"Sa co Ra aba."
The sounds of babbling came over the baby monitor and pulled Derek from a deep sleep, causing him to groan and bury his face further into his wife's neck.
"Go get your baby," she murmured, rolling into the pillow.
Derek sighed as he tightened his arms around her. "Do I have to?" he asked.
"If you ever want to have the opportunity to make another baby, then yes," Meredith nodded.
"Fine," Derek sighed, pulling out o bed and moving towards the door.
"Hey bud," he sighed as he opened the door to the nursery, reaching for his son. "Did you enjoy waking Mommy and me?"
"Sa co," his baby nodded.
"Well, I'm glad to see you've taken after me in your sleeping habits at least," Derek sighed as he carried him back into their bedroom. "Say hi to Mommy."
"Sa ka co."
"Hey Chris," Meredith giggled, turning over in bed and reaching for her son. "You really are your father's son."
"You say that like it's a bad thing," Derek laughed as he slid back into bed, running a hand over Chris's head, already covered in the dark Shepherd curls.
"I suppose not," Meredith sighed as she rested the baby between them. "How long until the little angels are awake?"
"Hmm," Derek sighed, looking at the clock. "Well, it's six thirty, so one would have thought that they would have been up an hour ago."
"I hate you for giving my children freaky sleeping habits."
"I'd be hurt if I thought you meant that."
Before Meredith could respond, their door burst open and Melanie ran in, followed closely by her sister.
"Morning Mommy!"
"Morning Daddy!"
"Good morning girls," Derek laughed as he pulled Becky into his arms, tickling her gently.
"Morning Chris," Melanie smiled as she climbed over Meredith to give her brother a sloppy kiss, causing him to giggle loudly.
"Daddy," Becky sighed from Derek's arms.
"Yes?" Derek asked, smiling at Meredith over their children's heads.
"Can we have chocolate chip pancakes?"
"With lots of syrup?" Melanie added, her eyes wide.
"Well, how can I say no to those eyes?" Derek laughed as he leaned forward to kiss Melanie as well. "Do I get special helpers? Or are you going to stay and cuddle with Mommy?"
"Mommy," Becky giggled, moving into Meredith's arms.
"Careful," Meredith sighed as Becky climbed over Chris to cuddle with her mother.
"Sorry Chris," Becky sighed.
"I'll take him," Derek said. "Us men will cook for our girls."
"Say thank you Daddy," Meredith smiled as she cuddled their three year old girls close to her.
"Alright, little man," Derek smiled as he held his three month old baby on his shoulder. "We'll make breakfast for Mommy and the girls, how does that sound?"
"Sa ca ra ah," Chris nodded.
"Good," Derek sighed, placing his son in his bouncy chair on the kitchen table and moving to the stove.
The past three years had somehow turned into a very amazing blur. After that terrible night that had sent Andrew to prison, Meredith had become even more obsessed with caring for their family, and had completely surprised him when she'd told him that she didn't want to go back to work until the girls were in school, and he had been more than supportive of her decision to remain a stay at home mom. Their daughters had loved it, and Meredith had been happier than he'd ever seen.
Things hadn't been exactly easy, but he wouldn't have traded any of it. He made sure to take Meredith out to dinner at least once a week, and she had been more than willing to go out with Lexie and Liz when he had nights off as well. They'd had a little bit of trouble a couple years ago when Meredith had miscarried, but they'd come out of it stronger than ever.
And then a year ago his wife had presented him with the amazing news that she was pregnant again. It had been an easy pregnancy, but the first half had been spent in complete terror that it would end in miscarriage, but three and a half months ago, in the middle of an entire city power outage, Christopher Adam Shepherd had been born, and Derek finally had his son.
