A/N: Ok, here it is...last chapter of this monster of a story. I wrote this as a tribute to my love of Saturdays with my own little family. For me, it's the one day a week when we can just relax and be together without the craziness of work and school getting in the way. I hope you enjoyed reading this fluff-fest that I've created over the past year. It's actually kind of hard for me to say good bye to these little fic kids. *sigh* A huge thank you to anyone who has ever left me a kind comment. It means more than you know...so thank you!! If you've been reading, and I've never heard from you...well, now would be a great time to leave me a note! I'd love to thank you personally for reading...anyway, enjoy!

24 Saturdays later…

I open my eyes and groan when the bedroom door flies open and Jacob runs into the room. Derek nuzzles his nose against my neck and sighs as he spoons himself closer behind me.

"Mom! Look! The Tooth Fairy came last night!" Jacob says as he jumps up onto the bed next to me. He holds a plastic bag in front of my face and grins.

"Did she? What did she leave you?" I say sleepily.

Jacob opens the bag and pulls out a piece of paper and a five dollar bill. "Money! And a note! And a Spiderman toothbrush, but I put that in the bathroom already. Look!" He shoves the money and note in front of my face.

"What does the note say?" I ask as I shake my head at his enthusiasm.

He unfolds the note and reads, "Dear Jake, thanks for the tooth. I'm giving it to a sweet little baby, so thanks for keeping it so clean and shiny."

I snort and let out a laugh. Derek lifts his face from my neck and glares playfully at me over my shoulder. I clear my throat and say, "Sorry. Keep going." Derek lays his head back down on the pillow behind me.

Jacob smiles and continues reading. "I hope you like your new tooth brush. Make sure to brush every day! XOXO Tooth Fairy," he reads. He folds the note back up and shoves it into the bag. "I'm going to go brush!" he says as he slides off the bed.

I roll over and look at Derek. "Nice note," I tease as I place my hands on Derek's stubble covered cheeks.

Derek smirks and gives me a quick kiss. "I don't know what was so funny," he says sarcastically.

I quirk my eyebrow at him and say, "Clean and shiny? XOXO, Derek?"

Before he can respond, Emma runs into the room, followed closely by her little black puppy. "Hi, Mommy! Hi, Daddy!" she says with a smile as she peers over the side of the bed.

I roll over to look at her, and Derek and I say in unison, "Hi, Emma."

Emma giggles and turns to run out of the room. "Come on, Bear!" she orders to the little puppy. The puppy lets out a yip and runs after Emma into the hallway.

I roll back over and mutter, "The toddler bed was a horrible idea. She was up twice last night playing in the bathroom sink."

Derek wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me tight against his chest. "Mm…I need to put the baby gate on her door. Did Madeline sleep all night? I didn't hear her," he says sleepily against my cheek before pressing a kiss there.

I push my hands against his chest and glare at him. "Are you serious?"

Derek sucks in a breath as he studies my expression. "Yes?" he says cautiously.

I shake my head and say, "She was up every two hours…cranky…with a fever. Her gums were bothering her. I can't believe you didn't hear all that fussing."

Derek smiles sheepishly. "Sorry. You know I would have helped you if I would have heard her. Next time, wake me up. I was dead to the world as soon as my head hit the pillow last night," he says apologetically.

"No kidding," I mumble. I kiss him quickly and then close my eyes and snuggle up against him. I let out a yawn and sigh tiredly.

"Why don't you go back to sleep and I'll cook breakfast," Derek says as he runs his hands up and down my arms. "My meeting's not until 11:00. Get some rest."

Madeline starts to cry over the baby monitor, and I let out a frustrated breath, knowing Derek is downstairs in the kitchen, oblivious to her crying. I roll out of bed and pull my robe on. I run my hand through my hair to brush it out of my eyes as I walk out of the bedroom and down the hallway.

"Hey, Maddie," I say softly as I open the door to the nursery.

Madeline looks up at me with her tear-streaked face as she chews on her thumb. She holds her free hand up to me, and I hook my fingers under her arms and lift her out of the crib.

