Meredith opened her mouth to say something, anything that would convince her that this was real and not some dream she had conjured up because she had missed him so. Her throat felt dry, her mind grappling with having him so close, yet feeling so distant from him at the same time. The few times she tried to speak, the words failed and died on her lips, leaving nothing but a small whimper in its wake.

The joyous relief she had expected to feel at seeing him again, didn't come. Instead, she found it difficult to breathe and the unbearable jolts of pain in her stomach forced her to look away momentarily. All the tears, the loss, and the lies and betrayal coupled with the countless sleepless nights and nightmares she had suffered came rushing back in a firestorm of conflicting emotions that wracked her body.

She tried to speak once more, but the words failed her again and no sound came as she continued to stand in silence. Her eyes fell to the note that lay on the floor with the three words that she herself had written all those weeks ago: Please forgive me.

"Meredith. Please say something." Derek moved away from the shadows and into the room where a streak of light from the moon above fell onto his silhouetted form.

The shudder Meredith felt coursing up her spine was involuntary as her eyes drank him in. The vice that had taken hold of heart ever since the day she left Seattle tightened with each passing second that she surveyed his unkempt state. He looked tired, worn, depleted of life, and it completely mirrored what she felt.

"Meredith."

Her name on his lips was just above a whisper, but the silence was slowly killing him inside. He had expected her to be angry, to yell, to berate him for his stupidity at choosing to believe the lies instead of her, but the fact that she didn't appear to be any of them terrified him.

"I'm sorry." He husked. All the pent up emotion made his voice barely recognizable, even to himself, but he pushed on. "I'm a few weeks too late in saying that, but I want you to know how sorry I am. I made a mistake. A big, stupid mistake that I wish I could take back. I would give anything to take it all back."

Silence.

"You're angry with me. I don't blame you. I wouldn't blame you if you never wanted to speak to me again, but I just had to tell you face to face that I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you the way I did, and I….I failed you again."

He failed me?

Never in all the eight years apart had the thought ever crossed her mind that he had failed her. If anything, she was the one who failed them when she chose to leave without a word. She was the one who let her mother brow-beat her into thinking the worst of Derek and his intentions when deep down in her heart she knew he would never hurt her. She was the one who chose to keep the baby a secret. She was the one who…

"You didn't fail me."

Derek was certain the sigh of relief he expelled from deep within his chest could be heard all the way back in Seattle. Meredith's reaction to seeing him, or rather, her lack of a reaction had worried him immensely.

"Yes, I did. I chose to believe a complete stranger instead of listening to my heart. I failed you, Meredith. Failed us. After everything we'd been through, I should've had more faith when we needed it most and I—"

"Derek, please…" The tears that pooled around the deep cerulean blue of his beautiful eyes tore at Meredith's heart. To see him physically shake from the gut-wrenching anguish broke what was left of her and she rushed to him.

"I love you so much. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but—oh god, when I came home and found you gone, I think I just about died. All the painful memories of the past came back to haunt me. I couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, couldn't…breathe. My home no longer felt like a home without you in it."

His physical weight, coupled with the weight of their heavy burden caused them to collapse onto each other with anguished relief as they slid down onto the floor in a heap. With her arms securely wrapped around his body and his hands gently cupping her face, they sat facing one another with their noses and foreheads touching.

"Please don't leave me again. I'll devote the rest of my life to making this up to you, but please…just don't leave."

"Derek—"

"Losing you once almost killed me. I can't lose you again. I just can't. If you need space, I'll give—"

"Derek!" Meredith's firm voice cut into the room and stunned him into silence. Releasing her arms from around his waist, she moved them up to cup his face in her own hands, her eyes boring deeply into his wet ones. "I'm not going anywhere."

"You're…?"

"No, I'm not." The strong conviction in her voice sounded heavenly to Derek. "Do you know how hard it was for me to leave Seattle knowing that you were in all that pain and there was nothing I could do about it?

"But I—" The slim finger Meredith placed over his lips stopped him from saying anymore.

"No more buts. We're together now and that's all that matters."

"I—"

"Will you shut up and kiss me already?!"

Derek didn't need to be told twice. With a loving smile, he gently cupped her face in his hands and lowered his lips onto hers. The kiss was soft and exploring as Meredith parted her lips to give him access to the hot, sweet cavern. Despite the surge of longing and desire that flowed through their bodies, they took things slow knowing deep in their hearts that this was it and they had all of eternity to spend together. Moving his body so she could fit snugly into his, Derek wrapped his arms securely around her small frame and pressed her close as they deepened the kiss.

"I should've told you about the baby." Meredith said weakly after breaking the kiss and gazing up into Derek's eyes. "I should've told you many things, but I was afraid you would hate me."

"What? I don't hate you. I could never hate you. You're a part of me, Meredith; a big part."

"If I had taken better care of myself."

"Stop. The pregnancy was tubal and its chances of survival were slim to begin with. You can't blame yourself for what happened."

"But—"

"No buts. You and I are going to have a big, beautiful family some day."

Seeing the worried look in her eyes broke his heart and he wished he hadn't spoken so quickly. Having read her medical records, he knew they had removed one of her tubes and even though she didn't say it, he knew exactly what she was thinking. "If we never have kids, that's okay because we have each other. And now that I've found you, I will never let you go. Ever."

Meredith couldn't begin to describe the elation and joy she felt at hearing him say those words. The worry lines she wore on her face went beyond the fact that she had missed him so desperately. There was another reason and it was one she hadn't told anyone. Until now.

"Derek, I have to tell you something." She stuttered. "I…I only found out recently and I…I haven't had time to take it all in with everything else that had been happening, but I…"

"What?" Derek asked, concerned etched across his brows.

"I'm pregnant."

"What?! You're…? How? When?" He rambled, his mind too preoccupied with the news to process an intelligent thought.

"Are you…? Are you mad?"

"Mad? Are you kidding me? You've just made me the happiest man on earth." Derek nearly crushed her when he pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Derek, I can't breathe." Meredith gasped at the shortness of breath, but she loved every minute of it as he continued to hold her.

"Oh, right. Sorry." He loosened his hold, but still kept his arms around her. "When and how did this happen?"

"I think you know how." She giggled at his boyish grin. "As for the when… According to my doctor, I'm nine weeks along."

"Nine weeks?"

Meredith could see the wheels turning in his head.

"You mean it happened—"

"The night of the storm." She finished for him, her smile broadening at the fact that he remembered.

"How are you feeling? What did your doctor say? Come to think of it, what's the name of your doctor? Are they competent? If not, I can refer you to doctors who are specialists."

"I've known Addison for years and she's the only one I trust."

"Are you sure?"

"You're cute when you're worried, but yes, I'm sure."

"Good, because I don't want anyone but the best taking care of you and our little miracle in here." With the gentlest of touch, Derek cupped her stomach through the silk fabric of her robe.

Meredith was certain the little butterfly flutter she felt in her stomach was their baby touching his/her father back. Her heart swelled with pride and joy and for once in a very long time, she felt complete.

...

THE END