(Shattered...) Dreams Fulfilled

Morning After

They had returned to the trailer and she'd gone to shower while he put everything away.

He'd done the same, finding her already asleep when he joined her in bed, he'd reached for her, spooning her closely as she instinctively settled in his embrace

"Good night Meredith," he whispered, "I love you."

"Me too," she mumbled, unable to witness the smile. Then, she gently squeezed his hand, and his heart skipped a beat, immeasurable joy bringing tears to his eyes.

She'd been restless, getting up several times that night and as she came back to bed, noticed it was almost time for him to get up, the alarm set to go off in the next few minutes.

He was on his back and after turning off the alarm, she quietly slipped back in bed, laying on her side watching him sleep. Her heart was pounding with an overpowering desire to gather him in her arms and tell him she loved him. But, something kept holding her back, a nagging feeling that kept the words at bay.

"Good morning," she whispered softly against his lips.

"Uhmm...tired..."

"Derek," she brushed his lips again, "already let you sleep five more minutes."

"Uhmmm...want sleep..."

She let him enjoy a couple more minutes, knowing it didn't matter if he was running a little late, they couldn't very well operate without him," she thought and smiled.

He opened his eyes at that moment, a bit startled, "you've been watching me sleep?"

"You didn't give me much of a choice, since my kisses didn't wake you."

He reached for her hand entwining their fingers together, "but they did...I just wanted to enjoy some more."

"In that case," she said, bridging the distance between them, "good morning, again."

"Uhmmm...my turn to say this is how I want to wake up every morning," he said, and held her close to him, her head gently resting on his chest.

"You have an early surgery, you need to get going."

"Spoilsport."

"I can't help that you're this world renowned neurosurgeon ...and the only one that can do this surgery."

"You're buttering me up...what's going on?"

"I'm teasing you Derek, but come to think of it, why couldn't I scrub in on this with you?"

"I knew there was an ulterior motive to your words of praise."

"There was not..."she giggled, "but seriously, you could have asked for me."

"I did."

"You did?"

"Yes, apparently they are sticking to the new eighty hour weeks and the time span between your last shift to this one wouldn't cut it, so the chief wouldn't budge."

"Oh..." she said a bit disappointed, "they have been sticking to it."

"Why didn't you ask me before?"

She was quiet and didn't answer

"Meredith?"

"It...the day it was scheduled... it was the day after we broke up... I didn't want to ask you for anything."

"I'm sorry."

"It's ok."

"No, it's not."

"Derek, there's going to be other surgeries, I don't plan on going anywhere."

"You're right, but our personal life should not interfere with the professional."

"Seriously?"

"Of course."

She laughed, "oh Derek, you have so much to learn."

"What?"

"Do you actually think I was in any shape or had any desire to ask you for any favors..."

He interrupted her, "it would not have been a favor, you're a brilliant surgeon, and nothing should interfere with that."

She was quiet again, and then said with a hint of sadness, "that's what my mother would have said."

"Hey, that may be the only time I agree with your mother. You and I are going to have disagreements in the future, nothing like what we've just been through, but there will be times when we have some rough spots, and we can't let that interfere with our work."

"Are you saying work should be more important?"

"No, I'm not. You & me...that is everything that is important, that's our priority."

"Ok, then."

"But, realistically our relationship will have its ups and downs, and as hard as it may be, we have to try to not let that interfere with the professional. It's hard, it will be sometimes, but the most important thing, when we come home...it's just us...we leave work behind."

"So, in spite of our personal...disagreements...I should be bossy at work..." she teased him.

"You can be bossy anytime... I'm just not sure how often I'll listen," he laughed.

"You ass."

"So I've been told before," he said and kissed her, very reluctant to let go.

"You need to go...now..."

"What time is your shift today," he asked as he got out of bed and headed for the shower, a cold shower she suspected.

"Ten to eight, are you going to have time for breakfast, I can get it ready."

"Yes. You're getting very domesticated," he joked before closing the door.

On her way to the small kitchen she opened the door to the bathroom and told him, "just for that comment, I should make you eat the same thing I made for Lexie," and as she shut the door heard his laughter, and walked away smiling.

