and kissed her temple. "Have fun," he chuckled.
Meredith smiled at her husband. "I will."
--
Meredith pulled into the driveway of her former home around ten thirty, hauling all of her stuff up to the front door and opening it with her elbow. "Iz?" she called out.
"In here," Izzie yelled back from the kitchen.
She draped her dress over the banister and walked into the kitchen, following the scent of hairspray and pancakes. "Hey," Meredith greeted. "Happy wedding day, Iz," she smiled.
"Thanks," Izzie grinned, flipping the pancakes on the griddle, her hair already adorned with thick pink curlers. "I'm trying to stay calm, which is why I'm cooking. Hungry?"
"Yeah," Meredith nodded, taking a seat at the counter. "And don't be nervous. The day I married Derek was one of the calmest days of my life. Everything fell into place and it was just...perfect," she sighed, recalling the day Derek officially became her husband. "And not cheesy perfect, but really, actually, perfect."
"Yeah?" Izzie asked with a small smile.
"Yeah," Meredith echoed. "It was. Alex loves you, and this is going to be one of the greatest days of your life," she said as she felt the tears well up in her eyes.
Izzie wiped away her own tears and smiled. "Thank you, Mer."
"So Cristina isn't here yet?"
"Nope, not yet," Izzie shook her head. "Should be here soon."
"Here now," Cristina corrected as she appeared in the doorway. "Morning," she yawned.
"Morning," Meredith and Izzie said in unison.
Cristina noticed their glossy eyes and rolled her own. "Oh God, I'm glad I missed the crying."
"Shut up," Meredith giggled. "It's a happy day."
"Happy, right," Cristina said, putting on her cheekiest smile. "Okay then."
"Pancake?" Izzie asked them.
Meredith nodded. "Yeah. sure."
Once Meredith was settled in with her food, Izzie seized her chance and began setting her hair in the curlers. Every time she sprayed the hairspray, Meredith groaned. "Iz, lay off on that stuff a little. I'm trying to eat," she giggled. "And it's making me dizzy."
"It needs to be sprayed or the curls won't hold all day," Izzie insisted. "Now hold still."
Meredith let out a sigh and munched on her blueberry pancake. She had no choice but to give in to the bride. That's what a good maid of honor did. Even if it meant she should probably be wearing a gas mask.
By the time all three of them had their hair set in curlers, it was nearly eleven thirty. Next up on Izzie's list was make-up, followed by dresses, then out the door to the church. A checklist of girly wedding requisites that Izzie insisted upon completing.
"What do you use on your skin?" Izzie asked as Meredith applied her mascara in the bathroom mirror.
"It's called orgasm. I had three this morning. Hence, the sex glow," Meredith giggled, causing Cristina to sigh from her place on the ledge of the bathtub, as she waited for the mirror.
Izzie's eyes widened. "Three? You guys had sex three times this morning? Meredith, seriously, how are you able to walk?"
"One round of sex," Meredith corrected.
"Is that even possible?" Cristina asked in disbelief.
Meredith capped her mascara lid and shrugged. "I'm telling you, it's true. Derek's penis is my favorite thing ever."
"Holy crap," Izzie said.
"Just one of the many things about him that makes me happy. I attribute the good skin to him," Meredith smiled as she lathered her lips with chapstick.
"And I attribute my sudden need to vomit to him, too," Cristina groaned.
Meredith smirked at her two friends as she exited the bathroom to go put her dress on. "Jealous..." she said in a sing song voice, glancing back and sticking her tongue out at them. She walked into her old bedroom and looked around for a few moments before moving. It was Alex and Izzie's room now, but still, it felt like hers. Or more specifically, hers and Derek's. She'd only been sleeping in that room for a few nights when Derek came along, and then, suddenly, it was their bedroom.
She smiled to herself. Her one night stand that moved into her bedroom, fell in love with her, and vowed to spend a lifetime. It was funny how life worked out sometimes.
