The Seventh Sense is Love

Christmas Shopping Together

"Derek, are you sure about this?"

"Of course. I told you we'd do the remainder of the Christmas shopping together."

"I know," she replies a bit tensely and holds onto him a little tighter, a bit more securely. "It's just that the mall is more crowded than we anticipated."

"Meredith," he chuckles and rubs his cheek across her hair as they make their way through the crowd of people. "I'm fine, please don't worry."

"Yeah right," she sighs and wishes she could put an invisible force field around them. And if anyone came within a foot of them they'd get knocked on their butts. The image makes her giggle.

"What?" he asks.

"Oh nothing," she answers evasively. She knows he'll tease her endlessly if she tells him her thoughts. "Should we go to the toy store first?"

Meredith feels him tense slightly but doesn't say anything. "Yes," he answers. "Is Dora stuff still cool with the little girls?"

"Probably," she answers, "but Molly suggested dress-up stuff."

"Dress-up stuff?" he asks, sounding bewildered. "Don't kids play dress-up with stuff out of their parents' or grandparents' closets?"

"That's what I thought too, but apparently there's a whole slew of kids items for them to dress-up in now. Princesses, firemen, doctors, you name it."

"Okay," he answers, clearly feeling out of his element.

They do their Christmas shopping - which goes surprisingly well. At the end of it Derek asks Meredith if she wants to go to lunch.

"Actually," she answers, "do you mind if we just go home? I'm a little bit tired."

"I don't mind," he answers and squeezes her hand in his.

"I wouldn't mind going out to dinner, though."

"Okay," he says. They drive home in companionable silence. Once they are there Meredith does indeed go to lie down. After a while Derek goes in to find out how she's doing. He's surprised that she's sound asleep. He figured she'd just be resting. He sits on the bed beside her for a while. Listening to her even breathing and absently stroking the back of her hair - lost in thought. Then he pulls a blanket over her, kisses her softly on the cheek and goes to listen to a book.