The last few months of her pregnancy flew by, and then suddenly it was the night before her scheduled C-section. Meredith was amazed she had gotten to this point – no falling and rupturing organs, no superstorms, no bleeding out on the kitchen floor, no placental abruptions. She knew she should be sleeping but she was wide awake, despite Derek asleep next to her. In the morning she was going to have another baby. There would be a fourth Shepherd child. It weirded her out, especially considering the fact that all of her own children had come into the world in the worst ways but this one, this unnamed daughter of theirs, would be coming into the world calmly, without disaster, without anyone's near death.

Finally she fell asleep around 3 am, although they had to be up at 6 and at the hospital by 7:30 so she could be prepped for her c-section. Maggie was staying overnight, as was Amelia, to handle the kids and bring them when Meredith and the baby were stable and out of recovery. Carolyn was getting in around noon, and Nancy, Lizzie, and Kathleen were arriving tomorrow without their husbands to see their new niece.

Waking up was miserable, with Meredith throwing on leggings and and a sweater that still covered her stomach. Derek remembered to grab Meredith's bag and the baby bag on the way out the door as Meredith climbed into the front seat, Derek climbing in after her. He paused for a moment and reached for her hand, squeezing it tight.

"I know we've done this before but…we're about to have a baby," he smiled. Meredith turned to look at him and squeezed his hand back, giving him a smile.

"We're going to have a baby," she giggled, and with that he drove off to Grey-Sloan.

They managed to get to the hospital by 7:30 and up to maternity, where several nurses started to get Meredith checked in, going over endless questions with her. At the end of her rope, Meredith snapped.

"Not to be a bitch, but I work here, can't you just get my information from the computer?" she said as she changed into a gown, Derek helping her.

"Meredith," he said, chiding her, and she looked up at him with her nose curled up as he helped her into the bed.

"Well? It would save them a million and one questions," she sighed, getting under the covers. One of the nurses started an IV on her and she rolled her eyes, knowing she could do it so much better but she was trying not to have a chip on her shoulder so she smiled sweetly as she was hooked up to fluids and antibiotics. Soon enough Addison sailed into the room with a smile.

"How's my favorite mommy?" she asked her, looking exhausted. She and Jake had just adopted a 6 month old girl, Bella, and she was just as sleep deprived as the rest of the gang who had young kids.

"Mmm ready for this one to be born," she laughed, touching her stomach. She was still tiny and all baby, but to her she looked and felt huge.

"Well that's good because we're taking you in about ten minutes and probably in an hour you guys will have a beautiful baby girl," she smiled, and Meredith looked up at Derek, reaching for his hand. Derek gave her hand a squeeze and looked back at Addison.

"So tell us again: there's no crazy complications, she's not bleeding out, nothing crazy with the placenta.." Addison had to laugh as she cut him short.

"Everything is fine. We're going to get the epidural started in a few minutes and then bring her to the OR but everything looks fantastic, this is a textbook C-section and mom and baby are perfectly healthy." Meredith giggled and looked up at Derek.

"Did you hear that? We're perfectly healthy, Der." He leaned down and kissed her forehead, smoothing back her hair.

"Thank you, Addie, for everything you've done for us, this is the first time we've ever not been in a nightmare situation regarding a birth," he said, and Addison had to smile.

"You're welcome, really. It's what I'm here for, besides being a best friend. I've got to check on another patient but I'll see you soon okay?" she smiled, waving goodbye before leaving the room.

Half an hour later Meredith found herself on the operating table, hair pulled back in a cap, everyone around her getting prepared for her C-section. Derek sat by her head, gowned and in scrubs, gently smoothing loose hair back from her forehead. She knew everyone in the OR personally – she wasn't sure if that scared her or made her feel calmer, even as they gave her more medication through her epidural. She was numb from the stomach down, and Derek was telling her everything that was going on.

Addison entered the OR and peeked over at her, giving her a smile.

"Relax, Meredith, you're doing well. I'm about to open up your old scar and in a few minutes she'll be out." Meredith nodded in response; her heart was thudding in her chest. This was it, these were the last moments they had as a five person family before becoming a six person family.

"Okay Mer here she is," Addison said, and Meredith could hear a sharp little cry as her daughter was brought into the world. Her eyes misted over as the baby was placed on her chest and she smiled; she could see tiny, dark curls and dark blue eyes when she opened her eyelids. Meredith looked over at Derek with a smile as he looked down at their daughter and she reached for his hand, wanting to hold her right away but in the next second she was taken away to be weighed, cleaned up, measured, and other things.

"She's beautiful," Meredith smiled, closing her eyes. They had given her some morphine and she was exhausted just from the morning. The next time she opened her eyes she was back in her hospital room, Derek in a chair next to her cradling their newest daughter. Mer turned her head and looked at him, wincing in pain but wanting to see her. She was all cleaned up and wrapped in a clean blanket with a pink hat covering her hair and she smiled, exhaling slightly. Derek looked up and smiled at her, gently passing her the baby.

"I forgot how tiny they are," she said quietly, studying her daughters face. She was perfect, with milky white skin and tiny little hands that were curled into fists.

"What do you think of the name Leila?" she said softly, looking down at her again. Derek sat on the edge of the bed, easing his way towards her without wanting to hurt her.

"I like Leila. Leila Shepherd. What about a middle name?" he asked her. She had one in mind and bit her lip, looking up at him, her green eyes wide.

"Leila Amelia," she breathed, knowing Amelia would be honored beyond belief. She heard the sharp intake of breath and she knew he loved it. Amelia was his baby sister; he was her protector despite the fact that they were adults now.

"Well. She's going to love it, we have to get a bucket for her to catch her tears in when she comes later with the kids. But I think we have a Leila Amelia on our hands," he smiled, picking up tiny little Leila from Meredith and smoothing back a lock of hair that had fallen out of her tiny little hat.

"Miss Leila Amelia Shepherd," Meredith smiled. She was exhausted and it wasn't even noon yet, but suddenly she was a mother four times around and she found that she was ready for the world.

Sorry for the time jump but here's baby number 4! And it came timed with Jessica Capshaw's sweet baby #4! I thought paying tribute to Amelia with the baby's middle name would be sweet, as she's given so much to this Mer and Der, and next chapter will be her and Maggie and the three older kids meeting their new sister and niece! Anyway, hope you like it Read and review please! I love you guys!