(Shattered...) Dreams Fulfilled

Morning Mist Memories

"Uhmmm..." he responded as her hand gently caressed his cheek right before he felt her lips on his.

"Good morning," she said upon his lips, kissing him softly again.

"Can't be morning yet," he mumbled, his eyes still closed, and then added with a smile, "we just went to sleep."

"That," she said, brushing his lips again, "was hours ago."

He opened one eye, "it's still dark."

"It's beautiful out..."

Suddenly becoming more alert, he opened both eyes to look at her, "what's wrong with you...you're never this peppy when you wake up."

"Jet lag," she smiled, and from the sitting position on the edge of his side of the bed, leaned her body closer to him, "my body clock is saying it's one in the afternoon."

"You've already been out?" He asked, noticing she was dressed in a warm up suit.

"Yes," she smiled. "I sat outside and watched the mist rising off the lake...but I missed you ...wanted to share it with you, our first morning here...married."

"Uhmmm..." he said remembering their conversation long ago, as they stood longing for each other and the memories they shared on the bridge looking over the mountains at Seattle Grace, "you always understood."

"It was you..." she smiled, melancholy misting her gaze, "this place...the view..."

"And you," he said, and reached to place his hand on the back of her neck and brought her face close to his, her lips to his, "it was always the thought of you...here...only with you did it feel perfect."

"Really..." she said, unable to hide a trace of doubt, "even when I wasn't...when she..."

"Always," he responded by capturing her mouth, and then when they pulled away from an unexpectedly tender kiss, "especially then...when you weren't here."

"I'm always going to be here," she smiled, "from now on...I will always be here."

"Dr.Grey," he smiled mischievously, "are you mocking me?"

"It's Mrs. Shepherd," she teased, "and that's our promise, one of our promises to each other...to always be there."

"It is," he agreed, and pulled her into bed with him in one swift motion. "No running. No avoiding. Ever."

"Derek," she said, and shifted slightly to lay on top of him, running her hands through his hair, "we've done well...living up to our promises..."

"Uhmm..." he teased, nibbling at her lips, "like what?"

"Remember, our last morning here?"

"Before our trip," he said, as his lips captured hers and before long they forgot everything but the pleasure of their tongues, slowly at first, then a bit more urgently, enticing the other.

He came awake slowly, sensing someone was watching him and smiled. "Role reversal?" he joked as he looked at her lying on her side facing him.

"I like watching you sleep," she smiled as she reached to entwine their hands.

"You can't call me names anymore," he said leaning in to brush her lips with his, "when I watch you sleep."

"I don't call you names," she argued, trying to hide a smile.

"Weirdo," he said, "weirdo is name calling," and tickled her playfully.

"I was wrong," she giggled, "I was...no tickling."

He pulled her into his embrace, and nuzzled her neck, "why are you up before me again, it's still barely dawn."

"Told you, jet lag," she said kissing him, "and..."

"And..." he smiled.

"I made breakfast for you, either in bed...or outside..." she offered.

"It's just past five," he told her after glancing at the clock, "and my wife has cooked me breakfast," he joked with her.

"Don't get to used to it," she laughed, "after I get back to Seattle time zones, I fully expect you will once again become..."

He interrupted her, "your kissing alarm clock," he teased.

"Yes."

"I don't have any problem with that," he said upon her lips.

"You really remembered."

"Of course I do, I told you...I remember everything about us," he looked at her, and could almost hear her train of thought, "and so do you, even if you like to pretend I'm the only mushy and sentimental one."

"Everything about us," she said, "it's pretty hard to forget...I don't ever want to forget."

"You won't," he assured her, fully understanding her fears and the need to address them.

"Derek," she said, snuggling closer against him. "I don't mind being mushy and sentimental...about us."

"Ah...she admits it," he teased her, "and I love that you are, but also beautiful and sexy...and," he joked, "a wonderful cook," and their laughter echoed through the place where they'd first discovered love.

It would be almost ninety minutes before the sun would rise, and another hour before they headed toward the ferry boat dock to reach the hospital, hopefully, right before seven. The evidence of the breakfast she'd prepared on the tray beside them on the deck.

