117. Chapter 117

AN: I know the last few chapters haven't really seemed to be moving the story forward, but they were laying the basis for part of this chapter, and part of the next few chapters. I firmly believe that the issues Meredith had in the show were not caused by Derek. Yes, he hurt her, and her issues meant it was harder for them to get over what he did to her and it was harder for her to trust him. That being said, those issues still exist in the Where You Belong universe. Some, she's already dealt with (or is dealing with), but some are still there. The difference between the show and this universe, of course, is that Derek has never given her a reason not to trust him in this universe. It brings an interesting dynamic. Meredith's got some fears about the future and she doesn't always think she's strong enough for Derek, but she's also not good at recognizing what she's done for Derek. He's changed a lot in this universe, for the better, because she's accepted him and been there for him.

I hope you like this chapter. There's a bit of angst, but lots of fluff to make up for it. And up next will be the Resident's Competition, which is already in the works...

Thanks for reading!

Loneliness overwhelmed her as she lay in the small hospital bed and cried. Her mother had told her time and again that crying was a sign of weakness and she desperately didn't want to be weak. She didn't want to cry. But her throat hurt so much she couldn't talk; each inhale and exhale was excruciating. She was tired and felt sick. And she was alone.

The little girl in the bed next to hers was sucking on a popsicle that her parents had gotten for her. It was her third that day. Meredith had counted. They were separated by a thin hanging sheet, but it wasn't pulled back all the way, so Meredith had been able to watch as the little girl's parents – both a mom and a dad – sat and talked and played with her since she had woken up. They brought her toys and games and gifts. And a stuffed animal.

Meredith like stuffed animals, but her mother didn't, so she didn't have any anymore. One day, when Meredith was younger, her mother had told Meredith it was time she stopped being a baby. She'd thrown all of Meredith's baby toys away. Meredith had watched as the garbage bag had been filled with her stuffed animals, her dolls and her favourite things. Determined to prove she wasn't a baby to make her mother happy, she hadn't fought it. And when she cried herself to sleep that night, she hadn't told her mother. She didn't want her mother to see how weak she was.

She didn't want to be weak now, but she was failing at being strong. Her throat hurt so much and she felt so hot. She wished she had a popsicle like the girl next to her, but she hadn't seen her mother for hours, and even then it had only been for a moment. And it hurt too much to call out to one of the nurses or even the parents of the girl next to her.

Meredith sniffed and tried to stop crying, but her failure only made her cry more. She wanted to be strong like her mother wanted her to be. But she was weak. Weak and ordinary.

There were people in the hospital who were really, really sick. She knew this because her mother saved them every day. It was why she wasn't home very much. It was a very important job. Her mother made sure she knew that. She told her all the time. And Meredith understood. She understood that it was more important that her mother save other people than be at home with Meredith. And she knew that even though she was in the hospital now, she wasn't the same as the people her mother saved. She wasn't sure exactly what was wrong with her, but she knew she wasn't very sick. And she knew she had to be strong so her mother could help those who were.

Meredith had had sore throats a lot. That was why she was here now. A doctor – not her mother because her mother saved more important people – had done something to the back of her throat so that it wouldn't happen anymore. Meredith had wanted to know more, but her mother's name had been called on the hospital intercom when they had walked into the hospital that morning. Her mother had huffed in that way that reminded Meredith how important her job was and took Meredith to the desk that the nurses sat at. She said something to one of the nurses and then left without another word. She had promised before that she would explain to Meredith what was going to happen, but she never did.

Meredith had watched her go, but hadn't cried. She didn't cry when she realized her mother hadn't told her what was going on or even that it would be okay. She didn't cry when the nurse hurried her to a part of the hospital Meredith had never been to and left her with another nurse. She hadn't cried when the new nurse had made her change into a gown and then get into one of the beds on wheels Meredith had seen many times. She hadn't cried when she had been wheeled into a bright room and surrounded by doctors and nurses. She hadn't cried when they'd placed something over her nose and mouth and asked her to count to ten.

She hadn't cried. She'd been strong. And she really wanted her mother to have seen how strong she had been. She wanted her mother to come and see her and praise her for being strong.

