A/N: Thanks for you guys for the few reviews, and thank you to my readers! I'm so glad y'all are enjoying this. Here is a little, fun, Derek and Meredith have fun in the snow type of thing. Enjoy!

-Putting Up The Christmas Lights—

(-That Morning-)

Splash!

The water that Meredith had used to rinse off her face sloshed and gurgled as it traveled back down the sink, leaving her clean face glistening with drops of warm water. She rubbed at her face, her hands getting damp, until she gave up and grabbed a brown hand towel that hung next to the sink. She patted at her face and blinked, looking into her reflection that stared back at her in the foggy and clouded mirror. The clocks small hands directed towards 9:25, and she grinned despite herself. It was more time then she usually got to sleep. Although her cereal had been close to repulsive, it was all right, because she felt the rare and wonderful feeling of being alive and awake and alert.

As she let her hair down from its ponytail, it cascaded, bouncing along her shoulders in large, wavy curls. She patted her messy bangs around her face, tugging her fingers through the knotted strands. She shook her head once, letting the hair flip and fly, loosening up from it's tightness she gained from sleep. Suddenly, the swaying sounds of cheerful music traveled down the hallway, meeting her ears in a bright melody:

Oh, the weather outside is frightful.

But the fire, is so, delightful.

And since we've no place to go,

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

"Derek?" She called sharply, flicking off the lights and shutting the door with an affirming click. She padded down the hallway until she reached the stairs, and they creaked and squealed under her weight. When her gliding socks finally reached the bottom of the staircase, her jaw fell open. The stereo Derek often used to play Clash music was back in business, blasting Christmas music- and dust- around the room. She ran her hands through her hair. "Derek Christopher Shepherd? What is this?" She didn't get pleasured with a response, though, and she groaned.

Oh the fire is slowly dying,

But my dear, we're still goodbye-ing.

She yanked on the sleeves of her jacket and gloves, pulling a hat atop her head as well. She gripped the handle of the door and yanked it open.

He was outside, foolishly and inexpertly grasping the one metal ladder that they owned. It slipped unsteadily between his gloves. The snow swirled outside, dancing and cascading from the bright, gray sky. The flakes glimmered and fluttered, covering the treetops in blankets and sheeting the area in a caked on layer of white powder. He looked up at him, his black hair speckled with white flakes, and his grin crept across his cheeks. "Hey! Nice of you to finally emerge."

"What is playing inside?" Meredith demanded, shutting the door behind her and stepping outside into the winter wonderland.

"Christmas music," He answered simply, fumbling with the slippery sides of the shiny metal ladder. Lights sat in a tangled heap on the snow-dusted porch, and the flakes were beginning to lay on them in a caked icing.

"No kidding. I mean, the correct question… is why?" She enunciated, tapping her feet and rubbing her arms in the chilly air that nipped her cheeks. "It's so bright and shiny. Is that natural?"

His warm laugh gave her the chills, "Yes. It's Christmas, Meredith. Lighten up," He grinned at her again before finally prying the ladder open. It clanged against the frozen ground as he tried to scrape it in steadily. She huffed, crossing her arms, and he looked back over at her, a smirk creeping across his face. "Smile! Or something."

"No," She retorted.

He propped the upside down V shaped ladder facing the side of the snow-rimmed house, then crouched down, twirling the snow between his gloved fingertips, "Don't be a scrooge…" He trailed off, slowly gathering small bits of powder between his palms. Meredith rolled her eyes again and stomped plaintively in the snow.

"What are you talking about?" She said, obliviously scowling. "I don't even know what a 'Scrooge' is, but I'm pretty sure it's a derogatory term of~"

But she was cut off; as Derek whipped up the snowball he had been simultaneously hatching in his hand, he stood up, wound up his arm, and hurled the snowball at her, cackling. She let out a scream at it whapped against her coat in her stomach area. "DEREK!" She squealed, inspecting the white spot on her black coat. He was howling with hysterical, near the point of the effigy of slapping his knee. "Are you insane?"

