(Shattered...) Dreams Fulfilled

Legendary Couple

"We're going to go, Meredith needs some rest, but, tell us, who came up with McDreamy?"

"That was Cristina...not long after I met Derek."

"As much as I want to get going, I haven't heard this story, Grey, do tell..."

"Uhmm...I think that's our story...right, Derek?"

"Unforgettable..."

"Mer, that's not fair...you should tell us," Lexie insisted.

"Let's just say...that elevators became one my favorite..."

"Shep, you had sex with Grey in an elevator...at Seattle Grace?"

"Mark don't be an ass..."

"What the hell else could you mean..."

"You would not understand..." he said, looking at Meredith, and lightly brushing her lips with his, "would he?"

"Probably not," she said and kissed him back.

Kathleen spoke up, "I think it's time for us to go," and they all began to rise from their seats, but when Meredith did, she had the same sensation of dizziness and faintness.

"Derek," she said, her voice wavering and reaching out for him, "I don't feel well..."

"I have you, don't worry," he told her as he made her sit down, and crouched down in front of her. "Tell me what's wrong," he said while holding her hands.

"Just...like earlier...a little faint...dizzy...it's going away now."

Kathleen was quickly at her side, "you need to get to bed, it's been a long day, and we have stayed longer than necessary," and seeing the worried look on her face, added, "this is perfectly normal, what's happening, being tired and dizzy and faint, it's normal and you're lucky nausea hasn't played a part as well."

"You're sure," she asked her.

"Yes, those symptoms are normal," but she saw the growing concern on her face, "but, Meredith if there's anything else, you need to tell the doctor tomorrow."

"There hasn't been...not now..."

"Ok, I will see you tomorrow," she said, and walked over to Lexie and kissed her on the cheek, "I am delighted to have met Meredith's sister, and I'm so glad you're going to be traveling home with them."

"I really enjoyed meeting you too Kathleen, I hope to see you before you leave."

"You will, and Lexie, I should warn you...Mom doesn't have single daughters anymore, and you're the perfect age to be thinking of marriage and babies, so she's going to have her matchmaking eyes set on you."

"Don't worry, Xena, I'll be your warrior this time against the big bad dragon."

"Mark, Mom's not like that," Kathleen attempted to keep a straight face.

"Let's go Kathleen, I'm late, I told Tracy I'd be there much earlier."

"I'll be right out," she said, and both Lexie and Mark walked out of the kitchen, allowing her to walk to Derek who had helped Meredith up and had his arm around her waist.

"The two of you had a long draining day emotionally, and Meredith, for you physically as well. Tonight, I was quite frustrated with both of you...because, you can't allow yourselves to fall into the same type of insecurities and doubts that create nothing but misunderstandings."

"I know Kathleen, and I appreciate that you've pointed it out, to both of us."

"Derek, she's pregnant, if communicating was bad before, it's going to be even more trying right now, and Meredith don't you dare make a that's not nice comment about what I just said. Honey, it is going to be trying, you are going to be a royal pain, I know, I've been there...and I've been through it for all my nieces and nephews, and I'm glad I was here to see a bit of this new baby's beginnings and his Mom learning to cope with it."

"You make it sound ..."

"I'm making it sound exactly as it is, and on top of that, you have many other issues that you need to deal with."

"We...we're dealing with them..." Meredith told her, and allowed herself to be held closer by Derek.

"Yes, you are. Derek, Meredith, you have what most people long for...I've been privileged to see it...that extraordinary love between you, that is never going to go away, even if you decide to go your separate ways..."

"Kathleen, what the hell are you talking about..." Derek asked angrily.

"If you had let me finish, you would not need to be angry with me. Even if you decided to go your separate ways, you would never, either of you, be the same again, because you are meant to be together...I believe in soul mates ...and I believe that's what I see in the two of you together. But, that is not enough."

"It's what we talked about, today..." Meredith said.

"Yes, it is. Are you ok now?"

"Yes, I wanted to stand...to make sure those sensations were gone."

"They pass, you just need to be aware that it will happen."

"Baby Shep, making his presence felt," Derek said as he placed his hand protectively on her abdomen.

"Derek, Meredith, your love for each other, it's only the beginning, a priceless piece of the foundation for a lifetime together, but the rest, you each have to nurture and it takes compromise, and sometimes it's not 50/50, sometimes one has to give that one hundred percent or more, when the other one doesn't, but it does not mean you give up, it means you are making a commitment to not to give up, but to be there for each other always, and that means it's going to take work on both your parts, and it starts with communication, and not allowing misunderstandings like you did tonight."

