In my bones

Chapter 18

By sunset543

Enjoy! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Grey's Anatomy. Not the characters. Not the plot. Not anything. Nor do I own anything to do with the NHL. At all. But it would be pretty cool if I did.

Over the next month, he kept hesitating between when to do it and he began to doubt himself to the point that he was convinced she would say no. She would think he wasn't serious, or she'd freak and never want to talk to him again. It was a thought he couldn't bear to think about and that was all that was stopping him.

But when she came home one-night crying, he knew she'd say yes. She had lost a patient to a shattered parietal bone due to a sports injury. She had made him promise to never, ever risk that happening to him and that she couldn't live without him. That if he died, she died. She'd told him that she realised it was important to take the time to tell people you love how much you love them while they can still hear you. That had cemented it for him. He couldn't just wait around, taking it for granted that something would happen, and he'd never get to marry her.

So, the next day, he went to the centre, and booked the entire thing. This had to go well. This was right, this was them...

xxxxx

He was nervous. There, he'd said it. Well, thought it. He was gliding aimlessly on the ice to occupy his brain as all the thoughts rushed carelessly through him. Aiden was at his friend's house, and Mer should be off by now. It was about seven in the evening, which might not have been the best time to do it after she had worked hard all day. But here he was. The cold got to him slightly through his button down and slacks. Yeah, it really didn't go with the skates and the setting, but he thought he should dress up at least a little bit. He stopped skating when he heard her come in. She had got better at skating and they had enjoyed doing it throughout the year, so she was capable of skating over to him. Yet, he came over anyway.

"What are we doing here Der? Where is everyone?" She pulled her bobble hat on her head and slid up to him, taking his hand.

"You'll see," he smiled, discreetly turning the lighting down and starting soft music from the speakers.

"Seriously Derek? Did you hire the whole place?"

"Maybe," he grinned.

"Why?" her eyebrows knitted together. That even after a year made his heart beat faster.

"Because" he took both of her hands, so that they were standing right in the middle of the ice, "I wanted to ask you something."

"Okay..." she said, still sceptical as to why they were here.

"You see over there?" he pointed to the benches where they had watched Aiden's first session.

She turned around and smiled.

"That's where we had our first kiss. And that spot there," he pointed again to a specific patch of ice.

"That's where I caught you, after you lost your balance when you first skated."

"I told you, some guy pushed me," she laughed.

He grinned, "Meredith, what I'm trying to say is, I have spent so much time with you and have so many memories already. I have ones of you, Aiden, all of us. You make my life better, brighter."

He got down on one knee, the ice freezing his skin, as he looked up at her. The surprise on her face was enchanting as she took a sharp breath in.

"I want to marry you. I want to have kids with you. I want to build us a house. I want to settle down and grow old with you. I want to die when I'm 110 years old in your arms. I want a lifetime. Meredith Grey, will you marry me?" He opened the ring box and gazed at her with all the love in the world.