105. One Day Old

Disclaimer: Shonda owns it, not me.

Sorry for the lack of updates lately. I meant to have this up early yesterday, but this site was being especially difficult, and not letting me post. (Sorry if I flooded any inboxes!) College graduation is approaching, so I'm extra busy, but I'm going to try to write/post more often. As always, thank you for your patience, and enjoy! :)

Day two of Lilly's life outside the womb, and already, she was taking charge. Sleep came in the form of short naps the night before, with Meredith waking every three hours to feed the baby. Not that either of them minded. Even a sleepless night trumped sending her off to the nursery. Lilly was theirs, and even the thought of having her sleep all the way down the hall was unbearable.

It was just after eight in the morning when Lilly decided she was hungry again, and she let out a small cry, alerting her parents to pick her up and feed her. They heard the tiny wail coming from the bassinet next to the hospital bed, and Derek immediately reached over and scooped her up.

"Good morning," he greeted her. "The sun's actually out now, which is nice."

Meredith glanced over at the clock on her nightstand. "The last time she ate, it was 5:15," she said, feeling along her chest. "My boobs feel a little full. She's probably hungry."

"We got through the first night... without help from anyone. I'd say that's pretty impressive," Derek boasted while Meredith adjusted her shirt.

"I think so," Meredith laughed tiredly. Derek handed Lilly to her, and she held the baby to her breast. "Ready, peanut?" she asked. Lilly rested her tiny hand on top without Meredith even putting it there, and she helped the baby latch on. "There you go."

"Good job," Derek encouraged his daughter. "I'm glad we kept her here last night."

"Me too."

There was a short knock on the door, then Dr. Halloran entered their room holding both Meredith's and Lilly's charts. "Good morning," she smiled. "How are you doing today? Feeling okay?"

"I feel good. A little sore, but other than that, I'm fine," Meredith replied. "And Lilly is perfect. Really no issues with nursing, either."

Dr. Halloran recorded all of that into the chart and nodded. "Very good," she said. "Any bleeding or cramping?"

"Spotting, mostly. My abdomen feels tender, but not really crampy," Meredith shrugged. "But that's normal, right?"

"Absolutely. As long as it's in small amounts, there's nothing to worry about. And the abdominal pain is normal, too. Childbirth takes a real toll on your body, so some discomfort is to be expected," the doctor explained.

"Okay," Meredith said.

"Looks like you have a good eater," Dr. Halloran commented when she saw Lilly nursing. "Sometimes, babies are hesitant or get stressed. But it seems like you guys are doing just fine. How about her plumbing? Any dirty diapers?"

"She's peed a few times, and has had some gas. Nothing else yet," Derek answered.

"Give her a few hours. I'm sure something's coming," Dr. Halloran laughed. "Any questions for me?"

Meredith ran a hand through her tangled hair and messy bun. "I can shower, right? I wanted to get one last night, but I was exhausted."

"Oh, sure. Would you like me to take her to the nursery, so you both have some time to freshen up?" the doctor offered.

"No, we're okay," Meredith said, hugging Lilly close to her chest. "It's just... I like to have her near me."

Dr. Halloran smiled in understanding. "Okay," she said. "Well, I'll be back to check on you a little later. You still have hours before you're discharged, so if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to page me, okay?"

"Thank you," Meredith replied.

"It's my pleasure," Dr. Halloran said, gathering up the charts and putting her pen back in her pocket. She smiled at them, then turned around and left the room, the door closing behind her.

Derek glanced down at the Lilly, then looked to Meredith. "She'll probably be eating for another fifteen minutes. How about I run up to the attending lounge to take a quick shower, and I'll come back down and take her while you're getting cleaned up?" he suggested.

"Yeah, that's fine," Meredith yawned. "Oh, bring me food. I'm dying for a bagel. You know, those cinnamon raisin ones they sell at the coffee cart. And cream cheese. Lots of it. Orange juice too, please" she requested.

"Got it," Derek chuckled, kissing both Meredith and his daughter before getting up out of the bed. He slung the bag with his toiletries and clothes over his shoulder. "I'll be fast, I promise."

"Lots of cream cheese," Meredith repeated. "Go."

Derek grinned as he opened the door. "Alright."

Newly showered and changed, Derek returned to Meredith's room with their breakfast, her requested bagel and orange juice, and a coffee and bran muffin for himself. He set everything down on the tray table at Meredith's bedside, then leaned down to kiss her. "Hey," he said.

