(Shattered...) Dreams Fulfilled

Hormones & Jealousy

"Derek, did you bring dessert?"

"I thought we had every flavor of ice cream you wanted in the freezer?"

"I've already had ice cream, and I thought, well, it's not important."

"Uhmmm...it's not important. Ok," he teased, "but, what would you say to chocolate fudge cake?"

"Almost..." she whispered in his ear, "as good as this," she said and uncaring of their audience, brushed his lips with hers, and then deepened the kiss.

"Almost..." he teased, "payback...tomorrow..."

"Can't wait," she said, kissing him lightly again, "dessert anyone," she asked while getting up to get plates, and brought the cake to the table.

"You two really need to...Grey...put him out of his misery...we thought we were about to witness your x-rated version of dessert," Mark commented.

"Mark..."

"What, Shep, you know it's true, McDreamy may have redeemed himself...but he still needs to overcome one major hurdle..."

"You're just jealous," Derek countered.

"Shep, jealous? Have you noticed how I've been spending my nights lately...?"

"Mark, are you saying, you prefer sleeping around, rather than find a more...well, let's use the word 'stable' relationship...like the one you have been telling the entire hospital about," she paused challenging him to answer, "perhaps... prematurely...that you're going to be the bestman at?"

"Prematurely? Grey, you are not going to hold that over my head, I'm yours to keep...bestman and godfather."

"Uhmmm...just watch...what you say to Derek..."

"Man, you are so totally whipped," Mark laughed.

"You don't listen, Mark, do you? No dessert for you," Meredith said, as she cut pieces for everyone, and placed his piece in front of hers, and walked over to the refrigerator to pour a glass of milk.

"That's what you think," he winked at her, "I'm definitely getting plenty of dessert tonight...but bet Shep can't say that same thing."

She smacked him lightly across the head as she passed him, and sat down to drink the milk and eat the cake, though she also passed the second piece of cake to him.

"Mark, lay off my sex life and concentrate on yours..."

"Believe me, Shep, I've been doing plenty of concentrating on mine..."

"Yeah, you keep at it, same woman every night... we may be attending your wedding, before you get a chance to be my bestman," Derek joked, and failed to see Meredith's reaction to his comment.

"Mer, you didn't tell me, have you set a wedding date?"

"Oh, Lexie, don't go there...it's a sore subject for Derek, he hasn't proposed yet," Kathleen commented.

"I kind of knew that...but with all the talk of bestman..."

"It's up in the air," Meredith commented.

"It is not, up in the air," Derek said emphatically.

"That's it, no more wedding talk," Kathleen interrupted, "Derek, when you propose and figure out a date, let us know, we have at the very least twenty-three people to fly cross country."

"What...what do you mean...twenty-three people..." Meredith asked.

"Meredith, surely you don't think you two are going to get married without all of his family here."

"As Derek said, Mark may be getting married before we do...and since we know that's not likely to happen anytime soon...you may not have anything to worry about..."

"Meredith...honey, I don't think that's what Derek meant," Kathleen said, correctly interpreting her sudden doubts and insecurities over Derek's comment.

"It's ok Kathleen...I understand..."

"Why don't you explain it to me, because I sure as hell don't know what you're talking about," Derek told her raising his voice.

"Don't yell at me."

"I'm not yelling, I just want to know where you got that idea..."

"You just said..."

"Meredith, Derek, stop it right now," Lexie scolded.

"Lexie, don't you dare tell me..." Meredith told her.

"Fine," Kathleen interrupted, "you think she can't tell you to stop, well I certainly can. You two better stop talking and start listening to what the other is saying, for the love of God, you are acting incredibly childish."

"We are not," both said in unison, and realizing the absurdity of it all, broke some of the tension with laughter.

"Mark, are you about ready to leave," Kathleen asked him.

"Just about...I'm going to get seconds...hell, probably third and fourth helpings of dessert."

