Here is the final installment (I believe this was originally 2 parts, but they're together in my word document).

"Welcome to the world Lauren Noelle Shepherd." Meredith cooed at her new daughter, just moments old. She was absolutely perfect in every way. Ten fingers, ten toes, a nice tuft of dirty blonde hair atop her small little head.

"She is gorgeous." Derek ran a small hand over his daughter's face. He'd never felt such love for someone in his entire life. Of course he loved Meredith, but this was completely different.

"Okay," Addison stated, "we're going to take her, get her cleaned up, and then would you like to keep her in your room or in the nursery tonight, Mer? I know this was a long labor so if you want to get some sleep-"

"I want her in my room." Meredith stated matter-of-factly, looking Addison in the eyes.

"Alright, well, we'll be back in a few minutes then." With that she left the room.

"God," Derek sighed as he walked over to his wife and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, "you were amazing, I mean it."

She just looked at him, "well, the drugs were amazing, I just sat there and did whatever I had to do." She winked at him, enjoying the lightheartedness that was slowing working its way back into their relationship.

"Yeah, that's true. Must have been cake walk." He nudged her arm, knowing that would rile her. "So, how about we just, you know head to the cafeteria and grab some pizza, a snack…whatever?"

"Oh shut up. Just because I can't walk at the moment doesn't mean I can't still beat you with my, what is it you call them?" She asked, searching for the words.

He looked at her lovingly, grasping her hands "your tiny, ineffectual fists, darling. You know I love your tiny ineffectual fists. And if you don't want me to mock you, then don't leave yourself wide open for it."

"Just so you know, the epidural will wear off, eventually, and then I will be able to use my legs, my tiny, but very effectual legs, to kick your ass."

"You're going to use that mouth to kiss our daughter? Shame, shame on you." He smiled before pulling her lips to his to place a quick kiss on them. Just then they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Looking up, Meredith smiled.

"Finn!" He walked in, pushing Lauren, who had given up trying to walk due to the pain, in a wheelchair. "Lauren!" They both gave her toothy grins.

"So." Lauren began, "Where is it? Where is my godchild? I must know right this instant. I have to see where it is so that I can spoil it rotten every second I can."

Derek eyed Finn playfully, "Finn, she's calling my daughter an it, should I be concerned about this?"

"You should have heard her in the car on the way over here. She would not shut up about the baby, she's almost one hundred percent convinced that she has a nephew." Finn nudged his wife.

"Oh you are, are you?" Meredith asked.

"C'mon Mer, I'll love the baby whatever sex it is. But keeping everyone in the dark for the past seven and a half months? Not fair. Not fair at all." Just then Addison wheeled in 'baby Shepherd...' she paused a moment, "wait a minute, did Derek just say daughter? Aww, Mer! A girl! A baby girl to spoil and play dress up with and teach make up tips to!" She was reaching into the cradle, cooing and massaging the baby, "May I hold her?" her eyes pleaded to Meredith and Derek for permission, she received a simple nod in response.

Meredith just smiled at her friend, smiled at how excited she was, smiled at how bittersweet the moment felt. Derek's hand suddenly entangled itself within hers. She looked up into his eyes, felt the reassurance he was giving her. Finn, unknowingly and unintentionally interrupted their moment. "What's her name?"

Meredith was too choked up by the moment to respond, so Derek answered for her, "Lauren Noelle Shepherd." At this Lauren's attention shot from the baby to her best friend.

"Mer?" she asked, tears in her eyes, "Seriously, Mer?"

"Seriously." Was all she could manage. Had she proper motor function in her legs at that moment, she'd get up and wrap her arms around her best friend and her new daughter.

Finn touched baby Lauren's small face, "A beautiful name for a beautiful baby." An overwhelming sense of quiet filled the room. No one knew exactly what to say or how to say it. They were all walking on egg shells.

"She kinda looks a little bit like a rat, actually." Then of course, Lauren said that.

