A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! I love them!!! Italics are a dream!
Derek woke up the next morning to the sound of the alarm clock. He rolled over in bed to check for Meredith, but she was already up. He sat up in bed and walked over to the bathroom. He pressed his ear against the door, and listened for Meredith. He didn't hear anything, so he opened the door and went in. Meredith was sitting in the bathtub. She didn't even look when he walked in.
"Hey. When did you wake up?" Derek asked. He walked over to the tub and sat on the ledge.
"Around four. Cameron was crying. He has a fever. I couldn't go back to bed."
"You should try. It's almost six. The boys will be up soon."
Meredith shook her head. "I can't."
"Why not?" Derek asked.
"I just don't feel well."
Derek nodded, and then stood up and took off his boxers.
"What? What are you doing?" Meredith questioned.
"I'm getting in the tub. What does it look like I'm doing?"
"Derek don't."
Derek looked at Meredith shocked.
"I just. I want to be alone. Is that too much to ask?"
Derek shook his head. "That's fine. I'll just go get ready for work."
"Derek…"
"No, its fine, really. I understand."
Derek bent down and put his boxers back on. On his way out of the bathroom, he ran into Meredith's make up bag, spilling everything that was inside of it onto the ground. He bent over to pick the stuff off the floor.
"No, Derek. Don't worry about it. I'll clean it up when I'm done." Meredith panicked. The pregnancy test she had taken the day before laid right in front of Derek.
"No, it's fine. I'll do it." Derek stated. He continued to pick up the items off the floor when he came across the test. "What's this?" He held it up.
"That's um…that's the test I took yesterday." Meredith mumbled.
"I thought u said it was negative."
"It was?"
"Are you or are you not pregnant? Tell me the truth."
Meredith lowered her head. "I am."
Derek threw the test in the sink and walked out of the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.
Meredith jumped out of the tub and wrapper her towel around her. She followed Derek into the other room.
"Derek please…"
"Why, why did you lie?"
Derek walked over to the closet to retrieve his suitcase.
"You don't want a baby now. It's the only thing I could do." Meredith pleaded.
Derek returned and slammed his suitcase down on the bed.
Meredith rolled over and opened her eyes. Derek was standing over the bed placing several items of clothing into this suitcase.
"Where are you going?" Meredith asked.
Derek looked up from what he was doing. "Good, you're awake. Chief called late last night. He's going on a tour promoting our 'new and improved' neurological floor. It's all across Washington and since I'm the head of neurology, he has asked me to go." Derek placed a shirt into the suitcase and walked over to sit besides Meredith.
"Why now?"
"Because, this was the only time that chief could schedule it in. You don't mind do you?"
Meredith looked away. "No, I guess its fine. How long will you be gone for?"
"About a month, give or take. Chief wants to hit all the major cities in the state and spend at least two days at each one."
Meredith nodded. "Well, have fun." She laid her head back down on the pillow and looked away from Derek.
"I've arranged for my mother to come help you while I'm gone. She should be getting here later today."
Meredith jumped up in bed. "You've what!?!?"
"I told her how much of a handful the boys are. She's agreed to stay here for the month and help out. And best of all, she'll even be here on your days off so you can have a break."
Meredith smiled. "Your mother hates me, but thanks."
"My mother does not hate you."
"Yes she does."
"Meredith, my mother loves you; she just has a hard time showing her emotions."
Meredith rolled her eyes. "When are you leaving?"
Derek looked at his watch. "In about twenty minutes. I've got to finish packing and say goodbye to the boys."
Derek stood up and kissed Meredith's forehead.
"Wait, Derek…there's something I have to tell you."
Derek looked at Meredith waiting for her to continue, but instead, his cell phone went off.
"Hello? Yes this is he. You're what? Okay, I'll be out in five minutes."
Meredith looked at Derek expectantly.
"The taxi's outside. What did you have to tell me?"
"It's nothing important."
Derek nodded.