Derek just laughed, throwing his head back for effect and shutting his eyes. Meredith rapidly bent down, grabbing a chunk of snow, and chucking it at him less-than-gracefully. It went flying through the cold air and smacked him in the chest. He gasped and looked at her, and she stood, smirking, brushing off her palms. They smiled menacingly at each other, "Oh, I see how it is." He snarled, gathering more snow in his hands and pitching it. As she tried to duck it pinned her in the chest and she squealed, narrowing her eyes at him.

She bent down, "Watch the boobs, mister!" She grabbed some more balls of fluffy powder and hurled them, one after another, back at him. They smacked him as he tried to fight back, sending spinning balls at her. They erupted into a mountain of laughter by the time they were both caked with white snow marks that had exploded on their clothing.

Meredith wiped her eyes and looked at him, "So, maybe snow could be fun. Maybe." He smiled at her happily and pulled chunks of a snowball out of his matted black hair.

"I don't want to say I told you so, but…."

"Then don't say it," She cut him off, smirking happily. The snow danced around them, gaining in its heaviness. He shook his head, in awe at her, and went back to trying to climb the shaky ladder. His boots slipped and squeaked against the snowy rungs. Meredith tried her best to hold it steady for him, "If you fall, Derek Shepherd, you're going to be in trouble. Just because I'm not necessarily a holiday person, that doesn't mean I want to spend Christmas in the emergency room…" She giggled and finished, "…treating you."

"I'm not…" He wobbled, then finished, "…going to fall. Hand me the lights."

She did as instructed, passing the lights up to him through the blizzard of snow. He clasped them in between his heavily gloved hands and began tacking them to the rim of the roof. Meredith held the bottom of the ladder tightly as it trembled, until he finished the light job. By the time he finished her hands were numb, and she blinked to life when he shook her, reminding her he was done. "I'm finished. And I didn't injure myself," She nodded blankly, forcing a smile through her freezing lips. "Want to go make hot chocolate or something? Before we get the tree?"

She walked back up to the house and gripped the handle, wriggling it. It didn't budge, "Derek?" She called, her voice raising in a pitch as her teeth chattered. "Derek, the lock. It's locked. Do you have a key?"

She spun to face him and he narrowed his eyebrows, "Nope. Do…you?" Her eyes widened. "Mer, are we locked out of our own house?" She sighed and rolled her eyes in frustration, kicking at the door as snow scattered from her boots. She jiggled the cold handle more, whacking it with her frozen palms. "Well, this is just great!"

"Derek, stop joking! I'm FREEZING!" She snapped at him. When it seemed that her ruthless jiggling and wriggling wasn't going to work, she turned back to him in a huff. He eyed the ladder. She followed his sharp, knowing gaze, then widened her eyes. "Heck. No. I'm not going to climb up that thing."

"Do you want to get hyperthermia?"

"You realize asking rhetorical questions isn't going to solve anything, right?" She huffed. "Fine, I'll climb it. If I fall, you have to catch me."

"I promise."

"Okay," She shrugged, encircling the ladder, trying to envision the best way to climb it. She gripped the sides and took shaky steps on the slippery rungs. "Derek…"

"I'm right here."

"I know, I know. I just… strongly dislike heights." She shut her eyes and kept taking steps, holding onto the sides of the ladder for dear life, not letting it slip from her hands the fraction of an inch. She took seemingly step after step, repeating to herself I will not fall on Derek. I will not fall on Derek. When it seemed like it had been ages she paused, "Am I there yet?" She yelled down to him, her cold legs trembling.

"Meredith, open your eyes." She blinked them open and the mesh of a palette of colors formed into shapes. She directed her gaze down.

She had taken two steps.

"I was totally kidding. I can do this on my own."

"Do you need my help?" He called to her jokingly as she took a few more wobbly steps.

"Shut up Derek," She said simply, her nose stinging from the cold air that nipped at her bare skin. She added, "You're not my knight in shining… whatever." She took a few more nimble steps.

