128. All Lilly Weekend

Disclaimer: I don't own TV shows.

So, so sorry for the wait! Luckily, the semester is almost over, which means lots more writing time. Enjoy!

It wasn't often that Meredith got the chance to sleep in, so when she did, she took advantage of it, basking in the time spent under the covers without the inevitable blaring of the alarm clock. And today was no different. Derek was off the whole weekend, and by some stroke of fate, and subtly bribing Alex, she was, too. Forty-eight hours of Lilly time, something they'd been looking forward to all week.

Meredith was sleeping soundly with her cheek pressed against her pillow when she felt something touch her lip. Rather than opening her eyes and running the risk of not being able to fall back to sleep, she just scrunched her nose to get rid of the tickle. When it happened again, she moaned in protest.

"Later, Derek," she murmured into her pillow.

When the tickling happened for a third time, Meredith finally forced herself to open her eyes, all of her tiredness wearing off instantly when she saw Lilly staring back at her with a small, sleepy smile on her face. "What are you... you rolled onto your belly all by yourself?"

Derek's eyelids fluttered then opened when he heard Meredith's voice, and he yawned. "Hmm, what happened?"

"She rolled over," Meredith said.

"She did?"

"Yeah." Meredith reached for Lilly and sat her on her stomach, bending her knees to support Lilly's back. "You've never done that before, Lillybug."

Derek sat up and scooted toward them. "No, she hasn't. Belly to back, but not back to belly. Good job, Lilly," he praised, looking to Meredith in amusement. "Wait, why did you say my name?"

"I thought you were tickling my lip, but it was Lilly's hand," Meredith said, fixing one of the snaps on Lilly's duck-printed, footie pajamas.

"Since when does foreplay involve me touching your face?" he chuckled.

"I was sleeping, and barely coherent. I had no idea what it was," she defended.

"Did you want us to wake up, huh?" Derek asked Lilly, tickling her belly with his hand. "She's five months old today."

"I know," Meredith said, sighing softly. "This time, five months ago, I was in labor."

Derek glanced over at the clock on his nightstand. "Hmm, 9:30... right around the time your water broke in the hallway."

"Yeah, always like to be reminded of that," Meredith said. "I'd do it all over again, though. All of the pain and the pushing. I forgot all about it the second we saw her. She was perfect."

"And she gets more perfect every day," Derek said, leaning over to kiss Meredith, then forward to kiss Lilly. "What should we do today, Princess? This weekend is all about you."

"It's actually nice outside today, so I was thinking we could go to the park. We can put Lilly in the stroller, and bring Charlie along so he can run around. We haven't taken him to the park in months," Meredith said, patting the space between herself and Derek. "Come here, buddy."

Charlie yawned at them from his spot on the padded bench at the foot of their bed where he liked to sleep, then stood up and meandered over to the bed, plopping himself down. He sniffed Lilly with his cold, wet nose, and licked her cheek with his tongue. Lilly let out a fit of giggles and smiled wide.

"Do you like slobbery dog kisses, Lilly?" Meredith asked.

Derek ruffled his hand over the dog's fur. "You're a good big brother, Charlie."

"Should we go for a walk today, buddy?" Meredith asked him, watching as his ears perked up and he looked at her in instant excitement. "Okay, then. I think that's a yes."

"How about we go make some breakfast, then we can get packed up and go," Derek said, flinging his legs over the side of the bed. "What'll it be?"

"You pick," Meredith said, laying Lilly in her swing so she and Derek could make the bed.

"You've been working your butt off at the hospital. Most mornings, your breakfast consists of a mug of coffee and a granola bar on your way to work. You deserve a nice, sit-down breakfast," Derek upheld.

Meredith rolled her eyes playfully, knowing there wasn't a chance she could convince him choose breakfast. "Hmm, fine. Pancakes?" she suggested.

"Sounds good," Derek said.

"And maybe after the park, we could try giving Lilly her first taste of baby food. Dr. Halloran said between five and six months, and when Lilly can hold her head up to swallow. She's been doing that for two months now. I think she's ready," Meredith said as they pulled the comforter up over the pillows.

"Yeah, we can do that," Derek agreed. "There's a farmers' market near the park, so we can buy fruits and vegetables. We got that purée thing when we got married. May as well try it out."