Her mother had come to see her earlier. Meredith had woken up afraid and alone. She had hurt a lot. And she had felt sick to her stomach. But she had been too afraid to move. So she had lain in the strange place with bright lights and curtain walls and waited. She counted as far as she could count and then started again. And again. The curtain walls had rustled and Meredith had closed her eyes in fear. Someone had walked close to her. After a minute, Meredith opened her eyes in time to see the back on a nurse walking away from her. Again she had counted. When she recognized her mother approaching her bed, she had been so happy. She was certain her mother would be proud to see how brave and strong she was being.

Her mother had paused at the bottom of her bed and reached for the clipboard that was hanging there. She had lifted it and read through the pages. Meredith had watched. Eventually, her mother had returned the clipboard and looked at Meredith. Meredith had successfully fought off tears as she met her mother's eyes. She tried to smile, but it hurt too much. She wanted to know what had been done to her, but it hurt too much to talk.

"Meredith," her mother had said. "How are you feeling?"

Meredith would have ignored the pain to talk to talk to her mother, but a nurse came and started speaking to her mother before she could try. They talked for a minute, and then her mother looked at her watch, sighed and left.

Meredith hadn't seen her since. She had heard the parents of the girl next to her tell her how much they loved her when she had woken up. It had been the first time she had cried. She knew love was something ordinary people believed in – her mother had told her this – but right then she had wanted to be ordinary if that meant she could be loved. Her mother had never told her.

'Do you want another popsicle, sweetie?' The mother of the little girl next to her asked. 'Or how about some icecream?'

Meredith wished someone would offer her a popsicle or icecream. Or even something cold to drink. Her throat really, really hurt.

'I'm tired, mommy,' the little girl said.

Meredith knew the little girl was tired because of the medication she was getting to help with her pain. She knew a lot of medical things like that. She listened to her mother and asked questions because what her mother did was important and she was happy when Meredith knew medical things. She would be happy to know that Meredith knew that. She also knew that she wasn't getting as much medication as the other girl. She had heard her mother tell the nurse not to give her much because she didn't need it. Because she didn't want Meredith to be weak.

And Meredith was determined not to be weak. She wiped her face and stopped crying so that when her mother came back, she wouldn't find a weak little girl. She would find a strong Meredith.

But her mother didn't come back. Meredith lay in pain for hours waiting. She could see one window across the room. She watched it get dark outside.

Her mother was coming to get her, right?

She began to get scared again. She wondered if her mother had forgotten her. The curtains had been closed around her, other than the small opening that let her see the girl next to her. She was sleeping.

Meredith wondered if her mother couldn't find her. She tried calling out for help, but her throat was so dry and so painful that she felt herself start to cry again at the attempt.

She would have to go and look for her mother.

There was a tube beside her that connected to a needle in her arm. She stared at it for a long moment before reaching her shaking hand to remove it. She peeled two layers of tape away from the tube and then pulled the needle out of her arm. It hurt and made her want to cry again, but she didn't. Her arm started to bleed, but she knew what to do. She placed her other hand over the small cut and pressed tightly. It would stop the bleeding. Her mother had taught her that. She had done it to stop a lot more blood when she was younger. Her mother's that time.

She shuddered at the memory of the day she wasn't allowed to talk about.

After counting to one hundred, she removed her hand from her arm. There was a lot of blood on her arm, but there didn't seem to be any new blood coming out. She wiped her bloody palm on her hospital gown and then carefully got off the bed. She walked out of the room and then into the halls of the hospital. She had spent so much time in the hospital that she knew where her mother did surgery. She went there.

Her mother was there, but wasn't happy to see her. She yelled. "Meredith, what are you doing here? You know not to interrupt me when I'm at work! You are not important enough to be here with me. You are too ordinary. Look at you, Meredith! You're so weak. Are you crying?"

Meredith was still in too much pain to say a word, so she couldn't explain herself.

"What were you thinking? Do you ever think? What did I ever do to end up with a little girl like you? This is why you're ordinary. This is why no one will ever love you!"

Meredith blinked, and her perspective changed. Suddenly she was taller than before and she was staring down at a little girl with dark brown curls and green eyes. The little girl was staring up at her with tears streaming down her cheeks. She was dressed in a hospital gown that was too big for her. There was blood covering her left forearm and her right hand. And she looked like...someone familiar. She couldn't place the little girl's face.

"I'm sorry, mommy," the little girl cried. "Please love me."