--
Derek stood in the back of the church, waiting for his wife to arrive with her friends. The wedding was in T-minus thirty minutes when they pulled up to the church in Meredith's car. Upon entering, he smiled. "Congratulations, Izzie," he said sincerely.
Izzie smiled back. "Thanks," she said. "Did you see Alex?"
"Yep. Karev and O'Malley both accounted for," he nodded. "And Lexie, and Bailey, and the Chief, and half the hospital staff..." Derek joked.
"Good," Izzie laughed.
Meredith hung back in the vestibule while Cristina and Izzie went into one of the dressing rooms. She smiled, wrapping her arms around Derek's neck and kissing him. "You look very handsome," she said softly.
"Wore the red tie," he grinned, his arms moving around her waist. "Your boobs look huge in this dress," Derek grinned.
Meredith looked down at her chest and sighed. "I know. Damn seamstress underestimated my boob measurements, so now I look like a porn star," she giggled.
"Nothing to complain about," he winked. "I'm wholly looking forward to taking it off of you tonight."
"I'm looking forward to letting you," Meredith added.
"Damn, Grey. How much for a lap dance?" Mark asked with a grin as he and Bridget entered the church.
Meredith gasped and Derek just laughed. "Okay, first of all, your girlfriend is standing right next to you. And second, I'm wearing a push up bra in a tight dress. Not my fault," she explained.
Bridget nudged Mark's arm and rolled her eyes. "Don't listen to him. You look gorgeous."
"And so do you," Meredith complimented.
"See you in there," Bridget smiled, taking Mark's hand as they walked into the double doors to find a seat.
Meredith smoothed out the shoulders of Derek's suit jacket and kissed him again. "Whose side are you sitting on?" she asked him.
"Dunno yet. I guess the bride's so I can stare at the maid of honor the whole time," Derek grinned, pressing a kiss to her neck.
"In church," Bailey reminded them as she passed by on her way to the bathroom, decked out in her dress and heels. "Keep it G-rated."
Derek and Meredith both laughed at their unfortunate timing, and Meredith glanced at his watch. "Alright, I should go check on Iz and Cristina. See you in there. And do not make me laugh during the ceremony," she warned, much to Derek's amusement. "I mean it, Derek. I will kick your ass."
"I won't," he assured her. "Go. Do girly wedding things. I'll meet outside afterward," Derek said, getting in another kiss before she headed for the dressing room.
Meredith squeezed his hand and smiled. "Okay."
--
The wedding ceremony was underway, and as Alex and Izzie read their vows and said their I do's, Meredith was focusing on the number of flower petals in Alex's lapel, counting the candles on the altar, doing anything she could do distract herself from the fact that she thought she might pee herself. She was cursing herself for not going to the bathroom after drinking an entire mug's worth of tea this morning, and then some orange juice with breakfast. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid, she chanted to herself.
She glanced over at Derek who was sitting in the pews next to Mark and Bridget, and noticed how he seemed to know something was wrong. He could read any and all of her facial expressions, and he looked to her worriedly. "You okay?" he mouthed.
Meredith nodded inconspicuously, tapping her toes in her heels, wishing she could telepathically yell at the priest to wrap things up. Luckily, moments later, the pianist began with the closing procession, and Meredith breathed a sigh of relief. She put a smile on her face, and with Cristina and George in toe, followed them back up the aisle, amid the clapping and cheering coming from those around them.
As soon as Meredith was in the back of the church, she was gracious enough to wait until family and friends filed out onto the front steps for pictures before grabbing Derek from the crowd and pulling him towards the restroom. "Mer, are you okay?" Derek asked, letting her grab him by his sleeve into the bathroom.
"I'm about three seconds away from peeing myself. Here. Hold these," she said frantically, thrusting her flower arrangement at him. "I need you to hold my dress up. And don't look," Meredith said.
Instead of asking further questions, Derek just did the job of a dutiful husband and granted her request, holding her flowers under his arm and moving her dress out of the way for her while she peed. "Is this why you were practically dancing on the altar?" Derek asked, his hands over his eyes.