"Okay," Meredith said, picking Lilly up from the swing after they finished making the bed. "She's only ever had breast milk, so I read that it's best to start her off with sweeter flavors until she gets the hang of it. We can pick up some baby cereal this week, too."

"Yum," Derek said jokingly. He put his hand on the small of her back, and they walked out of their bedroom, letting Charlie run ahead of them. "Today's a big day for you, Princess. Rolling onto your belly and eating real food."

"Real food?" Meredith echoed. "What have my boobs been giving her for the past five months? Magic food?" she teased him.

"You know what I mean. I happen to think very highly of your boobs," Derek smirked, stepping aside so Meredith could walk down the stairs with Lilly first.

Meredith laughed. "The flattery?"

"Yeah?"

"Needs work."

...

Lilly looked up at the world around her with interest, snuggled under the blanket in the stroller to keep her warm. It was one of the last few breezy weekends in Seattle, before the rain and chill of pending winter hit the air.

Meredith held Charlie's leash, and wrapped her other arm around Derek, leaning into him as he pushed the stroller down the pathway. "We should do this more," she thought out loud.

"Hmm, we will. Once spring rolls around, we can have picnics on the grass," Derek said.

"That sounds nice," Meredith smiled.

"Charlie's having fun," Derek chuckled, watching as he scampered along ahead of them, stopping every few feet to sniff trees and flowers. "He already has full reign of the backyard, but this is like Christmas morning for him."

"He reminds me so much of Doc," Meredith said, putting her head on his shoulder. "I mean, Doc was destructive, and liked eating laundry, but he was my baby. So was Charlie, until Lilly came along."

"He's so good with her. Since the second he first met her, he's been so protective of her," Derek said.

"A few days ago, I was putting clothes in the dryer, and Charlie came running into the laundry room. He kept nudging my leg with his nose, so I finally followed him out into the living room. Here, Lilly's shirt sleeve came unrolled past her wrist, and she couldn't suck her thumb. She was barely even whimpering in her swing, but Charlie still had to come find me," Meredith said, reaching into the stroller to stroke Lilly's cheek.

"Did he really?" Derek asked.

"Yeah. It was so sweet. I actually cried. You know, mommy hormones and all," Meredith laughed in spite of herself. "I never had pets growing up. My mom didn't like animals. Plus, she barely took care of me, so there was no way she was ever getting me a dog. That's why I'm glad Lilly has Charlie."

Derek smiled sadly and kissed her temple. "They'll be a good team when Lilly's a little older. Getting into all sorts of trouble."

Lilly looked at him and smiled, and Meredith laughed. "Yeah, we kind of need to baby-proof the house a little more once she starts to walk and get into everything. I'm pretty sure there's still condoms in the end table next to the couch, and we haven't used condoms in forever. Oh, and that sex stuff that Mark got us for our anniversary is in my nightstand."

"We can move it to a safer spot, but we're not getting rid of it," Derek compromised, glancing over at her with a smirk on his face.

"Oh, I'd never get rid of it," Meredith promised. "That stuff is fun. Kinky, and vaguely porny, but fun."

They rounded the corner, and passed by a young couple sitting on a bench, a toddler-aged child between them eating a cookie. Meredith looked to Derek and smiled. "Of all the parents in this park, I think we're probably the only ones discussing our sex drawer."

Derek caught her lips before she turned her head, and he kissed her. "Yeah, probably. One of the many reasons I married you."

"Why? Because of my inappropriate park talk?" Meredith said against his lips.

"And the kissing in public. That's nice, too," Derek added.

Charlie tugged on the leash, and Meredith involuntarily pulled away from him. "What is it, Charlie?" she asked.

A bushy, gray squirrel darted up a nearby tree, and Charlie's eyes watched as it ran up the trunk and disappeared into the branches. Derek couldn't help but laugh. "What is it with you and squirrels, buddy? He sees one, and he freaks out."

"Same thing happened when you and I tried to get some washing machine action," Meredith reminded him.

"Squirrels have it out for us," Derek joked.

"I think they do," Meredith said.