She went back to bed for an hour after he'd left, and though she did not sleep, it helped her get started gathering her thoughts, to figure out what she was going to discuss with the therapist. Pondering, how does one even begin to talk to a therapist.

Meredith had finished some rounds with her interns, and assigned a couple to surgeries when she finally had a chance for a break that morning, and was dropping off some charts at the nurses' station before going to the resident's lounge.

"Dr. Grey, we miss seeing you here early in the morning."

"Hi Amy Lynn, I've missed the morning banter myself."

"Well, we can certainly bring you quickly up to date, can't we Steph."

"Dr. Grey, she's right, but we kind of have some gossip of our own," she laughed, looking over at Lisette who was sitting at the far end of the counter.

"Go ahead, laugh at me," Lisette "just wait till it's your turn."

She sensed him before he spoke, "hey," he said as he stood behind her and put his arm around her, "do you have time for coffee?"

"Yes," she said as she grinned contentedly, and leaned back against him.

"Ladies, missed seeing you this morning, where's Tracy?"

Nobody answered, as Tracy and Mark were waking toward them together.

"Ah..."

They all laughed, including Meredith, "your observation powers are...delayed," she teased him.

"I have been in surgery all morning," he added.

"How did it go?"

"Very good, I'll tell you about it over coffee."

"The Fab4 & GS together again," Mark drawled.

"Oh God," Tracy commented.

"I didn't hear you complaining last night," he openly teased her in front of the others.

"I was having too much fun to notice the absurdity of your comments," she smiled.

"Well, the important thing has been established, "you were having too much fun."

"That I was."

"So, Amy Lynn, how did I fare with my bet."

"Another one," Meredith and Derek said simultaneously.

"This one's a fun one," Steph laughed.

"You all just go ahead and make fun of me, I'm going to see how you react when each of you has to deal with ..."

"What's going on?" Derek interrupted.

Everyone laughed, except Lisette who was sitting quietly with her head down, before Tracy interrupted.

"The Fab4 family, as Mar...Dr. Sloane would say..."

"Tracy, I think they know... you can call me Mark," he winked.

"Well, we are getting a new addition..."

Mark, not known for patience, "told you, I can tell a pregnant woman a mile away."

"Really," Meredith asked him laughing, "when did you change your specialty?"

"It has nothing to do with that, ask Shep, I identified three of his sister's pregnancies before they had any idea."

"Yeah, he did manage to do that..."

"Lisette, you're pregnant... that's good, right...you're so quiet."

"Yes, it's very good, except they have not stopped teasing me for totally ignoring all the symptoms."

"Totally ignoring is not the word, it's called living in denial for two weeks, and refusing to believe us or her husband when we kept telling her," Amy Lynn chimed in.

"Well, that's wonderful, Congratulations Lisette, when are you due?"

"I'm only about seven weeks along Dr. Shepherd, so I'll be around here for a while still."

"Told you, I called it 7 weeks," Mark grinned.

"What was the bet?" Meredith asked.

"The FAB4 take me out to dinner!"

"So, you're gain is their loss," Derek joked.

"Don't go there Shepherd, it's obvious you're not out of the woods yet."

"What does that mean?"

"You & Grey, no sex yet."

"Dr. Sloan," Meredith started...

"C'mon Mer, you have to call me Mark... remember...bestman...and Derek agreed to god..."

She interrupted him quickly, "Mark, the bet was how long it would take for McDreamy to redeem himself...not about..."

"He can't fully redeem himself until...but, wait, there is that smile...something has changed...I can't quite get a grasp on it...but...Grey...you're hiding something, you both are..."

"I am not..." she said averting his gaze, "but, I should get to say when McDreamy has redeemed himself..."

"Doesn't work that way Grey, you have to learn to interpret bets correctly."

"Think what you want," Meredith told him with a smile and turned around to kiss Derek softly on the lips, "ready for that coffee?"

"Ladies, will see you later. Lisette, congratulations again."