"Yes," Meredith replied, calmness coming over her as she emptied her bladder. "I forgot to pee before the ceremony because I'm stupid."
"And you're still going..." Derek pointed out, amused.
"Don't look!" Meredith gasped.
Derek rolled his eyes beneath his closed lids and laughed. "I'm not. I can hear you," he said. "Damn, how much did you drink?"
"Just tea and orange juice," Meredith said, discreetly wiping, pulling her panties back up, and flushing. "Okay, I'm done."
He let go of the dress so it fell back into place, and held onto her flowers until she had the chance to wash and dry her hands. "Feel better?"
"Yeah," Meredith breathed, tossing her paper towel into the trash can. "Thank you," she smiled.
"You're welcome," Derek said softly before kissing her forehead.
"Bet you never thought you'd have to do that," Meredith giggled as they headed for the front doors of the church.
Derek held her hand as they descended the steps so she wouldn't fall. "Nothing surprises me anymore," he chuckled. "Not when it comes to you."
"I'm flattered, thanks," she smirked. Izzie was waving her over to take pictures with the wedding party, which consisted of their group of five. Derek stood next to Bailey as picture after picture was taken, all of them at the mercy of the photographer who made them smile for well over a half hour.
"Look at that..." Bailey said as she and Derek hung back and waited.
"Hmm?" Derek asked.
"They're...grown up," she said simply. "Makes me proud."
"You should be," Derek concurred. "They're a good bunch."
Bailey laughed. "They drive me crazy..." she added. "But yeah, they are."
"Meredith, too?" Derek asked in disbelief.
"When you're giving her a hickey in the back of a church, I don't know what to think," she teased.
"I was just kissing her," Derek defended himself.
"Mmhmm..."
Derek laughed. "What? I was."
--
Meredith and Derek arrived at the reception hall around five thirty, with all the others. Alex's family, Izzie's family, hospital family. Izzie was kind enough to seat the wedding party at a round table, where they could all eat together, instead of putting them all in a row on a stage, which Meredith would have found mortifying. And this way, she got to sit with her husband, and he could hold her crap in his suit pockets. That's what good husbands did.
"This place is nice," George complimented as he looked around. "How exactly did you afford this?" he asked Alex and Izzie.
"My sister owns the catering company, so we got all the food for free. And everything else, we sacrificed months' worth of paychecks for," Alex sighed amusedly.
Izzie smiled at him. "But it's perfect," she said softly, glancing over at Meredith as she recalled what she'd told her earlier.
"It really is," Meredith agreed, smiling back at her.
"Congratulations," Derek said as he reached for his wine glass and held it up in the air. The others followed suit, and they toasted the newly married couple.
After the table branched off into their own little conversations, and the soup and salad was served, Derek pressed a kiss to Meredith's cheek and she leaned into him. "Our wedding was a fraction of a fraction of this one," she giggled.
"Hmm..." Derek hummed. "With our expansive guest list of fifteen people."
"It was beautiful," Meredith said softly, taking a spoonful of her soup.
"Best day of my life...well, so far. And there's been pretty damn perfect ones since then, too," Derek said.
"Yeah," Meredith agreed. "I think so, too."
After dinner had been served, the cake had been cut, speeches had been given, and more toasts had been made by family and friends, Meredith looked to her husband and smiled. "Should we give them their gift?"
"Yeah," Derek grinned. He grabbed the envelope from his coat pocket and handed it to her.
"Hey, could we talk to you guys for a sec?" Meredith asked, patting Alex's shoulder.
Izzie nodded and the two got up from the table. Meredith and Derek led them over to a quieter spot off to the side, near the wedding cake. "This is for you," Meredith said, handing them a white envelope with their names on it.
Alex accepted it and looked to them curiously before breaking the tab and opening it. He pulled out a few sheets of paper and he and Izzie looked over them. "What--what is this?" she asked.