"Meredith?" Miriam called as she almost ran into the house, Derek and David following close behind, carrying luggage. "Meredith? Where are you hiding?"

Derek and his father rolled eyes at each other, "Gee mom, it's great to see you too."

"Oh shut your mouth, you move to the opposite side of the country a year and a half ago, then refuse to come home for Christmas and I go a year before seeing my granddaughter in person. I've known you since the day you made your way into the world, screaming. Right now I want to see my little Lauren." Derek emptied his arms of the contents he was carrying and grabbed his mother's elbow.

"Mom, stop for a sec." she turned to him, noticing the tone in his voice, "look, there's gonna be a lot of people here today, okay?"

She was not following him, "Okay, what do you mean by that, Derek?"

"Finn. Finn is going to be here.." his mother just glanced at him, confusion clear in her eyes, "we've been calling her Ren, you know, just to make this easier on him, on Meredith, to simplify the situation." Miriam nodded, understanding now. She was about to open her mouth as Meredith appeared at the top of the stairs, baby Ren in her arms. Miriam's breath caught in her throat. Meredith had put Ren in a purple dress and had attempted to string a matching purple flower clip in her light brown, bordering on dirty blonde, thick, curly hair.

"Oh!" Miriam exclaimed, "let me see you, you little thing you!" She practically ripped her out of Meredith's hands. "You are just so adorable! Yes you are! Yes you are!"

"Oh, great, she'll be at this for hours." David stated sarcastically, making his presence known as he pulled Meredith in for a hug. "She's beautiful though."

Meredith smiled in her father in-law's embrace, "yeah, she is. Everyone keeps telling her that. She's gonna start talking soon, I'm half convinced her first word will be beautiful by the way people keep saying it to her." David and Miriam chuckled at this. "She just started walking, so, be careful about the squirming." Meredith stated as she headed toward the kitchen, motioning for Derek to follow her.

"If you'll excuse me, I'm being summoned." He nodded to his parents, mussed his daughters hair, which in turn caused the clip Meredith had spent so much time fixing in place to fall out, "um, mom? Fix that, before Meredith sees?"

Miriam just shook her head at her son, "you fool." As she went to the couch to sit down and allow herself more access fix Ren's hair, which she was almost sure would be messed again in not five minutes.

Derek entered the kitchen, smiling giddily as he saw Meredith getting out the food for the party. "What time is Izzie coming with the cake?" he asked, startling her.

"She'll be here at a one, everyone else is coming at two-ish." They just started at each other a moment, smiling, enjoying the feelings that were passing between them, that they both knew were mutual. Nothing made Derek want to smile more, than this moment, watching his wife putter around in the messy kitchen preparing for their daughter's first birthday party. "I wanted to talk to you about Finn. He's….well, today is going to be difficult for him."

Derek walked over to her, pulling her into his arms, "Mer, today is going to be difficult for all of us. I understand what you're trying to do." She sighed as she looked over at her husband.

"I just…are you sure you want to tell everyone, today I mean?" he looked down at her, knowingly. "Alright, alright. I know. I just…I miss her so much. I can't bear the thought of going through this again without her, you know?"

He pulled her closer to him, "you have me this time, from the beginning." He sighed, knowing that wouldn't completely soothe her, "Look Meredith, I know how hard it was when you lost her, especially after she held on for so long. But you have to remember that she wanted to see Ren, she was happy. She would be happy for you, for us. Finn? He has had it rough, but he's doing alright, it's been almost a year, look at him, huh? He's got that practice here now." He paused turning her eyes to meet his, "Mer, we got through this, you and me, together. You have to trust me when I say that you need to accept that the weight of the world doesn't rest on you, okay? I'm here. I'm never, ever, trusting what is simply in front of my eyes ever again. The rest of the world, the problems, everything, it will all work itself out. You have to concentrate on you, on me, on us, and on Ren." He smiled, before pulling her lips to his.