"It was a long day Kathleen," Derek told her, "we both realize we need to talk."

"That's good, and I know you love each other, I have no doubts about that. But now, you have to find a way to talk to each other, to listen and trust each other, so that when really important issues come up, when life deals you a set of cards you were not expecting, you are both ready to face the challenge, because, you are going to be dealt those cards, and you can rely on love as your foundation, but communication is what will pull those bonds together, and never let anything else interfere."

Meredith had not been able to keep the tears from sliding down her cheeks, and she was suddenly embraced by Kathleen, feeling secure in the arms of both siblings, both offering unconditional love and comfort that she knew would last a lifetime.

"Now, the two of you, get some rest...I will see you tomorrow."

"I love you Kathleen. Thank you for being here," he said and releasing Meredith, gave his sister a hug.

"It's what sisters do," she said and hugged Meredith again, "anything you need, you know where to reach me."

"Yes, thank you," she said and all three walked out of the kitchen, Derek gently supporting Meredith with his hand around her waist.

"Finally. Kat, really you're screwing up my sex life."

"You're the only one that can do that Mark..." she quipped.

"Let's go. G'night Lexie, Shep... Mama Bear," he said giving Meredith a hug, "I'll have your special blend in the morning."

"I'll look forward to it...maybe add chocolate this time," she winked.

Lexie spoke when Kathleen and Mark left, " "Good night guys...thank you for sharing tonight with me...your news...asking me to be godmother, it means a lot to me, more than you can imagine, Mer, that you'd ask me, that you'd trust me..."

"Hey, I can't deal with rambles right now, but there's no one else I want for that, I'll see you in the morning," she said and reached over to hug her sister. "You're my sister Lexie, and I'm thankful for that...remember...what I asked you..."

Lexie hugged her back, and whispered, "I'll say a very special prayer."

They reached her bedroom and he led her to sit on the bed, "are you feeling ok? No more dizziness...feeling faint?"

"No, it was just when I got up...it hasn't happened again," she said and leaned in to feel the warmth of his body.

"I want to take a shower before getting in bed, will you lie down and get some rest," he asked as he gently pushed her back into the pillows and kissed her.

"Yes, but don't take long."

"I won't."

"Oh, Derek, I have to go downstairs, I left the books on the kitchen chair, and I don't want anyone else find them."

"I'll get them, you stay in bed."

He was back and gave her the books, which she began to thumb through as he headed for the shower, and then found her with her eyes closed and a book opened.

"Meredith..."

"Uhmmm...so sleepy."

He smiled and picked up the books and sat on the chair and began to read through them, and it was that image Meredith woke to about an hour later.

"Derek...aren't you coming to bed?"

"Hey," he said walking over to her, "you were sound asleep and I got caught up looking at these."

"Will you come to bed and hold me?"

"Best offer I've had all night," he teased.

"I'm sorry."

"What about?"

"I know you're frustrated," she said biting her lower lip.

"Remember what Kathleen said?"

"Yes."

"Talking...it's good...we've done well these last two weeks, but tonight was a really bad case of ..."

"Hormones..." she said.

"Hormones...and jealousy...and childish..."

"Derek, you were never really jealous."

"Like hell I wasn't, though I had no rights to feel that way..."

"Derek, I don't think feelings are about rights...they're just there..."

He slipped in bed, and held her close to him. "Yes, they are just there, and never go away. Ever since the first day I met you, after I made love to you...and then I saw you again...I never wanted anyone else to touch you..."

"You are exaggerating...you did not feel that way the first time..."

"But I did, when I saw you at the hospital...and every time after that, all I could think of was making you mine...only mine."

"It took us a long time...well, we're still trying I guess...to get it right," she said.

"Hey, look at me, we've got it right...Meredith, we do...we're never going back...we have it right...I promise...hey, no tears, please..." he said as he kissed them away, and held her, and felt her cry softly into his shoulder.

She pulled away from him and locked gazes with him.

"Derek, do I make you happy?"

"What? Of course you make me happy, why would you ask that?"

She looked away, biting her lower lip, and the attempt to keep tears at bay was futile.

"I...I don't think I do..."

"Meredith," he soothed, "please tell me what you're thinking...of course you make me happy."

"Just that earlier you said... Mark might get married before...before us..."

"I was kidding."

"Yeah..."

"Hey...we promised...honestly..."

"Yes...we did," she said quietly.

"Meredith..."

"Maybe...maybe it's your way of delaying ours...maybe what you said it's a reflection of how you feel...unsure..."

"You think I'm unsure of wanting to marry you..."