I press a kiss to her forehead and sigh as her fever-pricked skin burns my lips. "I'm so sorry, Sweetie," I whisper as I lay her down on the changing table. Maddie's lips turn into a frown as she continues chewing her thumb. She watches me intently as I quickly change her diaper and zip her yellow footie pajamas back up. I take the baby Tylenol off the shelf on the wall and give her a dose. "Come on, let's go see what Daddy cooked for breakfast," I say softly as I lift her up and hug her against my chest.

Madeline buries her face in my neck and grips my robe with her hand as I carry her down the stairs into the kitchen.

Derek looks up from his spot in front of the stove and says sincerely, "I'm sorry. Did she wake you up? God, I didn't hear her." He places a quick kiss on my lips and then kisses Madeline's forehead. "Hm…feels like her fever is back," he mutters as he runs his hand over her cheeks.

I nod and reply, "Yeah, I gave her some more Tylenol. Hopefully she'll be feeling better soon." I carry her over to her highchair and set her down. She starts to fuss and holds her hands up to me as tears run down her flushed cheeks.

I sigh and pick her back up. She presses her tiny body against my chest as I sit down at the table.

Jacob grins at me and says, "Watch this, Mom." He sticks his tongue through the new gap in his bottom teeth. "Cool, huh?"

Emma laughs as Jacob crosses his eyes and sticks his tongue out again.

Derek carries two plates of blueberry waffles to the table and sets them down in front of Jake and Emma. "Hungry?" he asks me as he walks back to the stove.

I shake my head and say, "Not yet, but coffee would be wonderful."

Derek smiles and pours me a mug of coffee, and kisses my cheek as he sets it down on the table. "What about you? Are you hungry, Princess?" he asks Madeline as he runs his hand up and down her back as she sits on my lap.

She smiles and places her hand on Derek's mouth.

"Oatmeal it is, then, since you asked so nicely," Derek says before poking his finger gently on her nose. He walks to the counter and quickly mashes up a banana, mixes it with baby oatmeal and formula, and brings the bowl of mush to the table.

He lifts her from my lap and sets her into the highchair. Madeline starts to cry as he offers her a bite of oatmeal. "Come on, Maddie…it's your favorite," he says.

Maddie starts to cry harder, and he lifts her back out of the highchair. He carries her to the refrigerator and grabs a bottle of formula. She quickly snatches it out of his hands and sticks the cold nipple in her mouth. A hiccup escapes her mouth as her crying subsides, and she closes her eyes as she drinks her bottle.

Derek cradles her in his arms and kisses her warm forehead. He sighs as he looks at the clock on the microwave. "I'm sorry, Mer. I've got to shower and get ready to leave. Can you take over?" he says as he carries Madeline to me.

I smile at him as he transfers her to my arms. Maddie looks up at me with her tear-filled eyes and places her tiny hand on my lips as she drinks her bottle.

Derek walks out of the kitchen, and Panda runs in, followed by Bear. They both scurry under the table and start barking.

Jacob yells, "Emma! Make your dog be quiet!" He places his hands over his ears and looks angrily at his little sister.

Emma mimics him and places her hands over her ears as she glares back at him. "Be quiet, Jake!" she yells back.

Maddie spits the bottle out of her mouth and sits up, looking around to see what the ruckus is. The dogs continue barking under the table, and Jake and Emma scream at each other.

Madeline looks up at me and starts crying again. I run my hand through her soft hair and kiss her warm forehead.

I let out an exasperated breath and mutter, "This place is a zoo."

The doorbell rings and I carry Madeline with me as I walk to the front door. "Cris, what are you doing here?" I ask as I open the door while juggling a fussing baby in my arms.

Cristina looks at Madeline, and then at me. "I made attending," she blurts out.

I shift Madeline to my other arm and say, "You made attending." Maddie lays her head down on my shoulder and pulls my hair with one of her hands as she snuggles against me.

"I made attending," Cristina says again.

I pull Madeline's fingers out of my hair and say, "So…you're kind of my boss now?"

Cristina bites her bottom lip and replies, "I'm kind of your boss now."

We stand facing each other for a long silent moment and then Cristina says, "Are you going to let me in?"