As she pulled away, she began to say, "Well, and…"

"Hey guys!" Izzie exclaimed as she walked into the kitchen, smiling broadly. "Where's Ren? Is she excited about her big day?" She was completely clueless of the moment she had just interrupted.

"My parents have taken her hostage. They can't seem to get enough of her."

"Aww, that's so sweet!" Izzie didn't' seem to catch the tone in Derek's voice. "So, would you like to see the cake?"

Meredith untangled herself from her husband's arms and rushed over to Izzie, "yes!" She smiled as Izzie pulled the cake out of the box and revealed how gorgeous it was. In the past year Izzie and Meredith had grown very close. Meredith had felt a connection to Izzie from the moment she had showed up in Seattle, only to have it deepen upon Izzie's revelation about the loss of her husband and child. After Lauren passed away last May, Izzie had been a life line for Meredith.

"It's a butter cream frosting, vanilla cake, I mixed through some pink food coloring to give the swirl effect…." Izzie explained as Meredith stared in awe at the deliciously beautiful pastry in front of her.

"Izzy this is incredible…" Meredith didn't have the proper words to express how she was feeling; the top of the cake said "Happy Birthday Ren!" in perfect pink calligraphy and on one side was a beautifully drawn pink Gerber daisy.

"Well, I know how much you like Gerber daisies…and I mean, sure, it's Ren's birthday, but you're the one going through all the work, and you're the one who pushed her out of your vagina last year on this day….so I though, why not? I mean it's not like Ren's actually going to remember this birthday. Next year she'll get a cake themed for her."

Meredith smiled, "thank you Izzie, I love it." The moment was interrupted by the clearing of a throat; Meredith looked up and saw Finn, standing in the doorway holding Ren. She smiled at the image.

"I didn't mean to interrupt, but I wanted to talk to you, alone, before the rest of the guests go here…"

Meredith smiled, "of course, Izzie has some cooking to do anyway." She and Finn headed toward the family room, sitting on the couch. "So…" she began awkwardly "what is it you wanted to talk about?" The last year had been filled with awkward and painful silences between the two of them.

Finn almost didn't hear her, he was too caught up in playing with Ren, "trot trot to Boston, trot trot to Lynn, better watch out or you might fall in!" he smiled as the baby giggled in his arms. He turned his attention to his longtime friend. "I wanted to give you this." He stated, handing her a small gift wrapped box.

Meredith looked at him confused, "What is it?"

"It's mine and Lauren's present to Ren." His voice was not as sad as she would have expected.

"Finn…I"

"Just open it." She nodded and did as he wished. It was a beautiful necklace shaped like a purple flower with amethyst stones as the petals and a small diamond in the middle.

"Finn this is incredible."

"Lauren bought it the day she found out you were pregnant, in that town the two of you were always talking about with the amazing little shops. She said she knew it was a girl. She told the woman in the store that it had to be purple stones and when they told her of this, she knew that any daughter of Meredith Shepherd would love it." He paused a moment, reflecting, "she made me promise to give it to you, to Ren, on her birthday. I know she's too young for it now, but, when she's older…keep it for when she's older." He looked down at the baby in his arms.

Meredith moved closer, placing her arms around her friend, "Ren will love this. When she learns that it was a gift from her aunt Lauren, I'm sure it will mean the world to her." Finn just nodded, attempting to compose himself.

"I'm sorry, this is suppose to be a happy day…its just…its ….when is it going to hurt less?"

Meredith sighed as she placed a quick kiss on her friend's cheek and brushed a hand over her baby's face, "it doesn't, it just gets easier to deal with over time. But we're here for you Finn, you know that. Me and Derek and Ren. You're our family."

Finn turned to her, smiling, "thanks Mer. It means a lot to me."

"Anytime." She paused, "Now, what do you say we go get ready for this party, huh?" She smiled, making a face at her daughter, "huh? What do you say Ms. Ren?" As they walked into the kitchen, Meredith looked over the backyard, seeing Derek beginning to barbeque and talking with Mark and Addison who had just arrived. They all turned to her and smiled and waived.