Meredith turned to see who the little girl was talking to, but she turned all the way around and couldn't see anyone else in the room. She turned back to the little girl, who was still staring at Meredith.

"I don't want to be ordinary, mommy," the little girl said.

She's talking to me, Meredith realized. But Meredith wasn't her mother...was she? She couldn't have forgotten she had a daughter...right? And her daughter would never look at her like that or say those things. Her daughter would never have reason to say those things.

"Please, mommy," the girl begged. "Please. I need you."

Meredith opened her mouth, but no words came out.

The little girl's eyes filled with tears.

Meredith wanted to comfort her. She wanted to figure out what was going on.

Footsteps echoed behind her. Meredith turned, wondering if the little girl's mother was standing behind her and she had missed her before. Unfortunately, she came face to face with her own mother.

"Dr. Grey," Ellis said flatly, coldly, as if she had no personal relationship with Meredith. "You're needed in surgery."

The little girl sobbed. "Please don't leave me. I'll be better."

"Dr. Grey," Ellis said sharply. "You know what's important here. Are you going to be ordinary or not?" She asked, but didn't give Meredith a chance to respond before adding, "Let's go."

Meredith didn't want to go, but she found herself being pulled. She turned her head to look at the little girl before she left the room. The little girl was crying, her eyes trained on the ground. Meredith wanted to go back and hug her and promise her everything was going to be okay. It was what she had wanted desperately when she was a little girl. She had wanted to feel safe and loved. She wanted the little girl to feel that now, but she couldn't turn herself around. She couldn't stop walking away. She couldn't-

Meredith jolted away, breathing hard. There were tears in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away; a lasting effect of her childhood. Tears signified weakness. She reached across the bed, seeking comfort, only to find the other side cold and empty. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she rolled across the mattress and settled where her husband normally slept beside her. Pulling the blanket up over her face, she burrowed into the pillow and fought to gain control over her breathing. It wasn't the first time she had been startled awake from this particular nightmare and she doubted it would be the last time.

The beginning so closely mirrored Meredith's eight year old experience of getting her tonsils removed. Meredith had spent almost all of her time alone in the hospital, in pain and wishing that she could be stronger. She had wondered if Ellis had stayed away because of her weakness. No one had brought her popsicles or ice cream or stuffed animals. And she had watched the girl in the bed next to hers, wishing she had the same type of life. Wishing she had two loving parents; wishing she had even one. The memory changed into dream once she tried to find her mother. In actual history, she had removed her own IV line and waited until the bleeding had stopped, but she hadn't made it out of the ward. The nurse had seen her, stopped her and yelled at her.

Meredith had been forced back to the hospital bed with the threat of being restrained. She hadn't been allowed to talk to her mother and she had never gotten a popsicle for her burning throat.

The things Ellis yelled at her in the dream were all things Ellis had said or made her feel rolled into one horrifying speech. But that wasn't the worst part of the dream. The worst part was looking into the eyes of the little girl with curly brown hair – the little girl who looked so much like her husband – and knowing she had done something awful to her. She was pretty sure the girl was supposed to be her daughter.

And that terrified her. She hadn't wanted to leave the little girl crying and begging her to stay, but she had anyway. She hadn't been able to stop herself.

Was it a sign? Would she do to her own daughter what her mother had done to her, despite her determination not to? She didn't know any other way. She'd never experienced any other kind of parenting. Would the pull of surgery be too strong? Would she choose the wrong priorities?

It had been a week and a half since Bailey's baby's accident. Meredith had tried to broach the subject of her sudden fears with Derek several times, but hadn't been able to find the right words to explain. The few times she had managed to start a conversation at all, Derek had thought her focus was on random accidents only, and she hadn't been able to explain any further because he'd been so freaking perfect and comforting. He'd cock his head and look at her in that way and promise they would take every step necessary to keep their future kids safe. And she'd want to say something to explain, but then he'd hug her and his warmth would wash over her and she'd forget how to be afraid for a few minutes. She always forgot how to be afraid in his arms.

And part of her hadn't wanted to explain any further. She and Derek were doing so well right now. They were married and happy and living in this amazing new home. She didn't need to create a problem now. This was just her old insecurities welling up inside her; both her fear of becoming her mother and her worry that she wasn't strong enough for Derek. Sometimes she felt like he always had to be there for her when all she wanted was to feel equal.