"Derek," she said, and he sensed the smile on her lips before she looked up to him, from her position as she lay nestled in his arms on the wooden chair, a blanket around them to ward off the cold morning, "we skipped engagement sex..." and she burst out laughing as he whispered in her ear and they reminisced about the honeymoon.

"But," he said, "we certainly made up for it...wouldn't you say...last night, this morning...engagement...honeymoon...welcome home...sex."

"Oh...we did," she agreed and kissed him soundly and proceeded to remind him of how much she had enjoyed their homecoming."

"And..." he said, shifting uncomfortably, "unless you want to freeze your ass off, stop what you're doing and let's finish this inside."

"I've never been afraid of the ...cold..." she taunted, "remember...the first time we sat here...watching the mist rising off the lake just like now..." she kissed his neck.

"No you haven't," he laughed, "but, I'm getting old, and prefer the warm bed inside."

"My old panther," she teased, and felt his hands pushing her to get up, and when she did, he grabbed her and carried her to the door.

"Want to test that theory..." he said, lifting an eyebrow.

"Think I've got pretty good evidence...you rise to the occasion."

"Don't forget it," he told her, as she reached to open the door to the trailer.

"How many times are you going to carry me across the threshold," she smiled, and kissed him deeply.

"Uhmmm..." he responded, without really answering as he carried her to the bed and lay her down before covering her body with his.

"A quickie," she said, "that's all we have time for...we have to..."

"Till tonight..." he silenced her with a kiss.

Later they basked briefly in the afterglow of mutual satisfaction, "we have to get going Derek," she said, and trailed kisses on his chest before reaching his mouth, "as it is, I'm pushing it this morning, and will probably be ten minutes late."

"I'll drop you off at the entrance," he said.

"And what," she laughed, "save me two minutes?"

"Better than nothing..."

"It's not the first time I'm late," she said, "though I hope Dr. Bailey is not there, because she would be right to be mad," she rambled, "after all the time she gave me off...and now to get there late, I mean...I we won't even dock till almost six fifty, so it is pushing it."

"Don't worry about it..." he said with a cocky attitude, "I'm still her boss."

"Yeah right," she laughed, "and she still scares all of us."

"Speak for yourself," he laughed.

"I love you," she said, as she gave him one last kiss and jumped out of bed to get ready.

"Hey," he pulled on her arm before letting her get away, "I love you too."

The sunrise was still hidden in the horizon and she leaned back into him, as they stood on the deck of the ferry. "What are you thinking," he whispered in her ear.

"You think you know me so well," she smiled.

"I do."

"Uhmm."

He nuzzled her neck, breathing in the lavender scent of her hair, "it's good...I know..."

"Really," she teased, and laughed softly.

"You're thinking about sex," he told her.

"That's not all I think about you know."

"Yeah...but you are now," he said and continued to whisper in her ear, making her wish they were alone and not in public.

"You're not going to last till tonight," she joked, pressing her body closer to his, "if you keep this up...no pun intended."

"You mean," he said, as his hands moved from her waist to her hips, caressing her, "you're not...and you're going to be paging me to an on call room..."

"Derek Shepherd, I'm a respectable married woman now, and I don't want to be the subject for gossip all over the hospital."

"Mer," he teased, "I think we pretty much have to give up on that, we're always going to be gossip."

"You are so cocky..."

"I'm realistic, there's no way in hell we aren't going to end up in an on call room...at some point...it's us Mer."

"Ass..."

Hey...just because...it's the truth," he defended.

"Thank God," she smiled and brought his arms to wrap around her again.

"So, are you going to tell me what you were thinking?"

"Maybe..."

"Stop teasing..." he kissed the curve of her neck.

"I was thinking," she said and turned to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck, "that we really have lived up to all our promises...almost..."

"Almost," he questioned.

She played with the curls on the back of his neck, "uhmm..."

"Mer..."

"Sex slave..." she said with a deadpan expression, in exactly the same way she had done the last day they rode the ferry boat.

"That's," he said smiling, "exactly what you said...last time we were on here."

"Uh huh..."

"Mer..." he said, this time it was he with the mischievous smile, "I think...I failed,
as sex slave."

