Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy or any of its characters. This is a work of fiction about Meredith and Mark. The plot starts post "Yesterday" episode and Meredith and George never happened.
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Chapter 1 - Pregnant
Another early morning for the interns of Seattle Grace Hospital.
"Morning everyone!" Christina stormed inside the locker room, more cheerful than ever.
Everybody looked at her curiously, but she ignored them and went straight to her locker.
"What is wrong with you?" she asked, seeing Meredith laid back on a bench covering the eyes with one arm, holding the other hand over the stomach and half dressed in her scrubs.
Meredith didn't answer and just gave her a groan.
"He kept you up all night again?" Christina smiled suggestively at her as she pulled the blouse over her head.
"No, he was on call last night," Meredith managed to mumble.
"Then it must be the tequila,"
"Nope. It is not the tequila either, because she was home with us," Izzie answered for her and slammed the door of her locker, taking then a seat on the bench at Meredith's feet. "You should change the partner Meredith, because I think this one is getting toxic. This is the third day you feel sick in the morning."
"Who is toxic Meredith?" Alex came in and passed past them, hurried to get to his locker.
"It's none of your business," Meredith grumbled remaining in the same position.
"Come on Grey! If he is another attending so what?! We are used with it, right?" Alex glanced the others interns for approval. In exchange, he received just glares. "What? I am just curious to know who took Shepherd's place."
"It's not the man, it's not the sex, it's not the tequila! I don't know what the damn is, okay?" Meredith snapped at them.
"Okay, okay calm down. You should make some tests and see if there isn't anything serious," Izzie suggested as she stood up.
George took out an apple from his locker and came with to Meredith, kneeling down next to her "Mer?" he whispered softly.
"What, George?" Meredith snapped at him too.
"Do you want my apple?" he asked her quietly and showed her the big green apple he was holding.
In the next second, Meredith covered her mouth with a hand and stood up, hurrying to the bathroom.
Her friends looked after her curiously.
"Dude, your apple must be disgusting," Alex laughed at George.
George rolled his eyes and hurried after Meredith, same as Izzie, who was already in there with her.
Izzie and George supported her; Izzie was holding her hair to back, while George was gently rubbing her back.
When most of the content of her stomach was out in the toilet, Meredith stood up with the help of the two friends of hers and washed her face with cold water. She got scared a little when she saw her pale, mostly yellow and tired face in the mirror. She groaned and let the head down over the sink, holding herself with both hands on the sink's edge.
"You should try to eat something Meredith. You haven't eaten anything today." Izzie told her sympathetically.
Meredith raised her head and turned around, waving a hand in air as a sign of rejection. She returned in the locker room, followed by George and Izzie, who were watching her, concerned.
During Meredith's session of vomiting, Christina had changed into her scrubs and now she was on the bench. When she saw her coming out of the bathroom, Christina put aside the notebook she was reading and looked up at her.
"It is definitely not the sex, not the tequila… well, they are, but combined they brought to this and if you still don't figure out what is it, then it means either you are stupid or you don't want to admit it."
Everyone stared curiously at Christina.
"Does she at least know who the father is?" Alex whispered to Izzie, who was the closest to him.
Izzie pushed him away, slamming him against lockers. "Asshole!"
"Mer, are you…?" George came to her and put an arm around her. He didn't dare to pronounce the word, but everyone knew what he was referring at.
Meredith moved away from him and set down next to Christina, looking at her, panicked. "I can't be… can I?"
"I don't know Mer. Are you taking pills or are you using condoms?"
Meredith tore her look from her and became thoughtful. "Pills no… condoms… I think," she muttered under her breath.
Christina placed a hand on her leg and squeezed it encouragingly. "I am sorry."
Meredith hid her face in her hands and shook the head desperately. "It can't be."
Izzie joined her and together with Christina, rubbed circles on her back as comfort.
Alex was still very curious to know who that man that Meredith was sleeping with was. He came to George and whispered "Who's the guy?"
George looked at him and smiled, satisfied "It's killing you, isn't it?" and turned his back on him and went to Meredith's locker, taking out her scrub blouse.
He brought it to her. "It will be fine, Mer Here," he said softly, handing her the blouse.
Meredith looked up at him and nodded, taking in the same time the blouse from him "Thanks."
She stood up and started changing into her scrubs. "Maybe it's just a virus or something and if I am pregnant, so what? I am not the only one who is having an abortion," she looked at Christina, who had just been through this no long time ago.
"Right," Christina confirmed, nodding. "Are you going to tell him?"
"No. What's the point? Anyway, maybe I am not pregnant," Meredith trailed off, encouraging herself mostly.
"Yeah … maybe," Christina muttered.
Bailey came in with the assignments. From the moment she walked in, she saw Meredith's look and shook the head disapprovingly.
"Yang and Grey pit, Karev, go find Shepherd, O'Malley you are shadowing me today and Stevens you are with Montgomery-Shepherd."
Everyone scattered, but Bailey grabbed Meredith's arm and stopped her, making the others to stop too and to look back at them.