She pulled down the visor on Lilly's stroller to shield her eyes from the sunlight. It was barely sunny on the pathway because of the shadows cast by the trees on either side, but Meredith's mommy instincts didn't come with an off switch. Within seconds of her park view being blocked by the visor, Lilly's eyes welled up with tears, and she let out an upset cry.

Derek stopped pushing the stroller and frowned. "What's the matter, Lillybug? You want this up?" he asked, retracting the visor.

Lilly's crying ceased moments later, and she sniffled, putting her thumb back in her mouth. Meredith shook her head in amusement. "Really? You break out the crocodile tears and make Mommy feel bad?" she said, wiping the tears from Lilly's face.

"She's got us wrapped around her little finger and she knows it."

"Hang on a second," Meredith said, handing Charlie's leash over to Derek. She knelt down and grabbed Lilly's bag from the basket under the stroller. "I think I packed her sunglasses in here."

Derek raised his eyebrows. "She has sunglasses?"

"Yeah. I was bored and going crazy nesting during maternity leave, so Iz dragged me out to the mall. I found them at a little baby boutique," Meredith said, fishing the small, white rimmed sunglasses from the side pocket of Lilly's bag. "Aren't they adorable?"

Derek smiled, watching as Meredith gently put the tiny pair of sunglasses on Lilly's face. "Is this really the same girl who used to drink tequila on the porch and dance on tables?" he asked, untwisting the cap from their shared water bottle and taking a sip.

Meredith narrowed her eyes at him and smiled. "Shut up."

"Okay, I take it back," Derek said, grinning when he saw his daughter. "God, we made such a cute baby."

"Who's apparently a big nature enthusiast like you. Take away her view of the trees for five seconds, and boom, protest," Meredith giggled as they started walking again.

"Mocking me?" he asked.

"No, just pointing out a fact," Meredith said. "I'm Queen of the Indoors, and I married a charming, perfect-haired nature man. Lilly clearly got that from your end of the gene pool."

"She can be my outdoor buddy. I can't wait to take her out to the dock to go fishing. She'll be a pro at baiting hooks and casting lines. Right, Princess?" Derek said, ticking Lilly's feet before tucking them under the blanket to keep her warm.

"Okay, fishing is gross. But I'd camp out," Meredith said.

Derek smiled as he maneuvered the stroller around a crack in the sidewalk. "You'd really sleep outside in a tent?"

"Not in the middle of the wilderness, no. But in our own backyard? Hell yeah," Meredith nodded, linking her arm through his. "We can build a little fire and make s'mores and do other... campy things."

"Love to," Derek said.

They passed by a vendor selling soft pretzels and Meredith stopped. "Ooh, let's get one," she said.

"Okay," Derek chuckled. He pulled his wallet from his back pocket as they approached the vendor with the green awning next to a group of benches. "Oh, hot chocolate, too."

"Yep, best in the state," said the older gentleman who worked the vendor stand. "What can I get you folks today?"

"Two hot chocolates and a soft pretzel, please," Meredith smiled, gently pushing the stroller back and forth because she knew Lilly liked the motion.

"Coming right up," the man said, taking two cups off the top of the stack. "How old's the little lady? She's beautiful."

Derek grinned proudly as he pulled a few dollars from his wallet. "Thank you," he said. "She's actually five months old today."

The man handed over their pretzel and cups of hot chocolate, then reached into his apron pocket. "Well, in that case, she needs something special," he said. He pulled a pink balloon and blew it up with a pump. After shaping it into a heart, he handed it to Meredith. "Here you go. I'll let her mom hold it."

"Aww, that's very sweet," Meredith said gratefully. "Look, peanut. Just for you."

Lilly looked with happy curiosity at the balloon, and Derek smiled, handing the man a dollar tip. "She loves it; thanks so much."

"My pleasure," the man said, waving to Lilly in her stroller. "Have a good day, sweetheart."

"Thanks again," Meredith smiled.

They both waved to the man, then continued their walk down the path toward the small foot bridge that led to the farmers' market on the other side. Meredith took a sip of the hot chocolate, surprised by how good it was. "This is amazing."

"Yeah?"

Meredith nodded, handing him his cup. "Yeah. Almost as good as yours."

"Almost, huh?"

