Disclaimer: This is the second time in a row I've written an update while watching my boyfriend play a video game. Although this time it's bowling on my brother's Nintendo Wii. And I'm sticking to my guns that GA writers don't write GA while watching people play video games. So Grey's is therefore not mine.

So this is it. This is the epilogue. And as much as I do love this story, I'm not all that sad to see it end. Because they all have to end eventually and this one has had a good run. And I have two other fics in the works that I'm really excited for. So this being done is okay. Really, it's okay. I'm not dissapearing, and yes you will miss this story but I promise you, you will fall in love with my new ones as well. Really...you will.

So this is...well I don't want to go into details. You'll see what happens in this chapter. It's from Derek's perspective.

Enjoy!

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Galen Alexander Shepherd.

My son, my firstborn, my offspring was named after Alex Karev.

This was the price I had to pay for going to Africa. I had wondered after watching my perfect girlfriend give birth to our perfect son what my karma was going to be. I assumed that going to Africa gave me some form of bad karma. And I hadn't gotten any. Well until Meredith told me she wanted to name my firstborn after Karev. Karma sucks.

Of course according to Meredith, karma rocks.

Galen Derek Shepherd would have sounded fine.

At least I had won the bet. That was a small consolation for the fact my son was named after Alex of all people.

"Shouldn't you be resting?" I said, reaching Meredith's room. Addison had kicked us out hours ago, telling us that Meredith had had a long day and needed some rest. We all listened, even me. But now she wasn't resting, she was sitting up in bed, just smiling. The glow from the bedside lamp brought out the new mother glow even more. And that smile. She looked breathtaking. And tired.

"Shouldn't you be working?" she said, avoiding my question.

"Just finished," I said, as I threw my jacket on the chair beside her bed.

"And what are you doing?" she asked, staring at the discarded jacket instead of looking at me.

"I'm going to rest, which is what you're supposed to be doing," I said with a laugh, as I sat on the edge of her bed, kicking my shoes off.

Meredith realized what I was doing and panicked filled her eyes. She looked cute when she was panicking. "No you can't. You can't rest here. This is where I'm resting. And there's visiting hours, Derek. Visiting hours for visitors. You can't sleep here."

I probably shouldn't have laughed at her at that pointing. Laughing at your panicking girlfriend, who happened to deliver a child just hours before probably wasn't the best idea. But really, all she did was hit me, with those tiny ineffectual fists. Which hadn't gotten any more painful over the last few years. "Mer, do you want me to go home?" I asked, already knowing the answer to the question.

She pouted at me. "Addison is going to kill us," she muttered.

"I'm not afraid of Addison," I said, moving to lay down beside her.

I didn't expect her to pull away, but I didn't expect her to curl up as easily as she did. The second my head was against the pillow I found her moving towards my arms, finding the spot that she fit so well. It still shocked me to hold her. Never had anyone felt so right in my arms before. She belonged in my arms. I don't know how I lived my life before her or without her. I knew I could never do it again. She was it for me. Her and Galen were it for me.

"We're parents, Derek," she whispered into the dim light.

"Yeah we are," I said, trying to keep the fear out of my own voice. Truth was, I was amazed by my tiny son. And terrified of him. But Meredith did not need to know that.

"Wow," she whispered.

"Yeah, wow," I whispered back.

"He's going to look just like you," she said.

I thought back to the son I had just said goodnight to in the nursery. He had Meredith's nose, and appeared to have Meredith's tiny build. But besides that, he was me. His eyes were a clear blue, which I knew could change within days, but I hope stayed the same. It was like looking into my own. And his hair, he had so much hair. All dark brown and curly all over his head. And as far as either of us could tell he had my personality, silent and happy. I loved him. I would have loved him regardless but he was so mine that I couldn't help but love him even more. I didn't bother answering, just gave a small hum of agreement and pulled her closer to me. I didn't want to talk right now, I just wanted to hold my exhausted girlfriend in my arms and feel like I finally belonged somewhere.

We stayed like that for maybe minutes, maybe hours, the lamp lighting the small room as we rested in eachothers arms. She dozed off for a bit but I was far too much on a high to even think about sleeping. I was a dad. I was a dad. Finally, I was a dad. And the love of my life was the mom. Eventually she shifted in my arms and I knew she was awake.

"So I won the bet," I whispered softy, not wanting to disturb the quietness of the room.

"I knew that was going to come up," Meredith responded quietly, I could hear the laughter in her voice.

"I was just wondering when I start to cash in on it," I said, trying to sound innocent.

"Derek, you heard Addison's lecture on keeping it in your pants for a bit," Meredith said, sounding slightly amused.

Oh yes. That. It was always wonderful to hear a lecture about not having sex from your exwife just an hour after your first son was born. "That's why Addison is my ex-wife and you're my future wife."

