The days past quickly after that night in the bar as everything slowly began to return to normal. Though Izzie still loved him with all her heart, the memory of Denny began to be less painful. Burke got discharged from the hospital, but wasn't yet cleared for surgery. The tremors still hadn't gone away. Alex was, well, Alex and George and Callie were still together. Derek and Meredith were still together and Meredith was trying to be more open. It was three weeks after prom when Derek arrived at Meredith's house. They were going to go out for drinks. He walked into the house and up the stairs. Meredith's bedroom door was open, so Derek walked in, but Meredith wasn't there.

He knocked on the bathroom door. "Meredith? You ready?"

Meredith opened the door. Worry immediately gripped Derek when he saw her pale face. "I don't feel very good," she said, leaning into him and resting her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her.

"You don't look very good," he said, concern lacing his voice.

She laughed softly. "Thanks." She pulled away from him. "I've been throwing up all day," she said. She walked over and sat on the bed. He squatted in front of her and felt her forehead. She leaned into his touch.

"You don't have a fever," he said, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. She nodded. She looked exhausted. "Do you want to get under the covers," he asked. She nodded again and pulled back the covers before climbing in. He pulled the covers up to her chin and leaned down, kissing her forehead. He then moved to leave but she reached out and brushed his arm. "Don't leave," she said. He turned back to her and smiled.

"Okay," he said. He crawled onto the bed and got under the covers. He wrapped his arm around her stomach and gently pulled her against his body. She sighed.

"Thank you," she said, before drifting off to sleep.

xxx

The next day Meredith felt a little better and she waved it off as a stomach bug. She bumped into Derek around lunchtime and he pulled her aside.

"You feeling better?" he asked, reaching up and stroking her cheek with his thumb.

Meredith smiled up at him. "Yeah," she said. "And thank you again for staying with me last night."

He grinned. "It was my pleasure."

She laughed at him. "So I'll see you later maybe?"

"See you later definitely." He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips, before they went their separate ways.

xxx

Christina located Meredith in the locker room later that day. She walked across the room and sat down next to her on the bench.

"Do you want to go see a movie tonight?" Christina asked. "I have to get out of the house. Burke is doing surgery on chicken."

Meredith looked over at her and smirked. "Yeah, sure. Just come over and we can drive together."

xxx

"You ready to go?" Christina asked, walking into Meredith's bedroom.

"One sec." Meredith's voice came from the bathroom. Christina walked over to the bathroom and leaned into it slightly.

"You okay, Mer?"

The door opened and a very pale Meredith emerged. She leaned against the doorframe. "I feel like crap. Again."

"You look like crap."

Meredith glared at Christina and walked across the room and sat on the bed. "I'm worried. This is the second day in a row that I've been puking my guts out."

"Don't worry. It's probably just a bug," Christina said.

"I don't think it's a bug." Christina swiveled around and looked at Meredith carefully.

"What do you mean?" Suddenly it dawned on her. "Holy crap! Are you pregnant?"

"I don't know. I can't be, can I?" Meredith groaned and fell backwards onto the bed. "God, that would suck."

Christina sat down next to Meredith. "Do you feel pregnant?" Christina asked.

Meredith looked up at her, scowling. "What kind of a question is that?" Christina only shrugged. Meredith grimaced and glanced away from Christina. "I am late."

Christina scoffed. "You're gonna have a McBaby."

"Shut up."

"Have you told Derek?"

"No."

"Shouldn't you?"

"You didn't tell Burke," Meredith pointed out, sitting up and running her hands through her hair.

"That was different."

"How?" Meredith asked reasonably. "How was that different?"

Christina looked annoyed. "It just was." She glanced down. "I would've liked to have had someone there…with me."

"I was with you," Meredith said.

Christina turned and looked at her. "You were my person, you had to be there."

Meredith nodded. She understood. "I know. You wanted Burke."

