Chapter Text
Seattle was still gray. Some things never changed, rain misting the windows, ferries cutting slow lines through the Sound, the hospital looming like a second skyline of its own. The city breathed the same way it always had, steady and unbothered, even as life inside its walls kept reinventing itself.
Meredith Grey stood barefoot in the hallway of their house on Queen Anne Hill, one hand wrapped around a mug of lukewarm coffee, the other resting absently in her back pocket. The morning light was pale, filtered through clouds that refused to decide whether they would break or linger.
In front of her, Derek Shepherd was on the floor.
Which, under normal circumstances, would’ve been alarming.
But today, he was surrounded by tiny plastic parts, a folded instruction manual, and wooden slants that had absolutely not come with enough screws.
“This thing is a death trap,” he muttered, squinting at a diagram. “No baby should trust this many loose bolts.”
Meredith smiled into her mug. “You’re a neurosurgeon.”
“Yes,” he replied without looking up, “and this is clearly harder.”
On the dresser sat a stack of pastel-colored books—What to Expect, The First Year, Sleep When the Baby Sleeps (which Meredith had already dismissed as propaganda). There was a small bag from a boutique down the street with tissue paper peeking out, and a folded yellow blanket that Meredith hadn’t yet decided where to put.
After longer than he would like or care to admit, Derek finally leaned back on his hands, surveying the crib with suspicion. “Okay. Hypothetically. If a baby were to be placed in this—”
Meredith cut him off. “Don’t say hypothetically.”
He grinned. “—would you trust it?”
“I would trust you,” she said. “Which is a leap of faith I don’t take lightly.”
He laughed, then caught her watching him. Really watching him.
“You okay?” he asked, softer now.
Meredith nodded. “Yeah. Just… thinking.”
“Dangerous.”
He stood, brushing dust from his jeans, and crossed the room to her. He didn’t touch her at first, just stood close, like he always had when the moment mattered.
“Always,” she said, then hesitated. “Do you think we’re ready?”
He cocked his head slightly to the side and smiled, and damn him and that smile and those eyes. After a million looks like this they still did it for her.
"How can you think you're not ready for this?" He said softly. "Compared to everything we've already done and been through, this'll be a breeze. It's going to be fun Mer."
She smiled then too. "You and those sparkly eyes are not being fair. I can't think when you look at me like that."
He pulled his arms loosely around her and kissed her softly. "I know."
"But I guess you have a point, I just want to do it right."
"She'll be happy, trust me." He started kissing her again, but didn't get any further than that. A disapproving grunt sounded from behind Meredith and when Derek opened his eyes, she was standing there in the hallway, arms folded over each other. "Could you guys stop being gross for a minute."
Meredith let go of him and turned around. "Be happy your parents still love each other so much."
"Yeah June, be happy." Derek said as he playfully pulled Meredith back to him and kissed her hard.
"Fine, I'll just find a boyfriend of my own to start making out with in front of your faces."
That got his attention, he quickly let go. "All right, we'll stop."
Meredith rolled her eyes, "you're too easy Shepherd."
June smiled, happy to have gotten her way, and walked toward her room. Derek tried to pull Meredith back in. "No, no, you wanted to listen to her. Now you're too late." She smiled as she walked away as well. Leaving Derek standing all alone in the nearly finished nursery.
⸻
She sat still in the car, hands rubbing mindlessly over her belly that seemed to only get bigger, even though she felt like she'd run out of room weeks ago. "I'll be so glad when we're finally there and all settled. I feel like I could pop any second."
"We'll be there in 5. It's gonna be okay."
She looked sideways towards him. His hair dark, eyes focused on the road in front of them. It was dry outside for once, luckily. At her size it took her way too long to get from car to front door for it to be pouring rain.
She smiled when they turned the street and she saw the house appear, still more home than anywhere she'd ever been.
⸻
"Okay, you've got everything? Intro packet? Phone? You've saved our numbers as emergency calls?"
Sammie turned around and smiled. "Yes mom, I'll be okay, really. It's only a fifteen minute drive. If something's wrong I'll call and you can be here immediately."
Derek stepped down from her bed. "Are those straight?"
Sammie looked at the picture's he'd hung up. "They're fine, really. Thank you both for helping."
Meredith stood there, staring with tears in her eyes. "I can't believe you're already leaving us."