"Hey," Meredith returned. "Someone's awake."

Derek glanced down at his daughter, snuggled against Meredith's chest and staring at the two of them in fascination with her wide blue eyes. He smiled. "Hey, beautiful," he said softly. "Ready to start the day?"

Meredith laughed. "I think she is," she said. "Oh, I paged the nurses' station while you were gone. They said to take her into the nursery for her pictures before noon so they could have them back to us by the time we leave today."

"Okay."

"I thought we could do it now while she's awake," Meredith said. "You could take her while I shower."

"Do you need me to help you?" Derek asked, taking the baby so he could have a turn holding her.

"No, no. Go with Lilly. I'm fine," Meredith assured him. "If you could just get my clothes and my toothbrush and put them in the bathroom, that would be good."

Derek nodded, Lilly cradled in one arm while he gathered Meredith's things and set them down on the bathroom counter for her. "All set," he said. "How about it, Lilly? Wanna go have your photo shoot while Mommy takes a shower?"

"Oh, that little purple bow we packed. I want to put that in first," Meredith remembered, getting up out of the bed and walking over to the diaper bag full of Lilly's stuff they packed. She rummaged through the side compartment and pulled out the small bow.

"It looks a little wavier today," Derek said, pulling off the baby's pink cap.

"Definitely not the peach fuzz blonde I was born with," Meredith giggled as she combed her fingers through Lilly's hair. She smoothed it up into a small tuft on top of Lilly's head and clipped the tiny purple bow in place. "There we go. Very pretty."

"Gorgeous," Derek said.

"Okay, get some good pictures. Make sure her eyes are open. Make funny faces at her or whatever."

"I'll tap dance if I have to," Derek laughed. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. A fifteen minute shower sounds pretty damn good right now," Meredith said, kissing Lilly's cheek. "And once you get back, we'll give you a bath, too. Or a sponge bath. No tub baths until your umbilical cord falls off."

"Sounds good," Derek said, letting Lilly grab hold of his finger. "Alright, picture time."

Meredith smiled and watched as Derek left with their baby. Before the door shut behind them, she missed Lilly being in the same room with her, but made herself turn around and walk into the bathroom. She'd never wanted a shower more in her life, ready to rinse off the sweat and ick of yesterday. And the second the warm water hit her skin, she swore she could stand in there for days.

She was toweling her hair dry when the two of them came back, and she smiled. "How'd it go?"

"Good. She looked right at the camera. Didn't cry once," Derek said proudly. "I made sure the blanket wasn't covering up the SGH emblem. You wore a Seattle Grace onesie in your newborn pictures, too, so now you guys match."

"I didn't even think of that." Meredith stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. "Thank you."

"How was your shower? Feel better?" he asked.

"Much," she sighed, smoothing out her tee shirt over her belly that still had a small post-pregnancy bump. "As good as any orgasm." Derek cocked his head at her and she laughed. "I'm off sex for six weeks. A hot shower is all I've got for now."

"Fair enough," Derek chuckled. "Any idea when the next wave of visitors is coming in?"

Meredith glanced at the clock. "It's a little after ten. We probably have some time if you wanted to give her a bath."

"Yeah," he said. "Up for a bath, Lilly?"

The baby looked up at him with a curious expression and Meredith laughed. "It won't be that bad, I promise," she said, reaching for the baby. She kissed Lilly's nose before lying her down in the warming isolette to keep her comfortable while they bathed her.

Derek put some warm water into the pink plastic basin, then squirt a few drops of her lavender bath soap into it and swished it around with a damp cloth. "Okay, all set," he said.

Meredith unsnapped the baby's onesie and carefully pulled it over her head, then took off her tiny white socks. She peeled back the adhesive on the diaper and pulled down the front. "Someone pooped," she said, smiling at her daughter.

"She did?" Derek asked, peering into the diaper. "Wow, she did." He took Lilly's hand and tapped his palm against it. "High five, Lilly."

Meredith laughed as she grabbed a wipe from the pack. "We're very proud," she said. "Wanna hold her legs up?"

"Yeah." Derek gently took hold of Lilly's feet and lifted her bottom up while Meredith cleaned her up. Lilly fussed when the cold wipe touched her warm skin, and Meredith smiled. "I know. You don't like being cold. Almost finished."