"The deed to the house," was all Meredith said.
Izzie looked to them, wide eyed and speechless as she waited for either one of them to explain. "Huh?"
"It's yours...if you want it. Our gift to you," Derek nodded.
Alex released a breath and stared at the papers in his hand, and tears gathered in both of their eyes. "But..." Izzie sputtered, unable to find her words.
"You made it a home for all of us, Iz. For me and for George. And for Derek. And Alex. And we want you to have it. It's been in my family since it was built, and I couldn't sell it to strangers. You love that house, and there's no one else I'd want it to go to other than you guys," Meredith said graciously, taking Derek's hand and squeezing it.
"Meredith," Izzie breathed. "I don't even know what to...oh my God."
"Are you serious? We can just have it?" Alex asked in disbelief, running his hand through his short hair.
"Yes," Meredith laughed. "That's why it's a gift."
"Mer and I, we thought about it for a while. And it's--we don't need the money," Derek said, hoping it didn't sound pretentious. "And, well, we all know the crappy salary of a resident, so we wanted this to be a weight off your shoulders."
A tear trailed from Izzie's eye and she smiled. "Thank you," she gasped. "Oh my God."
Alex looked to Izzie and mirrored the smile on his wife's face. "Is this the time when the Punk'd cameras pop out of the cake, or is this really happening?" he asked, the levity and happiness evident in his voice.
"Not a joke," Derek laughed. "We promise."
Meredith looked to her friends, who were like her brother and sister and smiled at them. "Happy wedding day," she said softly.
Unable to resist any longer, Izzie outstretched her arms and gathered both Meredith and Derek in for a hug. She squeezed them so tight that Meredith's breath caught in her throat; she smiled anyway. "We love you guys," she said, hugging Izzie back.
"Thank you, Mer," Alex said when those two eventually hugged too.
She patted his back gently. "You're welcome."
"I promise we'll take care of it," Izzie said as Alex shook Derek's hand in gratitude.
Meredith smiled. "You always have; that's why we want you to have it."
"Thank you," Izzie and Alex repeated in union as they stood there, hands clasped tightly together.
Cristina and George were looking on a little in the distance, wondering what the hell was going on, so rather than be discreet any longer, Izzie decided to fill them in. "They gave us the house!" she shouted excitedly, tears still pooled in her eyes, as she waved the papers in the air.
"You what?" Cristina asked.
"They're family," Derek shrugged, wrapping his arms around Meredith's waist as they walked back to the table.
Meredith giggled at his simple response as she pulled her heels off and grabbed her socks from Derek's pocket. "No one can top that gift," she joked, using Derek's shoulder for leverage while putting them on.
"Doubt it," Derek agreed.
"Wanna dance with me?" Meredith asked her husband, smiling at him.
He grinned back at her and took her hand. "Sure."
They walked onto the hardwood dance floor, finding a spot with a nice little space cushion from the others who danced around them. Meredith wrapped her arms around Derek's neck and pressed her lips to his. "Love you," she whispered.
Derek smiled and pulled her closer. "I love you, too. So much," he said, breathing her in as they swayed back and forth to the music under the low lighting of the dance floor. He buried his nose into her curls, which were starting to relax a little, so they rested gently on her bare shoulders. She looked beautiful.
Meredith closed her eyes and brushed her cheek against Derek's, enjoying the time spent with her husband. It had been a long, eventful, fun day, and getting the chance to be with Derek was always a good way to soak in the day, whether dancing with him at a wedding, or relaxing with him in their bed.
It was a while before either of them said anything, and when Meredith did, she spoke quietly. "Der?" she whispered.
"Hmm?" he asked.
"I think I might be pregnant," she said, tears burning her eyes as soon as the words came out.
Derek pulled back immediately and tilted his head at his wife, his mind barely able to comprehend what she'd just said. "What?"
Meredith bit her lip as she tried to keep her tears at bay, but with no success. "Yeah," she confessed as one slipped over her eyelid.