"See? I'm better at flattery than you are," Meredith said. She broke off a piece of the soft pretzel and popped it into her mouth. "This is really good, too. I'd say yours are better, but you've never made me homemade pretzels before."

"Fair enough," Derek said before taking a sip of his hot chocolate. "Damn, this is good."

"Told you."

They stepped onto the foot bridge, and Lilly's mouth formed a small 'o' shape, surprised by the rickety motion the stroller made as it crossed over the wood planks. Meredith laughed, tucking Lilly's heart balloon under her arm. "How is every face you make so cute?"

"I'm sure she'll give us lots of cute faces when we try to feed her a spoonful of mushy fruit later on," Derek chuckled.

"I made the camera was charging before we left," Meredith said as they approached the outdoor market.

Derek kissed her temple, her skin warm against his lips. "Hmm, good thinking."

...

An array of fruits and vegetables were spread on the kitchen counter, ranging in every color, size, and shape. They'd bought a smorgasbord of food from the market, so that Lilly could taste test it all, and they could figure out what she was a fan of, and what she wasn't.

Derek plugged in the food puréer and took off the lid. "So, what do we make first?"

"Umm..." Meredith said, holding Lilly in her arm as she surveyed the food choices. "I don't know. Sweet potatoes?"

"Okay."

While Derek prepared Lilly's food, Meredith put Lilly in her swing, making sure to adjust it so she sat upright for when she ate. After buckling her in, she kissed her daughter's forehead. "Look at you. You're such a big girl."

"Pretty soon, I'll be walking her down the aisle," Derek said as he tossed the chopped sweet potatoes into the puréer.

Meredith smacked his arm lightly with her hand after putting Lilly's bib on her. "Stop it."

"What? I'm kidding. She doesn't even have teeth yet. We have a few years before we need to plan her wedding," he pointed out.

"I think she'll be teething soon. She's been starting to drool more," Meredith said, heating a bottle so Lilly could wash down her food.

"Yeah, I noticed that, too," Derek nodded, scooping the goopy sweet potatoes into a bowl. "Are you gonna surprise us one morning with a tooth in there, Lilly?"

"Probably, yeah," Meredith laughed, pulling two kitchen chairs over so they were in front of Lilly's swing.

Derek took a baby spoon from the drawer, then sat down next to Meredith. "Okay, all set."

"Try some first; make sure they taste good."

"Why do I have to taste them?" he asked.

"Because I pushed her out of my body," Meredith said playfully.

"Fine," Derek agreed. He put a small spoonful into his mouth, and gauged the taste on his tongue. "It's sweet. Reminds me of Thanksgiving."

"Good; she'll probably eat it, then," Meredith said. She smiled excitedly at Lilly, hoping her daughter would pick up on her vibes and be willing to give the food a chance. "Ready for some yummy sweet potatoes, Lilly?"

Derek put a small amount on the spoon, then moved it in a wavelike motion toward her, watching as Lilly tracked it with her eyes. When the spoon reached her lips, she opened her mouth, letting Derek put the food on her tongue.

"Yummy, right?" he grinned.

Lilly licked her lips as she tasted the new flavor, scrunching her eyebrows in curiosity. Meredith reached for the camera on the table and got a picture of her.

"You look so cute."

Just when Derek was getting another spoonful ready, Lilly pushed the sweet potatoes out of her mouth and puckered her lips. Meredith smiled, pointing the camera at her again. "Lilly, look at Mommy."

Lilly glanced at Meredith with the orange gunk on her lips, and Meredith quickly snapped another photo. "Thank you," she giggled. "Even though you spit most of it back out."

Derek wiped Lilly's lips with her bib, then scooped out another spoonful. "She's just getting a feel for it. Let's try again," he said, giving Meredith a turn.

Meredith took the spoon and guided it to Lilly's lips, both of them smiling in satisfaction when she opened her mouth before the spoon even arrived. "Good girl," she praised.

Lilly smacked her gums together, giving it a second try. When she puckered her lips and scrunched her eyebrows again, both Meredith and Derek expected more spitting up, but when they saw her swallow it, they both cheered her on.

"That's my girl. Do you like it now, Lillybug?" Derek asked.

