Bright and Shiny

Chapter 46

"Derek, come." Meredith called to him as he stood behind her in the scrub room. Mark stood at the sink next to Meredith scrubbing in himself and he chuckled at Derek following Meredith's orders. Following obediently to come over to her as she ordered.

Meredith didn't say a word as Derek came over to the sinks. She just stuck her ring hand out palm face down in front of him. Derek knew instantly what she wanted him to do and what she needed of him.

Ignoring Mark's watchful eyes, Derek reached around Meredith's neck to unclasp her necklace. Derek could tell this was still not something she was going to get used to anytime soon. Derek leaned in and whispered "close your eyes" in Meredith's ear. As she shut her eyes, he carefully removed all her rings without her seeing, hung them on the necklace and clasped it back around her neck.

"Open." Derek whispered back. Meredith opened her misty eyes and looked down to see her rings around her neck, close to her heart and next to her heart pendent from the family. "They're safe and sound, Mer." He promised her.

"You two and your rings, glad to see you guys are still as sappy as ever." Mark muttered.

"Speaking of rings…" Meredith warily smiled taking her mind off her rings that were once again off her fingers and around her neck. Mark knew where she was going with the segueway. "Don't even go there, Mer. I like mine and Addi's ring less fingers." He warned her with a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Besides, I'm still traumatized from guarding yours on your wedding day. Derek must have asked me twenty thousand times if I still had them. By the five hundredth time, I started thinking what he'd do if I went out on Madison Avenue and sold them on the street." He laughed as Derek turned to look at him in shock.

"Some best man." Derek laughed while shaking his head at antics that could only come from Mark's twisted brain.

"I was the best best man, and you know it."

"You dragged me to Vegas and I lost two thousand dollars. Not to mention the bail money for you!" Derek exclaimed.

"But you had fun losing the money and the trip to Vegas County lock up was educational."

"No, I didn't and educational? That's what you call it?"

While still scrubbing away, Meredith could help but start laughing at this fight they've had so many times over the years. Despite her rolling her eyes in annoyance every time they start it she had actually missed hearing it, probably as much as they've missed having it.

She had lost track of how long she had been scrubbing, she figured better safe and just scrub away as long as possible. Derek had stayed by her side, waiting for her to finish using the sink.

"I need to scrub in too, you hog the water here just like at home." Derek joked, bumping her on the hip with his own. She laughed and moved aside so they were now sharing the sink.

"Trailer parks have running water?" Mark said in wonder, Meredith just rolled her eyes before turning to him. "If you call my home a trailer park one more time, I will stab you with a ten-blade Dr. Sloan." Meredith threatened.

"Uh oh, she said Dr. Sloan. You're in trouble man." Derek laughed from his position still scrubbing in.