"Oh, stop acting like an idiot," Kathleen told him, "can you drop me off at the ferry terminal, so Derek doesn't have to?"

"Damn woman, but you're bossy, I don't remember you being this bad before."

"Practice makes perfect...and you won't hear my husband complaining ..."

"You probably don't give him a chance, but who knows what he says behind your back."

Kathleen who was sitting across from Meredith & Lexie, and next to Mark, got up and without warning, lightly smacked him on the head, "stop tormenting Derek," she told him, "and you," she told Derek while smacking him a bit harder, "start acting like a grown up."

"What did I do, now, that hurt?"

"Start listening a little better, and learn to interpret her reactions, you've got a long seven months ahead of you," she said, and noticing Meredith was still quiet, walked over to her, and in a motherly gesture so foreign to Meredith, stood beside her and put her arms around her shoulder and hugged her.

"Meredith, honey, you're hormones are going to be all over the place, and I know it's going to be hard, but you'll need to ignore some of his stupidity sometimes."

"You are so totally biased," Derek muttered under his breath.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing."

Lexie watched the exchange with amusement.

"He said," Mark interjected, "you're totally biased, and he's right, we get a swat, and she gets a hug for the same misunderstanding as Shep did, how fair is that?"

"I did not notice either of you being pregnant."

"That's a copout Kathleen, none of you ever gave crap about hormones, and I've been there through enough of them ..."

She hugged Meredith again, "don't pay any attention to him, he's just as insensitive as he's always been."

"Hey, not fair, I'm here tonight just to make sure she was ok."

Meredith remained quiet, her telltale sign of biting her bottom revealing her failed attempt at hiding how much Kathleen's support meant to her. It was the first time anyone had shown her that much affection.

Derek did not take his eyes off her and saw the conflicting emotions reflected in her gaze, and got up and stood next to his sister and hugged her, "Kathleen, thank you for reminding me," he said, "I was not sensitive to Meredith's feelings."

He heard her soft, almost inaudible whimper, and standing behind her chair, hugged her while kissing the top of her head, "I'm sorry, I did not mean to make you sad."

"It wasn't that..."

"What was it...because, really, I don't know..."

"We'll talk later," Meredith told him.

"Ok, that's settled," Kathleen stated, "Lexie, why don't we clean this up, and we can..."

"You don't have to do that," Meredith said and started to get up.

"You stay right there, we'll get this done," Kathleen told her, and she and Lexie cleaned the remaining items from the kitchen table.

"Xena, when Kathleen's not around, you're going to need to interpret your sister's mood swings...because, like Shep, I'm absolutely oblivious to what the hell just happened."

"Mark, stop with the nonsense, and what's with all the nicknames? Xena... McDreamy...oh my God, wait, Mark you said McDreamy and the bet, surely, that was not about..." she stopped and started laughing.

"Oh, Kathleen, but one of the best is Mc Steamy..." Lexie laughed along with her.

"Wait..." she laughed again, "did it really go over my head..." she continued chuckling, "Derek is who you meant was McDreamy?"

"Kat, who the hell else did you think I meant, I was talking to him ..."

"This, I have to hear...and you must be...Mc Steamy," she said and laughed even harder, "how in the world did anyone come up with those nicknames...who gave thought to those names?"

"McSteamy was all Mer's doing, from what I've heard," Lexie told her.

"Lexie," Meredith chided, "it's really not that good a story."

"Mer, it's a great story, especially when Derek hit Mark..."

"Derek hit Mark? When, why?"

"Go ahead, Meredith, tell the story," Derek prompted.

"Derek, that is not nice..."

"You're not pregnant Kathleen, you can't use that line on me."

"Don't be an idiot, it's not nice to put Meredith on the spot, and she apparently feels that way."

"Kathleen, it's actually ok...maybe we can get an answer as to why Derek actually hit Mark."

"Grey, that's not a secret, he was jealous as hell."