I shake myself out of my trance and say, "Yeah." I make room for Cristina to walk through the door, and I follow her into the living room where we both plop down onto the couch.

Jacob and Emma run in from the kitchen and jump onto the couch when they see Cristina.

"Aunt Cris!" Jacob says. "I lost a tooth!" He smiles at her and sticks his tongue through the gap.

Emma says, "Cwis! I lost a toof!" She sticks her tongue out at Cristina.

"No you didn't, Emma!" Jacob yells.

"No you didn't, Jake!" Emma yells back.

Cristina looks over at me and shakes her head.

Jacob jumps off the couch and says, "Mom, make Emma stop copying me! She's annoying!" He runs up the stairs and slams the door to his bedroom.

Emma climbs off the couch and scurries up the stairs. I let out an exasperated breath when she starts pounding on Jacob's door and they start yelling at each other again.

Cristina scrunches up her forehead at me and says, "Is it too early for alcohol?"

I snort and lay my head back on the couch cushion and close my eyes. Madeline squirms in my lap and carefully pulls herself up to a standing position against my chest. She places her warm hands on my cheeks and gives me a slobbery kiss on my chin. I sigh as I open my eyes and watch Madeline stick her fingers into her mouth to chew on them.

Cristina studies my face for a long moment and then says, "Are you ok?"

I shrug and reply, "I'm exhausted, Cristina. It just feels like…we went from having two kids to having twenty-seven kids. It's complete insanity around here, all the time, every day. It's a zoo."

Cristina gives me a sympathetic smile and scoots next to me on the couch. She lays her head against my shoulder and reaches her hands out to Madeline.

Maddie smiles widely at Cristina as drool runs down her chin.

Cristina scrunches up her nose as she lifts the baby out of my grasp and sits her down on her lap. "Gross, Maddie. You're like your own personal slobber fountain," she mutters.

"She's teething, you idiot," I say sarcastically. I sigh dramatically as Jacob and Emma rush down the stairs, followed by their dogs.

Panda jumps up onto the couch next to Cristina's feet. Cristina sniffs and then pushes her toe against his stomach. "Ugh…Jake. Your dog smells awful. Get him away from me," she says in disgust.

Jake runs over to Panda and takes a big whiff of his fur. He shrugs his shoulders as if to say 'smells good to me!', and runs through the kitchen and out the back door with his dog.

Emma picks up Bear and carries him over to Cristina. "Smell Bear!" she says with a grin as she holds the squirming black puppy in her arms.

Cristina shifts Madeline in her lap and says, "I'm not smelling that disgusting fur ball, Emma."

Emma narrows her eyes at Cristina and says angrily, "Smell Bear, Cwis!" She holds the puppy as close to Cristina's face as she can reach with her short little arms.

Cristina mutters, "God, she acts just like you, Meredith. She might look like Derek, but she acts just…like…you." She glares playfully at me and then grunts as Emma shoves the puppy onto her chest.

"Smell Bear!" Emma orders as she points to the puppy.

I laugh as Cristina shrugs her shoulders and unwillingly takes a small sniff of Bear's fur. She pauses and then takes a bigger sniff. "Is that…Calvin Klein?" Cristina asks as she shoves Maddie back onto my lap. She picks up Bear and sniffs him again.

I groan and say, "Emma, did you get into Daddy's aftershave again?"

Emma grins at me and claps her hands. "Bear smells wike Daddy!" she says happily.

Maddie squirms and wiggles until I set her down on the floor. She slowly and meticulously crawls over to the toy box and pulls herself up to a standing position. She turns her head and grins widely at me at her own accomplishment.

I smile at her, and Cristina and I watch Emma run over to the toy box and busy herself and her baby sister with an armful of Barbie dolls.

We sit in silence as we watch Emma take all the clothes off of all the Barbies. Maddie takes turns chewing on all the naked dolls' feet, giving each one a thorough slobber bath.

I take a tired breath in and exhale slowly. "I can't believe you're kind of my boss," I mutter as I lay my head down on Cristina's shoulder.