"Her legs are really squirmy," Derek said, chuckling as Lilly wriggled them around while he held them. "I swear her ankles are as thick as my thumb is. You've got skinny little legs, Lilly."

"And a cute butt," Meredith added, patting her bottom dry with the blanket underneath her. She tossed the old diaper into the trash. "All done."

Derek smiled at his wife proudly. "For someone who can count the number of diapers she's changed on one hand, I'm impressed."

"I guess the mommy gene's just been hiding my whole life under that cloak of darkness," she joked. "Can you hand me the wash cloth?"

Derek wrung it out over the basin and handed it to her. "Why do you get to do it?"

Meredith laughed. "I'll do half, and you do half," she compromised, gently lifting Lilly's head off the towel. She rubbed the top of Lilly's head lightly with the cloth and the baby's dark hair matted together the same way Derek's did when it got wet. Lilly stared at Meredith with a puzzled expression, wondering what she was doing, and Meredith smiled. "Do you like bath time?" she asked.

"So far, so good," Derek said, wiping away a drip of water rolling down Lilly's forehead with his finger. "Mommy doesn't even give me baths," he said, making sure Meredith caught the amused expression on his face.

"Because if I did, bath time would turn into something else, and that something else would result in another baby," Meredith smirked. "Only one Lilly for now." She carefully laid Lilly's head down on the towel again and handed Derek the cloth. She dipped her fingers in the basin and rubbed them over Lilly's cheeks and forehead like the books advised, to avoid irritating the more sensitive skin of her face.

Lilly wriggled around on the towel, bending and kicking her legs, and Derek laughed. "Are you doing your workout? Must be nice having room to stretch your legs. There wasn't much room in Mommy's belly to do that, huh?"

"No, but she tried. My ribs were just in the way," Meredith giggled, taking the cloth from Derek and dipping it back in the warm water. She squeezed out the excess and wiped Lilly's neck, working her way down the baby's underarms, arms, elbows, and torso. When she was satisfied that Lilly's upper half was clean, she handed Derek the cloth like she promised. "Your turn."

"Thank you," Derek said, stepping into the space in front of Lilly while Meredith rummaged through the baby's bag for the outfit they planned to take her home in. He dipped and wrung out the soft cloth again and cleaned Lilly's lower half. Lilly let out a tiny sneeze and Derek smiled. "Are you cold? Almost done, I promise."

"Make sure you get in between her toes," Meredith reminded him as she found the outfit she packed, a purple sundress with a white sweater. "Do you think she needs pants? I know it's warm outside, but I don't want her to be cold."

"Well, we can always wrap her in the blanket my mom gave us that you packed," Derek said, slipping a fresh diaper under Lilly's bottom, powdering her, and fastening it around her waist. He leaned down and kissed her rounded belly. "Mommy was never a worrier until we found out you existed," he said playfully, loud enough so that Meredith could hear.

She laughed. "That's not true. When you were home with the flu last year, who called you every three hours and came home with medicine and chicken noodle soup?" she challenged him, walking back over to where Derek stood. "That's right. I did."

"Fine, I take it back," he chuckled. "You love us both equally."

"Yes, I do."

Derek held Lilly up and Meredith easily slipped the dress over her head. They weaved her arms through the outfit, and pulled it down over her belly. After putting her arms through the sleeves of the sweater, Meredith adjusted the frill of the dress and smiled. "You look very pretty in purple," she said to her daughter while Derek slipped on her tiny white socks.

"Hey, can I come in?" Mark asked, poking his head in the room.

"Hey," Derek said, picking up Lilly from the isolette. "Yeah, come on in."

Mark entered holding five, shiny pink balloons and a basket of fruit and chocolates. He set his gifts down on the bed and looked at Lilly, who was contentedly looking around the room while Derek held her. "Good Lord, she is beautiful," he said in awe. He smiled widely, and though he'd deny it, a slight sheen of tears pooled in his eyes. "Can I..."

"Yeah, of course," Derek nodded, passing Lilly over to him.

Lilly looked up at him in curiosity, pursing her tiny lips in thought. Mark smiled down at her. "Hey, Lilly. I'm your Uncle Mark. I know you don't know me yet, but you will. Your dad and I are best friends. I tried to pick up your mom two or three times, but that's water under the bridge now," he said.

