Hey guys! This is a future fic about MerDer and their kids. I did this one kinda differently than my other future fics. The first few chapters are about one of the kids. It will start with the day they are born and flash forward to the age they will be for the rest of the story. So this first chapter is about MerDer's oldest child. Let me know what you think!

Chapter One – Zoe

"I'm going to need you to push, Meredith." The doctor said. "I can see the head."

"I can't! I can't!"

"Yes you can." Derek whispered in her ear. "You're doing great, Mer. Just one more push and we'll have our baby."

Meredith gripped Derek's hand and a scream tore from her throat as she pushed one last time. The baby came out right into the doctor's ready and capable hands and let out a hearty cry.

"It's a girl." He boomed. There was a flutter of movement as the umbilical cord was cut.

Meredith turned to Derek. "A girl." Her voice was soft and quiet, filled with awe.

Derek smiled broadly and kissed Meredith's forehead. "A baby girl. We have a baby girl." He kissed her again. "You did so great, Hon."

The nurse came over and placed their baby in Meredith's arms. She stared down at the precious face, so tiny and new, and she couldn't remember when she'd ever felt this happy. Her eyes filled with tears, the first joyous tears she ever had shed. "Oh, Derek." She murmured. "She's perfect." She lifted her eyes from her daughter's face and saw there were tears in his eyes too. He smiled.

"She's so beautiful." His hand gently caressed the top of her head before he leaned in and softly kissed her head. "Hey, Princess." He crooned.

"How does it feel, Daddy?" Meredith asked.

"It feels like the best thing in the world." Judging by the look in his eyes, Meredith guessed he had already fallen in love with her. She would have him wrapped around her finger forever.

He was suddenly struck with a thought and he turned to Meredith. "Her name…"

"Yeah."

"Are we still going with Lily?"

Meredith bit her bottom lip. "You're going to hate me, but now that I've met her, she just doesn't seem like a Lily to me."

Derek rubbed his forehead. "What are we naming her then?"

Meredith didn't exactly know. She stared down at her baby girl and was silent for a moment. Then she smiled, remembering a name she'd stumbled upon in her early pregnancy. "Zoe."

"Zoe?" Derek looked at his daughter. "Zoe."

"It means life." Meredith added. "It's fitting, since she's my life now." Her eyes locked with Derek and an unspoken exchange of love was made with one single look. "You two are my life." She said, her voice strong with emotion. "And I love you both very much."

Derek kissed Meredith, long and lingering, and then took his daughter into his arms for the first time.

"Hi, Sweetheart. I'm your Daddy. And you are Zoe Shepherd."

"Zoe Christine Shepherd." Meredith interjected. She paused and then added. "Please." Derek nodded and turned his attention back to the little girl in his arms.

"Zoe Christine Shepherd it is."

Meredith cringed as she watched her daughter hit the ground for what must have been the fourth or fifth time. She never knew soccer could be such a brutal sport until Zoe became an avid player. She watched Zoe struggle to her feet, pause for the slightest moment, and then break into a run downfield. Her fourteen-year-old was tough, but after each tackle, Meredith noticed she took more time getting back up. This game had proven to be more aggressive than most. Zoe normally dished it out pretty well and could handle whatever was on the receiving end, but the other team was really giving Zoe and her teammates a run for their money this time.

Zoe faced off with a defender for the ball and Meredith noticed a little hip check on Zoe's part. She tried to hide her smile while her daughter escaped with the ball. Zoe struck the ball with her right foot and sent it soaring to the upper left corner of the goal. Meredith held her breath. It's in! She thought.

The goalie jumped high and blocked it, hitting it with her fist and sending it rebounding away. An audible groan was heard from the stands. Zoe's teammate was waiting though. As soon as the shot was taken, she was running for the net. When the goalie deflected it, she saw her golden opportunity. She got the ball quickly under control and with one smooth touch of the foot, she redirected the ball into the net before the goalie even knew what was happening. The fans erupted into cheers. Zoe practically tackled her teammate in her excitement.

The joy was short-lived when the other team countered and tied up the score. Time went on and the intensity rose. Meredith watched Zoe get fowled a few more times and each time it scared her a little more. Derek was much calmer. He just sat there enjoying the game and cheering on Zoe. He never worried about her. He called her his tough cookie because he knew it would take a lot to get Zoe off the field.

Zoe jumped up for a header and sent the ball down line to a teammate, but at the same time she also sent the other team's player going for the header down to the ground when they collided. The ref blew his whistle and the other team was given a free kick.

"The ref must be blind!" Derek muttered. Meredith looked amusingly at her husband. He got so into these games sometimes. He caught her look. "What? That was a dumb call."

"Why's that?"