"I'll pack for you, you go say goodbye to the boys." Meredith offered.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Derek walked out of the room, and into the nursery where he leaned over Cameron's crib. The little boy was still asleep.
"Hey Cam, daddy has to go away for a little while. I'm going to call you every day and I will try to come home as soon as I can."
Derek leaned further over and kissed the little boy's head. He then walked over to Daniel's crib and said the same thing. He kissed the toddler and walked back into his bedroom where Meredith was waiting with his suitcase.
"Derek…I really have to talk to you." Meredith spoke softly.
"Can it wait until tonight? I'll call you from the hotel."
Meredith looked up at Derek. He really didn't get that she had to speak with him. "Yeah, sure. That's fine."
Derek smiled and kneeled down in front of Meredith. "I'm going to miss you but I promise to call each and every night." Meredith nodded her head. "I love you. I'll talk to you tonight."
"I love you too." Meredith stated.
Derek kissed Meredith gently on the lips, lifted up his suitcase and left.
Meredith watched from the window as Derek and the taxi pulled out of sight. She sighed and climbed back in bed. If she was lucky, she still had another hour of sleep before the boys woke her up.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Meredith woke up three hours later when the nausea began to kick in. She jumped up in bed and ran to the bathroom where she threw up everything that she had eaten from the night before. As she got up off the floor, she was greeted by a not so friendly figure in the doorway. Meredith turned to look at the figure.
"Good morning Meredith." Mrs. Shepherd spoke.
Meredith forced a smile. "Sylvia."
"Do you have any idea what time it is?"
Meredith shook her head. She could feel another wave of nausea coming on. "No, what time is it?" Meredith threw her hand over her mouth and kneeled down in front of the toilet again.
"Are you pregnant?" Sylvia spat.
Meredith shook her head. "Not that I know of." She said and silently cursed herself once more.
"Have you taken a pregnancy test?"
"No." Meredith lied again.
"Does this happen often?"
"No." Meredith lied again.
Mrs. Shepherd shook her head in disbelief. "When I got here this morning the boys awake in their cribs, and where were you I might ask? Asleep." The older woman answered her own question and gave Meredith a look.
"Were they crying?" Meredith asked.
The older lady shook her head.
"Then I don't see the problem. They are safe in their cribs and as long as they are happy Derek and I usually leave them."
"I just thought I'd let you know. Are you going to get tested?"
Meredith looked at her mother in law for a second. "You make it sound like I have some form of an STD or something. And yeah, of course, I'll get tested."
"Good. I'm going to take the boys out for the day. There's food on the counter."
Meredith smiled. "Thank you."
"Just…clean the bathroom or something. It smells like a rat died in here or something."
Meredith smiled at her mother in law again. "I'll take care of it. Do you need help getting the boys in the car?"
"I think I'll be okay."
"Okay. See you later."
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Meredith was waiting outside on the stoop when Sylvia came back with the boys. As soon as Meredith saw them approaching in the distance she jumped off the steps and ran to greet them. She kissed both of her sons and unbuckled Daniel so she could hold him.
"How were they? Did they behave alright?"
"They were wonderful." Sylvia smiled, and then looked Meredith over. "What are you wearing?"
"I didn't really feel like dressing nicely today since I'm mostly going to be taking care of the boys."
Sylvia nodded her head. She took Cameron out of his car seat and handed him to Meredith. Meredith looked at Sylvia expectantly, waiting for help. She now had both two year olds in her arms.
"I'm going to go inside and prepare a bath for the boys. Will you get them changed please?"
Meredith nodded and carried the children into the house. Once inside, Meredith allowed them to walk up the stairs themselves with her behind them.
"Did you give them dinner?" Meredith called after her mother in law.
"Yes. I figured by the time we came back they'd be so exhausted that we could put them right to bed."
"That sounds good."
"So did you take the test?"
"No." Meredith lied AGAIN.
"Then what's this?"
Meredith turned around to see Derek's mother standing in the doorway holding her positive pregnancy test.
A/N: Sooo I continued. Lol. Let me know what you think.
