From Hard Bargain

"I think we should go."

"Yeah, you should," Meredith told Callie and Arizona as she returned from her daughter's bedroom.

"Did you seriously just say that? You have no right to come into our home and speak my husband like that. His best friend died in that plane crash. My sister died. How dare you suggest we lost nothing while you lost everything. Just because Derek got his hand fixed doesn't mean we walked away with no scars."

Derek walked over and pulled her into his arms. "Mer, it's ok, everyone is just upset."

"Yeah, we are going to go home, everyone just needs to take a breath. We can discuss this later." Callie said, trying to pull Arizona toward the door.

"No, it's not ok for her to speak to you like that. And I'm pregnant and hormonal and this baby keeps kicking me, so unless you want me to get really mean, go now." Meredith said before turning and leaving the room.

"Goodnight," Derek said curtly before following his wife, knowing he would find her in their bedroom crying.

Callie quickly gathered Sophia and walked out to the car with Arizona following.

"I cannot believe you said that. That was so out of line. You owe both of them an apology."

"I know, I just got caught up in the moment and well, I don't want to buy the damn hospital!"

"Ok, we are not talking about this anymore tonight." Callie said once she finally got Sophia into her car seat. She and Arizona drove home in complete silence.

Derek found Meredith just as he had expected. She was curled up in their bed with her head buried underneath her pillow quietly crying. He sat down beside her and rubbed her back.

"Hey Mer, don't cry, it's ok, I can take it. She shouldn't have said that but I'm not thin skinned. I can take it, from her, from Bailey, from whoever. We are going to figure this out."

"But how?" She quietly sniffled. "All I've wanted for so long is to put this stupid plane crash behind us and it just keeps coming back. I don't want the money. I don't want the hospital to go bankrupt. I don't want to fight. I don't want Lexie and Mark to be dead. I want this whole thing to have never happened!"

"I know, I know, because I wish it had never happened too. But it did. And I know you want it to go away. And we will figure out how to make that happen. But not tonight. Just take a breath and let's go to sleep, ok?"

"Ok, but I can't stop crying!"

"Why?"

"Because I'm mad! And I've told you already! I cry everytime I get mad! Do you not listen to anything I say? Does it not matter to you? You don't care!" Meredith wailed as fresh tears fell down her face.

"I remember, Mer, I remember everything you tell me, especially when it has to do with our baby. I know you cry when you're mad but I don't want you to be mad, now on my account. Please just take a deep breath and calm down. Just let go of your anger. And thank you, by the way."

"For what?"

"For sticking up for me. It was incredibly sweet and also kind of hot." Derek told her with a wink.

"You really think it was hot?" Meredith asked, as she moved to straddle Derek.

"Getting hotter by the second." Derek responded, as he slid his hand inside her shirt.

"Well, you know, nothing makes me forget my anger like…" Meredith leaned down to whisper in his ear, "peanut butter ice cream." She concluded before nibbling on his ear.

Derek groaned, "Are you serious? Here I was thinking you were about to say sex and instead you say ice cream?"

"Please Derek? It's the only thing that will make me stop crying," she said with an over exaggerated sniffle.

"Ok, ok, I'm going. You know, with thirty million dollars, I should pay someone to be your food runner twenty four seven!" Derek said with a chuckle before slipping out of bed to get her ice cream.

"If you hurry, I might be willing to pick up where we left off after I finish my ice cream!" Meredith called to him as he walked out.

"You better!"

"Mer, wake up or we're going to be late."

"Hmm, what?" Meredith mumbled groggily

"It's time to get up. I let you sleep as long as I could."

"Oh, crap. I need to get Zola up."

"Don't worry, she is already dressed and eating breakfast downstairs."

"What would I do without you?"

"Starve," Derek replied with a laugh

"True, and speaking of starving, your spawn wants food."

"Exactly what kind of food is Derek Jr. wanting this morning?"

"Derek Jr.? I don't think so. Mini—me wants…eggs!"

"Ok, eggs it is."

"Do we really have to go to work today?"

"Well, no, we don't have to, but if you want to keep being a surgeon, then we should probably go."

"Fine, but I really don't want to. Arizona and her mean comments and Cahill and her snotty pants suit and Bailey with her angry face! It's too much and I'm pregnant."

"Yes, you are. And look, our baby is making itself known even more today than yesterday." Derek said as Meredith slipped a shirt over her head. "Your baby bump is more noticeable today."

"Are you calling me fat?" Meredith said with a serious face

"What? No, of course not! Derek quickly tried to back track before Meredith burst out laughing

"Just wanted to see that stunned look on your face," she said with a giggle before walking into the bathroom.

Later that morning, as they walked into the hospital, Meredith remembered a comment Derek had made the previous night.

"Hey, what did you mean last night when you said you made a deal with Pegasus? Did you sell your soul to the devil?"

"It kind of feels like that. I agreed to let them use my face and my name for marketing purposes. Brochures I think, nothing to big, just letting people follow me with a camera."

"Yuck, it sounds kind of awful."

"Pretty much but after Cahill figured out what happened with that kid yesterday, I had to do something. I was the department head involved. I knew that when I answered your page. My responsibility, I have to pay the consequences."

"There shouldn't be consequences for saving a kids life."

"I know, but don't worry, we'll figure out a way to change that."

Just as he finished saying that, Arizona walked up and attempted to apologize for the previous evening.

Derek wasn't really concerned about it but he really hoped it would make Meredith feel better. He loved that his wife had been so adamant about defending him but he didn't want her to have tension with her colleagues, especially not one that they had both recently become much closed to.

And then, he rounded the corner to find a huge poster of his face staring right at him.

"I guess I did sell my soul to the devil…" Derek mumbled before stepping onto the elevator.