His daughters hadn't exactly been happy with the idea of sharing their parents at first, but they had adjusted to the idea after a few weeks, and they now loved their baby brother completely. He couldn't believe how quickly the first three years of their life had gone, from their first word-Melanie's had been Becka, and Becky's Mellie- to their first steps and development into real people. They both had such amazing energy and real love for life. Becky was loud and always excited, and loved to visit Daddy at the hospital. Melanie, a bit quieter and more fond of curling up with Mommy while she read to her, had just as much energy for life.
"Daddy," Becky giggled as she ran into the kitchen. "Are the pancakes done yet?"
"Almost butterfly," Derek smiled, hoisting her onto his hip and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Where's your sister?"
"With Mommy," Becky sighed. "They're slow."
"Hmmm," Derek said. "Did someone run down the stairs like we're not supposed to?"
Becky squirmed in his arms, picking at the thread on his shirt. "No."
"Rebecca Elizabeth Shepherd."
"Maybe."
"You know we don't run on the stairs," Derek said gently.
"Sorry Daddy."
"It's okay," Derek nodded. "But next time you're going to get a toy taken away. You don't want that, do you?"
"No," she shook her head quickly, her blonde waves whipping him in the face.
"Okay," Derek smiled as he moved to sit her at the table, setting a plate of pancakes in front of her.
"Me too, Daddy!" Melanie shouted as she ran to the table, Meredith following.
"Here you are princess," Derek smiled as Meredith reached for Chris, moving towards the fridge to pull a bottle out.
"Thanks, Daddy," Melanie said as she shoved a mouthful of pancakes into her mouth.
"You're welcome," Derek smiled, turning to Meredith. "He's eating okay?"
"He is," Meredith sighed. "I wish he would start sleeping through the night."
"Soon," Derek sighed, flipping more pancakes onto the plate. "I hope."
"The girls were three weeks younger than he was when they started sleeping through the night," Meredith said.
"Well, they're perfect little angels," he smiled. "What?" he asked when Meredith giggled.
"I just think it's amusing that your perfect little angels decided to draw pictures on the kitchen table using maple syrup," Meredith smiled.
Derek whirled his head around to see Melanie and Becky giggling as they stuck their hands into the syrup on their plates before moving their sticky hands over the dark wood.
"Girls," he sighed as he moved closer to them. "No more syrup."
"What?" Melanie frowned.
"We need it Daddy!"
"If you want do draw there's paper and crayons in your playroom," Meredith sighed as she moved to burp Chris. "But first you need to wash your hands."
"Can we play outside?" Melanie asked as Derek lifted her to reach the water running from the sink.
"Yeah, it's sunny!" Becky added.
"Sure," Derek laughed. "Go get dressed, and Mommy and I will eat breakfast."
"Okay!" the girls cried as they rook each other's hands and ran out of the kitchen.
"Walk on the stairs!" Meredith called after them.
Derek sighed as he set a plate of pancakes in front of his wife, taking Chris from her arms and looking down at his son. "Your sisters are crazy," he sighed as he bounced Chris in his lap. "Just like Mommy."
"Mommy heard that," Meredith smiled.
"We've got to go fishing soon, bud," Derek said. "Grab Mark and Jake and have a man's weekend."
"Not for awhile," Meredith sighed as she moved her plates to the dishwasher.
"Fine," Derek sighed.
"We're ready to go play!" Melanie cried as she and Becky ran back into the room.
"Okay," Meredith smiled, moving towards the backdoor. "Daddy and I will sit on the porch with Chris. You remember the rules?"
"If we can't see you, you can't see us," Becky nodded.
"And no pushing."
"Or biting."
"Or hair pulling."
"Very good," Derek smiled. "Go ahead."
He watched as his little girls ran out the back door, giggling loudly. "They have so much energy," he sighed as he and Meredith settled onto the couch on their porch, watching as Becky reached for the bubble solution kept under the porch.
"They're three," Meredith sighed as she leaned into him, resting her head against his shoulder and rubbing Chris's back. "Just thing what this one will be like at that point."
"He'll be crazy," Derek laughed. "I'm pretty sure Jake has more energy than Mel and Becky combined."
