"Mer, what do you think about going shopping tomorrow for the baby? We need to think about the big things, you know, like a crib, car seat, stroller."

"Ugh, no Derek, I'm too tired for shopping."

"That's why I said tomorrow. You can sleep late, we can have breakfast with Zo and then go shopping. We don't even have to be gone long. Then we can rest all evening to prepare for our big reopening on Monday."

"No, I'm a whale, your child won't stop kicking me and I do not want to go shopping. I don't even like shopping when I'm not a whale!"

"Ok, one, you are not a whale, and two, shopping for our child Meredith!"

Meredith rolled dropped her book and looked at her husband. "We have been through this; I don't want to get my hopes up only for this to all come crashing down. If we go shopping, it's going to jinx us."

"Really, Mer, jinx us? Aren't we a little old for that?" Derek said with a chuckle.

"Stop laughing at me! And stop kicking me in there!" Meredith sighed, having been experiencing her baby's feet to her ribs all day.

"Ok, ok, but we have been through this, over and over since you found out you were pregnant. Just have a little faith. We can't wait til the baby is born and then come home and realize it has nowhere to sleep."

"Derek! Please stop talking to me and talk to your child. He is killing me right now! He stops kicking when you talk to her" Meredith said with a wince. Derek immediately directed his attention to Meredith's stomach and began talking

"Maybe I should tell you the story of how your mommy and I met…"

The next morning, Meredith was woken early by the kicking in her ribs.

"Derek, make it stop." Meredith mumbled into her pillow. When she got no response, she reached over to his side of the bed only to find it empty and cold.

"Ugh…where is your daddy when we need him, hmm?" Meredith asked her baby.

Her bedroom door suddenly opened and her little girl was standing on the other side in her Cinderella pajamas, holding her most recent favorite stuffed animal, "Waddles" the penguin.

"Dood morning mama." Zola said as climbed up on the bed with her mother.

"Good morning baby girl, where's your daddy?"

"Daddy maked shoclate panacakes!"

"Oh he is, is he?"

"Tep, tause he said today is especial!"

"Oh, well why is today special?"

"Tause we go shopping for da baby in your tummy!"

Meredith rolled her eyes, feeling instantly frustrated with her husband, knowing she told me no last night.

"Oh Zo, your daddy is in trouble!" Meredith said before she began tickling Zola.

"No mama no! I no trouble, daddy is!" Zola said, giggling.

Meredith felt a sharp kick to her stomach at that moment and had to stop tickling Zola for a moment.

"Mama huwt?" Zola asked, seeing the wince on Meredith's face.

"Oh Zo, mommy is fine, baby just needs more room!"

"Oh" Zola then leaned her head down to Meredith's stomach. "Hey baby, you my baby and I tell you a stowy a cause daddy said you be good when he says a stowy. Once upon a time, der was a pegwin in da snow and his name was Waddles. He was da king of da pegwins."

Meredith couldn't help the smile that spread over her face listening to her daughter's story.

"And dat pegwin lived in a big big castle made from ice!"

At that moment, Derek came in to announce breakfast. Zola immediately lost interest in her story and ran off to find her pancakes.

Meredith's joy from listening to her daughter was replaced when her husband moved to help her up. "A special occasion huh? I thought I told you no shopping Derek!" Meredith ranted

"And I thought I told you that we need stuff for the baby. Just go ahead and give in, you know I always win in the end anyway." Derek said a smug look

"You ass, those pancakes better be amazing if that is going to get you out of the doghouse."

After breakfast, the family made their way to the mall to look for baby items.

"What do you want to look for first?" Derek asked

"I don't want to look for anything, this is your trip, you tell me."

"Ok then, maybe we can start with a crib. Do you have a preference in wood color?"

"No! Wait, yes, I mean no!"

"You can tell me, what do you envision the nursery to look like?"

"I don't…not yet. It's too soon"

"Ok, but if it wasn't, how would you decorate it?"

"I don't know, I always liked Curious George as a kid. I think was a little bit like him, always getting in trouble for thinking I had a good idea when it was actually stupid."

"Curious George huh? We could work with that."

As they walked through the mall, the passed one of those portrait studios and suddenly Derek couldn't help himself.

"Come on Mer, let's go in! Pictures of you pregnant will be amazing."

"What? No! No way Derek!"

"Mama, we det our piture taked?"

"Yeah, Zo, doesn't that sound like fun?" Derek asked the toddler

"Yeah!"