"Meredith," he breathed. "Oh my God." His heart pounded wildly in his chest and he took her hand, leading them to a completely vacant area of the reception hall. "I...wait. Yeah?"
"I dunno. I think I might be," she said softly. "I didn't want to say anything and get our hopes up, but it's...my period is nine days late, and then..." Meredith pointed to her chest. "Last time I tried this dress on, my boobs were not this big, and they're kinda sore. And I've been peeing a lot lately and I've been weird around certain foods. Today, Iz said my skin looked really glowy and..." she rambled nervously.
A smile came over Derek's face that reached his eyes and he released a shaky breath. "Meredith..."
"I just...I feel different," she said, dabbing her fingers under her eyes and hoping her mascara wasn't running down her cheeks. "Last time I thought I might be pregnant, I didn't feel pregnant. But this time, I kinda do, which is crazy, but I just...I really think we might have done it this time, Derek."
Derek pulled Meredith into his arms and she leaned into her husband's embrace. "You okay?" she asked.
"Thrilled. Nervous. Shocked," he chuckled with tears in his eyes.
Meredith ran a hand through her hair and let out a breath. "All week, I've been waiting for my period. But nine days is--I couldn't keep it to myself any longer," she explained.
Derek pressed a kiss to her forehead and brushed a few tears from her face. "So, uh, do you wanna take a test?"
"How?" Meredith asked.
He checked his watch. "It's almost eleven. Do you think we could sneak out early?"
"Yeah, uh..." she said, biting her lip as she thought. "The only thing left now is dancing, so we're not going to miss anything too important. I'll just tell Iz we have to go home because Charlie's been there alone most of the day. She won't mind if we leave."
"Okay," Derek agreed. He dropped his hands in his suit pockets and exhaled deeply. They'd gone through the disappointment of a negative test before, so he was trying not to set himself up for that again, but even still, he could practically hear his heart beating in his ears with the adrenaline rush. Again. Just like before, things would either stay the same or they would change forever. The anticipation was almost too much to bear.
Within minutes, he and Meredith were driving down the road, going as quickly as they could without breaking the law. The whole time, Derek held her hand in his. She rubbed her thumb along his knuckles then brought his whole hand to her lips, pressing a kiss to the back of it. "Der, what if it's negative?" she asked, pulling his suit jacket over her shoulders.
Derek pursed his lips and thought for a moment. "Remember when you asked me back in May, what we'd do if it was positive?" he said.
"Yeah."
"We ended up trying for a baby. And we kept trying. And we'll keep trying, that's all. Power of optimism, right?" Derek managed to laugh.
She smiled wryly at her husband. "Since when have you known me to be an optimist?"
"Just try it," he chuckled. "You might surprise yourself."
Meredith leaned her head against the headrest and took in a deep breath, asking herself when she became the girl that hoped and prayed for a baby, and attempted to see the silver lining, even when it wasn't easy. Then she looked at the person next to her. And she knew. Derek.
The minute Derek pulled into their driveway, he cut the engine, Meredith gathered up her heels from the car floor, and they walked toward the front door, hand in hand. He squeezed and she squeezed back. "Let's just see what it says once you take it. No biggie," he reminded her. Only, it was. No matter how much they tried to keep calm.
"Right, yeah," Meredith agreed softly.
They walked upstairs toward the bathroom attached to their bedroom, and Derek tossed his tie on top of the bed while she put her heels back in her closet. "I need you to hold my dress again," she giggled.
"Okay," Derek said, following her into the bathroom.
Meredith felt her hands shaking as she reached into the cabinet under the sink for one of the pregnancy tests Cristina had kindly stolen from the clinic for them. She pulled out the white and blue box and tore open the cardboard. When she retrieved the test from inside, she looked to Derek and let out a shaky breath. She hadn't been this nervous since...ever.
"Mer, relax," Derek said calmly, running his fingers up and down her arm.