"It will be an adventure," Meredith sighed. "The girls will be in school by then."
"Hmm," Derek nodded. "They're getting big so fast."
"They are," Meredith said. "But they're amazing."
"Completely," Derek nodded.
"Did you ever think we would end up like this?" she whispered.
"This has always been the plan," Derek nodded, his eyes sparkling as he looked down at her. "Babies, a house, a lifetime...I've always wanted it all with you."
"And do you have it now?"
"I do," Derek said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "Although the more kids the better, I say."
"Derek Christopher Shepherd," Meredith sighed. "There is no way I'm having another baby."
"We need more boys," Derek said. "Chris and I are outnumbered."
"I told you, when you figure out how to carry the children, you can have as many as you want," Meredith shrugged. "Until then we're going back to being a condom ad."
"Okay," Derek laughed as he squeezed her. "You're happy, aren't you, Mer?"
"Of course," Meredith nodded, shifting to look up at him. "Do you think I'm not happy?"
"No, I do," he nodded. "I just promised to make sure you'll always be happy. And I know you made the decision to be a stay at home mom, but...I'm glad you're happy."
"This isn't ever how I thought my life would end up," she admitted as she leaned her head against his chest again, watching her daughters giggle at the bubbles they were blowing into the air. "When I decided to become a teacher, it was because I thought I would never have my own kids."
"You never told me that," Derek murmured into her hair.
"I just...with everything my mom did before we were together...paying off my boyfriends and everything, I didn't think I would ever trust anyone enough to have kids."
"And then you met me," Derek smirked.
"You made it...easier to imagine," Meredith whispered. "And then I slowly allowed myself to believe that I could have this, that I could be a good mother and a good wife."
"You're an amazing mother," Derek assured her. "And a completely outstanding wife."
"Good," Meredith sighed.
"Ga fa," Chris interrupted, reaching for Meredith as he squirmed in Derek's arms.
"See," Derek laughed. "Chris agrees."
"Daddy," Becky cried as she and Melanie climbed onto his lap, both of them wrapping their arms around his neck.
"Why do I think you want something?" Derek laughed.
"Will you come play with us?" Melanie asked, her blue eyes wide.
"Hmmm," Derek sighed, pretending to think. "I don't know. I think I might need a kiss from two very pretty three year olds."
Becky giggled as she kissed Derek on the cheek, her sister following suit. "Now Daddy?"
"Of course, butterfly," Derek nodded, turning to Meredith. "You stay here and keep Mommy company, okay bud?" he said, rubbing Chris's back before turning to kiss Meredith softly. "I love you."
"I love you too," Meredith smiled, running her hand over his cheek before she pulled back.
Derek laughed as he stood, chasing his daughters down the steps of the porch to the green grass that overlooked the city. She smiled as she leaned back into the pillows, unable to believe that this was her life. There had been a point where she hadn't even believed in love, and had given up hope of ever having this. But she hadn't and because of Derek she was here, in the most amazing house in the world and a mother to the cutest kids she'd ever met, even if she was a little biased.
More than anything, she couldn't actually believe that she had Derek. He'd managed to completely break down all the barriers she had placed around her heart, making sure that she didn't miss out on the amazing feeling of being in love. Through the past five years, she and Derek had been through a lot, but she couldn't even imagine getting through it without Derek. He'd managed to become her rock through everything, and she knew that she loved him now more than ever.
"Ma da so ba," Chris giggled from her lap as Melanie and Becky tackled Derek to the ground, giggling loudly as they climbed on top of him, tickling him wildly.
"That's right," Meredith whispered as she rested her chin gently on her son's head. "They're playing with Daddy. Soon you'll be able to play too, and we can all gang up on him."
Derek looked up from his giggling daughters, meeting Meredith's eyes in that moment, and she knew this was perfection. Her life was perfect, and she owed it all to the moment when Derek Shepherd had stepped into her classroom nearly six years ago and she'd accidentally fallen in love.