"No, Derek, I mean it! You make me go in there and this will be your only baby because you will never get lucky again!"

"Meredith, we both know that threat is empty. You can't hold out!" Derek said with a laugh before turning to the receptionist.

Twenty minutes later, Meredith was posing in front of a fake tree

"Ok mommy, wrap your arms around your stomach like your holding your baby." Stated the way too energetic photographer

"Seriously?"

"Come on mommy, just turn a little more!"

Meredith threw Derek a glare before turning to the photograph.

"Ok, now just lift your chin! Perfect! Now Smile mommy!"

Meredith made sure to give her very best bitch face for the pictures.

"Ok, well maybe try a little different smile, mommy!" The photograph tried.

"Meredith, do you want our child to see these pictures and think he is unloved? You look miserable!" Derek said, laying the guilt trip on.

That was the tipping pout for Meredith.

"Seriously? Have you lost your mind? I look miserable because I AM miserable! And that is your fault!" She then turned back to the photographer. "And you! I am not your mommy so stop saying that!"

She grabbed Zola's hand and stormed out of the studio, with Derek following hurriedly behind."

"Mer, slow down, we're not gone shopping!"

"Oh yes, we are! We are going home now or I promise you will regret it!" Meredith shrieked at Derek as she pulled Zola toward the exit.

"Ok, ok, just calm down. We can come back another day."

"No, we won't either! We can come back when you learn to listen to me, which judging from today, will never happen!"

The car ride home was completely silent, even Zola understanding that her mama was not happy. When they reached the house in the woods, Meredith immediately retreated to the bedroom, locking Derek out.

Derek knew she was emotional and would get over it but he also knew he had pushed her too much today. So he set about making an apology dinner.

Meredith finally emerged from their bedroom that evening, smelling her favorite pasta dish.

"What's this?" She asked.

"Your favorite. It's my way of saying I'm sorry about earlier."

"Mmmm, that's a good way to be forgiven quickly." Meredith replied, taking a big bite.

"You know, I don't want to have pictures to remind us of this if something goes wrong."

"I know, but I do want picture if something goes right."

"I also hate pictures of myself."

"And I love pictures of you."

Suddenly, Meredith burst out laughing.

"What is so funny?"

"Oh, I was just thinking about how we traumatized those poor people at the picture place today. What will think when they develop those pictures?!"

Derek began laughing too, knowing that he truly had been forgiven.

Following dinner, they retreated to the bedroom together to unwind before the big unveiling at the hospital the following day.

As soon as Meredith lay down and began to read, the kicking starting again.

"Derek! Talk to him again!" She ordered

"Sure, I can tell him all about fishing, so when he gets here, he'll already be an expert."

Meredith picked her book back up and began reading about the baby's development once again.

Derek immediately leans over and puts his head next to Meredith's stomach. "When I was ten, my father came home with two new fishing poles one Saturday morning. He had been taking me fishing since I was old enough to walk so I knew the value of a new pole. He told me to call Mark and get ready to go for the weekend. My dad always wanted to include Mark when we did guy stuff. I think he felt bad that I had four sisters! Anyway, we drove north, out of the city to this little town on the Hudson River. I can't even remember the name of it now. Anyway, he had rented a cabin there and the three of us spend the weekend learning how to fly fish. Now, I know you don't know yet, but fly fishing is different than other kinds of fishing. And when you turn ten, I will teach you. Your sister is already learning basic fishing techniques. My dad taught me and Mark how to cast because it's different. I won't bore you or mommy with all of the details, but that was the first time I ever went fly fishing."

"Has he stopped kicking?"

"For the moment…Her eyesight is developing this week…unless it's not, unless she's blind."

"She's not blind. Or he's not. Or if he or she is blind, that's fine. Blind is fine"

"What do we call it? It?"

"Once of us can say he, one of us can say she and we're covered."

"Well no, because then it will be born thinking one of us is always wrong! Meh, maybe it can't hear anyway, maybe its deaf"

"Deaf it fine. Helen Keller went to Harvard Meredith."

"Ok Well, what if it's not fine? What if it's absorbed twin body, two heads, extra arms..."

"Stop"

"I'm just saying, if anyone's going to have a baby with two heads, three arms and eleven toes, it's gonna be me."

"Would you just go to sleep. Please!" Derek implores before turning over to spoon Meredith as they fall asleep.

Sorry it's been a while, I'm not very happy with where Grey's Anatomy is taking Mer/Der...I'm especially unhappy with Derek, so that drains the motivation!