Derek smiled. He was going to marry the love of his life. In a few hours they'd be husband and wife. Slowly leaning over he smiled, seeing her peaceful sleeping face. He placed a kiss on her cheek and one on her neck.

She groaned curling into her fiancé's chest.

"We're getting married today," he whispered into her ear as he brushed stray hair away from her face.

Her eyes opened, looking in to his. "We're getting married today," she smiled.

"You excited?"

"For the getting married, like the actual wedding? Not so much. For being married to you, totally," she smiled, kissing him softly.

"You know most women would say the opposite."

"I'm not most women," shrugged Meredith.

"No, you're not," said Derek, kissing her deeply, one hand resting on her cheek. "And I love that about you."

"Good. Because you're marrying me today whether you like it or not."

"Well, I like it. So, I think we're good."

"You know, we're not supposed to see each other the day of our wedding. It's bad luck or something."

Derek shrugged. "Luck shmuck. We don't need luck. I'm not going to give up seeing you for hours on end before our wedding for a stupid superstition."

"Good," she said, kissing him soundly.

"So Dr. Grey, do you want to take a shower with me?"

"Hmm I don't know…" teased Meredith. "I'm kind of tired."

She faked a yawn.

Derek growled playfully and picked her up off the bed.

"Derek!" she screeched, giggling, as he dragged her into the bathroom. He continued to literally drag her until they were in front of the shower.

He reached in to turn the water on before turning back to Meredith.

"You still tired?" he asked, reaching for the hem of her shirt, lifting it over her head and peppering kisses to her shoulders and chest.

"No," she moaned. "Definitely not tired."

XXX

After showering, getting dressed, and eating breakfast Meredith and Derek sat on the couch waiting until their appointment time at City Hall.

"Mer," he said quietly.

"Yeah?"

"I just want to say something now, before we go to City Hall."

"Go ahead," she smiled, curling further into his arms.

"I just want you to know that I love you more than anyone else in the world. And I'm completely ready to spend the rest of my life with you."

Meredith smiled. "Me too."

"This will sound bad but I don't miss being your best friend at all because well, now we're that and more."

"I don't miss being your best friend either."

"When I called my mom about the engagement ring she told me that you were the one and she'd known sine my dad died."

"We were eight," laughed Meredith.

"She's Ma. She knows all."

"Very true."

"Apparently we're soul mates."

"I don't believe in soul mates," shrugged Meredith. "I believe you're the love of my life but soul mates is a crazy theory. It originates from Plato who said that humans had four arms, four legs and two head but Zeus felt threatened by them so he cut them all in half so we spend our whole lives looking for our other half."

"How the hell do you know all that?" asked Derek with a smile.

"I looked it up a few years ago," she shrugged.

"Hmmm. Well, then, you're the love of my life. Better?"

"Yes," she smiled, kissing him.

Derek looked at his watch. "You ready to get married?"

Meredith smiled. "Ready."

Derek stood off the couch and pulled her up next to him.

"Derek, one more thing," she said, stopping. "I don't know if I ever thanked you. You saved me. We were five but, you saved me. I could have grown up, never knowing a family but, because of you, I did. I had a loving family in place of the mother who I never really had."

Derek smiled. "Mer, you don't have to thank me. I 'm beyond glad. And if I remember correctly, I was the one crying and scared. You saved me."

"We saved each other."

"That we did."

They walked towards the door, hand in hand, ready to get married.

"So, when did you become all sentimental?" he smirked.

"Oh shut up," she groaned. "You killed our moment."

"Fine. No more talking from me."

"Good."

They drove to City Hall in a comfortable silence, Meredith's hand resting comfortably on Derek's thigh. They reached the big building and went inside. There was a short wait but, they waited patiently and the judge went through the legality of the marriage. They said, "I do" and kissed for their first time as husband and wife.

"We're married," smiled Meredith as they walked out of the room in each other's arms.

"We're married," he echoed, capturing her lips. They walked into the parking lot, arms still intertwined.

"Mer! Derek!" they heard someone call out.

The couple turned to see Mark walking towards them.

"Hey," said Derek, confused at Mark's presence. "What are you doing here?"

"You don't think I'd let you two get married without the Shepherd clan and a party, did you?"

"What?" questioned Meredith, perplexed.

Just then they saw a heard of people rushing towards them.

"Mark, you didn't," smiled Derek.