Cristina smirks and says, "You're only six months behind me in the program. Your day will come. Until then…you can be my sidekick. You know, like…Batman and Robin…only we fight heart disease instead of bad guys. You can be Robin. I'll be Batman."

I lift my head and glare playfully at her. "You're such an idiot," I tease.

Derek walks in the door, drops his briefcase next to the wall, and smiles at us as he walks into the living room. He sits down in the recliner and continues grinning sheepishly at me. Jacob and Emma look away from the television as they lay on their stomachs on the carpet and say in unison, "Hi, Daddy!"

I raise my eyebrows expectantly and say, "Well? What happened? What did the board say?" Maddie pulls herself up in front of the couch and I lift her onto my lap.

Derek runs his hands through his hair and says, "Richard's officially retiring at the end of October. They offered me Chief." Derek smiles at me, and I shove Maddie onto Cristina's lap.

I stand up and walk over to Derek and sit down on his lap. "They offered you Chief?" I say as I place my hands on his slightly stubbly cheeks.

"They offered me Chief," he says softly as he wraps his arms around my waist.

We smile at each other and then I press my lips onto his and give him a long, slow kiss.

Cristina groans and Jacob mutters, "They always do that, Cris."

Emma sits up and says, "Stop kissing my Daddy!" I pull my face away from Derek's and giggle at Emma's expression as she glares at me.

I turn back to Derek and kiss him again quickly. "We should celebrate," I tell him before pecking his lips again.

Cristina groans again and says sarcastically, "You're not going to celebrate right here, in front of everybody are you?" She places Madeline onto the floor and shakes her head at us.

I laugh and say, "Maybe."

Maddie crawls over to Jacob and sits down in front of him. She smiles at him as he sits up and wraps his legs in a circle around her. "Hey, Maddie. You're such a cutie," he says as he squishes her cheeks with his hands.

Maddie smiles at him and then bites down on his thumb as he brushes it against her mouth.

Jacob lets out a squeal as he pulls his thumb out of her mouth. "Ouch! Maddie's got a tooth!" he says as he inspects his injured thumb.

Maddie giggles and sticks her fingers into her mouth.

I climb off of Derek's lap and sit down on the floor next to Madeline. I pull her bottom lip down slightly and then run my finger against her gum. "You do have tooth, baby girl. It finally popped through," I tell her as she chews on my finger.

Jacob smiles widely and sticks his tongue through the gap in his tooth. "Is that my lost tooth?" he asks me.

I smile and shrug my shoulders.

Jacob grins and smashes Madeline's cheeks with his hands. "You're welcome for the tooth, Maddie!" he says.

Cristina groans from her spot on the couch and mutters, "I'm leaving before I vomit."

I look up at her as she walks to the front door and say, "Dinner?"

She turns and nods at me and replies, "Dinner. We're definitely celebrating."

I stand in front of the bathroom mirror and finish putting on my mascara. I give myself one final glance in the mirror and shove all my makeup back into the drawer. Derek's reflection catches my attention as he sits on the bed putting his shoes on. I see Jacob walk into the bedroom and stand in between Derek's legs.

"Daddy, can you help me do my tie?" Jacob asks as he holds his blue Batman tie in front of Derek's chest.

"Sure, bud," Derek says. He tenderly places the tie around Jacob's neck and fastens the knot expertly as Jacob watches his every move intently.

"Daddy?" Jacob asks as he runs his hands over his tie to inspect Derek's work.

Derek smiles and brushes a lock of hair off of Jacob's forehead. "Yeah?" he replies.

Jacob smiles and says, "You're going to be the Chief?"

Derek returns his smile and says, "Maybe. Mommy and I have to talk about it first."

Jacob's smile widens and he says, "If you're the Chief, do you finally get to be Mommy's boss?"

Derek chuckles and shakes his head. "Ah, Jake. I'll never be Mommy's boss. Ever," he replies with a grin.

Jacob's eyebrows raise in confusion. "Even if you were the President of the United States of America?" he asks.

Derek sighs and shakes his head again. "Even then, Jacob. Mommy would still be my boss," he answers.

"Wow," Jacob whispers.

