Chapter 36: The Three Amigos

To say Meredith was angry over Adrien's recent words would be a serious understatement. She actually spent all day stewing over it. Sure, Derek had nearly called her a whore. Truly what he had said was worse. But it was Adrien. Derek hadn't meant it. But Adrien, she was sure that he had in fact meant it. Twice in the same day he had brought up she and Derek sleeping with each other. For someone who supposedly forgave her, he sure seemed to be stuck on it.

"So, you're getting to be downright boring, Mark Sloan." Meredith said with a giggle as she looked over at him.

"I know." He admitted as he flipped over their steak. "And I am making your steak well. I know you like it medium, but you need to eat your meat well done."

"Yes Sir!" She said as she saluted him. "I'm beginning to think that I may have ruined you." She joked as she leaned back in her chair.

"That may be." Mark said with a smile. "But you need someone to take care of you."

"You make it sound like I can't function on my own." Meredith said with a frown.

"No. You can. You just do so much better with help." Mark said with a smile. "So, where are your stalkers?"

"Funny." She said sharply. "Derek is not a stalker. He's just- He's being Derek. Adrien- Adrien is a grade-a asshole." She said with an angry snort.

"Oh... Trouble in Meredithland?" He asked with a chuckle.

"I would think you know by now, there is always trouble in Meredithland." She said as she shook her head.

"So seriously... What did Frenchy do now?" Mark asked.

"Well... He just- Every time I turn around, he is bringing up Derek and I." She grumbled.

"I can't believe I'm going to say this... You know what? Never mind." He said as he threw his steak on the plate.

"Just say it." She said, almost knowing what's coming.

"Well, that's hard to forget. Your girl sleeping with someone else. It's hard... Believe me." Mark told her.

"You sound like you've had some experience in this department." She pointed out.

"I have. This chick I dated, Gina... She was hot. A good lay. I didn't love her, but you know she was just... We were good. Anyway. She was staying at my apartment, and one day I walk in to see her mouth on some other guy's dick. I brushed it off, because we were so fucking good together. And I didn't love her, so who cares right? But every time I looked at that mouth... It was hard. Two days, and it was over. And she never sucked my dick again." Mark said frankly.

"Oh." Meredith said as she dropped her head.

"Mer- I'm not trying to make you feel bad. I'm just saying. It's different, because your Meredith and he's Derek. You just need to tell Frenchy to hit the high road. But I'm sure he'll take the low road; he's turned into an ass." Mark pointed out.

"I'm trying, Mark." Meredith said softly.

"I know you are, kid." He said as he threw her steak on the plate and they walked into the kitchen.

"I know I have to fix this mess." She said as she grabbed a baked potato and some steamed vegetables. They both looked up when they heard a knock on the door.

"Do you want to go lay in the chair and snore?" Mark joked, thinking it was Adrien.

"Nope, that won't be necessary." Meredith answered as she walked over to the door. She opened it, and her eyes latched on to a blue set.

"You said I could stop over, and I was in the neighborhood." Derek said with a smile.

"Come in." She said with a faint smile and opened the door. "We were just getting ready to eat."

"Oh... I don't want to-" Derek said as he looked over at Mark.

"There's enough. You hungry?" Mark asked as he cut his steak in half and threw it on a plate for Derek.

"I'm fine." Derek said as he stood there.

"Bullshit. Sit down." Mark said as he slid his plate over.

"You didn't have to... Thanks." Derek said as he washed his hands and sat down.

"Here... You can have some of mine." Meredith offered.

"I don't think so, quarter." Mark said firmly. "You need to eat all of that protein, and your vegetables."

"Okay, dad." Meredith laughed as she looked up at him.

"Are you okay?" Derek asked with concern. He knew Meredith well enough to know that she rarely ate healthy. "Are you sick?" He asked as he thought about her recent vomiting spells.

"Sick... No." Mark replied with a smile.

"I'm okay." Meredith said with a nod.

"You're sure?" He asked, sensing a lack of honesty in the air.

"Of course." Meredith said with a smile as she cut her steak and placed a bite in her mouth.

"I'm sorry about earlier." Derek said, referring to Adrien.