Derek sighed in amusement, wrapping his arm around Meredith's shoulder. She leaned into him and kissed his neck, watching as Mark and Lilly interacted.

"You know, those two tried for months to have you. Seriously, they'd hog on-call rooms for hours. And hours. I had to sleep on a gurney in the hall once because they were busy getting it on in there," Mark shared with the baby.

"Of all the things you could tell our daughter, you tell her that," Meredith smirked.

"We're bonding," Mark defended, letting Lilly grab hold of his finger. "You're lucky to have them though, Lilly. No better parents out there," he said.

Meredith smiled. "Thank you, Mark."

"I can't tell who she looks like more," Mark said, looking from Lilly to Derek to Meredith then Lilly again. "I mean, the hair is clearly yours, Shep. And her chin. But the nose and lips are all Grey. Her eyes... that's a tossup." He smiled at the two of them. "She's gorgeous. Congrats." He gave them each a one handed hug, careful not to squish Lilly between them.

"Thank you, Mark," Derek said, patting his friend on the back.

Someone knocked on the door, and Meredith smiled. "Come in," she called.

Callie walked into the room, followed by Arizona, and Callie waved. "Thought we'd stop by before we have to get to surgery," Callie said, looking over Mark's shoulder to see Lilly. "Wow, you two make cute kids," she said. "Can I hold her?"

"Ask Mark," Derek joked.

Mark held Lilly closer to his chest and turned away. "You can in a minute. It's still my turn."

"How was labor?" Arizona asked. "You look great, by the way. And Lilly is beautiful."

"Oh, thank you," Meredith replied. "Uh, it wasn't that bad. I mean, it's not something I want to do every day, but I'd do it all over again," she said, smiling over at Lilly in her little purple dress.

"It couldn't have been that bad," Mark agreed. "I mean, she's pretty damn tiny. And she weighs next to nothing..."

"Believe me, she didn't feel so tiny coming out. I'm still kinda shocked I'm able to walk today," Meredith laughed.

"It was the most incredible thing I've ever seen," Derek said, letting out a breath and shaking his head. "Meredith was perfect. She only pushed a few times, and didn't even yell at me. She was calmer than I was."

Mark finally passed the baby over to Callie, then looked at Meredith. "You didn't yell at him? Wow. That's... I'm impressed."

"No, Derek was a good labor coach. I couldn't have done it without him there," Meredith said, snaking her arm around her husband's waist. "We even changed our first dirty diaper before you got here."

"Look at you two," Arizona said with a smile. "Not even a day old, and you're pros."

"Well, she's a pretty easy baby so far. We're lucky," Derek said. "Who knows what kind of surprises she'll have for us when we get home..."

"You're leaving already? Damn. You come in, push the kid out, and they send you on your way," Callie said.

Meredith laughed. "Not for a few hours, but yeah, we're leaving today. Which is fine. I'd rather be home anyway," she shrugged. "Oh, Mark, how's Charlie?"

"Total cock block. He slept in the bed with me and Bridget last night," Mark said. "I'm surprised you two were able to have sex to make a baby."

"Yeah, he does that a lot," Meredith replied, finally biting into her cream cheese-covered bagel she'd been craving since she went into labor. "That's why we bought him a dog bed."

"I'm on-call tonight, but I'll drop him off tomorrow afternoon... give you guys some time to settle in with the baby," Mark offered. "Torres, you're hogging her."

Callie ran her finger over Lilly's cheek and smiled. "I don't care. She's awesome. I'm so happy for you guys," she said. "You wanna hold her?" she asked Arizona.

"Yeah." Arizona accepted the baby, nodding in approval. "Yep, definitely the cutest baby I've ever seen... which is a very big compliment, considering I work with babies on a daily basis. I mean, they're all cute and squishy, but she... yeah, she wins."

There was another knock at the door and Bailey stepped tentatively into the room, her smile fading when she saw the room full of people. "Aren't your names on the board for a surgery happening in ten minutes?" she asked.

"That baby's better than any surgery," Mark said.

Bailey walked over to Arizona and peered at Lilly, who seemed pretty bored by all of the attention, her eyelashes fanning over her cheeks whenever she sleepily shut her eyes. Bailey's smile returned. "Would you look at that child," she said softly. "She is beautiful."

"Thank you, Dr. Bailey," Meredith smiled.