"He does not get jealous," Meredith told him.

"Who the hell told you that, of course he does, that's why he used all his strength, I was on the ground bleeding and needed stitches."

"Ok, stop right there. Meredith, you tell the story, and start from the beginning."

"Let's see...I was at a computer reading a patient's information, and here comes this incredibly attractive older man..."

"Incredibly attractive..." Derek said and raised his eyebrow.

"Older man..." Mark grumbled.

"Yes, to both...and after being struck by his, shall we say, sensitivity to the patient's history which he read over my shoulder, he blatantly hits on me, and tells me about wanting to stay in bed all day..."

"He did what? You never told me that...you son of a ..."

"Shep, need I remind you, you were married...living with your wife..."

"That's not the issue...Meredith, he asked you to spend the day in bed with him..."

She could see he was really upset, "Derek, I did not say that..."

"You just said..."

"I said, he was telling me about having arrived in Seattle, and hating the rain and how it made him feel like staying in bed all day...I did not say ..."

"You certainly remember a lot of detail about it," Derek said pouting.

"Of course she remembers, I made quite an impression on her."

"Stay out of this, you ...to think, I'm considering you for bestman...and...you can just..."

"Oh no you don't...you're not changing your mind."

"Like hell, I'm not..."

"Derek, Mark, stop it, the two of you...let me finish the story."

"I think I've heard enough," Derek told her.

"No, you haven't..." she said, "and you know it didn't mean anything to me."

"You seem to have a very vivid recollection of your meeting."

"Come on Derek, it was...even for you..."

"Ok, in my defense," Mark spoke up, "I should finish the story, before these two get in another argument."

"We're not arguing."

"Right. I'm talking to Mer, and out of nowhere I have a fist connect with my cheek and bleeding all over the place."

"Derek, you hit Mark...why?"

"I told you Kat, I was flirting with Mer, and he was jealous."

"He was not jealous Mark...he had just seen you for the first time since New York..."

"Grey, I told you then, I'm telling you again, he was jealous...he saw me and Addie naked...and nothing, couldn't be bothered to hit me then, but he saw you talking to me, and introducing yourself...and that was it...stitches and all..."

"You had to have stitches?"

"You introduced yourself to him, why? " Derek accused her.

"Derek, I did not know who he was, he was obviously a doctor, understood the information he had read over my shoulder, though sensitivity was not his forte even then...why wouldn't I?

"Because he was Mark."

"I did not know that, and in case you are forgetting, you were with your wife," she said a bit annoyed.

"All right, referee time again," Lexie commented.

"That's right, both of you, all three of you, it's already happened...so lighten up," Kathleen ordered.

"I did introduce myself, all I said was Meredith and extended my hand, and next thing I knew Derek had hit Mark, and I was cleansing the wound and got ready to stitch him up."

"Mark let you stitch him up?"

"Kat, you know me better than that, of course I didn't."

"Kathleen that was the most hilarious of all, when he asked me for the mirror and told me he'd do it himself."

"Are we done with this story yet," Derek asked ill humored.

"No, that's when he told me everyone knew I was the slutty intern..."

"And don't forget Grey, our nickname."

"Yes, our nickname..."

"Another nickname," Kathleen asked, "what now?"

"The dirty mistresses," he said and both he and Meredith laughed, but she realized Derek was not in the least amused.

"Derek," she said and reached for his hand, "we're just joking, it never meant anything... it's always been you...only you, I'm interested in, I'm sorry, I was not trying to upset you."

"It's fine."

"No it's not. Derek, I know you're not fine. But, it was funny, and I was not attracted to him."

"Grey, you're contradicting yourself, you just said, I was this incredibly attractive man..."

"You were, but I wasn't interested...Derek, please..."

"It's fine Meredith."

"Sure," she said with renewed insecurities, "Kathleen, I'm tired, if you don't mind, I'm going to go upstairs..."