Christina nodded slightly. "You should tell him."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Meredith got up and grabbed her coat. "Let's go." Christina got up and followed Meredith out to the car.

xxx

When Meredith got home that night she plopped down on the couch and turned on the TV, but she wasn't paying attention to the show that flickered in front of her. I'm pregnant, she thought. I'm pregnant with Derek's child. Oh my God. Subconsciously, her hand traveled to her stomach. Oh my God.

Just then there was a knock at the door. Meredith, pulled from her thoughts, got up and answered it. It was Derek. She smiled at him and opened the door.

"Hey," she said. He walked inside and kissed her softly. She smiled against his lips. "What are you doing here?" she asked, pulling away ever so slightly.

"I missed you," he said.

"You saw me four hours ago."

"Exactly," he said as he leaned in and captured her lips again. She giggled. They kissed a little more in the foyer until George came down the steps and coughed loudly. They pulled apart. Meredith looked up at him. Derek saw something flash through her eyes, some emotion he couldn't recognize, but in a split second it was gone. He studied her carefully. "You okay?" he asked gently.

She nodded. "I just haven't been feeling too good today."

Derek's face immediately clouded with worry. "What's wrong?"

Meredith looked up at him and her eyes glazed over with that emotion again. What was it? Guilt? Sadness? "Just tired," she said.

He nodded. "Okay, let's go upstairs."

They walked up the stairs and into Meredith's bedroom. Meredith climbed onto the bed and under the covers. Derek leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips.

"Hold me," she whispered. "Please."

His face softened. "Always." He climbed under the covers and wrapped her up in his arms, holding her tightly until she drifted off to sleep.

xxx

Derek woke up in the middle of the night to find that Meredith wasn't in the bed. He got up and walked over to the bathroom door, knocking softly. "Mer?" he called quietly. He could hear her moving around inside.

A few seconds later, the door to the bathroom opened and Meredith walked out, looking very pale.

"You okay?" Derek asked.

"I'm fine," Meredith said softly. Derek reached out and brushed a strand of hair off her face; she leaned into his touch, closing her eyes. He smiled at her and pulled her into a hug. She sighed softly, wrapping her arms around him and leaning against his chest. "Um, Derek?" Meredith said into his shirt.

"Yeah?" he said.

"I have to tell you something."

"Okay," he answered, but when he pulled away slightly and looked into her eyes, he saw worry filling them. "What's wrong?" She pulled away from him and walked over to the bed, sitting down on the edge and studying her feet. He walked over and squatted in front of her. "What is it?" he asked. He reached out and lifted her chin with his finger. She looked at him. He could see the fear in her eyes. He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. "You can tell me."

She glanced away from him. "I'm pregnant." She said it softly, timidly.

Derek's heart leapt in his chest. "Pregnant?" he asked breathlessly. She still wouldn't look at him. When he didn't say anything more her heart constricted in her chest. Thoughts flew through her head. He doesn't want it. He is angry. I'm gonna have to do this alone. Alone. Finally, she glanced up at him.

"Are you happy?" she asked, chewing her bottom lip.

He smiled at her. "Of course I'm happy, Mer. Why wouldn't I be?" She looked up at him helplessly. He had never seen her this vulnerable.

"I don't know. We weren't planning this…and…you might've been…" she trailed off, glancing away from him. "You might've been mad."

"Meredith." She looked back up at him. "I love you. Nothing would make me happier than starting a family with you." There were tears glistening in his eyes. She leaned into him and he wrapped her up in his arms.

"I love you too," she said. He pulled away and kissed her softly on the lips.

"Do you want to go back to sleep?" he asked. She nodded and they both got onto the bed and under the covers. Derek wrapped his arm around her stomach protectively, pulling her into his body.

"Hey, Derek?" Meredith said sleepily right before they drifted off.

"Hmm?" Derek said.

"I'm happy too." Derek smiled and kissed her neck. She leaned into his touch as inane joy filled her heart.