The feeling would pass. It had before. She just had to wait until its intensity had decreased, and then she would shove it into the darkest recesses of her mind. And hopefully one day it would just stay there.

Footsteps padded quietly across the hardwood floor towards the bed, pulling Meredith from her thoughts. The bed dipped beside her and then she felt gentle pressure on her back, right between her shoulder blades, as Derek's hand settled against her. Despite the fact that her back and his hand were separated by the fabric of her tee shirt and the comforter, she felt warmed by the contact.

For a moment, he said nothing. His hand moved back and forth between her shoulders. She sighed as she felt all of the tension caused by her dream leave her body. She could fall back to sleep so easily...

"It's four o'clock," he said quietly.

She groaned. Her thirty-six hour shift, which was supposed to have finished the night before, became a forty-eight hour shift when she had been called into emergency surgery on her way out the door. When she had arrived home at nine that morning, she had been completely wiped out. She had cursed her husband for having so much time off compared to her and had demanded he wake her by four. He had chuckled at her grumpiness and asked only for a kiss before she burrowed herself into their bed to sleep into the afternoon.

"Are you going to get up?" He asked, his voice careful and quiet.

"No."

He chuckled. His hand continued to rub her back through the blanket for another moment. Then he pulled his hand away and the bed shifted as he stood. For a moment she thought he was leaving her to sleep longer and would just handle the party by himself. She wouldn't mind that. After Tucker's accident, the residents had postponed dinner and drinks at Meredith's for a week. Unfortunately, it only gave Izzie more time to plan. Meredith was dreading the end result, remembering the last time Izzie had been in charge of a 'small get-together.'

Instead of hearing Derek's footsteps leaving the room, she felt the blanket peeling away from her face. She blinked, and found herself staring into her husband's blue eyes. He was kneeling beside the bed and leaning forward so that he could rest his head on the pillow next to hers. He pulled the blanket back up so it was covering both of their heads. She laughed at the action. There was just enough light filtering through the blanket to make out the features of his face.

"You know, you're on my side," he whispered.

She smiled. "I thought being married meant what's yours is mine?"

He chuckled and stretched a little closer to kiss her.

"Plus, technically, you're on your own side," she pointed out. Yes, she was sprawled on his side of the bed, but there was just enough room left for him to rest his head next to hers.

He smirked, and before she knew it he was rising next to her, pushing against her.

"Derek!" She shrieked through laughter as she found herself skidding across the mattress. She grasped at the fabric of the sheets, but wasn't able to gain any purchase. "What are you doing?"

"Taking back my side," he responded, having gotten his chest and abdomen solidly onto the mattress.

She tried to fight back, but not only was his frame larger than hers, but he had the floor to push off of, whereas she had no leverage.

His foot tangled with hers, and then his other joined.

Suddenly finding herself pressed up against her husband from top to bottom, she giggled and pushed back, only to find herself wrapped tightly in his arms, still face to face on the pillow, only now they were so close their noses were touching. They were still under the blanket.

"I guess we can share my side," he decided.

She laughed. "Apparently."

Derek laughed as well. "I happen to like you on my side."

"I happen to like being on your side," she responded, tiling up her chin to press a chaste kiss to his lips. They were so close that she barely had to shift at all.

He ran his hand up and down her back several times before dipping his hand below the hem of her tee shirt and then back up.

Meredith sighed at the feeling of his palm against her bare back. He traced lazy patterns across her skin, leaving a warm trail of tingling nerve endings behind. Her eyes fluttered shut. She could stay like this forever and be perfectly content.

"We can call and cancel," he whispered. "You can just sleep." The party that hadn't been supposed to be a party was scheduled for five. They were planning on ordering pizza. Izzie had said something about games and scheduling time for planning the 'real' party to serve as both the reception and housewarming. Cristina, Alex and George were coming. And Mark, who Meredith had insisted was okay for Derek to invite after the whole gossip debacle the plastic surgeon had created. Meredith had also invited Lexie, but wasn't sure if she'd show up. They were making progress, but things were still awkward.

"Mmm," she breathed. It would be nice to just sleep. But she had been looking forward to spending time with her friends. After more than two weeks of not living together, she was starting to miss them a little bit. "No, I want to see everyone."

"You realize that that means you have to get up, right?"