Meredith leaned in to kiss Lilly's nose, but when Lilly tilted her head up, she smushed the remaining sweet potatoes onto Meredith's mouth. "Mmm, thank you," she murmured, kissing the baby's lips.

"See? Tastes pretty good, right?" Derek smirked.

"Well, mine was partly spit up, but yeah, it's pretty good," Meredith said, wiping the sweet potatoes off her lip with her finger. "Thank you for sharing with me, peanut."

Derek laughed. "That was very sweet, Lilly."

"Are you thirsty?" Meredith asked. She reached for Lilly's bottle and put the top against Lilly's lips. She sucked on it for a few moments, then pushed it out of her mouth, her eyes going back to the spoon in Derek's hand.

"Wow, someone's hungry," Derek said, scooping more food onto the spoon. He waved the spoon up and down toward her. "Open up for the airplane," he said, his smile reaching his eyes when she actually did it.

"Well, the sweet potatoes were a hit," Meredith said, watching as Lilly gummed them around in her mouth. "What should we try for dinner, Lilly? Maybe some apples?"

"Mmm, sounds good," Derek said.

"And maybe with the extras, Daddy can make some caramel apples, because that would make me very happy," Meredith said to Lilly as she wiped her chin clean with her thumb.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Well, if you want to spend some time with my boobs that you're so fond of..." Meredith hinted.

Derek nodded. "Apples it is."

...

"I think we should take her out soon," Meredith said with a smile, leaning against the bathroom counter.

Lilly splashed the water around in her baby tub with her feet, and Derek laughed. "Oh, come on. She's having fun."

Meredith stuck her hand in the water to test the temperature. "Well, it's still warm. I guess we can wait a few more minutes," she said. She tickled Lilly's belly with her finger. "You're a little water baby, aren't you?"

"Maybe she'll be a gold medalist swimmer," Derek said. "She can be a surgeon in her spare time."

"How funny would it be if she wasn't into medicine at all? Like she came home one day and told us she wanted to be a lawyer... or a baker... or a dancer."

"I'd be okay with any one of those, as long as the dancing didn't involve a pole," Derek joked, wiping a drop of water off her forehead. "Hear that, Princess? We stay off the pole."

Meredith rolled her eyes playfully. "Did you just tell our five month old to stay off the pole?"

"Hey, start early, and the message sinks in," he replied, glancing at his watch. "Movie starts in twenty minutes. I guess we can take her out now."

"Has she really been in there for a half hour?" Meredith said as she reached for a soft, terrycloth towel from the shelf.

"Guess so. Ready, Lilly?" he asked, gently picking her up so he could hand her off to Meredith. "Here you go. One clean baby, with a very shiny hiney."

Meredith quickly wrapped Lilly up in the towel and started drying her off. "It's also very cute," she added. "Wanna clean up, while I get her dressed?"

"Yeah. I'll be right in," Derek nodded.

"Okay."

Meredith walked out of the bathroom and down the hall with Lilly, swaddled warmly in her towel. "We're gonna watch Finding Nemo. I've never actually seen it, but Daddy has. Apparently, it's a classic. We'll see," she giggled, laying Lilly down on the changing table to get her dressed.

She grabbed a new diaper off the stack on the shelf. "I didn't watch a lot of cartoon movies when I was a kid, but I did watch a lot of surgery tapes. I probably could've done an appy better than an intern when I was in kindergarten."

Meredith patted Lilly's bottom dry, then slid the diaper underneath her. After peeling back the adhesive and securing it around her waist, Derek walked into the room. "Hey, just in time. Can you get me a pair of pajamas for her?"

"Yeah." He walked over to Lilly's dresser and opened her pajama drawer. "What'll it be? We've got flowers, monkeys... oh, jackpot. Fishy ones," Derek said, taking out the long sleeved shirt and pants.

"Very clever."

"I think so," Derek grinned, holding the pajamas in his hand while Meredith rubbed some lotion onto Lilly's skin. "I promise, it's a cute movie. It actually reminds me of my nieces and nephews back in New York."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Whenever I'd babysit, they'd make me watch it. By that point, I was pretty sure I'd never be a dad, so it was fun, you know? Spending time with them," Derek said.

Meredith stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him. "Now you're a daddy that gets to do all that stuff."