"I'm not leaving you. I'm fifteen minutes away, we'll see each other all the time. You think I won't miss you too much otherwise?"
"Your mom's right, most parents get at least eighteen years before their kid leaves for college, we only got five." Derek stood beside Meredith now, arm behind her back.
"Okay I'm not hearing all this again. You have someone at home you still have to spend about seventeen years with. And be glad I chose to stay in Washington."
When neither of them reacted, just stared at her tearfully, she slumped. "I'm going to miss you guys too. I love you." She stepped forward and put her arms around both of them. "But now I got to go, I have an introductory meeting." And then she was gone. Walking through the hallway as if she'd been here for years, Meredith and Derek watching as she disappeared.
Later, when they lay in bed together, reminiscing, Meredith put her head on his chest. "I can't believe she's gone."
"She's not gone Mer, you can't think of it like that. Be glad she's in a good enough place to actually go to college."
"I know, and I am glad. I just miss her already."
Before they could discuss it further, a cry sounded from the hall.
"Someone who misses you." Derek smiled as Meredith climbed out of bed.
As she walked away, his phone chirped. A selfie Sammie had sent, in her new room, on her new bed. Next to her on the nightstand was the framed picture of them three.
Love you guys! Miss you already! Count me in for dinner this Friday! The text read.
Meredith walked in with the baby on her arm. "Dada!", it sounded, little arms outstretched towards him. He handed Meredith his phone as he took the child from her.
"See? She'll come back."
⸻
When they finally parked on the driveway, it didn't take long for the front door to open. Meredith quickly came down the steps, followed closely by Derek. "You're here!" Meredith yelled as she came to the side of the car where Sammie was still struggling to get out of. Meredith grabbed her by the elbow to help her. "Oh my god Sam look at you!" She exclaimed. "Yes. Thank you mom. I know. I'm huge." But as Meredith pulled her into a hug she couldn't help but smile. "I can't believe I'm stranded at your house again," she said as Derek came forward for a hug of his own. After greeting Evan as well, who was already moving to get all their stuff out of the car, Meredith ushered Sammie up the stairs "They can carry the stuff, let's sit you down."
As she set foot into the hallway, June came running down the stairs. "Oh my god! You're a blimp!"
"Jeez I already feel so at home here. I haven't even sat down yet and I've been insulted already," but she smiled as June came closer.
"I'm kidding!" June laughed as she tried to pull Sammie into a hug. "I can't even reach you!"
Sammie gave her a playful shove, "at least I'm not the one with the dorky braces."
"I can't believe I have children who are 17 years apart and still bickering like little kids." Meredith said as she watched from the side.
Sammie let out a hearty sigh as she finally sat down on the couch. Not much had changed since she last lived here, some furniture was different, the separation wall between living room and kitchen was gone, but the feel was the same.
"I think that's everything." Derek said as he and Evan came in with the last of the boxes. "I thought we had a lot of stuff—" Derek started.
Sammie rolled her eyes. "You don't know how much stuff baby's need."
"I don't believe this is all for the baby. It's unbelievable you once got around with a single backpack."
Sammie gaped at him, then both erupted in laughter. "Don't forget this is all your fault. You're the one that made promises he couldn't keep."
That shut Derek right up. Something like guilt washing over him. Last month had been like Murphy's Law.
⸻
Sammie smiled as the car drove into the clearing, towards the house that appeared in front of them. Green and trees were all that surrounded them. Sometimes she still found it hard to believe Derek actually used to live on these grounds, his life way before she came into the picture. But over the years it had become something of hers to. Camping with Derek in his old trailer, summers swimming in their lake with Meredith. So when he had offered the grounds for her to live on, it wasn't a hard decision. Then when he'd offered to build their house from scratch, she'd been even more honored. Her dad, building her own house just for her.
On the porch stood Derek, a pressed look on his face. The car came to a halt and she climbed out of it. "Dad! It looks great!" He came towards her to greet them, but as she hugged him he was stiff in her arms. "What's wrong?"
"Sam I'm so sorry."
Both her and Evan now had stressed looks. "What happened?"
She didn't even understand all the details. Point was, the house wasn't ready to be lived in. Something with the electricity and gas that had suddenly gone wrong. Something that wan't overseeable with a baby in the home. Something that would take a while to fix. Something that meant they wouldn't be able to move in before the baby was born, as was the plan. They had to leave their current house in a few weeks, almost everything was already packed. Sammie felt the panic creep into her body.