I fasten the last button on Madeline's yellow dress and then lift her up to my chest. Emma grins up at me and then twirls around in a circle to make her light blue dress fluff out. "You both look like angels," I tell them. I kiss Maddie on the cheek and she smiles at me.

I hold my hand out to Emma and she places her tiny hand in mine. We walk carefully down the stairs and into the living room where Derek and Jacob are waiting for us.

They look up from their spot in the recliner, and Derek holds his hand over his heart. "Wow, you're all so pretty," he says.

I smile at him and say, "Are you boys ready?"

Jacob jumps off of Derek's lap and they both walk over to me. Maddie reaches out for Derek, and he lifts her from my arms. "Hey, Beautiful," he whispers before pressing his lips onto her forehead.

Emma drops my hand and runs in front of Derek. "Wook, Daddy," she says with a smile. She turns around in a circle and makes her dress float out.

Derek grins at her and says, "You look like a princess, Emma." He holds his free hand out to her and she grabs it. Derek winks at me and leads the way out the front door.

Jacob grabs my hand and says, "You look like a rock star, Mom."

I tear a tiny piece off of my roll and stick it in Madeline's mouth. She munches on it with her gums and smiles up at me happily as she chews.

Cristina clinks her knife on her water glass and waits for the table to quiet down. She lifts her glass up and we all follow suit. "I'd like to make a toast…to Derek…our soon-to-be Chief of Surgery," she says with a grin. "Congratulations, Derek. You're going to be a great Chief." She offers him a smile, and we all remain motionless.

Derek scrunches up his forehead and says, "That's it?"

Cristina looks around the table at everyone as we sit silent and unmoving. "Yes?" she says in confusion.

Alex sighs dramatically and says, "What Yang means to say is, just because you're the new Chief, don't expect her cardio-god ass to do anything you tell her to." He holds his glass up and everyone but Cristina clinks theirs against it.

Derek glares playfully at her and takes a sip of his champagne. "Is that right, Yang?" he teases.

Cristina shoots Alex a death glare and she says, "Can someone pass the bread?"

I laugh and hand her the breadbasket. "Smooth," I whisper as she yanks the basket out of my hands.

"Shut up," she mutters. She sticks a roll into her mouth and bites a piece off.

Derek laughs and then holds his glass up again. "I'd also like to make a toast. To Cristina…for being named the new Cardio Attending at Seattle Grace. Congratulations, Cris," he says sincerely.

We all lift our glasses again and toast Cristina's accomplishment as she smiles appreciatively at Derek.

"I'll try not to torture you too much, once I take over for Richard," Derek continues. He winks at her and takes a small sip of his champagne.

Cristina rolls her eyes and takes a gulp out of her glass.

Alex clears his throat and says, "Well, since we're celebrating…I'd also like to make an announcement." He smiles at Izzie and she entwines her hand with his under the table. "Izzie and I are moving to Chicago. We've both been offered positions at Children's Memorial. I'll be doing a fellowship in the neo-natal unit, and Iz is being offered an OB attending position." Alex smiles at me, and I smile back at him in surprise.

"Wow, that's…amazing," I stammer through my stunned response. "Congratulations." I lift my glass again and we all toast them.

Jacob looks across the table at me and smiles. I smile back at him.

"Anyone else?" Derek asks as he holds his champagne glass out.

Lexie elbows Steve in the gut and he grunts. "Lexie and I both got accepted into our Fellowship programs," he says quickly.

"I lost my first tooth!" Jacob says excitedly as he holds up his glass of water. "And it got put in Maddie's head!"

Derek chuckles and says, "Anyone else?"

Everyone is quiet, and Jacob says, "What about you, Mom? What happened to you that's special?"

I bite my bottom lip and say intelligently, "Uh…" I look down at Madeline's bright blue eyes as she smiles up at me, and my heart melts a little. Emma sits up on her knees on the chair next to me and leans her head tiredly against my shoulder. I wrap my arm around her tiny waist and smile at Jacob.

Alex grins and says, "Your mom's a rock star, Jacob."

Jacob shrugs and we all clink our glasses together one final time. The food arrives, and Derek winks at me as Emma climbs onto my lap and nestles herself against my chest. I bury my nose in the top of her dark curls and run my hand up and down her back.