"Thank you, Dr. Shepherd, it's nice to have one sane person around here, between these and my husband they are driving me crazy about having missed all the signs."

"Be honest Lisette, you didn't miss all the signs," Steph teased her, " you just denied the possibility... even after it was the same thing with your daughter."

"Whatever... tease away, I'm pregnant and dizzy and nauseous and actually thrilled about another baby."

Derek and Meredith walked away holding hands and he looked at her, "that's nice, she's having a baby."

"It is," she smiled.

They entered the lounge and found Alex and Cristina.

"Hey guys."

"Mer, Dr. Shepherd."

"Hi guys, interns running around loose?"

"You could say that, it's been a hell of a morning. That was a great surgery, Dr. Shepherd."

"The two of you scrubbed in?"

"Dude, I wish, watched from the gallery."

"Cristina did, she was excellent," Derek said, "so was Lexie."

"Lexie scrubbed in too, Derek and I..."

"Meredith."

"Never mind."

"What's with you two? All's peachy except for surgery benefits?"

Meredith chose not to rise to her bait, "you could say that, I couldn't scrub in, though Derek asked for me, chief wouldn't bend the hours rule."

"You missed a hell of a learning opportunity."

"There'll be others," she said smiling at Derek as he brought her a cup of coffee.

"Three was good, she's got a lot of potential."

"Three? Cristina, you can't still be calling the interns by numbers," Derek commented dumbfounded.

"I don't do it all the time, it just easier."

"They're doctors, human beings, they deserve to be called by their name," he stated.

She was quiet, and then quietly stated, "Burke would have agreed with you."

Derek was surprised and decided to ease the tension caused by that obviously profound statement, "well, he wasn't always right."

Cristina met his gaze in acknowledgment, "no, he was not."

Meredith reached for his hand and squeezed it gently, "thank you," she mouthed..

Alex and Cristina's pagers went off simultaneously, leaving Meredith and Derek alone.

"How are you feeling today," he asked leading her to the small sofa.

"I'm good."

"Uhmmm..."

"I am, no dizziness or cramping...maybe just getting back to what's normal for me."

"Funny..." he said softly, still holding her hand, "Lisette being pregnant..."

"Derek..."

"And not recognizing the symptoms...imagine that...medical professionals...in denial."

She laughed, "you believe you're still humoring my denial..."

"I love you," he smiled.

"That's not always going to work," she said and hugged him, "but you know what..."

"What?"

"This may come as a shock to you..."

"Meredith..."

"Derek..."

"What...what are you thinking?"

"Whenever it happens...Derek...even if I don't think I'll ever be ready...I'm going to love the look on your face..."

"Oh..."

"What...what did you think I was going to say?"

"Nothing..." he said almost pouting and not looking at her.

"Oh...you thought I was going to tell you I might have been denying it too..."

"Yeah..."

"I'm sorry...I'm not...really I'm not...but, I know something's off, and I promised you I'd look into it... maybe I am anemic."

"Two days...you're not better in two days, and I'm not waiting anymore."

"Derek, was Mark lying about knowing your sisters were pregnant," she asked trying not to sound too interested.

"Believe it or not, he did, it freaked the hell out of them, because at the time none of them had even thought about it."

"Surprising isn't it, from him," she laughed.

"He said he developed that sense to guard off against any of his many conquests lying to him about it."

"That sounds like Mark," she laughed.

"You didn't let him finish about being a godfather today."

"Derek, can you imagine the kind of gossip that would start."

"We'd be the talk of the hospital, again," he smiled and leaned in to kiss her.

"I like him and Tracy, don't you?"

"I'm surprised he's being so open about it, I mean, he's very open about his numerous conquests, but never singles one out like that."

"Marking his territory, you think?"

"That's what he said about you the other day."

"He said what?"

"That he was very proud of you for marking your territory in the OR."

"Well, it was hard not to, and don't you forget it. You are totally mine, and I'm not sharing you, not an inch of you Derek, don't forget it."

"That sounded vaguely dirty," he laughed, "I've no interest in anyone but you. I'm completely yours."

"As I am."