Bright and Shiny

Chapter 9

After watching the resident Derek left in charge close, Meredith being the bottom of the totem pole intern had scut work to follow up on in the OR. Making her the last one to scrub out. She was alone in the scrub room still with a smile plastered on her face and feeling such a high when the door opened, turning to see her husband with an equally sappy grin on his face.
"What are you doing back in here ?" She asked with a smile, continuing to scrub.

"I heard there was a hot intern in the scrub room and came to check her out." He chuckled.

"Ha ha, such the comedian. Anyways this hot intern is very married and taken. She's also very happy that her first surgery was done with her husband. It was perfect to experience her first time with him."

"First time huh? I remember another first time she experienced with him." He flirted with her watching her eyes go wide, before she could smack him he added honestly, "Honestly Mer, I wouldn't have let your first time in the OR be with anyone but me. This was something I wanted to experience with you since the day you told me you were going to be a surgeon. Did I mention how proud I was of you?" His eyes sparkling with pride.

"May be once or twice." She smiled back.

"Your first shift's almost up, there's dinner and a foot rub waiting for you at home courtesy of said proud husband."

"Yeah..." She trailed off in thought while glancing down at her hands under the water.

"Mer, what is it?" Derek asked her coming up beside her at the sink, bringing his hand to her face and rubbing his thumb over her cheek as she still focused down to her hand.

"I had to take them off." She said sadly with tears starting to appear in her green eyes. Derek followed her site to her bare fingers she was staring at and knew what was troubling her.

"Give me the rings." He whispered softly, with a smile on his face.

Meredith looked up at him trying to blink back her tears, before pulling her hair back so she could unclasp her heart necklace she had put the rings on to join the heart pendant. Before scrubbing in when she realized she had to remove them to put on her gloves.

The necklace was given to her by Derek's mother on their wedding day. She told Meredith she now not only had a husband but the support and love of an entire family and this heart symbolized that. Meredith put the necklace on this morning for her first day, because if there was any a day she needed her family's love and support even from a far it was her first day as an intern, the intern who is Ellis Grey's daughter and the intern married to an attending to boot.

Meredith slid the Harry Winston 5 carat baguette style platinum solitaire wedding 3 pieces set off the ring and into Derek's open palm. Derek took the rings and one by one without taking his eyes off Meredith, slid them back on her finger where they belonged. Before bringing her finger to his lips and placing a warm kiss to her finger.

"See perfect, right back where they belong. Nothing to be sad about, Mer."

"But I'd have to take them off all the time, what if I lose them Derek? These rings mean everything, what if I take them off and it falls in the sink? What then? It's not fair, you never have to take yours off." She exclaimed, back in the pouting voice.

"Mine isn't big and flashy" he laughed knowing she was about to freak out on him.

"And whose fault is that Derek? I told you it was too big, but nooo you need to be mister big ego and get something that says property of Derek Shepherd." She sulked while leaning her head on Derek's chest while he laughed at her and stroked her hair.

"Well obviously my plan did not work considering the way a couple of the male interns were looking at you during the surgery. I was thinking we need to get something even bigger. Since it appears they're blind."

"Don't you even think about it." She pulled back stating while pointing her finger at him before going back to her comfortable happy place of resting her head in the crook of his neck, leaning her body against his strong chest.

"I was kidding Mer, don't worry. I don't think your finger could handle anymore weight anyways." He joked before continuing on seriously. "Also you're not going to lose the rings, we can make this a ritual, before surgery you put them around your neck on your chain so they're close to your heart and then come find me after you're scrubbed out. I'll then put them on you where they belong, just like I did the first time and just like today." His voice lingering softly with love.

Meredith lifted her head up looking right into his eyes wondering how she ever got so lucky to have this man come into her life when he did. "You're amazing, I love you so much Derek Shepherd." Was the only response she could give him to convey just how much his words meant to her and for him just being him.