(Shattered...) Dreams Fulfilled

Homecoming travel anxiety

They'd made it to the airport just in time to board their flight; Meredith teasing him with the threat of never getting in the shower with him again since he had no self control whatsoever.

"You're never getting in the shower with me again," he said suggestively, "and I thought you liked showering with me...at least, that's what it sounded like earlier..."

"I'm never getting in the shower with you," she had a half smile on her face, "if...we have a plane to catch..."

"Would you care for anything to drink," the flight attendant asked before take off, paying just a little too much attention to Derek in Meredith's opinion.

"Tequila, would be good," Meredith said, feeling some anxiety about meeting the rest of his family.

"I'm sorry," the woman said, "I don't believe we have that," and turned to Derek and smiled, "what would you like?"

"Water, please," he smiled at her, and while they waited to take off engaged in light conversation with Meredith.

"Derek," Meredith said, a little later, as she thumbed through a magazine, "remember our shower?"

"Uhmmm..." he smiled, "unforgettable."

"Unless you want it to be the last one together for a long while," she said quietly, still pretending to be interested in one of the two magazines she'd brought along with her, "I suggest you don't do anything to encourage additional flirting from that woman...so stop smiling at her."

"Meredith, I was just being friendly," he leaned in to whisper, "and you know...you're the only woman that interests me..."

"Not according to that hussy," she said without looking at him, "Dr. Grey," and smiling slipped her hand in his, as he chuckled quietly.

"I adore you...only you...Meredith," and turned her face to kiss her lips softly, "and," he teased her, "find jealous Meredith very..."

"I'm not jealous," she told him.

"Of course not," he agreed," just like I'm not likely to be either," and they both smiled as they squeezed each other's hand and spoke quietly as the aircraft reached cruising altitude and the flight attendant returned.

"Mr. Shepherd," the woman smiled, "we'll be serving a light snack, what would you prefer," she mentioned the choices, "I'll make sure to get your first choice."

"I'd prefer," he said pleasantly enough, "if you can make sure the lady gets her first choice. Mer," he turned to her, "what would you like?"

Meredith picked a different selection for each of them. "That way," she told him, "I can taste both and eat whichever one is better."

"So," he joked with her, "now that we're an old married couple...you forgot all about sharing the last piece of cheesecake with me?"

"Talk to me about that," she smiled into his eyes, "when we're an old married couple."

"Our friends are having a field day with that," he chuckled, a sound she loved.

"As long as we're having a field day with it..." she leaned in and nipped his lip playfully, "don't care how much they tease us."

"Mer," Derek said, "what were you laughing at, in the cafeteria earlier today, you said you'd tell me later."

Meredith giggled, "the need to have working dryers."

"Here you go Mr. Shepherd," the flight attendant placed the food on the tray, and postponed Meredith telling Derek about the conversation with Kelly.

"Actually," Derek commented, "that one is for my wife," and he saw Meredith's smile.

"Didn't she see your wedding band," Meredith commented, "or my wedding rings, and you better stop smiling Derek, it's only encouraging her."

"What can I say," he told her after the woman placed the plastic tray on Meredith's table, and returned with Derek's, "I can't help if I naturally attract women," he said, clearly amused she brought it up again and wanting to tease her about being jealous.

"Derek..."

"Uhmmm..."

"You better stop thinking whatever you're thinking..."

"You want me to stop thinking," he repeated.

"It shouldn't be too hard," she teased him, "you've good practice at brainlessness."

"Uhmmm..." he smiled.

"Don't even say it..." Meredith warned him in quite obvious mock offense.

"What?"

"Or suggest it..."

"You mean," he smiled, "I can't tell you're sounding like a jealous wife...maybe even suggest you're nagging..."

"You can...but," she flirted with him, "you can't resist me."

"Wanna bet," he joked with her, "see who can resist the other..."

"Not on your life," she laughed, "I'd be cutting my face to spite..."

Derek roared laughing, "I do love you."

"Why are you laughing at me?" She began fidgeting with her rings.

"Cut your nose off to spite your face," he still chuckled.

"Whatever," she said, "it involved the face, and you got it."

"And I got it," he said, and reached for her hand and brought it to his lips and met her gaze, "still nervous?"

"A little," she admitted and smiled, "but...you'll be there."

"I will," she smiled, "and you'll be fine...my sisters will all love you, just like Kat and Mom do."

"Derek..."

"Uhmmm..."

"I understand why you didn't tell me...but, you can't keep doing this, telling me about trips at the last minute..."

"Mer, I've only done that twice."

"We've only been on two trips," she rolled her eyes at him, "you better stop doing it, because..."

"You're right," he agreed, "no more keeping trips a secret...unless they're a surprise."

"Derek..."