Emma raises her arms in the air and I pull her purple Snow White nightgown over her head. She climbs up onto her toddler bed and lays her curl-covered head onto her pillow. I pull her comforter up over her belly and tuck her in.

"Way down, Bear!" she orders as she points to her little black puppy.

Bear whimpers and lays his head down on his paws.

I laugh at her bossiness and then place a soft kiss onto her forehead. "I love you, Emma," I whisper as I rub my nose against hers.

She reaches up and grabs my face with her soft hands. "I wub you, Mommy," she whispers back. She leans up and rubs her nose against mine.

I pick her stuffed puppy up from the foot of the bed and tuck it under the blanket next to her stomach. "Good night, baby girl," I say softly before pressing a kiss onto her forehead.

Emma smiles at me and rolls over onto her side, clutching her stuffed puppy tightly between her arms.

I flip her light switch off and close her door halfway. I walk down the hall to Jacob's room, and smile at him as he looks up from his book. He scoots over in his bed and makes room for me, and I lay down on top of his covers next to him.

"What are you reading me tonight?" I ask him as I place my hands behind my head and sink into his pillow.

Jacob grins sheepishly at me and says, "Bad Kitty."

I groan and say, "Again? You've had this book for almost a month. Aren't first graders supposed to go to the library more often than that in school?"

Jacob laughs and says, "We go every Tuesday, Mommy. But I always check this one out because it's funny. Are you ready?" He opens the book and starts reading to me.

I smile as I lay and listen to him read to me. He slams the book shut as he finishes the last page, and he smiles at me as he tosses it onto the floor. "Wasn't that awesome?" he asks me as he rolls onto his side to look at me.

I laugh and roll my eyes. "Yep. Even more awesome than the first twenty times you read it to me," I tease.

Jacob wraps his arms around my waist and smiles at me. "Do you like being a mom?" he asks as he scrunches up his freckled nose at me.

I reach up and brush a lock of dark hair from his forehead. "Of course I do. I love being a mom…more than anything else in the whole entire world," I reply.

"Even more than being a doctor?" he asks.

I nod. "Even more than that."

"Because you get to be the boss?" he asks with a sly grin.

I wiggle my eyebrows at him and say, "Exactly." I sit up and climb off the bed. "Good night, Jake. I love you, big guy." I pull his comforter up to his armpits, and bend over and give him a kiss. I snap my fingers at Panda, and he jumps up onto the bed. Jacob wraps his arms around his dog and closes his eyes.

I turn the light off and shut Jacob's door. I notice the lamp on in the nursery, so I walk down the hall and lean against the doorframe.

Derek smiles up at me from his spot in the rocking chair as he slowly rocks Maddie against his chest.

"She's still awake?" I say softly.

Derek shakes his head and presses his lips onto Madeline's forehead. "I don't think she wants to be. Her fever came back. I gave her some more Tylenol," he whispers.

I walk into the room and place my hand on Maddie's cheek. "Mm…she's warm," I say softly.

Maddie opens her tired eyes and looks up at me as she sticks her thumb into her mouth. I lean down and kiss her gently twice on the forehead, and then she closes her eyes and buries her face against Derek's neck.

Derek runs his hand up and down her back to soothe her to sleep as he rocks slowly.

I smile tiredly at him and say, "I'll meet you in bed."

He nods, and I give him a quick kiss before leaving the nursery.

I walk to my bedroom and swiftly change into a pair of pajama bottoms and one of Derek's t-shirts. I crawl into bed and snuggle down under the covers and close my eyes. I smile to myself when I hear Derek over the baby monitor as he begins to hum softly to Madeline.

Derek crawls into bed behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. I open my sleepy eyes and roll over to face him. "Did she finally go to sleep?" I ask as I cuddle up against him.

Derek sighs and says, "Mmhm…I hope she stays asleep. She's miserable." He snakes his hands under my shirt and tenderly runs his fingers up and down my back. He presses his warm lips onto mine and kisses me gently.