She giggled. "Five more minutes."

"What am I, your alarm clock?"

She nodded against the pillow and lifted her hand from his chest to lightly press a finger against the tip of his nose. "I'm hitting snooze," she joked.

Derek's breath was hot against her palm when he laughed. His hand grasped hers and pulled it away so he could kiss her. She smiled against his lips before kissing him back. He was so close. And warm. And smelled like Derek. And the blanket still draped over them meant he was the only thing in the world she had to focus on in this moment. She felt removed from the rest of the world. And that meant she didn't have to think about her dream or her past, or even the part of her future she was suddenly tentative about.

Only the now mattered. Only Derek and the way he made her feel mattered. Safe. Loved. Cherished. Strong.

Extraordinary.

She never felt weak or ordinary in his arms.

Derek moaned into her mouth. She deepened the kiss in response. The hand that had been aimlessly rubbing her back moments ago found her lower back and pulled her snug against him. She ran her foot up and down his hair dusted shins.

When he pulled away, they were both panting.

"I know you're tired," he murmured, pecking her lips, "But do you think we could..."

She smirked. Her exhaustion had been forgotten the moment his lips had touched hers. His body ignited hers. "I don't know," she stated, "We only have an hour..."

"That's more than enough time," he assured, his blue eyes sparkling despite the low light under the blanket. "Plus, we haven't had sex in like sixty hours."

"That's not long for normal people."

He chuckled. "But we're newlyweds."

"True." She pursed her lips, as if debating the merits of his argument. "But I am awfully tired."

He smirked. "How about I promise to do all of the work?" He kissed her again before she could respond. She moaned and rolled onto her back. He didn't allow any space to build between them as he followed the roll, coming to rest over her. His lips left hers, only to trail down to her neck.

"Derek..." She whispered, closing her eyes. Her body was tingling from his touch and she could feel his arousal growing against her. She arched her back and pressed up against him. "We have to be quick."

"I take it that's a yes, then?" He asked, raising his head to meet her eyes. His were still sparkling brightly.

"Like there was ever any doubt," she responded dryly.

He chuckled.

She pulled the hem of his top upwards to his shoulders. He sat up for just long enough to pull it off and toss is across the room. Hers quickly followed suit. He then returned his lips to her neck. His hands started to wander her body in slow, almost lazy passes. Part of her wanted to remind him of the time constraint, but then his lips dipped below her clavicle and she decided her friends could just wait.

Someone must have talked to Izzie, Meredith mused as she sat back on the couch, between Derek and Cristina, full from the several pieces of pizza she had practically inhaled. With the amount of talk Izzie had done about today, Meredith had half expected something huge and 'Izzie-like,' but the blond was much calmer than expected. She had gone along with just pizza, and she hadn't brought decorations or presents or hats or games or...whatever else Izzie-like people brought to parties.

She was pretty sure Alex was her saviour. When she had come down the stairs after showering and drying her hair, it had been well after five and her friends had already arrived. Derek had had a quick shower and had just pulled on some fresh clothes when they had arrived. He had left Meredith, just getting out of the shower, to get ready while he answered the door. After Izzie had bounded up to her, hugged her and told her, excitedly, how much she loved the new home, and after George had offered the same sentiments in a less-excited version, Alex had offered her a half-hug and reassured her that Izzie would be 'okay' for the evening.

Mark had shown up at six, and Lexie had shown up shortly after. Meredith had been surprised to see her, but glad she had come. Her half-sister had been pretty quiet for the evening so far, but seemed glad to have been invited, so Meredith was taking it as progress.

Despite the forty-eight hour shift that had been followed by far too few hours of sleep, she was enjoying herself. Although she didn't miss a lot of living with her friends – lack of hot water, fighting over the last cup of coffee in the morning, the lack of privacy – she did miss the quiet evenings that occurred when everyone was off work and too tired to do anything other than lounge in the living room. It was nice to catch up outside the hustle of the hospital.

"...and then she started crying and ran out of the room," Cristina finished her most recent story of intern humiliation.

Meredith laughed and elbowed her best friend.

"Interns," Alex said, shaking his head, "The other white meat." He took a swig of the bottle of beer in his hand.

"Alex!" Izzie chastised. They were sharing the short couch, so he was easily within range of her arm as she took a swipe at him.