"Meredith, I'm kidding," he squeezed her hand gently. "I wanted to avoid you stressing about it...because I do know you're worried, I might add unnecessarily, about meeting the rest of the family...and you still went out in a frenzy to buy things...so, yes, any future trips, I will tell you in advance..."

"Derek," she said suddenly serious, "is there an aunt or someone that really loved Addison and is going to hate me...or your sisters' kids, are they going to resent me?"

"What?"

"You know...Aunt Margaret, for whom Maggie is probably named after...and she's a staunch catholic and doesn't believe in divorce and knows all about the slutty intern and the dirty mistress club and will hold me completely at fault for you committing adultery, even though I had no idea that you were married, and technically ..."

Derek leaned over and silenced her with a kiss. "Ok...who the hell is Aunt Margaret?"

"I don't know," she said exasperated, "I made her up, but maybe there's someone like her...and when we get there, the next few days she'll show up."

"Meredith," he shook his head trying not to laugh, "there's no Aunt Margaret."

"Uncle Sal?"

"Thought he was your side of the family," Derek said and smiled.

"Ok," Meredith took a deep breath, "no Aunt Margaret."

Meredith ate her dessert and half of his, "you sure you don't want the rest of it?" he asked her when there was one bite left.

"No," she said, smiling as she brought up the same comment he'd made earlier, "I can't take the last piece of cheesecake."

"But, I'm willing to share," he said.

"I know," she entwined their fingers, "so am I."

"Tell me about your shopping spree," he said, "I can't believe you did that."

"I told you, we could not go home...you couldn't go home after almost two years and not," she interrupted herself when she saw the flight attendant approach their aisle, "Derek, if that woman flirts with you again...I'm..."

"Meredith..."

"Mr. Shepherd," the flight attendant smiled, "we'll be dimming the cabin lights for the rest of the flight, is there anything else you'd like? Ms. Grey?"

"Actually," Meredith said, "we know you didn't have tequila, but...you do have champagne, could we have that...we're celebrating our wedding anniversary."

Derek looked over at her and waited to see what else she was going to say.

"Oh," the woman said, seemingly surprised, "you're married...to each other."

"Of course," Meredith responded, "five years...wait...what did you think?"

"Sorry," she said, "my comment was inappropriate."

"You thought we were married to other people..." Meredith said, trying to conceal her amusement.

"I apologize, really, we just had on our manifest...Shepherd and Grey..."

"We're doctors," Derek said, "my wife kept her name, she was very well known."

Meredith glared at him.

"Congratulations to you both. Do you have any children?"

"Four," Meredith smiled at her.

"Four children," the woman said, "all under five years old, they must keep you very busy, and you both being doctors."

"They do, we have four year old twins, a two year old and the baby's eight weeks old," and Derek could do nothing but smile over the tale she spun, "all girls."

"Congratulations...on both, the anniversary and the children," the woman said, and Meredith finally thought she may have been genuine. "You look wonderful, and having a baby just eight weeks ago."

"I'll tell you a secret," Meredith said, "it's the sex...helps get you right back into shape."

Derek was glad he was not drinking or he'd have choked with her last comment.

"I'll keep that in mind," the woman said, "I'll get your champagne."

Derek turned to her smiled, "who's taking care of the kids?"

"Your mom," she said and they burst out laughing.

"So," he said, "marking your territory..."

"I seem to need to do that every time I travel with you."

"So, you want to stop traveling with me?"

"No, I may just need to keep you at home...locked up...and..."

"I could live with that," he teased her, "as long as I'm locked up with you..."

"Derek," she giggled, "don't tease."

"Who's teasing?"

"You are, since we're not having sex till we get home," she told him.

"What..." Derek raised his voice slightly.

"Surely," Meredith said, "you don't think we're having sex at your mother's."

"Why the hell not?"

"Derek...it's your mother's house..."

"It's not as though she hasn't heard us before," he said, and stopped himself as he became aware of his comment, and both he and Meredith began to laugh, and she quickly put her hand over his mouth when the passenger behind them shushed them.

"They're going to kick us out of first class," she said, as she continued to laugh quietly and then almost simultaneously the lights were turned down in the cabin and he leaned over to kiss her, a deeply satisfying kiss.

They were a little over an hour into their five hour fifteen minute flight, and continued to talk quietly. "I can't believe," he spoke quietly, "I just tried to talk you into having sex at Mom's by telling you she'd heard us before."

"Neither can I," she whispered, her lips inches away from his, the intimacy of their conversation shielded by the darkened cabin and their soft whispers, "but just think, we're only gone two days..."

"We're actually spending the night in Manhattan tomorrow night," he told her.

"We are?"

"Yes...we are...and you can wear that black..."

"Uhmm," she murmured, "that's the reason you left that on the bed, but I didn't pack it."

