A/N: Here it is! I wasn't sure what to do so I skipped a few weeks. All of you who like the awkwardness and want Mere to stay a little distant…she still will. Don't worry. Thanks for the reviews!!!!!!

Meredith had been in New York for three weeks. She was starting to love the city. She took the boys to Central Park every morning, and on some occasions she would take them twice. The boys loved being able to run around on a playground, but most of all they loved having their mother all to themselves.

Derek's family had been great to Meredith. Nancy and all of his sister's treated Meredith like she was one of them. They went out the first Friday that Meredith was there. They took her maternity clothes shopping, and afterwards they ate dinner a fancy restaurant that Derek had once mentioned.

Sylvia loved looking after the boys when Meredith needed a break. She still watched them on occasion, but she soon realized that Meredith didn't need as much help as she needed in Seattle. New York had taken Meredith's mind off of Derek, and she had found the happiness that once defined her.

"Hey Mom!" Meredith said as she skipped down the stairs. "Nancy has the day off and we were thinking of taking the boys to the zoo. Do you want to come? Please come."

Sylvia smiled. "I would love to come. Are you sure you're up for it?"

"Mom, I feel better than I have in months. I'm up for anything."

"Okay then. Let's get the boys ready." Sylvia said as she got off the couch.

Meredith smiled. "They're all ready. They are waiting on the stairs."

"Well okay." Sylvia laughed. "What time are we meeting Nancy?"

"She's meeting us at ten."

Sylvia looked at her watch. "We better get moving then. It's nine thirty."

Before Meredith had a chance to say something, her cell phone started to ring. She looked at the caller ID.

"It's Derek." Meredith spoke softly.

"Are you going to answer it?"

Meredith shook her head and placed the phone into her purse.

"Come on boys, let's go to the zoo." Sylvia took the two boys by the hand and walked out to their car.

Meredith's phone started to ring again. She took it out of her purse and placed it to her ear.

"Meredith? Are you there?" Derek asked.

Meredith didn't say anything.

"I tried calling the house but I got no answer. I've been calling for weeks. How are you and the boys doing? I haven't heard from you in a while."

Meredith closed her phone and turned it to silent. She walked out of the large apartment and over to where her mother in law was waiting.

"I'll drive." Meredith said.

She got into the driver's seat, and waited for Sylvia to get into the car.

"You know its kind of chilly outside. Do you think the boys will be to cold?" Sylvia asked.

"The boys will be fine. They are bundled up. If it gets to cold or starts to snow we can leave."

"Okay. Do you know how to get there?"

Meredith nodded and started the car. She pulled into a parking spot ten minutes later. Once the car was off, she turned around and looked at her sons. They looked just like their father.

"So who wants to go to the zoo?" Meredith spoke with enthusiasm in her voice.

The boys started to clap.

"Me too!" Meredith said. "What about you, Grandma?"

"I love the zoo!" Sylvia exclaimed.

Meredith laughed a little, and got out of the car to get the boys stroller. Once everyone was settled, Meredith and Sylvia paid their admission and walked into the zoo.

"Hey guys!" Nancy ran over to the stroller. "What animal do you want to see first?" She asked.

"Aft!" Cameron shouted, and clapped his little hands.

"Zebwa!" Daniel said.

Nancy looked at Meredith for an answer,

"The giraffes and the zebras."

"Okay, over to the giraffes!" Nancy said. She took the stroller from Meredith and walked in the directions of the giraffes.

Meredith and Sylvia followed her.

"You answered the phone didn't you?" Sylvia asked.

Meredith nodded.

"What did he say?"

"That he's been calling the house, and no one has been answering. He wanted to know how me and the boys were."

"What did you say?"

"I didn't say anything."

"Meredith, honey…"

"Is it wrong that I miss him?" Meredith asked.

"Of course not. He's your husband."

"Has he called you?"

Sylvia nodded. "I told him that you were with me. And you were being taken care of."

"So he knows where I am?"

Sylvia nodded. "I told him to give it some time."

"Okay."

Just then Cameron ran up to his mother. "Afts!!!" He shouted.