Alex made a choking noise as she caught him in the abdomen while taking a sip of his beer. He glared at her as he lowered the bottle.

"Be nice!" She hissed, not at all taken aback by his expression, "Lexie is here." She shot a look at the intern sitting alone on one of the chairs.

Alex shrugged. "Whatever." He took another sip of his beer, but Meredith caught sight of a slight smile on his lips.

"Your job is to teach the intern," Izzie continued, looking now to Cristina, "Not to make the cry."

"But it's so much more fun to make them cry," Cristina deadpanned, "And it's so easy."

"I have to agree with Yang," Mark spoke up.

"You're just saying that because they don't know how much of your internship you spent crying," Derek retorted before anyone else could speak.

"That is a lie," Mark argued.

"How about the time you made a mistake with one of O'Neil's patients?"

"I didn't make mistakes."

"Sure you didn't."

Mark glared at him. He surveyed the room of residents with mild contempt. "I didn't make mistakes. And word better not get out at work that I did."

"Yeah, because you're completely against gossip," Alex spoke up. Having given up on ever getting onto Mark's service, he apparently had no qualms in badgering the plastic surgeon.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Alex glanced at Meredith and then back to Mark. "It means you're lucky to have been invited tonight."

Despite Meredith's gratitude at Alex for standing up for her, she cleared her throat. "That's not what tonight is about," she reminded.

"See?" Mark said to Alex. "I'm-"

"An ass who none of us think belongs here," Izzie added, joining Alex in standing up for Meredith.

Mark glanced towards Derek.

"Looking towards your only friend to stand up for you?" Cristina said flatly.

Mark sighed heavily. "I didn't mean to-"

"Be an ass?" George asked.

Meredith felt Derek tense beside her. Their quiet, relaxed evening was quickly getting out of control. And as much as she was grateful to her friends' determination to stand up for her, even to an attending, the last thing she wanted was her husband feeling torn between her and his friend. Mark was his oldest friend, and Derek had gotten over a lot to let Mark get close again. The last thing Meredith wanted to do was keep her husband from the man that was the closest thing he had to a brother. If he thought being my friend would upset you, he'd cut ties without hesitating, Mark had said to her the day he had inadvertently hurt her by starting the rumour that she was pregnant, and she believed him. Despite the fact that she would never ask Derek to cut ties, she knew he would if he thought she may want him to.

Patting Derek's knee, Meredith sat forward on the couch and held out her hands. "It's done," she said. "Mark did something stupid, but he didn't mean for it to be what it ended up being. And I appreciate you guys standing up for me, but all I want right now is to have a nice evening with our friends. So, please can we change the subject?" She needed for hers and Derek's people to get along.

Beside her, Cristina shrugged. "So, I was in surgery with Two yesterday and he-"

"No more anti-intern stories!" Izzie demanded. "Seriously."

Derek leaned over and pressed a kiss to Meredith's temple. "Thank you," he whispered.

She smiled and leaned into him, proud of herself for being a good wife in that moment. She had neutralized a problem that could have led to an even more awkward situation.

"What else is there to talk about?" Cristina asked Izzie.

"Anything else, please. It makes me hate myself for being your friend when I hear you gloat about being so mean to them."

"It's the surgical circle of life. We got treated like crap last year."

"Yeah, but..." She trailed off.

Cristina smirked. "See? I rest my case."

Izzie rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Let's talk about the real party."

Cristina, Alex and Meredith groaned in unison.

Despite the fact that she had barely spoken ten words since arriving, Lexie spoke up. "What real party?" She asked quietly.

"Meredith and Derek's reception and housewarming party," Izzie explained.

"Reception?"

"Wedding reception," Izzie clarified.

"You haven't had a wedding reception?" Lexie asked, turning her attention to Meredith.

Meredith sighed. "No. And apparently Izzie thinks we need one."

"It's important!" Izzie exclaimed. "You got married. You're happy. Don't you want to celebrate that?"

"Iz, they haven't stopped celebrating that since they got home. Having a party means they have to stay clothed for an evening-" Alex was cut off by Izzie's elbow slamming into his rib cage.

Meredith ignored the heat in her cheeks and turned to Lexie who now looked uncomfortable and afraid to ask anything further. "Derek and I eloped. We went on vacation after I finished my internship and we just decided to get married while we were there."