"Hmm, yeah," Derek smiled against her lips. "Which is why I don't even care if you make fun of me."

"No more teasing," Meredith promised, stepping aside so Derek could dress Lilly. "I'm actually glad we're doing this... having family time or whatever. Lilly comes first, and I always want her to know that."

"She does," Derek said as he shimmied the pink and blue fish pajamas up Lilly's legs. "You've been the most important part of our lives since we knew you existed. It was October tenth, the day of your Uncle Alex and Aunt Izzie's wedding. Mommy told me she thought she might be pregnant, I held her dress while she peed, and five minutes later, we got the plus sign. That's all it took. We fell in love with you right then and there."

Meredith smiled at the memory, weaving one of Lilly's arms through her pajamas sleeves while Derek did the other. "We really did."

"I'm sure she'll hear that story many, many times growing up," Derek chuckled. He picked her up off the changing table and kissed her forehead. "Her hair's getting really wavy."

"I know, especially after her baths. I think it'll probably get curly once it grows a little longer," Meredith said, combing her fingers through Lilly's dark hair to smooth it out.

Lilly reached for Derek's chin with her tiny hand. "Are you getting impatient, huh? Okay, let's go watch Nemo." He put his hand on the small of Meredith's back as they walked out of Lilly's room toward the stairs. "And later on, you and I can have our fun... since I made you caramel apples and all."

"Uh huh," Meredith giggled. "Don't worry, I fully intend to hold up my end of the bargain."

"Looking forward to it."

"Me, too."

They reached the bottom of the stairs, and went into the living room, where the couch awaited them, stocked with pillows and blankets. Like sleeping late in the mornings, the chance to veg out on the couch was a rare, welcomed event, and they seized every opportunity to do so. Derek handed Lilly to Meredith, then leaned in to kiss her. "Go get comfy. I'll get our snacks."

"Hmm, thank you," she said.

Derek headed into the kitchen, and Meredith walked around the couch, dropping down onto the middle cushion. "Come here, Charlie," she said, patting one of the cushions next to her.

Charlie hopped next to her, spinning in circles until he finally decided to lie down. He rested his chin on her knee, close to where Lilly was sitting in her lap. She reached out with her hand to touch Charlie's face, quickly withdrawing it when she felt his cold, wet nose.

Meredith laughed. "You love slobbery dog kisses, but not wet noses?"

Lilly tipped her head up and smiled at Meredith, as though she agreed with her, then she leaned the back of her head against Meredith's chest. Meredith pulled one of the soft, flannel blankets over their laps, snuggling Lilly close to her. "Now all we need is Daddy with our snacks," she said. "Speaking of which, if you get hungry, let me know so I can feed you, peanut."

"All set," Derek said as he walked back into the living room with a tray of their food and drinks. He set it down on the coffee table in front of them. "Caramel apple or popcorn first?"

"Both," Meredith requested. "And tonight, I'll have very athletic S-E-X with you to burn off the calories."

"What exactly does this athletic S-E-X involve?"

"It means I'll be the one doing all the work..." Meredith said, patting the other cushion next to her. "You know, as long as I don't fall asleep under this cocoon of blankets."

Derek sat down next to her and kissed her temple. "Hmm, I'll do my best to keep you awake, then," he promised.

"Thank you." Meredith bit into the caramel apple and moaned. "Mmm, okay. We can add these to the list of things you can make."

"All I did was melt the caramel and dip the apples in."

"Well, you're pretty awesome at it," she said, draping some of the blanket over his lap. She rested her head on his shoulder and took in the warmth of him.

"I had a lot of fun today," Derek said, wrapping his arm around her. "I think our children had fun, too."

"Charlie is exhausted. That walk wore him out," she said.

The movie opening started on the TV, and Lilly was immediately drawn to it, taking in the bright colors and sounds. She made a delighted cooing sound, and both of her parents smiled at her.

"Looks like Lilly's got a little more steam left in her," Derek remarked, grinning at how happily content Lilly looked, sitting nestled in Meredith's lap.

"She already loves it," Meredith said, clapping Lilly's little hands together. She saw the Disney logo pop up on the screen, and turned her head toward Derek. "This is going to make me cry, isn't it?"

Derek laughed. "It's Disney. I'd say it's a safe bet."