"No, you are not. You are going to finish the story, and tell me how McSteamy was born, and Derek, stop acting like a jealous teenager, she loves you, and you know it."

"Really, Kathleen...I'd rather..." she said quietly.

"Meredith, it's fine...please, finish the story," Derek told her after he realized she was truly getting upset over the conversation, and his reaction, "it's fine, I haven't heard this, please tell the story."

"Come on Grey, I haven't heard this either...and if there was any doubt in your mind, why he hit me...you got proof tonight, he was jealous as hell."

"Mark, stop adding fuel to the fire," Kathleen told him.

"See, there I disagree, I know McDreamy would love nothing more than to fuel that fire." he laughed.

Kathleen reached over and smacked him, "stop your taunting."

Derek got up and extended his hand to Meredith for her to get up, and she did, and then he sat her on his lap and whispered, "I love you and I'm sorry, please finish telling us."

"I'm sorry, you got upset."

"He's right, I was jealous as hell."

"You were..." she said in amazement.

"Obviously still am..."

"I love you Derek...you know that."

"Yes, I do."

"Ok, you two, stop the whispering, you'll have plenty of time for that when Kat and I leave."

"Shut up Mark," he heard from all but Lexie.

She settled comfortably in his arms and continued, "I needed to take him for an x-ray, and thought it would be best if I didn't..."

"Coward..." Mark told her.

"Mark, if you don't stop it, I'm going to tell the story about that time at the lake..."

"That is beneath you Kathleen..."

"Try me..."

"Gladly..." he joked.

"Mark, that is ...not...not gentlemanly at all..." Meredith reprimanded.

"That's a new one," Derek said, "Mark being confused for a gentleman."

"Mer, don't mind him, he's been trying that for years...I'm the only older woman he says that ever turned him down."

"You've been propositioning my sister...how the hell is that possible, she's been married since you were old enough to..."

"She's hot Derek... always has been...still is..."

"Kathleen, how can you let him talk that way..."

"Derek, he's been doing this for years, he's great for my ego, especially around my very jealous husband... keeps him on his toes...besides, he's right, I am hot...still..."

"Women...who the hell can understand you," Derek muttered.

"Meredith, get to the point, how did he get the name? Who gave him the name?"

"He didn't let me stitch him up, but did it himself, so I went to get one of the interns to take him to get an x-ray, and Alex took him because he was in awe of the 'go to plastic surgeon' as he dubbed him."

"Always knew Karev was in awe of me, man recognizes genius."

Lexie was unable to keep from laughing.

"You feel differently Grey?"

"No, Dr...Mark, just listening to the story," Lexie smiled.

"Then, Cristina, Iz and I were there, totally enthralled with Mark stitching up his own face, George was there too, but he didn't count."

"Yang and Stevens wee totally enthralled...uhmmm...that could be interesting."

"Mark, aren't you totally enthralled with Tracy right now...going for what was it...several helpings of dessert," Meredith countered.

"Grey...you know me better than that...always keep your options open..."

"You are really a manwhore...and I was thinking you might be wanting to settle down," Meredith told him.

"What? Where did you get an idea like that? Grey, those hormones are affecting your logic as well..."

"Mark, leave her alone," Kathleen reprimanded.

"She's the one that started."

"I have to say, you and Derek have behaved much worse than my teenagers, Mom's not going to believe it when I tell her."

"Why would you need to tell her any of this, Kathleen, there's no need for it."

"Derek, do you seriously think I'm going to skip some of the stories I can tell...McSteamy and Mcdreamy ...not a chance in hell baby brother, don't worry Meredith, I will keep the dirty mistress comments to my self."

"You are so totally biased, Mark we're fuc...screwed next time we see Mom."

"Derek," Meredith said softly, "remember...language..."

"You are worried about the language I'm using now," he laughed, "but not the entire conversation about slutty interns, man whores and dirty mistresses."

