Bright and Shiny

Chapter 42

"Come in." Derek called from his desk not bothering to look up as to who was knocking.

"All these months and that's how you greet me? Can't even answer the door or look up?' Mark snided as he walked into Derek's office with Meredith behind him. Derek's head shot up at Mark's voice and a smile came to his face seeing him again.

"I don't feel very loved." Mark continued on while Derek laughed and made his way over to him and did the manly handshake half hug thing guys did. Meredith giggle at them trying not to be too excited to see each other.

"Good to see you man." Was all Derek could get out, he was finally seeing Mark again after all this time and it was a shock to the way of living he and Meredith had grown accustomed to here in Seattle. Living the opposite of how they did in New York, where they were always busy, always a family event to go to, seeing Mark everyday, always on the go.

To come to Seattle and live in as Chief Webber termed it, a forest, building their own house, no close friends around, no family to show up at all hours, or to call them over for dinner every other day. Now a piece of that New York life was standing in front of him again, and it felt right. Having the two lives, their history and future meshing together.

"How have you been, how's Addi? Mom? You guys have dinner like normal?" Derek rushed out and reminding Meredith who had stayed back to let the 2 brothers reunite, of how Alex was this morning. Except while Alex was nervous about meeting a famous surgeon, Derek's just missing home and wants an update.

"I've been good, busy. Addi's the same, sends her regards. Wishes she could have come, but you know. Babies don't stop being born because she wants to see Meredith."

"Meredith? What about me, that makes me feel nice by the way." Derek laughed.

"You know, the girl thing she misses doing with her. Grabbing her from NYU to hit Fifth Avenue for shopping and lunch. She's been kind of lonely with that since all the other girls have husbands and gaggles of children. Mer, was her you to me." Mark trailed off suddenly getting serious. Meredith nodded, internalizing herself of how much she missed having her best girlfriends around.

They shook out the sad thoughts of missing them and Mark continued on with the rest of Derek's questions. "Mom's great, you know. Still loves her house too much, doing all her flowers and babysitting all the kids. Which reminds me, with you and Meredith gone now. She's projected all her wants of the next grandchild onto me, so thank you for that by the way." Mark rolled his eyes saying. Derek and Meredith both laughed, loving to hear stories of home.

"Nothing's really changed except we have a couple extra seats at dinner, we all get together randomly for dinners. Parties for every single accomplishment all those children do. Everyone misses you guys"

"We miss everyone too." Meredith said quietly, her first words spoken since entering her husbands office with Mark. "I'm glad everything's still the same, for some reason it makes me feel better." Derek added.

Knowing that life in New York was still the same old crazy life in New York made him feel better. That he and Meredith could take off for a weekend and end up in their old crazy life and have it still be the same.