Meredith smiled. "Who let you out of your stroller?" She asked as she tickled her son.

Cameron pointed to his aunt. He took Meredith's hand and led her over to the animals.

"That's pretty cool kiddo. I like the giraffes. When do you want to see next? Did you see the zebras already?"

Cameron nodded. "Pig." He said.

"Okay, let's go to the pigs."

Meredith led her son over to the pigpen. "Do you remember what the pig says?"

"Oink oink!"

Meredith smiled, and kissed Cameron's forehead. "Good job. What about the cows? What do they say?"

"Moooo."

Meredith laughed. "And the chickens? What do they say?"

"Cluck Cluck."

"You are so smart little guy."

Cameron giggled.

"Come on. Let's go find your brother."

Meredith took Cameron's hand in hers and walked over to where Nancy and Daniel were. She placed Cameron in the stroller next to this brother and sighed.

"You okay Mere?"

Meredith nodded. "I'm just a little tired. All this running around has finally caught up to me."

"Do you want to sit down?" Nancy asked.

"Nah. I'll be fine."

"Mom said Derek called you."

"Yeah. He called this morning. I didn't say anything to him though."

"Oh?"

"I just…he's my husband but he hurt me so much. I don't want to go through that again. Part of me feels like if I avoid him enough he won't be able to hurt me anymore."

Nancy nodded. "I think you should talk to him. I'm not saying that as his sister. I'm saying that as your friend."

"You really think I should talk to him?"

Nancy nodded.

Meredith took out her cell phone and dialed Derek's number. Nancy pushed the boys over to see the monkeys to give Meredith some space.

After a few rings, Meredith hung up. She wasn't ready to talk to him. He left her. He left her and their kids. He hurt her, not the other way around.

Meredith was about to go join Nancy and the boys when her phone started to ring. It was Derek, of course it was Derek.

Meredith opened the phone and placed it against her ear.

"Hello." Meredith said softly.

"Hey. How are you?"

Meredith shrugged even though Derek couldn't see her. There was a long awkward silence until Meredith decided to speak up. "I'm at the zoo."

"You're at the zoo?" Derek smiled.

"Yeah."

"Did Daniel see the zebras yet?"

"Yeah…"

"And now they are at the monkeys." Derek said.

"What? How did you?"

Meredith turned around and saw Derek standing behind her.

Derek walked over to the bench where Meredith sat. He picked up Meredith's hand, but Meredith pulled it away.

"What are you doing here Derek?"

"I came to bring you home."

Meredith shook her head. "I'm not ready to go home."

"Meredith, we need to go home and work this out. You can't stay in New York forever. You want to have the baby back home right?"

Meredith nodded.

"Then let's go home."

"No! You don't get to do that! You don't get to come back here like everything's alright and take me home. You left me Derek!"

Derek took Meredith's hand again.

"I'm sorry. I was stupid. I didn't realize what I was doing until you were gone. When I called the house, and no one picked up time after time. You don't know what that felt like. Every time I called and got the answering machine, it stung a little more and then when I found out you went to New York, I knew I had to fix this."

Meredith didn't say anything.

"Come home with me, Mere. Please?" Derek pleaded. "Let me be your McDreamy again."

"You won't hurt me again?" Meredith asked.

"I won't hurt you."

"You won't leave?"

"No. I'm staying with you."

"We can go home then." Meredith stated.

Derek leaned in to kiss Meredith, but she turned her head.

"Not yet." Meredith said, and got up from the bench.

She began walking over to the boys, but Derek stopped her.

"Why don't we take the boys to Disney World before we return home?"

Meredith didn't like that idea to much but Derek was trying.

"Okay. We can do that." Meredith smiled.

"Great! The boys will love it!" Derek said.

He wrapped his arms around Meredith, but Meredith kept her arms at her side. Derek knew it would take time for Meredith to warm to him, but he was willing to wait.

When Derek let go he ran over to the boys.

"Daddy!" They yelled.

"Guess what boys? We're going to see Mickey Mouse!"

A/N: Yay another chapter! Only two months until Grey's comes back. Sigh. Thanks for reading and please review!