Who would have thought

3

Lavender. It was the first thing Derek noticed as he wrapped his arms tightly around Meredith's back, bringing her close to his body as he ducked his head down to her hair. She still smelled like lavender. After twelve years, she still smelled like a flower, and her small body still felt the same in his arms. Except stronger. He ran his hands up and down her back, reveling at the weight she had gained, even if she was still completely thin.

There was something slightly different about how she felt, slightly older and stronger or something. It might have been the way she wasn't sagging against him, just holding him gently, as if she was okay. She seemed okay. She had been giggling and smiling and it had been too long since he had seen or heard any of that when they had broken up. She was okay.

He had been worried. For years, he had worried. Not all the time, not so that he couldn't think about anything else, but every once in a while, he had wondered if she had broken down, if she had destroyed herself. But she was here, and she was okay. She was alive. She was a doctor. He ran his hand up her back again, fighting off the tears of relief. She was okay.

"You're okay," he whispered instead.

"I'm okay," she nodded, suddenly pulling away from him, her fingers working over the wristband of her watch as she turned to Mark and Addie. "Hi, Mark. Hi, Addie."

"Hey Meredith," Addison smiled. "Good to see you."

"Bullshit," Mark coughed.

"And with that we're leaving," Addison groaned, grabbing Mark's arm. "We'll catch up later, okay, Mer?"

"Okay," Meredith smiled slightly, watching as Addison dragged Mark away, quietly scolding him. "Are they...I mean, did they finally..."

"That is an excellent question," Derek laughed. "Hell if I know."

"You don't know?" Meredith giggled slightly.

"They're not seeing each other. They're not seeing anyone else either," Derek sighed. "And they have more sex than I want to hear about but I hear about it anyway."

"So basically the same as...before?"

"Basically," Derek nodded. "Although I think they're throwing marriage around. That's fucked up, right?"

"Completely," she nodded slowly as she started to bite slightly at her thumbnail.

"So..." he sighed and then suddenly frowned. "I heard about your mom."

"Oh," she breathed. "Yeah, she...it was...fast, kind of. Not really but she...the tumor just didn't, they couldn't get it and it was bad and she...yeah."

"I'm sorry," he murmured.

"It's...thanks," she nodded carefully.

"I was going to call but I thought...awkward," Derek sighed.

"Probably. I wouldn't have...and Izzie probably would have castrated you or something. She was...she was weird and creepy and not Izzie like and...it's fine you didn't call."

"How is Izzie?"

"She's good," Meredith smiled. "She's OB/GYN...married too. She just had a baby girl named Chelsea who is kind of adorable. Actually, completely adorable."

"That's great," Derek grinned. "She always wanted that. George?"

"George is...he's George," Meredith giggled. "He actually went for cardio, which was kind of shocking and weird."

"That...he doesn't seem like the cardio type," Derek frowned.

"No, he really isn't," she sighed. "But there was this instance with a broken elevator and a guy with a bullet in his heart and George...he was all not-George and he kicked ass and...so now he's cardio. And he's engaged."