"I'm gonna go outside." Finn patted Meredith on the back as he headed out to see if Derek needed any help. Meredith's heart warmed as she saw him approach her husband and pat him on the back. She could tell by their body language that they were having a light hearted conversation as Derek went to the cooler to grab Finn a beer.

"This is going to be a good day." Meredith said, more to herself than to Izzie and Miriam, who were both in the kitchen.

"It is," Miriam answered, "it is. Now, what do you say we get this food outside and get this party going, huh?" She winked at the two of them before exiting the room.

Izzie just laughed, "Your mother in-law is kinda crazy."

"She is." Meredith said nostalgically, picking up the potato salad and heading for the yard.

Derek glanced over at Meredith, who was deep in conversation with Addison, she was laughing about something, her head was thrown back and her hair was catching the sunlight just so. He turned back to look at the house they had been living in for just over a year now, the one they had designed together, fallen in love with together. The house they had brought their daughter home to. He wouldn't trade any of this for the world. Meredith caught his eye, excused herself from the discussion she was having and walked over to him. She gave a brief kiss on his lips and then whispered in his ear, "I do believe, Doctor Shepherd, that we have a toast to make." She pulled back, winking at him. He playfully nipped at her lips, before standing from his leaning position against the railing.

"Ahem!" he said as he took a plastic fork and clinked it against the plastic cup in his hand. "Everyone, everyone, if you'll please make your away over to the picnic table. Meredith and I would like to cut the cake and serve some champagne."

As soon as everyone had their own plastic cups full and was crowded around the cake, Meredith lifted Ren above the cake as they all sang a chorus of "happy birthday." After which, Meredith and Derek leaned over and blew out the candles, everyone cheering on little Ren.

"And now," Meredith announced, "we would like to propose a toast." Everyone held up their glasses, anticipating Meredith's next words. "A toast to old friends," she raised her glass toward Finn, "to new friends," she raised it toward Izzie and Addison, "to family…" she paused, choking up, "to family who couldn't be here…" Derek stepped closer to her, putting one arm around her, taking Ren into his other.

He smiled, kissed her temple, and said, "And of course," he removed his hand from around her waste. "To family who isn't here yet." He arched an eyebrow suggestively and raised his glass toward his wife, who in turn raised hers toward him as they each took a small sip of their champagne, while everyone else stood there shocked. Suddenly there was a wave of "here heres" before all the women rushed toward Meredith to congratulate her. Derek stood back, holding his daughter, who kept making in comprehendible noises to him. He smiled to himself as everyone put their hands all over Meredith and she looked at him, feigning irritation. "Nope," he said, looking to Ren, "I wouldn't trade this for the world." His only response was a gurgle, which he interpreted as "Me either daddy." He nodded to her as his mother came over to him, grinning broadly.

"A second child? Think you can handle that?" Derek just grinned and pulled his mother into a hug. "Seriously, I'm so glad to see you happy." She paused, "both of you. You, of all people, you two deserve it….in spades."

"We do. And we have it now. It's about time, but we have it, and I'm damned sure as hell not going to let anything come in the way of it again."

(The End)

Final note:

To anyone that made it this far: thank you! I really appreciate the fact that you're reading my work. (even if it was written 10 years ago).

The selfish reason why i'm posting the final chapters of this is because I recently watched "The West Wing" in its entirety and cannot get consume enough West Wing anything (fan fiction, fan sites, fan videos, fan theories, the cast and crew keeping in touch). The West Wing ended the same year I wrote this story and I've come across a few of stories started back then that are unfinished today. I felt I owed it to anyone still interested to post the remaining chapters.

I hope you enjoy and if you'd like, feel free to leave a comment and I'll try to get back to you if applicable. All comments are welcome (positive, constructive, negative even!)

Thanks for reading!

Xo

Anna