Well welcome to my very brand new story "Snapshots". This story will basically follow Meredith, Derek and their family throughout the years. The chapters will be longer, but due to that I won't update as frequently as I would like to. But without any further rambling from myself, here is the very first chapter of "Snapshots". Happy reading!

Meredith felt something wet against her cheeks. She blinked her eyes a few times before opening to see Maeve sitting there rubbing her drooled hands over her face. She smiled slightly as she sat up.

"Good morning. Happy Birthday." said Meredith as she pulled Maeve into her arms and kissed the crown of her head. Maeve cooed slightly as Meredith did this and then began to play with her pajama top. "How'd you get in here anyway? Did Daddy bring you in?" asked Meredith as she looked around for Derek.

"Dada." said Maeve as she looked at her mother. This happened to be one of Maeve's very few words along, with ma, yes, no and juice.

"Daddy needed to brush his teeth." said Derek coming out of the master bathroom "Daddy was awoken out of sleep, to a crying baby." said Derek as Maeve outstretched her arms to Derek, who gladly took her. "But I'll have to forgive her because it's someone's birthday." said Derek as lifted her pajama top up and blew raspberries on Maeve's stomach as she squealed in delight.

Meredith smiled as she heard Maeve's laughter ring through the room. "I can't believe she's one already." said Meredith as she got out of bed. "Its pretty surreal." said Meredith as she pushed a curl that was dangling in front of Maeve's eye, away.

Maeve had been lucky enough to receive her father's curls. As of right now though, her hair was just very wispy and ditry blonde compared to her father's dark hair. She also had been blessed with blue eyes, Derek to thank for that again. She definitely wasn't all Derek though, Maeve had most definitely inherited Meredith's mouth and nose and her stubborn personality.

"What time is everyone coming?" asked Derek as he bounced Maeve slightly, to keep her from squirming.

"About four o'clock. Everyone's bringing something and Izzie has a handle on the cake." said Meredith as she went to her dresser and pulled out a sweater.

"So, you can stop freaking out." said Derek.

Meredith shot him a look. "I am not freaking out. I'm just….. I don't know. I'm going to go shower. You've got her?" asked Meredith.

Derek nodded as Maeve started to play with his hair. "Yes I've got her." said Derek.

Meredith nodded again before disappearing into the bathroom. Derek sighed as he turned to look at Maeve.

"Your mom's freaking out."

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Meredith walked into the kitchen about thirty minutes later to see an adorable scene unfolding in front of her. There sat Maeve in her high chair eating fruit off the tray of the chair, while Derek watched her.

"Can Daddy have some?" asked Derek as he smiled at Maeve. Maeve then picked up a piece of fruit reached her hand out looking like she has going to give to him, then suddenly stuffed it into her own mouth. Meredith laughed slightly as she continued to walk into the room. She then bent slightly in front of Maeve's chair.

"Can I have one?" asked Meredith.

Maeve then picked up a strawberry and put it into Meredith's waiting mouth. Meredith smirked at Derek slightly as she went to pour herself a cup of coffee. Derek pretended to frown at Maeve, before she gave in and stuffed a piece of fruit in his mouth. Derek then chewed and then smiled at Maeve.

"Thank you princess." said Derek as he kissed her head. He then got up and stole the coffee pot from Meredith and poured some more into his own cup. "You think she has any idea what's going on?" asked Derek as they watched Maeve pick at the fruit.

Meredith shrugged "Probably not, but you never know." said Meredith as she continued to stare at the coffee she was holding in her hands.

"Hey. You okay?" said Derek as he gently rubbed Meredith's arm.

Meredith nodded as she set her coffee down on the counter and walked over to sit down at the table. "Alright you, I think we need to give you a bath. We want to smell nice for everyone right?" asked Meredith as she picked Maeve up out of her high chair and placed her gently onto her hip.