⸻
But of course, her parents had showed up at the first signs of trouble. Opened up their house, again, so they would have a place to stay until their own house in the clearing would be done.
"Don't think I didn't do that on purpose so you could spend more time with us." Derek smiled.
"No really dad, and mom too of course. Thank you so much. I wouldn't have known what to do without you."
Evan stood smiling next to Derek, and slapped a hand on his shoulder. "Yes, thank you both so much. It means a lot."
"You know you're always welcome in this house Sam." Meredith added. "I mean since the beginning, this house has seen so many people come and go. Everyone's lived here at some point." She smiled, years passing through her head in the blink of an eye. Her, practically every resident of their year, Derek, then Sammie. Almost all had come and gone. But there was one she was now particularly happy about returning. She scooched closer to Sammie, wrapping her arms around her. "I meant it when I was sad we only got a few years of you living in our house, I'm so glad you're back. Even if it's just for a bit." She put one hand on Sammie's belly. "And I mean with this one coming soon, I think you can use all the help you can get."
"You're right, I was thinking, once the baby's here. Maybe you could just do every night with her so I can get a sound sleep." Sammie grinned.
"Don't say that like you mean it, you know she'll do it if you ask." Derek said, looking at Meredith. He still had that same look in his eyes as all those years ago. Sure, not every moment was ultimate happiness, but Sammie admired the way they kept going— together.
After they'd gone and get settled, Sammie found Derek and Evan together at the kitchen table, beer in hand and chatting away. She felt glad, the two of them seemed to really get along. She remembered how nervous she was, bringing him home the first time. But, after some initial protectiveness and questioning, they welcomed him just as enthusiastically as they had her.
Derek smiled when he looked at her over Evan's shoulder. "You know, it'll be nice to have another man in the house for a while."
"Wow, thanks dad." She grinned.
"You know I love you all more than anything, but it has been a lot of estrogen in this house in the last couple years. And now you're about to add another one to it."
Even smiled, turning to look at Sammie, eyes coming down towards her belly. "I can't wait." He said. Derek looked at them making googly eyes at each other, he recognized the sparkle, the smiles. She'd picked a good one, someone that was deserving of her. Someone that didn't put her down for her past, but celebrated her strength.
⸻
The music swells, soft and familiar, and Sammie tightens her grip on Derek’s arm.
For a second, the church blurs. The white roses, the quiet sniffles in the pews, Meredith’s smile that’s already falling apart, none of it feels quite real. What does feel real is Derek’s hand, warm and steady, the same way it’s always been.
And suddenly, she’s fourteen again.
She’s standing in the doorway of the hospital's emergency room, sneakers scuffed, arms crossed tight over her chest like she might physically hold herself together if she presses hard enough. Meredith is inside, locking eyes with her the moment she enters the room. Sammie doesn’t know what’s going to happen. She just knows she’s tired of packing her life into garbage bags.
The memory fades as Derek shifts beside her now, older, hair touched with gray, eyes shining a little too much. He glances down at her, and his voice drops so only she can hear.
“Hey,” he says gently. “You okay, kiddo?”
She nods quickly. She doesn’t trust her voice.
Her chest aches. She swallows hard. “What if I mess it up?”
He doesn’t hesitate. “Then we’ll still be here.”
Sammie exhales, shaky. “You’re not allowed to cry.”
He huffs a quiet laugh. “I’m absolutely going to cry.”
She leans into him, just for a second, like she used to after nightmares she’d never talk about. Derek squeezes her hand.
“I’m so proud of you,” he murmurs. “You know that, right?”
Her throat tightens. “You taught me how to be brave.”
The door opens.
They start walking. "You've always been brave Sammie. Never forget that."
At the end of the aisle, Evan is waiting, eyes glassy, hands trembling, love written all over his face. Meredith catches Sammie’s eye from the front row, already crying openly now, not even trying to hide it.
They stop walking.
She looks up, and sees him really looking at her—not at the bride, not at the moment, but at his daughter. The girl who used to pretend she didn’t care. The woman who found her way anyway.
“We'll always be here,” he says.
And then he places her hand into Evan’s.
As Derek steps back, Sammie feels it, every version of herself standing behind her. The scared kid. The stubborn teenager. The woman she fought to become.
Loved. Chosen. Home.