"What..." she said, her expression incredulous, "Derek...I've been teasing...I have...I didn't mean..." she tried to explain; afraid she'd bruised his ego.

"Mer," he said, as he realized she may be upset, and kissed her softly, "I'm teasing you too...I was going to say," he continued, thinking it safe to be playful, "how can I be your sex slave...when you've tamed the beast..."

"Tamed..." she said, her mouth opened slightly, "you think...I meant to tame...I don't want to tame..."

"Do you," he said, his gaze meeting hers as he pressed their bodies intimately against each other, his arousal evident, "really believe...our passion can be tamed?"

"Derek," she smiled, "never..." and her arms tightened around his neck, hugging him as though she never intended to let him go, "I love you...I love you so much."

They remained in each other's embrace in silence for several minutes before he spoke.
"The sun is rising," he said and kissed the top of her head, as they both enjoyed watching the bright colors welcoming a new day, "guess no more flirting till tonight."

"Or an on call room."

"That would not be flirting," he told her, two sensuous gazes meeting the other.

"No," she smiled, "it wouldn't be."

"We should get going," he said as they approached the dock, and reached for her hand as they walked to the car.

"Derek," she said as they waited to drive off the ferry boat, "are you seeing Kelly today?"

"I am, this afternoon at three."

"Will you page me before they leave, I'd like to see her."

"Mer," he reached for her hand, "you can see her next week. I'm going to see her weekly for the next month."

"I'd like to see her today."

"Mer..."

"I'm ok," she said and squeezed his hand, "I am."

"I'll page you when they get to my office," he agreed. "That will give you a bit of time in case you're busy when they get there."

"Thank you," she said and brought his hand to her lips, where they lingered briefly.

"By the way," he said, "as much as I love being at the trailer, I think the next few days we should spend in town, you can't really be late all week and the ferry schedule is just cutting it too short docking at six fifty five."

"You are scared of Bailey," she laughed.

"No," he told her, "you know a resident can't get away with that every day."

"I know," she admitted, though she smiled. "I'd already thought we'd need to spend the nights in town, well just tonight and tomorrow, I'm on for forty eight hours after that."

"I think Miranda was being a softie with your schedule," he told her.

"Seriously? With a forty –eight hour shift my first week back?"

"But...think of it, you have Saturday and Sunday off, you don't go back till Monday morning."

"Derek, I'm off Saturday, but not Sunday."

"Look at your schedule again," he told her of their conversation the day before, and that before he'd gone home the night before, he'd run into Miranda and she'd told him she had to rearrange her schedule and was sure Grey wouldn't mind.

"She's being an old softie."

"Mer, don't let her hear you say that."

"I know..." she laughed, "it's the softie she objects to."

"Derek, since you don't need to be here so early, would you mind getting the presents we brought for Kelly and Sean, I left everything by the chair in the bedroom."

They made it to the hospital in record time and as soon as he pulled into the hospital parking lot, he said, "meet me at the nurse's station in about an hour, after I go by the house I'll bring you coffee from Starbucks."

"Ok," she smiled, and as his car pulled to a stop at the front of the hospital leaned quickly over to kiss him and rushed to get to the resident's lounge.

Unfortunately, the fact that Derek drove away and some had witnessed no more than a light peck on the cheek, would soon give way to new and unfounded gossip.

"Grey," she heard the unmistakable sarcasm, "nice of you to join us."

"Sorry Dr. Bailey, the ferry docked a few minutes late."

"You'd think," Miranda looked at her, never betraying the sense of motherly protectiveness she felt for her group of five interns, "after all the efforts that have been made on your behalf, so you could enjoy your honeymoon, you'd make it here on time."

"Yes, Dr. Bailey. It won't happen again."

"Right," Miranda scoffed, and began to discuss the assignments for the day. "Grey, a word with you," she said when she had finished speaking.

"Yes, Dr. Bailey."

"All of you, get to work," Miranda told them as some residents, including her friends made no attempt to move.

"Dr. Bailey, I am sorry, I told Derek, we're staying in town...the rest of the week that is, we didn't really think about it when we went out last night..."

"Meredith, stop rambling."

"Yes, ma'am."

"You've been rescheduled this weekend," she said gruffly.