Derek smiled as Maeve giggled slightly as she was carried out of the room. His mind wandered to Meredith, something just didn't seem right. She was unusually quiet and keeping to herself more than usual. He just hoped everything was okay.

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Meredith smiled slightly as she watched Maeve play with the bow put in her hair. She made a face as her fingers ran over the fabric. She looked up at Meredith with a look that said "Mom what the heck did you put me in?"

"Don't look at me, Daddy picked this out for you." said Meredith as she buttoned the little green sweater over the hot pink shirt. "Mommy personally isn't a fan of pink." said Meredith as she gently sat her up and then picked her up. She then carried her down the stairs. She entered the kitchen to see a now dressed Derek, pouring ice into an ice bucket.

"Dada." babbled Maeve as she outstretched her arms.

Derek took her into his arms as he put the ice down. He then tickled her slightly. "Well don't we look pretty?" said Derek as he kissed Maeve's head. "Both of you."

Meredith rolled her eyes. "Yeah, uh-huh." said Meredith as she grabbed a bottle from the fridge and handed it to Maeve.

"You sure you're okay?" asked Derek.

"I'm fine." said Meredith as she played sub-consciously with Maeve's fingers. "I really wish you would stop asking that." said Meredith.

"Because I can tell you're not fine, that's why I keep asking." stated Derek

"I'm fine. Really." said Meredith as she walked out of the kitchen and back upstairs into the master. She let out long breath as she rubbed her temple. She just need to breath for a minute. She needed to stop thinking about stuff in the past, and focus on Maeve's birthday. "Just let it go" Meredith told herself.

"Just let it go"

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Derek climbed the stairs, following Meredith a few minutes later after putting Maeve into the play-pen. He was worried about her. Something was definitely on her mind and bothering her. He knocked gently on the slightly closed bedroom door and entered to find Meredith with her head down and her hands rubbing her temple slightly.

"Mere?" called Derek as he leaned up against the door frame. He didn't want to get to close and make her mad or upset.

Meredith looked up as she heard him call out her name. She smiled slightly when she saw him. He really did care about her. He always knew when something was bothering her, or when she was freaking out. He knew her.

"What's going on with you?" asked Derek as walked closer to the bed, now that he was sure she wasn't going to yell at him or ask him to leave.

"I'm so selfish. I can't put my past behind me on my daughter's birthday." said Meredith "Do you know how horrible of a person that makes me?"

"Meredith…" started Derek only to be cut off by Meredith seconds later.

"No. I can't get over the fact that my mother never did this for me. Throw a birthday party. I probably spent my first birthday with a nanny or in the hospital daycare." said Meredith. "But do you know how much of selfish bitch it makes me to even think or consider my twisted past, on my own daughter's first birthday." said Meredith as she stood up and paced the room.

"Meredith." said Derek as he got up and followed her. "Meredith." said Derek as he grabbed her arm gently and turned her around to face him. "We all have pasts. It's not un-normal for something to trigger something from the past." said Derek as he gently ran his fingers against her back, in attempts to calm her down.

"Ugh" sighed Meredith loudly out loud. She stayed like that for a few moments before sitting back up. "Thanks I needed that. I needed to be reassured that I'm not nuts." said Meredith with a small smile.

Derek smiled slightly as he kissed Meredith's temple gently. "Come on, we have guests coming."

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Meredith laughed as she watched Maeve stick her hands in the cake she had placed on her high-chair. She then lifted it and stuck a piece in her mouth, before rubbing some more on her face. Derek stood next to Meredith, videotaping the event.

"Guess that bath this morning was a waste." giggled Meredith.

Derek nodded as he shut off the camera. "Look at happy she looks though." said Derek as watched Maeve continue to smother herself in the chocolate.

"Have fun cleaning that up." commented Cristina as she too ate a piece of cake. "She's going to have that on every ounce of her body."

Meredith smiled as she watched Maeve slap her hands against the cake. "Well I'll try to get some off now, so she can open her gifts".