"I'm not exactly...I'm not who your family would have picked...I mean, Kathleen's been great, but there's still that slutty intern and dirty mistress out there, and to prove Nancy right, I'm pregnant and we didn't plan that, and maybe she thinks you're stuck...but, you're not Derek, you're not...if you don't want to get married...I understand...I do...I won't be angry and I'd never keep the baby away from you..."

"Meredith, what's all this, why are you...never mind...I know why...but Meredith, you are without any doubt, none, whatsoever the woman I love...the love of my life, my soul mate...I want to spend the rest of my life with you...and that has nothing to do with you being pregnant...I promise you...I would feel, I have felt this way forever...you know that, I know that you do...what there is between us...Meredith, it's not because of a baby...it's because is was our fate...our destiny...and I know...you know that..."

"Derek," she cried, "I do...I do know...and I do love you...I have loved you for so long, and it took so long to trust myself to tell you again...but sometimes...it's overwhelming, and I'm scared, and I don't want..."

"You don't want what..."

"I don't want to ever imagine my life without you."

"You don't have to...I promise you...for as long as I'm alive...I will always be with you...and I know I have broken that promise to you in the past, but Meredith...we have got it right...we do...and it has not been easy, and it's likely that it will not be easy in the future, that life will deal us those unexpected cards Kathleen talked about, but Meredith, I'm not going anywhere...and I hope neither are you."

"Where would I go..." she asked sniffling.

"I don't know..." he said, and tried to make light of the situation, she had been through enough emotional turmoil today, "I'm wondering if I have to keep an eye on Mark...the two of you have really began to worry me...he's your knight...brings you special blends...you thought he was mcsexy...how could you..."

"Derek..." she said concern evident in her voice, "are you serious?"

"Meredith, I'm joking. I've told you, I trust you completely, and I do."

"Derek, I was just telling a story, I thought it was funny, but I never...I've never been interested in Mark."

"I know...but I was jealous, insanely so, when I saw him talking to you that day, and I didn't even know he had mentioned spending all day in bed."

"He didn't matter Derek. There was no reason...even when, well, you know, inappropriate men...there's only been you, ever in my heart...you're the only one I ever thought ...I ever imagined wanting to spend the rest of my life with."

"Meredith, there's nothing I'd like more than for you to be my wife."

"You've never asked me Derek, not really..."

"I realize that...and I'm deeply sorry, because the day I told you I wanted to marry you, have kids with you...die in your arms at one hundred and ten...I never should have added a but to it...I should have simply said I'd wait for you, and I know I ruined what I said, what should have been a very romantic moment between us, in wine country...I know I ruined it."

"Derek...you can make it up to me..."

"I will...you're already promised you'll accept..."

"I will."

"I want to do this right Meredith, you deserve something special...not just words, though they were heartfelt...they were my dream for us...but you should not have heard them in the hospital hallway...and next time...there will be a ring...a ring that symbolizes my love for you...for always..."

"Derek...I don't need a ring...I just need for you to love me...to be there...to not give up on me...on us..."

"You already have that...for always."

"My love too Derek...for always," she whispered against his lips, and they both wanted desperately to give in to the passion they longed to share, "Derek, I want you so much...but...the baby, I'm not sure...the cramping and spotting I had before, and then today...we wait...just one more day."

"Hey...I've already told you...your wellbeing...you being healthy...and the baby, that's my first concern...we have time, Meredith, the rest of our lives to be together."

"Tomorrow..."

"Tomorrow..." he said and gently cupping her face in his hands kissed her tenderly, and then held her in his arms, gently caressing her, hoping she would drift off to sleep, and much needed rest.

"Derek..."

"Uhmm..."

"Are you asleep..."

"No, but you should be..."

"I took a nap, I'm not that tired now, and it's only eleven."

"You're younger than me...I'm tired."

"You are not, and I don't have to be up until seven."

"I'm old...but still younger than Mark," he laughed, "that was priceless, you calling him old."

"He was...is...but I didn't really think that."

"You tease, you did that purposely...ant the incredibly attractive comment, I gather you made that up as well..."

"No, that one was true..."

"You could have lied, just now you know..."

"Not very good idea...thought we were going to be honest from now on, plus we have to be the ones to set the example," she said, and lay back against the pillows, and brought his hand to her stomach, and he began to gently caress her.

"Derek, could you believe Kathleen & Mark... he's propositioned her, in front of her husband...and she doesn't mind...that was hilarious..."

"I can guarantee, if he's been that blatant in front of my brother in law, he'd have needed more than stitches," he laughed.

"Oh, so Kathleen's husband loves her more than you love me...."