"No that is why Addison's the baby doctor and you're the brain doctor," Meredith joked.

"So no sex?"

"Derek, I pushed a baby out of me just hours ago. A baby, as in a human being, larger than a football. I pushed a baby out of my vagina, which is generally quite a small area. A baby, Derek. There is no way anything, besides a tampon, is going up in that area any time soon."

"Soon as in?"

"Derek!" The only thing cuter than panicked Meredith was annoyed Meredith. Especially when Meredith knew she should be annoyed with me but was actually more amused than anything else. She got this cute little look on her face that was just too damn irresistable.

"I'm just thinking we should get some practice for making BabyShep Number 2," I said with a laugh.

She gave me a dirty look. Well beyond a dirty look. A look that made me contemplate transfering us to another hospital just to get her away from Cristina as it had to be where she picked up that look. "Oh, after pushing one human out of my va-jay-jay it's safe to assume that there won't be another BabyShep."

"Mer..."

"Do not Mer me. Push a 7 pound child out of a small hole in your body and then you can Mer me all you want," she said, starting to sound a little less amused and a little more annoyed.

"I would...'

But she cut me off. Apparently the post birth hormones liked playing with Meredith's system as much as the pregnancy ones had. "Oh that's what men say. So they can use their stupid penises to get more spawn."

I had to stifle back a laugh at that one. "Meredith, you're sounding like Cristina right now."

"Give birth and then see if you feel like sounding like Izzie. Especially when your horny boyfriend wants sex," Meredith said, sounding full blown pissed now.

I might have long ago earned the nickname of brainless brain surgeon but I knew when to let a subject drop. Besides I had seen my sisters give births too many times. I knew within days she'd be watching Galen discover the world and completely forget about the pain of today, or yesterday, not sure how long it had been now. And she'd want another before long. No point of arguing the point now. Not when I could be making her smile. "I don't want sex Mer. All I want is you."

Even in the dim light I could see the anger drain out of her eyes, but she kept her mouth in a not so happy pout. "Hmmm," was all she said.

"I love you," I whispered.

I knew that would win it for me. Her mouth relaxed. "I love you too."

I leaned over and turned off the lamp, leaving us in complete darkness. I pulled her close to me, feeling her body relax against mine. her head nestled into my neck, her hair filling my nose with lavender. I loved her so much. Even when she was slightly crazy. "I can't believe you named our son after Karev."

"Serves you right, McAfrica," she said with a laugh, her anger from minutes before forgotten.

I just laugh in response. My eyes begin to close. I knew I shouldn't sleep here. I knew Addie would give me a lecture in the morning. I know Webber would kill me if he saw me here. I knew that. But I didn't want to move. I didn't want to get up. I wanted to sleep here, right where I belonged, with Meredith.

"Der?" I hear her whisper just as I'm about to doze off.

My eyes pop open immediately, and I let out a small noise to let her know I'm listening.

"You're never going to leave us again, are you?" Her voice doesn't only sound quiet, but small as well, and my heart breaks a little for her. I hated being away from them, her and Galen. And I hadn't meant to do it. And I never would again.

"No Mer. I'm here. I'm right here."

So the last chapter I wasn't a big fan of..this chapter I LOVE. And half of it wasn't even planned. But I have this Derek and Meredith in my head. And they're loud. And Derek in my head was really happy that he has a child, that it's a son. That he won the bet. So he was goofy. And Meredith just pushed a 7 pound person out of her vajayjay and is rightfully hormonal, so she's pissy in my head. At least got pissy when Derek was goofy. So it happened that way. But I love it. And I LOVE the last line...that last but. Love. Hahaha. So blowing my own horn on this one. But oh well.

As for the son's name...Galen...if you don't know Patrick's full name is Patrick Galen Dempsey. I love his middle name. So I used it. And Alexander because Alex was around to help out a lot, and George and Mark just sounded stupid with Galen. And just so you all know...so you don't think I made it a boy after everyone guessed girl...it was a boy from the beginning. The second I started this fic, it was a boy. I always knew Derek was going to win the bet.

So that's it. Yay! Thank you for all the wonderful reviews I got for this fic. Thank you for believing in a story that was just a little different than everything I (or anyone else) has done. Thank you. I love you all. Thank you.

As I've said, there will be a sequel to this one. I have a couple of ideas. Not sure exactly when it's going to start. I have two other ideas I want to play with first (both completely AU) so I want to get started on that. Plus update Season 3 and finish off Christmas. Hopefully all will be at least touched upon tomorrow as I have nothing to do all by but clean my room. But a sequel will appear to this one...eventually. Wait for it. It will come. Lol. Not sure if it will be letters and IMs, or normal. I want to do letters. Just not sure how I will work it quite yet. We'll see.

Watch for my new fic...I'm All for Believing coming soon!!

Read. Love. Review.