At The Edge Of The Ocean

39. I Take Thee

"Feels good to escape, even if it's just for a weekend," smiled Derek when he was finally able to unfasten his seatbelt and stand up beside Meredith and Bessie's row.

"You say that now," Meredith made a skeptical face running through her handbag in search of a coloring book and some crayons. Bessie was now glued to the little window of the plane as much as her restraint allowed her to but it wouldn't be long till her interest waned. How much time can you spend watching clouds after all? "I'll look for that smile on your face when we're back learning from Izzie that we'll have bridesmaids in pink taffeta, you'll be wearing a top hat and a morning coat and somebody will be singing "Wind beneath my freaking wings". Damn, I can't find that book... I could swear I packed it."

"You know we're going to a wedding, right?" grinned Derek and reached for his briefcase pulling the book Meredith was looking for. "Here."

"Oh, thank God," sighed Meredith. "I don't know why I didn't think about taking some toys for Bess earlier. And yes, I know we're going to a wedding. But I made sure my dress doesn't make noise when it moves or stand up all by itself. Have I already mentioned it's not pink?"

"What colour is it?" asked Derek dreamily, his eyes moving along her body.

"You'll see," she grinned back. "And save that smile for later. You know we're not joining the mile high club today."

"Not today? When?" he quipped.

She quirked her eyebrow at him, "You're too eager. Trust me it's not that exciting as it appears to be."

"With the right person..." he smirked.

"How you can turn corny the hurried sex in the cramped toilet is beyond me," she looked up at him smugly. "You know, you're more excited about the plane flight than our two-year-old."

"I haven't been out of Seattle since... I came here," he said in wonder.

"You've never thought about leaving? Going back to New York?" she asked him seriously reaching for his hand and squeezing his fingers.

"No," he sighed. "I just... lived from day to day. Sometimes it felt as though time stopped after you left."

"It flied for me," said Meredith. "And now we can go steady... together."

"We can," Derek leaned to kiss her lips, "We should set the date."

"Yeah, we should. Your Mom's getting restless, your sisters apparently too," sighed Meredith.

"Mer, just... don't freak out," he smiled at her. "They're just my ugly sisters."

"I'm not freaking out," she shrugged wickedly. "I think they'll like me, especially after I tell them all about your dancing skills."

"You wouldn't..." he gritted out. The week following Meredith's bachelorette party proved very trying for his nerves as the news of his adventure leaked out and sent shockwaves of gossip and hilarity through the hospital.

"Derek, just... don't freak out..." she teased him mercilessly patting him on the abdomen. "I'd say you have a future in that field if you ever got tired of the scalpel... the way you tossed that shirt to the floor..."

"Meredith," he hissed loosening his collar.

"What?" she battled her eyelashes innocently. "Don't worry; I wouldn't ever let you. I'd get insanely jealous."

"You'll never let me forget that, will you?" asked Derek hopefully.

"Nope, I'm hoping for a repeat," she pursed her lips. "You're my private dancer."