Below her he beamed, "I so am your knight in shining whatever." She climbed and climbed until she reached the window. She fumbled with the ledge and used her cold, trembling fingers to unclasp the window. It let out a gust of heat waves to radiate her face and she gasped. Before she could process what she did, she tumbled into the house, falling directly onto the floor with a smash. She shook it off and walked downstairs rapidly.

She briskly pulled off of her coat and hung it on the rack. It was damp from the melted snowballs. She yanked off her boats and flung them across the foyer, and snow scattered. By the time she had managed to weasel the gloves off of her hand her fingers were bright red, cold and clammy.

"Guess what?" She heard his voice from behind her.

"What?"

"The door was open the whole time. You were turning it the wrong way."

She glared at him and strutted away. She pulled chunks of snow out of her hair and padded her way into the living room, where Christmas music still hummed from the old stereo.

Outside the snow is falling and friends are calling yoo-hoo!

Meredith skipped to the next track. She would turn it off, but she knew Derek would probably have it back in before she could exhale. She waited and listened as the stereo sputtered, then buzzed and bleeped. She could hear Derek pulling off his coat and boots; the sound of the coat rack squealing beneath her weight carried into the room. The stereo beeped once more and she sighed.

I don't want a lot for Christmas
There's just one thing I need

The tune of this song was catchy. She listened more, swaying with the quick beat.

I don't care about the presents
Underneath the Christmas tree
I don't need to hang my stocking
There upon the fireplace

The tune was also fast. She liked it. Before she knew it her whole body was dancing, stepping, flailing: and she spun around to the beat, singing along to words she really didn't know.

Santa Claus won't make me happy
With a toy on Christmas day
I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas is you
You baby

I won't ask for much this Christmas
I don't even wish for snow
I'm just gonna keep on waiting
Underneath the mistletoe

She opened her eyes and blinked to see Derek come into focus, propped on the doorway and grinning smugly at her. "Meredith, what are you doing?"

I won't make a list and send it
To the North Pole for Saint Nick
I won't even stay awake to
Hear those magic reindeers click
'Cause I just want you here tonight
Holding on to me so tight
What more can I do
Baby all I want for Christmas is you
Ooh baby

"I'm dancing, Derek. What do you think I'm doing?" She spun, then stopped and eyed him. "Come here."

"What?"

All the lights are shining
So brightly everywhere
And the sound of children's
Laughter fills the air

"Derek!" She whined, "You heard me! Get your butt over here." He smiled and chuckled, then swayed over to her. She took his hands and spun. "Dance, move, do something!"

And everyone is singing
I hear those sleigh bells ringing
Santa won't you bring me the one I really need
Won't you please bring my baby to me...

He looked at her like she was insane for a second, but gave in and flailed around. He danced quickly, placing his weight back and forth on his feet, then spinning, then grabbing her hands and spinning her into his chest. They bounced up and down to the beat, Meredith throwing in a few power-filled fist pumps here and there.

Oh I don't want a lot for Christmas
This is all I'm asking for
I just want to see my baby
Standing right outside my door

They danced and danced, laughing and holding each others arms. They swung and swooped and even threw in a Charleston swing, then twirled and jumped again in their own little make shift mosh-pit.

Oh I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true

He smiled at her and reached down, their lips meeting. She wrapped her hands around his neck and let her fingers pick through the back of his raven curls, closing her eyes and pulling him closer as they slowed their pace down to a swaying.

Baby all I want for Christmas is...
You

Meredith looked at him and laughed- really laughed- with a full, wholehearted smile sweeping across her face. "So, Christmas music isn't terrible…"

"I don't want to say I told you so…" He trailed off, kissing her forehead again.

"…Then don't."

A/N: Comments are appreciated, thanks for reading!

The songs used were:

-Let it Snow

-Sleigh Ride

-All I Want For Christmas Is You

(I don't own them, just love 'em :)