"Meredith..."

"Derek..." she giggled, "I'm teasing you, I wanted to crack up when they were going on about how hot she still is..."

"Not what I want to think about in terms of my sister...though, at least I know they're joking, unlike Nancy."

"What do you mean?"

"She made some remark when she was here...about Mark being a rite of passage."

"Oh my God Derek," she laughed, "you mean Mchottie slept with Mark, that's priceless."

"I didn't say she did, but I'm pretty sure she did...Mchottie, where the hell did that come from?"

"You forget...how I met her...at your trailer...we naturally assumed..."

"We?"

"George and I...Mchottie...then, Izzie and I,after we met her," she said scrunching her nose, "Mcbitchy."

"Yeah, well, I don't really want to think of either of my sisters, any of my sisters and their hot sex lives, but Mcbithcy...yeah...it fit her when you met her."

"I never thought of you as a prude...I'm going to be that age sometime you know, and I expect you to think I'm still very hot ..."

"That's never going to be a problem, but we're talking about my sister..."

"Who really does look hot, Derek, she's beautiful."

"Yeah, she is beautiful...all the way around."

"I'm sorry you had to call her, but I'm really glad she's here. Derek, I really hope she likes me...I think she does."

"Of course she does, she's very genuine, what she's expressed is exactly who she is, you need to take it at face value."

"Derek, I've never had anyone...be that nice to me...motherly...kind of, but like a sister, and ...it's nice...and comforting..."

"She is definitely like that, very loving and giving."

"Derek, I'm trying, really trying to trust...trust more people, but like now...doubts get in the way...but I want to try...I really do."

"I'm proud of you...I think you are doing great, with Lexie and Mark, and I'm really glad you've met Kathleen. I see the two of you together and I think you will be able to trust her."

"I already do...so I'm sorry, I said that earlier, because I don't think she's only being that way because I'm pregnant...Derek," she said, and he saw tears in her eyes, "she said she wanted to be my friend...and that she knew Jenna would be my favorite sister in law..."

"She said that, did she?"

"Well, by default, because Jenna's your favorite sister."

"But, she said that ...from now on...that she would be my older sister," she took a deep breath and he saw the emotion, "she said that Derek...and that was special...very special..."

"It is special, and she does mean it. She sees how very special you are, not just because I love you, but because she recognizes you are truly an extraordinary woman."

"I love you Derek...so much..."

"I love you too Meredith," he said and leaned in to kiss her.

"Derek, I think Kathleen was right..."

"About what?"

"She said we had exhausted her, that she was emotionally exhausted by both of us."

"I kind of have to agree."

"Me too," she said, and smiled, "I'm sorry, about the hormones, but Derek, you weren't very nice tonight."

"Meredith, I understand, I do about the comment about Mark and getting married, but how did we let it get out of hand, all of a sudden you wanted to come upstairs, and I knew you were upset."

"You were not being nice about me telling the story about Mark, and you took it all wrong, and it didn't mean anything...and," she stopped, "Derek, hormones are a real bitch...we're going to have to, you know...just be aware of it...so we don't fight."

"We will, we have to hold each other in check," he said, and kissed her.

"Do you think Kathleen was serious, about everyone coming to our wedding...just the immediately family she said twenty three people, Derek, how many more people would come?"

"You'll never keep Mom and the sisters away, but the rest, we can manage, for our wedding, you can have whatever you want...as small or a big as you want."

"Do you...do you think...you want to do this...I mean...before the baby..."

"Yeah....I think that's a safe bet...but, Meredith...it's up to you...I'll ask...soon...very soon...but, it's up to you, whenever you're ready...that's when we'll get married."

"Derek..."

"Uhmmm..."

"You know how I hate surprise..."

"Yes...."

"Surprise me...when you ask me...surprise me..."

"Did you hear that...baby bear..." he said whispering to their baby, as he gently caressed her stomach, "your mommy is beginning to like surprises... and I think that has something to do with you..." he said and lightly kissed her stomach, "because before we found out about you...and you were a surprise...she didn't really care about them too much."

"Derek...just make sure you have a good gauge on hormones...when you ask...because the answer is yes...but, you never know," she said and they both laughed, and ended up in each other's arms again. Each touch, each caress, each kiss was as though a new thread was being woven into a tapestry whose images and design would speak of a legendary tale. A tale about to begin its first chapter of a lifetime of happiness, with unexpected sadness woven in a small corner of the cloth, but the rest of the panels fulfilled the hope and faith for the future and a dream that would bring the answer to childhood prayers long ago forgotten, and depict the love of legends, the life of a legendary couple.