"Meredith, you are a fine woman with a big future as surgeon, don't let any man to ruin the person you are." Bailey's voice sounded softer than usual.
"Umm…okay… thank you Dr. Bailey," Meredith nodded awkwardly.
Bailey nodded and let her go. "Good, now all go! This is not an Oprah moment!" she snapped at her interns, who were still in the doorway, watching them.
Meredith and Christina headed down in the pit. There weren't serious cases; just minor injuries which meant mostly sutures.
When the last patient was ready to be discharged, Christina changed the gloves and took a syringe.
"Give me your arm," she demanded to Meredith, grabbing in the same time her left arm.
Meredith pulled it back immediately "Why?"
"What do mean why? To confirm the baby," Christina answered dryly.
Meredith instantly hid her arm to back, like a child. "It not the baby," she hissed. "I am sure… See? I am feeling much better."
"Maybe, but you look like a corpse so stop fooling yourself and give me your arm, if you don't want me to sedate you," Christina insisted.
Meredith sighed and held out arm, so that Christina could draw her some blood.
"I am going to take this to laboratory." she said, disposing her gloves.
"But please don't put my name on it. I don't want anyone to find out," Meredith muttered, pleadingly looking at her.
Christina nodded and patted her shoulder, leaving then the pit the go up to the laboratory.
In the meantime, Alex had started his day with Derek. His suspicion was that Derek and Meredith are still having an affair and that was why her friends were so secretive upon this subject. Bragging to be the mistress of a married man was not something appropriate, so this might be the reason.
"Alex, is there something that you want to tell me?" Derek asked, feeling Alex's stares on him.
"Umm…no," Alex smiled.
"Good then, let's go see the next patient," Derek said.
They made a few steps and Alex stopped.
"Okay… what is it?" Derek asked him again.
"Umm… Have you seen Meredith lately?" Alex asked.
"Yes, I see her everyday around here, why?" Derek tried to keep a light tone of his voice.
"Is she okay? Because she doesn't seem okay to me," Alex said, carefully checking for any reaction from Derek's side.
"She seems fine to me, but why don't you ask her yourself?"
Alex sighed disappointedly. Derek didn't seem to know anything. He was either a good actor, either he and Meredith were no longer dating. "Never mind. Let's go." Alex said quickly and walked ahead.
Derek stared after him suspiciously for a moment and then he followed him.
At lunch, Meredith, Christina and Izzie were sitting on a table with the trays full with food. Everyone was eating, except for Meredith, who hadn't had the courage to try anything else but a bottle of water.
Christina and Izzie chattered about their day, while Meredith had thoughts somewhere far.
"Mer!" Christina hit her under the table. "Mer!"
Meredith started and shook her head, clearing the thoughts. She paid attention to her friends then. "What?"
"The father of your baby has just come in," Christina said quietly, her eyes watching over Meredith's shoulder.
"Oh no," Meredith groaned. "Stop looking at him. I don't want him to notice us. I can't deal with him too right now."
"Too late," Izzie muttered and took a sip from her soda as her eyes glanced in the same direction as Christina's. "He is walking towards us," she said and repositioned herself in her chair.
Meredith closed her eyes, hoping to fall asleep, faint or whatever, just to help her get rid of him.
"Oh, wait!" Izzie said.
Meredith's eyes snapped open in shock. "What?"
"He has been paged and he is going back," Izzie announced.
Meredith sighed with relief. After another sip of water, she took a small bite from an apple. She swallowed it with lumps, but took another bite. "Is he gone?"
"Yes," Izzie nodded.
"Hello, ladies! Meredith!"
When Meredith heard his voice, suddenly the nausea came back and put the apple down looking up at him, forcing herself to smile politely at least. "Hello, Derek."
"I heard you are not feeling too great," Derek looked, concerned at her.
"Who told you?" Meredith frowned. She didn't even know yet if she was pregnant or not and the rumors were rolling out already.
"Alex," Derek answered.
Meredith groaned quietly. "What did he tell you exactly?" she asked him.
"He said you were not feeling and looking too great and indeed, you are not," Derek said and knelt beside her. "What is wrong?" he asked her worryingly.
"I am just very tired… exhausted," she shrugged, trying to sound calm.
Derek shook his head. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, Derek. I am sure!" Meredith raised her voice a little as she felt the subject already getting on her nerve.
"Okay… take it easy then," he said and squeezed lightly her shoulder, a gesture that made Meredith shrug out. Derek understood her message and sighed. "Enjoy your lunch, ladies," he nodded towards Christina and Izzie and then he sighed as he looked at Meredith. "I will see you around, Meredith."
Meredith nodded and waited for him to leave before she looked up. She turned and glared at her friends. "Why didn't you warn me about him?"
"Sorry," Izzie excused herself as she was taking another sip from her soda.
"Sorry," Christina apologized too.
In that moment, Christina's pager went off and checking it, she looked up at Meredith "Your test results are ready."
"The moment of truth," Meredith sighed and felt like her stomach was about to explode again. She rubbed it, trying to make that horrible sensation pass.