"Derek, that is not nice...you're making fun of me again," she said, and he detected the hormones kicking in.

"I'm not making fun...truly...just pointing out you didn't seem to mind earlier..."

"That's because I didn't notice it, I told you, we'd forget, and that's why we have to start being aware of it now..."

"Shep, Grey, do you two want to decipher that conversation?"

"Meredith thinks we need to watch our language...around the baby."

Mark laughed, "you're joking?"

"Derek....that wasn't nice...not at all, now both of you are laughing at me, well let me tell you maybe ...just maybe, I don't think..."

Derek silenced her with a kiss and murmured against her lips, "be nice Meredith."

"Meredith, lighten up, finish the story."

Derek laughed, "Kathleen, Meredith has a special aversion to being told to lighten up," he said, without taking his eyes off Meredith and remembering a confrontation about that very statement.

"Totally different Derek, it does not begin to compare," Meredith glared at him.

"I give up...you two have absolutely no objectivity regarding the other's faults."

"Tread lightly little brother, and Meredith, I'd like to get to back to the inn tonight."

"If all of you didn't continuously interrupt or make fun of me, I could have finished this long ago."

"Meredith, just admit it was you who dubbed him McSteamy," Lexie commented.

"Wait a minute, did you just say you were enthralled watching him..."

"Derek, we were a bit in awe of him...I mean...seriously, he was doing his own stitches..."

"Glad you know how much you left out of this story."

"Shepherd, lighten up...let me finish the story..."

"Don't you tell me to lighten up," he said and both recalled almost the exact same words months ago, and could not help but laugh at the irony of the moment, "you've never called me that before."

"What?"

"Shepherd... lighten up?"

"It seemed appropriate, I like that...Shepherd...for when you have to be reminded of things."

"Grey, Shepherd... whatever you two want to call each other, finish the story Meredith, I've had an exhausting day, thanks to the two of you, and I want to get a good eight hours of sleep tonight."

"Goodness, everyone is testy tonight," Meredith mumbled to a chorus of ...what!

"Meredith," Lexie laughed, "you really have nerve to say that, after the roller coaster ride of hormones we've been exposed to tonight."

"I don't see how that's happened."

"Of course you don't Grey, that's why we're here to tell you about it, and you can mend your ways."

"Fine...so we're standing around and I said, Mcsexy needed stitches..."

"You, dubbed him McSexy too," Derek asked her in disbelief.

"Just for a second, but it didn't fit him, so we threw a couple of names around...and agreed McSteamy suited him best, that's all."

"Who came up with McSteamy," Kathleen asked.

"Well...I think..."

"Meredith..."

"I love you Derek..."

"It was you, wasn't it," Derek laughed. That wasn't very nice Meredith, not nice at all, forgetting all about me, and ready to move on to McSteamy."

"I was not," she told him, "you know that is not true."

"I love you Meredith," he said, using the same tactic as hers with the use of those three words, and trying to keep from laughing again.

"You do know..."

"I do know...it meant nothing."

"It means nothing."

"Thanks for that, Grey, nothing like being made to feel unworthy," Mark grinned.

"Mark Sloan, you are going to be my...our baby's godfather...and we want only the best for our baby...my knight..." she said, and smiled at him, "you're very worthy, now," she emphasized..

"Now I am totally confused. Derek, you're upset about a story that happened months ago, yet you're ok, she's calling him her knight...in shining armor I presume?"

"I didn't know all of the story Kathleen, the McSteamy story, but I do know, recently, he's been her knight...and I trust my brother."

"That's lovely Derek, there could be no better ending to an evening than this...trust and friendship and family, I'm glad I've been here, had these two days to spend with you."

"Kathleen..." Meredith added, "about McDreamy..." she said, "you already know the story...it was just a matter of getting from that first night to this evening," and turning to Derek, kissed him gently on the lips and felt the comfort and love in his embrace.