"They were already engaged," Izzie added. "It wasn't like they did some impulsive thing that they're ashamed of-"

"Iz," Meredith cut her off, "I got this." She bit back a laugh at Izzie's determination to stand up for her. She turned back to Lexie. "Izzie is right. We were engaged, and we were waiting until I was finished my internship to plan a wedding, but then we were on vacation and it was beautiful and it just seemed like the right thing to do." She smiled when she felt Derek squeeze her hand. "And we definitely don't regret a thing."

Lexie offered her a small smile.

"And now Izzie thinks we need a reception."

"Izzie just thinks you need to celebrate," Izzie said.

Meredith rolled her eyes. "Please don't start talking in third person again..." She remembered Izzie and Alex speaking in third person for several days during their internship.

"Alex likes it when Izzie speaks in third person," Alex said, smirking at Meredith.

Izzie laughed. "Well, Izzie likes it when Alex speaks in third person."

Meredith covered her face with her free hand. "I need new friends," she muttered.

"Izzie will stop if you agree to some planning..." Izzie tempted.

Meredith sighed. "Fine."

Izzie smiled brightly and reached into the purse that was sitting at her feet. She pulled out a small notebook and a pen. "First, we have to talk venue."

"Venue? Here."

"But-"

"Nope," Meredith said, cutting her off. "It's going to be here." She raised a hand and pointed at Izzie. "And it's going to be small. I mean it, Iz. No more giant parties."

"That was one time."

"Small," Meredith repeated. "You invite the whole hospital again and I'm locking you out."

"Plus, if it's half housewarming party, it should be here," Derek pointed out.

Izzie made a face. "You have a point..."

Meredith smiled and leaned into her husband. "I knew I kept you around for a reason."

Sitting on Meredith's other side, and having heard the comment, Cristina laughed. "If you didn't keep him around, you wouldn't be in this situation."

Meredith laughed. "True."

Derek grumbled something unintelligible under his breath.

"Second, date," Izzie announced.

Meredith shrugged. "We have the weekend off in two weeks."

"Two weeks? That's not enough time to plan this."

"What is there to plan? We order some food, buy some drinks..."

Izzie clucked her tongue to tell Meredith how much she disapproved of her lack of appreciation for 'real' parties. "We won't be just ordering food last minutes. It'll take time to get the right caterer."

"Caterer?"

"And we'll need to book music, maybe a DJ," Izzie said, ignoring Meredith's comment.

"DJ?"

"And we'll have to figure out decorations, but first we'll need a theme."

"A theme? Okay, seriously-"

"And we'll have to all be able to get the time off."

"Are you listening to me at all?"

"Nope." Izzie shook her head as she made notes in her notebook, not even bothering to look up. "Because if I listen to you, the party will be just like tonight."

"And what's wrong with that?"

Izzie sighed and looked up. "It has to be special."

"But-"

"Are you planning on getting married again?"

"No."

"So, you're only going to do this once. You deserve it to be special. I won't go overboard, I promise. But it's going to be special."

"Stevens is right," Mark spoke up. "The reception is the party. At minimum you need good music, dancing and cake."

"Cake?"

"No party is complete without cake."

"Thank you," Izzie said.

Mark smirked. "And speeches. It's not a reception without embarrassing speeches."

Beside her, Derek sighed and leaned close. "I need new friends, too."

Despite the fact that she was being left out of the decisions taking place about her own party, Meredith giggled. "They're not so bad," she relented. "They mean well."

He dropped her hand to snake his arm around her waist. "They do," he agreed.

She leaned her head against his shoulder. "You realize Izzie's version of 'overboard' isn't close to ours, right? The party is going to be big."

"Would that really be so bad?" He whispered. "She's right. We deserve to celebrate."

"Crap," she muttered, "She got to you."

He chuckled. "No, you got to me."

She sighed. "You got to me, too."

Beside them, Cristina huffed. "If I have to sit here and listen to you two, I definitely need another drink." She stood and shuffled towards the kitchen.

Meredith laughed out loud. "Fine," she said to Izzie. "Do your worst."

Izzie beamed. "I was going to anyway, but I'm glad I have your approval."

Derek tightened his arm around her waist. "If it's that bad, we can just escape upstairs and celebrate in our own way," he whispered into her ear.

She smiled. "Agreed."