"Are you coming with me?" Cristina asked her.
Meredith shook her head. "I will meet you in the locker room. I don't even want to read it. You have to do it for me and by your behavior I will figure out the answer."
"Okay," Christina stood up to go throw her tray and then she left to pick up the results.
After 15 minutes, she met Meredith and Izzie in the locker room. They were already in there waiting for her. Meredith was extremely nervous and she was pacing around the small space between the lockers.
When they heard the door opening, Meredith stopped and looked at Christina.
She knew right away the answer. She collapsed on the bench and let the tears to flood her eyes as her face sunk in her hands.
"I am sorry, Mer," Cristina said as she came with Izzie to comfort her.
They gave her a few minutes to calm down and then Christina broke the silence.
"Are you going to tell him?" she asked Meredith.
Meredith shook her head, wiping her cheeks. "He doesn't have to know," she sniffled.
Izzie and Christina looked at each other with sympathy for their friend's pain. They didn't know the right words to say for her comfort, so they just stood there by her side.
For the rest of shift, Meredith avoided almost everybody. She kept herself busy in the pit and after her shift, she went home with Izzie, Christina and George, who had found out in the meantime about her pregnancy.
"I'll go lay down," Meredith told them as they stepped inside the house and headed upstairs to her room.
"Okay, but try to eat something later," Izzie shouted after her.
No answer came from Meredith, just the sound of a door slamming.
It was already dark outside and so was alone in her room. She threw on the floor her purse and coat and collapsed in bed. She managed to gather around her the blanket and closed her eyes.
"How did I let this happen? How did I end up like this? This was supposed to be just a one night stand but … two months have passed already"
She didn't know exactly if she had fallen asleep, but a light knock at the door made her stir and open the eyes.
The door opened slowly and Meredith could recognize the silhouette.
"Hey Mer," Izzie leaned over her to see if she was sleeping.
"Yes, Izz," Meredith groaned.
Izzie took a seat on bed next to her, "How are you feeling?"
"Tired," Meredith muttered.
"I'll bring you something to eat," Izzie stood up to head to the door.
"No!" Meredith stopped her as she rolled over, facing her.
Izzie watched her from the doorway and shook her head. "Meredith, you have to eat."
"I just want to sleep right now, so don't worry about me," Meredith answered. "I'll see you tomorrow," she muttered and drew the blanket over her head.
"Okay then," Izzie sighed resignedly. "Good night, Meredith."
"Good night, Izz," Meredith muttered under the blanket.
Izzie closed the door, filling the room with darkness and silence again.
"Let her sleep!" Meredith heard Izzie's voice.
"She doesn't eat anything?" George sounded, concerned.
"No," she answered.
"I'll go home then," Christina's voice was the last one Meredith heard beside her door.
She closed back her eyes and flashbacks started playing in her mind.
"Is the seat taken?"
"I guess not"
"Double scotch, single malt."
She felt his glances.
"You look sad."
"I just saw my father for the first time in 20 years"
"How did that go?"
"It'd gone better," her eyes still staring in blank. "What are you still doing here?" she asked him.
"I'm hoping Addison shows up"
"You're still in love with her?" she asked him.
"You're still in love with him," he pointed out.
"She won't show, you know," she said then
"No?"
"He's not that kind of guy he'd leave if he can help it."
A door slamming on hallway interrupted her flashback.
"Izzie!" Meredith groaned annoyed.
"What's this?"
"You had a hard day, am I right?"
"I gotta go," she said, swiftly standing off the barstool.
"You can't go," he stopped her. " Didn't you get the memo?... about the meeting?"
"What meeting?" she asked curiously.
"This night is the very first meeting of the dirty mistresses club," he chuckled.
"I shouldn't have stayed to that meeting," Meredith put her hand on the belly, rubbing it "What am I going to do with you?" She turned from one side to another, not finding the right position to sleep on. Into a final she threw away the covers and threw her legs over the bed's edge, thinking if she should to the next move or should she just get back into bed.
She stood up, grabbed the coat and the purse from floor and slowly opened the door, giving a look around on hallway. It was quiet. Just from Izzie's room were coming some sounds; she was probably getting ready for bed, Meredith thought.
On tiptoes, she crossed the hallway and climbed down the stairs.
The lights were turned off all around the house, but knowing its area very well, she didn't have trouble sneaking out of the house. She quickly got in her car and drove away.
The car pulled near a hotel. She didn't pull the car in front as usual as she wasn't sure yet of what she wanted to do next.
"One last time. He can't get me pregnant again," Meredith muttered under her breath. "I need something to make me feel better," she revived the ignition and stopped it in front of the hotel. Her head fell against the wheel and her eyes stared down to her belly. She stood up and placed both hands over it. "I am sorry; maybe if your father wasn't be Mark Sloan and your mother wasn't Meredith Grey, then you would have had a chance," she let out a sigh. "Let's go home."
When she was about to start the ignition again, Meredith heard her phone ringing. She let the hands off wheel and started fumbling after her phone.
"Your Daddy is calling," she said to her stomach as she saw the caller's ID.