Meredith then lifted Maeve up and out of her high chair. She was careful to hold her away from her own clothes as Derek wet a cloth and began to wipe Maeve's face and hands. Maeve immediately began to start to cry, not pleased at what was going on.

"Shhhhshhh" soothed Meredith as she bounced her up and down to quiet her as Derek continued to wipe the chocolate off her face.

"Man you guys are just sickly adorable." joked Mark only to be swatted by Izzie moments later.

Meredith rolled her eyes as Derek finally stopped and tossed the washcloth into the sink. Everyone in the group then headed for the living room, where all the presents had been placed. Meredith sat down in the middle of the carpeted floor as everyone else took the couch and love seats. She was then handed Maeve who she sat on her lap.

"Okay birthday girl, which one first?" asked Meredith as she looked at her daughter's eyes widen at the shiny paper on the boxes. Maeve grabbed at the one closest to her feet.

"That's from me." called Addison from where she was sitting on the chair.

Meredith helped Maeve tear the paper open to reveal a small pink corduroy bag, filled with fake car keys and a pretend cell phone. Meredith laughed slightly as Maeve hit the button on the phone, causing an irritating voice to come out of the phone.

"Say thank you to Addie." said Meredith as Maeve as Maeve gurgled as she saw all the more shiny wrapping paper that need to be ripped. "Thanks Addie." said Meredith with a smile. Meredith then took another present from the pile.

"That's from Owen and I." said Cristina as Meredith helped Meredith tear the paper to reveal a toy doctor's kit. Inside was some play supplies and some DVDs for Maeve to watch. "I figured since both her parents are doctors, odds are she'll be one." said Cristina as she shrugged.

"And I said, we don't need to influence her and went out bought the DVDs." said Owen as Cristina swatted his arm.

"Thanks guys. She'll definitely love this. But we're not pushing her to be a doctor." said Meredith as she met Derek's gaze from where she was sitting on the chair and he winked at her. "She can be anything she wants." said Meredith as she tickled Maeve's stomach.

"Mommy goo." coughed Cristina.

Meredith shot her look as Maeve continued to reach for the presents. They continued to watch Maeve open presents, this taking about thirty more minutes. She received an array of gifts from clothes from George and Callie to a new toy from Alex. There was still one present left, a blue square shaped box.

"That's from us." said Mark as she sat with Izzie on the loveseat. "Just a little something."

Meredith opened the box to reveal a tiny gold necklace with Maeve's birth stone pendant in the center. "Oh my god. This is gorgeous." said Meredith as held her hands out, stop Maeve who was reaching for it.

"Thanks guys you didn't have to do that." said Derek as he watched Maeve continue to play with the wrapping paper shreds.

"Well first birthdays are special."

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Meredith groaned as she heard Maeve crying at about eleven thirty. They had all gone to bed fairly early after an exhausting day. Derek turned over and buried his nose in her hair.

"Do you want me to go?" asked Derek sleepily.

Meredith shook her head as she rolled out of bed and walked down the hall into the nursery. She turned the light on and walked swiftly over to the crib.

"What's the matter?" asked Meredith as she gently picked Maeve up and her cries subsided some. "Hmm?" asked Meredith as Maeve lay her head on Meredith's shoulder. Meredith than carried her back into the bedroom and placed her down on the bed. Derek turned over.

"Is she okay?" he asked as he gently rubbed her back that was facing towards him. He then pressed a kiss to forehead, seeing if she was sick.

"She's fine. Just lonely." said Meredith as she climbed back into the bed and pulled the covers up slightly over Maeve's tiny body. She began to stroke Maeve's thin curls as she gently lulled her to sleep. Meredith softly smiled as she saw her daughter's eyelids flutter close. She gently whispered,

"Happy Birthday Maeve"

Well? What'd we think? Reviews make my day! Here's a picture of what I envisioned Maeve to look like at one.

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