(Shattered...) Dreams Fulfilled

Teasing roars and laughter

Meredith rested her head on his shoulder, and he whispered in her ear making her smile and then laugh softly.

"Ok you two," Mark said, "stop with the secrets. We already know you're keeping us in the dark about your engagement and the lion tamer," Mark taunted, "and having a zoo in the house."

"You are the one that admittedly crashed our honeymoon," Derek reminded him, as he continued to run his fingers through her hair.

"That's mean, Derek," Meredith said playfully as she got up from his lap. "We invited them, we can," she smiled as she leaned down to kiss him, and grabbed his glass, "pretend to be gracious hosts."

"Really Shep, take a lesson from your wife," Mark winked at Meredith.

"Stop flirting with my wife," Derek told him. "I saw you winking at her," and following her lead took Mark's glass as well as Kevin's to refill.

Kathleen walked to the fireplace and joined Meredith at the adjacent well stocked bar. "Meredith," she smiled, "I'm glad we were able to spend time with you, but I'm sorry we've crashed your evening."

"You haven't crashed it," Derek spoke as he joined them, "you being here..."

"I know...I know..." Kathleen laughed, "it's not going to make a dent on your honeymoon. I just hope you're not as loud as Cristina and Lexie commented."

"I'm not loud," Meredith laughed as she poured champagne in her glass, "Derek is."

"Mer," Kathleen teased her, "that's not what we've heard."

"He just..." she smiled at him, "roars...louder," she said and he grabbed her by the waist and lightly bit her neck.

"Kathleen," her mother called out, "Mark is right, stop with the secrets, and bring that bottle of champagne with you."

Kathleen took the bottle and gave it to Derek, "do as Mom said."

"How does he put up with you," Derek joked, giving his sister a hug. "We don't mind you being here Kat."

"Right..." she smiled, and when he had walked away she said, "Meredith, we really had no intention of being here, but Mom was so excited with her blackberry she wanted the first message to go to you...and then when you suggested we'd run into each other... even if she won't admit it she really wanted to see you both."

"Kat, it's ok...I really wanted to see you all."

"You're on you're honeymoon...I'm sure you did not want to spend time with family."

"I didn't mind...I've never had that...so, it was ok, and we were spending the day playing tourist anyway."

"Yeah," Kathleen said taking a sip of her champagne, "that surprised me, I'd have thought the two of you would not have left this place."

"Your brother's idea," Meredith said quietly, "that we do a bit of sightseeing. He's being overprotective."

"Derek's idea?" Kathleen questioned and realization dawned on her, "oh wait, Meredith is something wrong?"

"Yes, no, I mean...yes it was his idea but no, there's nothing wrong...he just...well you know...we hadn't..."

"My brother is being protective...sensitive to that fact," she smiled softly.

"Yes...Kathleen, he's been wonderful. I keep telling him I'm ok...but he's just been so... you know...wanting to take care of me," she said quietly.

"Let him...Meredith," she said and hugged her. "Let him take care of you."

"I have...I'm letting him...and Kathleen...from the day we met...when you first got to Seattle and things were not good...we've both... we are trying to take care of each other. Not to ever go back to where we were when Derek called you."