Arizona passed the baby over to her, and Bailey easily held the baby to her chest, unable to tear her eyes away. "So you two really got married and had a baby. If you would've told me that a few years ago, I never would've believed it."

"Us either," Derek said, taking a sip of his coffee. "Any time you wanna apologize for the hell you put us through..." he said playfully.

Bailey glared at him. "Very funny," she said, running her finger over Lilly's cheek. "I heard your water broke in the hallway."

"Does everyone know that?" Meredith asked with wide eyes.

"Of course," Bailey laughed. "How was labor?"

"Worse than pushing. Pushing was the easy part," Meredith said. "Weird, and slightly mortifying, but short."

"She did great. I couldn't believe how fast it went. Before I knew it, I was cutting the cord. She was..." Derek searched for a word that felt accurate, but couldn't come up with one expressing how proud of her he was. "God, she was perfect. They both are."

Meredith leaned into him and he kissed the top of her head. Bailey watched them, and couldn't help but smile. "Spoken like a true father," she said. "I see she got your hair, Shepherd."

"Big surprise," Mark joked, rummaging through the gift basket he got for them. He pulled out a banana and took a bite, dropping down onto the couch.

"Is that my gift you're eating?" Derek chuckled.

"What? I didn't get a chance to eat breakfast," Mark shrugged with a mouthful of the banana. "I'll save you all the chocolate."

"Damn. Surgery's about to start," Callie said as her pager went off. "We have to go. Congratulations. We're so happy for you guys."

"Thank you," Derek nodded.

Mark reluctantly followed Arizona and Callie out of the room and looked back briefly. "Coolest baby ever," he praised, giving them a thumbs up.

"Does that mean you'll babysit?" Meredith asked.

"Like you'll ever leave her at home for a night out," Mark joked. "Just say the word, and I'm there."

Bailey gently handed the baby to Meredith and patted her arm. "Congratulations. She's gorgeous."

"Thank you," Meredith said. Lilly looked up at her when she spoke, and curled into Meredith, clutching onto her shirt with her tiny fist.

"Enjoy the time off. And I better not see you back here tomorrow, either of you," Bailey said.

Derek shook his head. "Believe me, we're gonna enjoy the leave. I actually plan on bribing the Chief for more," he teased.

"Worth a shot," Bailey replied, making sure the other three left before she did. "I'll see you later."

"Bye," Meredith waved as she sat down on the bed. She leaned against the pillows and smiled at the baby. "I think social hour wore her out. She can barely keep her eyes open."

"Are you tired, princess?" Derek asked, sitting on the bed next to Meredith.

Meredith reached for the pink chenille blanket Derek's mom got them, and wrapped it around Lilly. "There. Warm, clean, and ready for a nap."

"Good." He kissed her temple. "Lexie and your dad should be here soon. I told them any time around noon would be fine."

"Okay," Meredith replied.

"Are you nervous about seeing him?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "He's my dad. And Lilly's grandpa. I want her to know him." She hugged Lilly snugly to her chest. "Especially because my mom isn't here."

"I'm sorry, Mer."

"It's okay. She's still a part of Lilly's life, and so is your dad. Just because they're not here doesn't change that," Meredith said.

Derek smiled and rubbed her thigh with his hand. "Yeah."

"Are you feeling me up?" she asked.

"Maybe," he murmured as he leaned in and kissed her.

Meredith moaned against his lips. Going six weeks without sex would not be easy with the post-pregnancy hormones. When they pulled back, she saw Lilly looking up at them, her little forehead wrinkled in confusion. "Uh oh. Caught in the act."

"Maybe she doesn't like it when we kiss," Derek said. "I kiss Mommy a lot. Actually, that's part of the reason why you're here."

"Derek."

"What? It's the truth," he laughed.

She stroked Lilly's cheek with her finger to soothe her back to sleep. "We made a very pretty baby," she whispered.

Lilly yawned widely and turned her head toward Meredith, pressing her nose into the fabric of Meredith's shirt. She blinked sleepily a few times before her eyelids fell shut. "She's already so attached to you, Mer," Derek said in a hushed voice so the baby wouldn't wake up.

"She's attached to you, too," Meredith said. "I just have the boobs to feed her with."

"When Dr. Halloran put her on your chest after you delivered her, she grabbed right onto you. I couldn't believe it," Derek said. "I get goose bumps just thinking about seeing that."