"Both girls jumped into each other. Zoe just happened to hit the ball and not fall down. She staggered when she landed, but because the other girl fell, the ref called it a fowl." He sounded so irritated with the whole matter.

Meredith couldn't help but laugh. "You're too competitive. You're like one step short of those psycho competitive parents who screams at the ref and bad mouths the other team and scolds their kids in the middle of the game for a bad play." She teased.

Derek stared back at her in astonishment. "I am not!" He tried to hide a smile and pretend to look offended to make her apologize, but her accusation was outrageous and hilarious at the same time and the smile broke through. Their attention was diverted from the game until a shrill whistled brought it back. It startled them to see Zoe lying on the ground.

"What happened?" Meredith asked frantically, but Derek just shook his head, dumbfounded. She got to her feet and started towards the field. Derek followed her until they had reached the sideline where they waited. The trainer and Zoe's coach had run out to the field and now surrounded her. She was on her back and looked to be conscious, but no one made any move to get her to her feet. The trainer knelt by her side and was questioning her. At one point, the trainer said something to the coach and both grabbed one of Zoe's shoulders and helped her sit up. Meredith was too far away to know if her daughter was ok. She didn't want them to hastily bring Zoe off the field if she was seriously injured, but the suspense was killing her. After what seemed like hours – but was probably only ten minutes – the trainer and Zoe's coach helped Zoe to her feet. They paused and let her steady herself before walking carefully beside her, supporting her the whole way. The crowd clapped and cheered respectfully and some of Zoe's teammates patted her back or murmured something to her as she walked past.

"Is she ok?" Meredith questioned as soon as they were in earshot. The coach just looked at her but didn't respond. They finally got to the edge of the field and placed Zoe on the bench. Derek and Meredith edged the trainer out of the way and knelt in front of Zoe. They would make their own assessment of Zoe's condition.

Derek framed Zoe's face with his hands as he looked keenly at her pupils to see if they were dilated.

"Where did you hit your head?" Meredith asked. Zoe lifted her left hand and pointed to the edge of her forehead where it met her hairline. "Right here."

"Do you have a headache?" Derek asked.

"Yeah." Zoe said. She didn't seem incoherent or confused at all. She looked at the trainer standing behind her parents looking a little peeved. Meredith noticed it too but ignored it. She was a doctor and this was her kid. She was going to take care of her, not watch while someone else did her job.

"Do you feel nauseous or dizzy?"

"No to the nauseous part and I did feel dizzy right after the blow, but not anymore."

"Did you loose consciousness at all?" Meredith asked next.

"No, mom." Zoe sounded annoyed. Meredith tucked her lower lip between her teeth to keep from smiling. Zoe hated it when her parents got into "Doctor mode" over her whenever she was sick or hurt. She told them often that they were way too overprotective when it came to these things.

"Ok, Zoe, one last question: how's your vision?"

"It's fine. No double vision, no blurriness, nothing."

"Good." Derek said. From what they could tell, Zoe seemed to be fine, but they would keep a close eye on her. Zoe would complain the whole time, but she would have to deal with it.

Derek turned to the trainer who was standing near by and the coach who hadn't been paying much attention to the game and informed them he was taking Zoe home.

The coach nodded, but the trainer just stared.

"Can't I stay for the rest of the game?" Zoe begged.

"No." Derek said firmly.

"If I'm well enough not to be rushed to the hospital, I should be allowed to stay and watch the game." Zoe folded her arms and stared up at Derek.

"I said no, Zoe."

"But this is my team! I need to support them!" Zoe had made the varsity team her freshman year of high school, making both her parents extremely proud, but they had never anticipated the strong bond she would form with her team. Derek's expression softened a little.

"Zoe, I know you love your team, but I think they'll understand if you can't stay."

"Yeah, we want you better for the regional matches next week." Her coach put in.

"Get out of here, Zoe." One of her teammates on the bench teased.

Zoe sighed, seeing that if her coach and entire team was on her dad's side, there was no way she was winning this argument. "This is so unfair." She muttered as she walked past Derek, headed towards the car. Meredith came up next to her and slid an arm around her waist.

"You can get back at him by showing everyone how completely fine you are at the regional match next week by kicking some major butt."

"Oh you can count on that!" Zoe said enthusiastically.

All three climbed into their car. Derek had grabbed Zoe's gym bag and now handed it back to her. He put the car in reverse and backed out of the parking space. He looked at Zoe for a second in the rearview mirror. She was so much like Meredith; Smart and strong, kind and impulsive. Not to mention she had the same beautiful green eyes, gorgeous smile, and contagious laughter. She was Mer's daughter through and through. Even though the teenage years with her were proving to be a challenge, Derek was proud of the person she was growing up to be. He had no doubt she would change the world someday.