"Trying," she replied. "Alright, here." Meredith reached for the bottom of her dress and handed it to Derek. Just like earlier, he held it and turned his head away. She pulled her panties down and smiled at her husband, who had done more than his fair share of husbandly tasks today. "I honestly don't even care if you look at this point. I lost all my modesty this afternoon."
"Even still," Derek shrugged, laughing. "I'll keep my eyes on the shower."
By some stroke of luck, Meredith managed to pee on the stick. Step one, completed. Afterward, she handed it to Derek before washing her hands off. "How long?" Derek asked.
"Five minutes," Meredith said.
Déjà vu of the last time they did this crossed both of their minds, and Derek nodded. "Okay."
They walked into their bedroom and he set the test on his nightstand, glancing at the clock for the time. 11:39. The countdown began.
Meredith dropped back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, arms crossed under her head. Derek's eyes were immediately drawn to her belly and he stared at it. Hoping. Waiting. "If you're pregnant, you're probably a month or two along already," Derek thought out loud.
"June baby," Meredith whispered, smiling up at the ceiling. "Maybe May."
"Hmm," Derek hummed. The urge to reach out and place his hand over her belly came over him, but he resisted. Somehow he felt like that was tempting fate, because there was a chance there was no baby in there. "I take back what I said before."
She turned her head and looked at him. "What?"
"About how nothing surprises me when it comes to you," he grinned. "This. This surprised the hell out of me."
"I just figured that if I told you I was late and then I got it...I just didn't want both of us to be disappointed again. If I could spare you that, I wanted to. But nine days...it's never been nine days late before," Meredith said.
11:42.
"I'm not mad," Derek assured her. "I would have dipped you down and kissed you right on the dance floor if it wouldn't have made a scene," he chuckled.
Meredith smiled. "You can kiss me now."
He laid down next to her and cupped her cheek in his palm. "Okay," he whispered, kissing her with everything he had. Meredith moaned against his lips, her body prickling with that tingly, shiny heat that only he could give her. Right then, baby or no baby, she was grateful just to have him. Forever, he was hers. And she was his.
He rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. The energy in the room was all around them. Hearts pounding in their chests. Heightened nerves. Passion. Love.
11:44.
"Time," Meredith breathed. She sat up in bed, her satiny red dress pooling all around her, and took the test off the nightstand. She linked her other arm through Derek's and took a deep, calming breath before pulling off the results tab, her heart beating faster than it had in the entirety of her life. Meredith forgot to breathe when she saw what was looking back at her. Positive. Bright blue and clear as day. Undoubtedly. Positive. "Positive," she choked out, tears racing from her eyes and leaving tiny water droplets all over her dress. "Derek."
"Mer," he let out in a breath. "Oh my God, Meredith." Derek wrapped his arms around his wife and she felt his own tears splash onto her bare shoulders. "Meredith," he repeated. He chanted her name over and over again in his brain. Meredith. Baby. Positive. Love. Daddy. Mommy. Meredith. Meredith. Meredith, like a recurring prayer in his mind.
Meredith looked to her husband and laughed, as the tears still fell from her eyes freely and without pause. "There's..." she began, placing her hand protectively over her belly, her mommy instincts kicking in immediately and forever. "We made a baby."
"We did," he repeated, gently placing his hand over hers. "God, I'm so in love with you," Derek whispered.
"Who?" she giggled.
Derek's heart fluttered in his chest. There were three people in the room. A family of three. The love for their child there in an instant. Unconditionally and forever. The reality was indescribable. "Both of you," he laughed through his crying.
"I love you both, too." Meredith hugged her husband again, their baby between them, and buried her face in his neck. "I love you both so much."
"You know how I said our wedding was the happiest day of my life so far?" Derek asked.
Meredith kissed his neck, her own tears completely seeped through his white dress shirt. "And now?"
Derek rocked her back and forth in his arms, soaking in the feeling of unconditional love he had for his wife and their baby, safe inside her. He smiled widely. "This just topped it."