"So," I say quietly as I pull my face away from his. "Are you ready to continue celebrating your promotion?" I smile at him and place my hands on his cheeks. I kiss him again and moan as he pulls me tight against his chest.

"Mm…about that," he says as he places his forehead against mine. He sucks in a breath and exhales tiredly.

I pull away slightly and look into his eyes. "What?" I ask as I search his eyes for explanation. "What aren't you telling me?" I press my hands against his chest and hook my ankle behind his knee.

Derek sighs and says, "I didn't officially accept the position."

"What…what do you mean?" I ask as I scrunch my forehead up in confusion.

Derek offers me a small smile and shakes his head. "I'm just…I'm not sure I want it," he says.

"What?" I sit up and lean back against the headboard. "What do you mean you don't want it? You being Chief…is the reason you came to Seattle, Derek. It's been your dream for the past nine years."

Derek nods and rolls over onto his stomach. He scoots up and wraps his arm around my waist, and presses a kiss onto my arm. "It was the reason I came here, Meredith. To be Chief. It's what I wanted nine years ago. But…things change. I changed. My priorities…changed. What I want…changed. Being Chief…would mean spending more time at the hospital than I want to commit to," he explains.

I swallow nervously and run my hand through his hair as he looks up at me through the darkness. "You're giving up being Chief because of the kids and me?" I whisper.

Derek scoffs and sits up. He shakes his head and places his hands on my cheeks. "No. I'm not giving up the kids and you so I can be Chief…do you understand what I'm saying?"

I feel tears forming in my eyes and I blink rapidly. "No, I don't. I'm not letting you give up being Chief. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity for you," I say as I brush a hot tear from my cheek.

Derek sighs and says, "Meredith, me getting to rock Madeline to sleep at night…is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Me teaching Jake to ride a bike without his training wheels…is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Me taking Emma fishing every Sunday morning and watching her squeal when she reels in a tiny little trout…is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Being Chief…I have plenty of time to be Chief. I don't think now's the right time…I would miss too many once in a lifetime opportunities. Our kids are growing up too fast...and I don't want to miss watching them grow up." He brushes the pads of his thumbs against my tear-stained cheeks and smiles at me.

I run my tongue against my bottom lip and sniffle. "I don't know what to say," I whisper.

Derek pulls me against his chest and I bury my face in his shirt. "There's nothing to say, Meredith. I choose you. I choose this family. Someday, I might choose to be Chief. But right now, I'm passing. It's not the right time," he explains as he runs his hand up and down my back.

I pull my face away from his chest and look up at him. We sit silently in the dark for a long moment until we hear Madeline begin to whimper over the baby monitor.

Derek runs his thumb along my bottom lip, and then he leans over and kisses me gently. I wrap my arms around his neck and deepen the kiss. "I love you," I say breathlessly as I pull my lips from his.

Derek presses his forehead against mine and says, "I love you, too…so much it hurts."

Madeline begins to cry loudly, and Derek kisses me quickly before climbing out of bed. "I'll be back eventually," he teases as he walks to the door.

"Just…bring her in here, Derek. It's going to be a long night," I tell him as I lay back down and snuggle up under the blanket.

Derek nods and leaves the room, returning a few moments later with Maddie.

I smile as he carries her over to the bed, and she reaches her arms out to me. "Mm…poor baby," I say softly as I take her from Derek's hands. I lay her down against my chest, and she sticks her thumb in her mouth and begins to chew it. Her blue eyes twinkle in the moonlight as Derek lays down on the other side of her. "Go to sleep, Madeline," I whisper as Derek lays his arm tenderly on top of my hip. He bends forward and kisses her on the top of her head, and she closes her eyes and begins to suck her thumb.

Derek smiles softly at me, and I smile back at him. "Go to sleep, Derek," I whisper.

Derek grins and shakes his head. "So bossy," he teases as he places his hand on my cheek. I giggle and place my hand on top of his. "You love it," I tell him.

Derek leans forward and gives me a soft, lingering kiss. "I do. I love it," he whispers. He kisses me again and says, "Goodnight, Sweetheart. I love you." He lays his head on his pillow and closes his eyes.

I close my eyes and say, "I love you, too."

The End