Meredith smiled at him. "She held your finger during her checkup. She knows you'll keep her safe. You're her dad."

"I always want her to feel that way," Derek said, kissing the top of Lilly's head and breathing her in. "I love you, Lillybug."

There was a soft knock at the door and Lexie opened it just a crack. "Hey," she said. "Mind if we come in?"

"No, not at all," Meredith replied as she waved them into the room.

Lexie stepped into the room with Thatcher following behind her, holding a bundle of balloons and a plush lamb with a pink bow. They both smiled when they saw Meredith holding the sleeping baby, and quietly walked over to her bedside to catch a glimpse. "Oh my God," Lexie gushed. "She's beautiful."

"She looks just like you did, Meredith," Thatcher said, wiping away the tears in his eyes with a handkerchief he pulled from his pocket. "Everything but her hair, anyway."

"With a hat on, she's all Meredith," Derek said.

"Eyes?" Lexie asked.

Meredith smiled. "Both," she said. "Blue, but there's a little green in there, too."

"Wanna hold her?" Derek asked.

Lexie's eyes widened. "Can I?"

"Of course," Meredith laughed. "We want you both to hold her."

"You go first," Lexie said to Thatcher, stepping aside. "She's your granddaughter."

"Oh. Okay," Thatcher said, setting their gifts down on the tray table. He held his arms out and Meredith delicately handed Lilly over to him, careful not to jostle her while she slept. Once she was in his arms, he smiled, the kind of smile Meredith had never seen on his face before. Probably the smile he had when she was born. "Hi, there," he whispered. "My goodness, you are beautiful."

Lilly opened her eyes and yawned, looking up at Thatcher when she heard a voice. "Oops, didn't mean to wake you," he chuckled.

"She's a light sleeper like Derek. When we got up for work in the mornings when I was pregnant, she'd wake up, too, and give me a good morning stretch," Meredith giggled.

"She's so tiny," Lexie said with a smile, rubbing the back of Lilly's hand with her finger. "Only six pounds?"

"Six pounds, seven ounces. Eighteen inches," Derek said. "Tiny girl."

"Yes, you are," Thatcher practically beamed as he held Lilly, bouncing slightly on his heels. "She's small like you were. You were smaller than this, actually. You came out screaming though. Had a healthy set of lungs on you. God, you were..." he paused. "I couldn't believe how perfect. Just like her."

Meredith chewed on her lip and felt her eyes burn. "Thank you," she whispered.

"I heard you did awesome. I'm so sorry I didn't come last night. Surgery went until three in the morning, and I didn't think you'd be up for visitors then," Lexie joked. "So, how was it? Is it as horrible as they say it is?"

"Uh... yeah. By the time I was pushing, the pain meds. wore off, so I felt, you know, everything. But it didn't even matter once I saw her," Meredith said. "She's amazing."

"We all heard her crying in the hallway. I cried, too," Lexie admitted. She glanced over at Lilly and smiled at her. "And now I finally get to meet you. I'm Lexie, by the way. Well, Aunt Lexie."

"Do you want to...?" Thatcher offered, nodding his head down at Lilly.

"Yeah," Lexie said. Thatcher handed her the baby and she cuddled Lilly close to her, involuntarily blinking back the tears she felt. "Okay, wow. Didn't expect to cry. But she's just so... you two. It's crazy. Did you send your family any pictures, Derek? I bet they're all freaking out."

"Four sisters, right?" Thatcher asked.

Derek laughed. "Yeah, mom and four very girly sisters. Having kids is like a hobby in my family. And when the only son adds a grandkid to the mix, it's..."

"Chaos?" Thatcher guessed.

"Oh, yeah. Phone calls, texts, emails. They're probably having a party without us," Derek said playfully, though in truth, he wouldn't put it past them to actually do that. "My mom already booked her flight out here a few weeks from now. I don't think I've ever heard her sound so happy."

"We're glad you could come," Meredith said to her father. "I know that my mom kept us... I'd just... I'd really like you to be a part of her life."

"I'd like that," Thatcher said softly, a smile pulling at his lips.

Meredith reached out her arms and he took it as his cue to hug her, stepping into her embrace and wrapping his arms around her. She splayed her hands over his back, her chin on his shoulder, and hugged him back, the kind of hug she wish she could have gotten all her life from him. But it didn't matter now, because when she saw her daughter in Lexie's arms, she knew that he would be there for Lilly. That alone made up for the rest of it.