Meredith couldn't hide her smile.

"You're smiling? You don't know what I've done yet, maybe you have to come in to work on Saturday now as well."

"Well..." Meredith started to say.

"Oh... wait...I forget, McDreamy can't keep his mouth shut."

"Dr..." Meredith spoke quietly, "Miranda," she decided she needed to thank her on a personal level, "Derek and I...we both appreciate your thoughtfulness."

"I'm not going soft."

"I know."

"You do need to take care of yourself," Miranda told her, "and if you need to take it easy, let me know or go see Dr. Cameron."

"I'm ok," she told her, "but if I'm not, I'll tell you."

"All right then," Miranda Bailey adopted her hard ass stance again, "get changed and get to work, you're already much too late."

"Miranda," Meredith smiled, "you're a good friend."

"Remember that," she said, "when you're babysitting Tuck for a full weekend."

"What?" Meredith said petrified of the idea.

"Relax Grey, I wouldn't trust Shepherd with my child."

"Well," Meredith said in defense of her husband, "that's not fair, you know...me or Cristina, I get...but Derek...he's trustworthy with kids."

"Probably have him fishing in that lake of his at the crack of dawn," she quipped and walked out with a serious face that turned to a satisfied grin when she was out of sight.

"Crap," Meredith said out loud thinking of the gift they'd brought for the young boy, and quickly changed into her scrubs, and rushed to meet with her interns in the locker room.

"Dr. Grey," one of her two women interns said, "before we leave, well, we...yesterday, we didn't know you'd gotten married, but we heard rumors and then George said it was true, so we got you something...we don't make a lot of money and it's not a lot, but George said you and Dr. Shepherd would like this," she said and handed her a gift bag.

"Megan," Meredith smiled as she took the bag from her, "all of you, thank you, this is very thoughtful," and opened the bag and turned to glare at George.

"Oh, no," Lucy the other intern said as she saw her reaction, "George you lied to us, you said it would be sentimental for them."

"No, he didn't," Meredith smiled, "I just didn't know he had a sense of humor," she taunted, "but he was right. Derek will certainly appreciate the thought behind it."

"We didn't mean any offense Dr. Grey," Megan told her, "George said, well we all know how you and Dr. Shepherd met and we didn't mean..."

"No offense taken," she said, as she took lifted a bottle of tequila and single malt scotch from the bag, "and you got the good kind."

"Well, that's because George put in most of the money so we could afford it."

"And I really do appreciate it, and he was right, it is a gift with sentimental value. Derek and I met a Joe's, and that's what we drank that night," she said, hoping to put an end to any other embellished gossip.

"George," she said, "would you mind dropping this off with Derek," she said, and handed him the bag, "even if you have to carry it around all day till you find him," she whispered.

"You're mad," he asked.

"Not really," she said, "but you can still carry the bag around for feeding the rumor mill."

"Mer," he smiled, as he walked next to her, realizing she was not mad at all, "everybody knows about it."

"To think Derek and I are delusional enough to believe our kids won't hear that story."

"Delusional is right."

"Hey, Bambi," she said good naturedly, "you're not supposed to agree with me."

"You're my boss, Mer," he joked, and she swatted him playfully before she walked away, "yeah...don't forget it."

Meredith timed her early morning schedule to coincide perfectly with Derek at the nurse's station.

"Hey," he grinned as they walked up to the desk simultaneously, and kissed her before placing the four cup coffee holder on the counter.

"Dr. Shepherd," she said, for his years only, "do you kiss all the residents?"

"Not unless I want my wife to kill me," he smiled, handing her a cup of coffee," she's quite jealous."

"It's only that intern, Dr. Grey, she dislikes," she teased and they laughed as the small crowd at the station watched.

"Good morning ladies," he said, "coffee's for you, chocolate in the bag is for Lisette."

"Thanks Dr. Shepherd," Lisette told him, "it's just what I've been craving," she said and immediately regretted what she said, thinking of how Meredith would feel.

"That is good to know Lisette," Meredith said immediately noticing her withdrawal, "now I won't have to second guess if you'll like the souvenirs we got for each of you."

"Dr. Grey," Amy Lynn said, "you didn't need to do that, for goodness sakes, you were on your honeymoon."