"Mer," he said in what sounded like a whine, "why not...I'm dying to see you wear it."

"I didn't think I'd be wearing that to dinner at your Mom's..."

"Ruined my fantasy of taking it off you..."

"If all you wanted to do is have me naked," she whispered, "you don't need for me to wear black leather pants..."

"Oh...but the idea of you..." he said, and started telling her what his plans had been, and then kissed her senseless in the darkness of the night, the stars outside the small window reflecting bright shiny moments yet to come.

"I packed it," she said a bit breathless, "and...can't wait...till tomorrow night."

"I love you," he said. "You should get some sleep; we have at least four hours of flying."

"Are you going to flirt with that woman?" he could hear the smile on her lips.

"Think she'll flirt with a married man with four kids?"

"You never know..." she said, and involuntarily yawned, and reached for his hand.

"Mer," he whispered, "does that mean you want four kids..."

"Three..." she whispered back, "just like my dream."

"Three chatty kids..." he smiled, and squeezed her hand before he leaned in to kiss he temple.

"Three healthy kids," she said softly, "that's all I want."

"You're all I need...and then the rest," he said, "the most important thing is you being ok, healthy pregnancies and babies...that's all I want,"

"I love you Derek," she said, and he somehow managed to make it comfortable for her to rest her head on his chest and sleep until it was time to land.

"Meredith," Derek said when he lifted the suitcase from the luggage cart to the trunk, "what did you buy, this weighs a ton."

"You weren't complaining in Seattle about the weight," she told him.

"I wasn't as tired in Seattle and I'm getting old," he said as he took the other two smaller carry-ons and then shut the lid.

"We're in a good mood this morning," she said sarcastically.

"I didn't sleep."

"Why not?"

"Nothing," he said thinking better of what he was going to say.

"Derek..."

"I can't sleep on airplanes."

"Derek," she touched his arm; she was indeed in tune with his emotions, and brooding Derek was not what she wanted for the morning of their first visit together to his home, "you ok?"

"Yeah," he said absently, and placed his hand on the small of her back and went to open the passenger door.

"I understand you know," she said, and placed a gentle kiss on his lips, "please, talk to me."

She heard his sharp intake of breath, "going home," he said as the only explanation.

She wrapped her arms around his waist, "a bit of travel anxiety of your own," she said softly.

"Uhmmm..."

"We can be all anxious together," she hugged him close to her, "I'll share the dark and twisty with you, you know...our shared marital assets..."

"I love you Meredith," he said and held on to her tightly.

"And I love you," she pulled back slightly and looked at him, "will do this, together."

"Thank you," he said, and brushed her lips with his.

"For what?"

"Being you..." he said, and ran his hand through her hair.

"Uhmm...all dark and twisty..."

"No," he said, "sensitive and understanding...for loving me."

"We promised Derek...communicating, no more pulling away... to never give up, and together, making our dreams come true...for a lifetime..."

"Our wedding vows..." he said as both sets of eyes glimmering eyes locked, still sentimental over the vows neither had planned to recite that morning in Venice.

"Our wedding vows..." she smiled at him, "part of them..."

"We've come home," he said, "our family's home, for the first time...together."

"For the first time...of as many as you want," she kissed him, and he opened the door for her, and when she was seated, leaned in and kissed her softly.

"Mer," Derek said as they drove to his mother's house, "all kidding aside, what did you put in that suitcase, it weighs a ton."

"There's a pair of ski boots and two boxes with skates."

"You're joking? Kathleen told you to buy that?"

"Not necessarily."

"Meredith..."

"She mentioned on email she was already looking for Christmas things..."

"Wait," his laughter warmed her soul, listening to the light heartedness back in his voice, "you bought what she was planning to get for some of the kids...she's going to kill you."

"No, she's not, because I texted her and she said it was ok."

"Totally doomed," he shook his head.

"What are you talking about?"

"You...Mom...Kathleen....totally biased in your favor, I'll never win an argument."

"You think you're going to need to win lots of those," she swatted his arm.

"Two's the daily limit, for misunderstandings," he smiled, "right?"

"Yes, and don't forget it," she told him, and he detected the slight doubt in her voice.

"Meredith," he said reaching for her hand, "you know what would make me happy?"

"What?" she asked.

"If Maggie and Jenna are also on your side."

"You're not mentioning Nancy," she said.

"We'll leave that to Mom...and St. Jude," he laughed, "and," he teased her, "maybe I'll need someone on my side every once in a while."

"Ass," she said just as they pull in to Carolyn's driveway, and reassuringly placed her hand on his thigh, lightly caressing him.

"Home," he said.

"You are," she said, and felt the warmth of her hand in his, "you've come home."

"Meredith," he turned to her and said poignantly, "my home...is wherever you are."