"I'm so proud of you, Meredith," Thatcher said.

Meredith swallowed thickly and squeezed him to her tightly before she finally let go. "Thank you."

"I got her this. You had one just like it when you were little." Thatcher picked up the plush lamb and handed it to Meredith. "Even had the pink bow on its head like yours did. You loved that thing, carried it everywhere. That and your Lilly doll. I know you have the doll, but the lamb-Kiki, that's what you named it-I think you lost it at the playground when you were five or so. Anyway, I saw this at the store, and wanted to get it for Lilly."

"I forgot all about that lamb," Meredith said, running a hand through her hair. "I can't believe you remember that."

"Oh, I could go on for hours. I have hundreds of stories," Thatcher said.

"I'd love to hear all of them sometime," Derek replied, always fascinated by the little nuggets of Meredith that didn't know about.

Meredith smirked at him. "I'm sure you would."

"Potty training, preschool boyfriends, all that. Any time you're free," Derek grinned.

"Keep in mind that I have blackmail pictures and stories about you, too," Meredith reminded him playfully as Lexie handed the baby back to her. "Thank you for getting that for her. I'm sure she'll love hers as much as I did," she said. Lilly started rooting around Meredith's chest with her mouth and looked up at her in expectation. "Hungry, peanut?"

"We'll get going," Lexie said. "I actually have to get my patient down to pre-op anyway."

"I need to get to Molly's. Laura and I are having a lunch date in the park," Thatcher said, smiling. "She was so excited when we told her Lilly was here. She even drew pictures for her."

Meredith let Lilly grab onto her finger and kissed her hand. "Tell them to stop by sometime this week. Laura is the only west coast cousin Lilly has," she said.

"I'll pass the message along when I see them today," Thatcher agreed.

"Congratulations. We're so happy for you guys," Lexie said, leaning over the bed and hugging both of them before stroking Lilly's cheek with her finger. "I know we only met ten minutes ago, but I'm already kind of obsessed with you," she laughed.

Thatcher reached out and shook Derek's hand then wrapped his arm around Meredith gently because of the baby between them. "She's beautiful. I couldn't be more thrilled for the both of you."

"Thank you," Meredith said softly.

After they left the room, Meredith swapped Lilly over to Derek so she could lift up her shirt to nurse. "Just a minute, sweetie," she said, opening the front of her nursing bra.

Lilly impatiently pressed her face into Derek's chest and he looked down at her in amusement. "Mommy has the boobs; not me," he laughed. He kissed her forehead then handed her back to Meredith. "Enjoy those, Lilly. I probably won't get to touch them for weeks."

Meredith laughed. "At least you'll get to see them. My boobs will be out twenty-four-seven," she said. Lilly latched on with hardly any help, and securely rested her little hand on Meredith's breast.

"Look at that," Derek all but beamed, taking a blanket out of her bassinet and draping it over Meredith's opposite shoulder so she and Lilly could have their privacy if anyone walked in. "Not even a day old, and she's got the nursing thing down." He put his arm around Meredith's shoulder and kissed her temple. "Your dad is really happy."

"I've never seen him like that before. It used to be so awkward even being near him. Now it's like... he's just my dad, you know? Like he's been there my whole life. I mean, he hasn't, but he's here now, and I want him here. I want him to be a part of Lilly's life," she said, looking down at Lilly as she nursed. "She deserves that."

"Yeah, she does," he said. "And she seems to like him. Actually, she seems to like everybody. She hasn't cried when anyone held her."

"She's a good baby," Meredith said, smoothing her fingers through Lilly's hair.

"Calm, happy, good eater, good pooper. I'd say we got pretty lucky, huh?"

Meredith smiled down at their daughter. "Yes, we did."

"So... Kiki, huh?" he smirked at her.

"Shut up. I was two."

...

They were packed up and ready to go home, just waiting on their discharge papers, which were delayed as usual. Derek walked back and forth with Lilly propped up over his shoulder, who was looking around contentedly.

Meredith slipped Lilly's newborn pictures into her bag, careful not to crease them. She glanced at the clock on the wall. "Did they forget about us?" she asked, laughing. "Seriously, I'd like to get home before sundown."