"That's what I told her," Derek smiled, "but she insisted we couldn't come home empty handed, though I was able to convince her nobody would expect us to be shopping, and it was ok if what we got was the same for everyone."

"Amy Lynn's right Dr. Grey...Dr. Shepherd," Stephanie chimed in as she grabbed a cup of coffee, "there was no need to bring anything."

"I really just wanted to spend his money," Meredith joked before she asked for several charts, ensuring she could do some work at the same time.

Derek looked at her and frowned, "don't let her fool you. She hates to shop, and I practically had to force her, well, not for the souvenirs but for things for herself."

"Well," Tracy said as she came up to the counter, she had been in the back office on a phone call, "it great to see you both here this morning, so I can tell you all at the same time."

"What's going on Tracy?" Amy Lynn asked. "You and McSteamy..."

"Amy Lynn, you flirting with me again?" Mark drawled as he walked behind Tracy and put his hand on the small of her back.

"I think," Tracy said conspiratorially, "we should definitely initiate another GS bet."

"What..." they heard the echo of four voices as Meredith, Derek, Stephanie and Lisette spoke simultaneously.

"Do tell," Amy Lynn encouraged.

"Yes," Mark smiled, "do tell."

"It seems," she smiled, "the rumored Grey-Shepherd marriage may not be real," she editorialized, "after all it was in a foreign country, how do we even know it's valid," she laughed.

"Unbelievable," Lisette said, "don't people have anything better to do."

"It gets better," Tracy said, "apparently, there's already trouble in paradise, because this morning, McDreamy," she paused, "sorry, that's what I was told, "dropped Dr. Grey off and they barely looked at each other, and she leaned over to peck his cheek and he said something that made her got out of the car angrily and he stormed out of the parking lot."

"I did what?"

"He did what?" Meredith said and she looked over to Derek and both broke out in laughter as he put his arm around her waist and brought her close to him.

"I think," Amy Lynn said, "we should have some fun."

"A woman after my own heart," Mark smiled at Tracy, "what do you have in mind?"

"Forget it," Derek said, "we're not doing this."

"Come on Shep, let us have some fun."

"There's been enough rumors and bets about us," Derek said, "without having to fabricate them," he said and continued to hear Mark's arguments why they should.

"This," Meredith said, as she reviewed the last chart, "is entertaining, but, I have work to do," and turned to Derek. "Don't forget to page me."

"I won't," he said, and she let him kiss her without any hesitation, even if they had a mixed audience, their friends and the ever present and annoying gossip mongers.

"Not so fast Grey," Mark said, "at least, let us have some fun brining the bets to an end, you know all the pending ones...before you left, and we get together at Joe's tonight."

"Mark," Derek started to protest.

"Shep, you already agreed, we need a celebration, make it official...at Joe's, my treat."

"We agreed we'd look at our schedule."

"We know Grey's on for forty eight hours, and then off for the weekend..." Mark said.

"How do you know that?" Derek asked.

"My business to know everything," Mark smirked. "How about tonight," he insisted, "just think we could put an end to all the rumors about you being married."

"Why do I think you have an ulterior motive?"

"Shep, you're so un trusting."

"You know what," Meredith said, "tonight's great, and you're right Mark, I do want an end to all these rumors, and let everybody know," she teased Derek as she had before they left on their, at the time she'd thought, proposal trip," he's off the market."

"Great," Mark said, "I'll take care of it. We'll see you at seven," he said and remained talking to the Fab4 as Derek and Meredith walked away.

"Can't believe you agreed," Derek said as they walked side by side.

"I want this behind us," she said as she stopped in the middle of the hall to look at him, "you are my husband, and it's about time everybody knows and stops with the ridiculous gossip."

"Meredith," he smiled, "I love bossy ...but jealous," he said as he pushed her gently against the wall, freeing the hall for others to walk around them, and leaned into her "it's hot...I love jealous..."

She smiled, a seductive playful smile, "I love...all of you," and surprising him with the unusual display of affection in spite of the inevitable spectators around them, she brought her mouth to his and kissed him before walking away, leaving him smiling and counting the hours till he could be alone with her again.