"I did," said Mark as the Shepherd clan in its entirety bombarded them.

"You're married!" exclaimed Carolyn, hugging her son and daughter-in-law.

"We're married," he smiled. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Mark called us and so, we all flew out."

"You didn't think we were going to miss our only brother's wedding, did you?" smiled Amelia, hugging her older brother.

"But, you did miss the wedding," said Meredith.

"We didn't miss the reception," said Amelia, hugging her.

"There's no reception," told them Derek.

"There is now," smiled Kathleen, hugging her brother.

"What do you mean?"

"It's not much but, we threw together a little party at Mark's apartment," said Carolyn.

Meredith smiled widely. "You did?"

"We did," said Nancy.

"Well, lets not just stand here, we've got a party to go to!" exclaimed Amelia. "Get in your respective cars and let's go. The kids are obviously restless."

"They're not the only ones," whispered Derek to his new wife.

"I heard that DerBear," said Amelia, glaring at her brother.

"Come on people! Move!" said Kathleen loudly, shuffling the family towards cars.

Meredith climbed into hers and Derek's car. "We're alone," she smiled.

"We are," he responded buckling his seat belt and putting the car in drive.

"How do you like being married to me Dr. Shepherd?" she asked.

"I like it very much. Mrs. Shepherd."

"Eww no."

"Eww no, what?"

"Mrs. Shepherd. That's not me…not in a million years. I'm definitely still Dr. Grey."

Derek let out a chuckle. "I love you Dr. Grey."

She smiled. "I love you too Dr. Shepherd."

They pulled up to Mark's apartment building and as soon as they got out Meredith was pulled away by Derek's sisters to talk.

"Well I feel loved," he said sarcastically, watching as his wife was pulled away.

"If you grow boobs and start liking girl stuff, maybe we'll love you as much as we love her," shrugged Amelia as the Shepherd sisters continued to pull Meredith into Mark's apartment.

"But if he had boobs, I'm not sure I'd like him anymore," said Meredith playfully. "So, he's going to have to deal with me being the favorite."

"Thank you for that wife," he rolled his eyes.

"You're welcome husband," laughed Meredith, walking away with her sisters in law.

XXX

Derek didn't get to be with his wife again until an hour or so later when they were shoved together in the area designated for dancing for their first dance.

"May I have this dance," he asked with a smile, offering his hand to Meredith.

She giggled and put her hand in his. He pulled her into his arms and they swayed softly.

"You don't dance in public," she reminded him.

"I'll make an exception for you," smiled Derek. "It is our first dance as husband and wife."

"Yeah…but after those nights in private, I get why you don't dace in public," giggled Meredith, resting her head on his chest.

"Aren't you supposed to be nice to me?"

"Who said that?"

"Laws of being married."

"And who came up with those?"

"Life."

"Life?"

"Yes life."

"Life can't make rules."

"Yes it can."

"Oh just shut up," she laughed, hugging him tightly.

"Can do," breathed Derek into her hair, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. The song ended and Meredith and Derek wrapped their arms around each other as Carolyn walked up to them.

"You didn't have to fly all the way out here for us," said Meredith as she approached them.

"Oh but I wanted to. You really think I'd miss my only son marrying the perfect girl?"

"Thank you," she embraced the older woman.

"There's nothing to thank me for Meredith."

Meredith smiled and nodded.

"Dance people!" exclaimed Mark changing the music to a fast paced song.

"Excuse me ma. I'm going to dance with my wife," smiled Derek, pulling Meredith back to the dace floor.

"Derek…are you sure you want to dance to a fast song?"

"Oh come on Mer. They already think I'm an idiot. I can't do much more damage," he told her, joining the rest of their family who were already dancing.

Derek danced around his wife spastically as she laughed and laughed, barely able to stand up right.

"Oh come on Mer. I'm not that bad," he said, continuing to dance around her.

"Yes you really are," she laughed, falling into his arms.

"Fine," he sighed, kissing the top of her head.

Carolyn smiled as she watched her son dancing with his wife. A happy few tears fell from her eyes. They were the perfect fit and she could never see him with anyone else. Since the day her husband died and Meredith was Derek's rock she knew that eventually they'd realize that they were never just friends.

They were Meredith and Derek. Best friends. Husband and Wife.

XXX

A/N: So that was it. Never Just Friends. Hope you liked it!