"It's only... four," Derek said as he looked at his watch. "Hey, you're officially one day old," he told Lilly, turning his head and kissing her cheek.

"Best twenty-four hours ever," Meredith said. She stood up from the couch and walked over to the baby resting her head on Derek's shoulder. She kissed Lilly's nose. "I love you."

When there was a knock at the door, Meredith turned around, expecting to be met with a nurse thrusting a pile of paperwork at her. "May I come in?" came the voice of the Chief on the other side.

Meredith quickly opened the door. "Hi. Yeah, come in," she said.

"I'm glad you're still here. I thought you might be discharged by now," Richard said, setting down a flower arrangement on the table. "I'm so sorry I didn't get a chance to come by yesterday. Board meetings all day, you know how it is. I've been dying to come by."

"Would you like to hold her?" Derek asked.

"Of course I would. Do you mind?"

Meredith shook her head. "No, we want you to."

Derek handed Lilly over, her tiny body fitting snugly into Richard's arms. He smiled down at her. "She's beautiful."

"Thank you," Derek grinned.

"She looks just like you did, Meredith," the Chief said. "You were a gorgeous baby. You know, I held you when you were just a few hours old. Feels like yesterday. Now I'm holding your own child."

Meredith leaned into Derek and smiled. "Yeah."

"Now that I look at her, I definitely see some of you in her, Derek," Richard pointed out. "Look at all that hair. That's certainly not the hair you were born with, Meredith."

"Yeah, we both figured she'd get that from Derek. At least, I hoped so," Meredith laughed.

"How are you feeling?"

"I feel really good," Meredith said. "I don't know how my mother would feel about the fact that I caved and got an epidural, but..."

Richard took his eyes off of Lilly and pursed his lips. "She'll haunt me for saying this... but she had an epidural, too."

"What?" Meredith blinked. "She did?"

"Yes, she did. She was in labor with you for twenty-six hours. You were little, but you took your time being born. But once you were here, she didn't let you go. One of the few times I saw the soft side of Ellis Grey," he recalled, a sad smile on his face.

Lilly stretched her hand out of the blanket and waved her fingers at him as she unclenched her fist. "I don't think I'll still be working here once you start your internship one day, but I'll make sure there's a spot open for you. You're the daughter of a Grey and a Shepherd. Every hospital will want you, but we're the best, Lilly."

"Think she's a neurosurgeon in the making?" Derek asked, his arm wrapped around Meredith.

"Maybe a general surgeon. You never know," Richard joked. He smiled down at the baby. "Whipples are much more fun than craniotomies. That's what your grandmother would say, too. I'll make sure you know all about her."

"We want Lilly to know about her. And you knew the real her. The good and the bad. We'd like it if you could maybe share that with Lilly," Meredith said.

"Of course," Richard nodded. "That's... of course I would."

"Thank you."

A nurse knocked twice before entering the room, holding a few sheets of paper and a pen. "Discharge papers," she said. "All you have to do is sign, and you're free to go."

Meredith accepted the papers and pen, and quickly scribbled her signature on the forms, releasing both herself and Lilly from the hospital stay. She clicked the pen shut, neatly stacked the forms, and handed them back to her. "There you go. All set."

"Great. We'll call in a few days to schedule a follow-up appointment for you and the baby. Until then though, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call," the nurse said.

"Okay; thank you."

With a polite smile, she left the room with the signed papers. Richard handed Lilly to Meredith, taking their hospital freedom as his cue. "I'm sure you're anxious to get going. Just wanted to stop in. She's beautiful, just like I knew she'd be. Congratulations," he said.

Meredith reached out her free hand and hugged him, and he hugged her back. "Thank you."

"I'm glad you caught us before we left. It was good seeing you," Derek said as the two of them shook hands. "And I promise, you won't see us again until our leave is over."

"Good. I better not. Enjoy the time off," Richard said. He brushed his finger over Lilly's hand. "You're very lucky, Lilly."

"Thanks, Richard," Derek replied.

He opened the door and looked back at them. "I mean it, no surgeries. If I catch you sneaking around here, you're fired."

Meredith laughed. "You won't, we promise."

The door closed behind him, leaving just the three of them, bags packed and waiting. Derek smiled at his wife and daughter. "Ready to go home?"

Meredith smiled, Lilly cuddled close to her chest. "Yes, we are."