"I really don't want to talk about it." Meredith said as she looked down at her plate. They all kept quiet as they finished their meal. Derek could tell that Meredith was still upset about the day's events.

"So, after dinner, we watch a movie." Mark said as he stuck the plates in the kitchen sink.

"Seriously?" Derek said with a laugh.

"Yeah, why?" Mark asked as he watched Meredith pick at her food.

"Mer... What have you done?" Derek asked as he looked up at her.

"What?" She said with worry.

"You've turned Mark into a woman." He said with a chuckle.

"I have!" She laughed whole heartily. "I really have. He cooks, he cleans, he cares."

"Hey, I'd be quiet. I just might have to stop." Mark warned.

"Oh... I love you... As a woman." Meredith said as she kissed him on the cheek.

"How sweet of you, quarter." Mark said as he pulled her close and squeezed.

"Quarter?" Derek asked in confusion.

"Yeah. She's a quarter of the size of a regular person." Mark laughed.

"I am not!" She argued.

"Three quarters." Derek said with a nod. "Definitely seventy-five cents." He laughed.

"I'm leaving!" She said as she walked into the living room and plopped into her chair. Derek helped Mark do the dishes.

"Seriously, Mark... What the hell is wrong with Meredith?" He asked as he looked over at his friend.

Mark looked at the floor. He wanted to tell him. He knew he would be the happiest man in the world. He knew Derek would step up to the plate. This could be the thing that put them together. The thing that bound them tightly, the way they were meant to be. But it wasn't his to tell. He didn't own it.

"Meredith? She's fine. Why do you ask?" Mark asked as he finished the dishes.

"Well, she was sick. And now you're concerned about what she's eating. Things have changed so quickly. I just- If something is wrong, I want to know..." Derek pried as he looked up.

"Meredith is healthy. She is finally getting her head straight. She's not drinking like she was. She just needs to eat well. She needs to take care of herself." Mark told him softly.

"Well, I'm glad that you are here for her. It means a lot." Derek said with a smile. "Even if I can't be..."

"She'll let you in eventually." Mark told him confidently.

"I don't know Mark. I think that things are going to change, and then they don't. She's confused. She's torn. I really just want her to be happy. I'm just hoping that she wants to be happy with me." Mark said as he sat on the kitchen stool.

"Meredith knows what she wants. She's just scared." Mark explained.

"What the hell are you guys doing?" Meredith asked as she walked into the kitchen.

"Finishing the dishes, my lady." Mark said with a smile.

"Well, we need to watch a movie. I've been waiting forever. I was getting lonely." Meredith whined.

"Oh... We wouldn't want that." Derek said with a wink.

"How can you be lonely with two handsome guys around?" Mark said as he hugged her tightly.

"You have a point." She said with a smile as she looked at them both. "I missed you guys." She said happily.

"We missed you too." Mark told her with a nod.

"You have no idea." Derek muttered.

"So, what do you want to drink?" Meredith asked.

"I'll have a water." Mark said with a nod. She rolled her eyes and handed him a beer. "Mer, water is fine..."

"You know you want it." She said as she handed him the bottle and one to Derek.

"Thanks." Derek said as he grabbed it. Meredith grabbed a bottle of water and walked to the living room. "You're not having a beer?" Derek asked, in shock.

"Nope." She said simply as she pushed play on the remote control.

"Not even one?" Derek asked again.

"I don't need it... Watch the movie." She said, trying to change the subject.

"So, this is what you do? Literally sit here? I thought you were joking." Derek said with a chuckle.

"Hey, don't knock it until you try it!" Meredith said as she threw a pillow at Derek.

"Hey!" Derek said as he whipped the pillow back at her.

"Oh really!" She said as she jumped up and started beating Derek with the pillow.

"Hey!" He shouted as he put his arms up defensively. After taking quite a pillow beating, he grabbed her by the waist, throwing her on the couch, and began tickling her.

"Stop!" She shouted as she wiggled around. "Stop!" She cried as she tried to stop him.

"This is way to fun." Derek said with a chuckle. Mark sat back and rolled his eyes.

"Seriously! I'm going to pee my pants!" She shrieked. Mark's eyes got wide.

"Dude, let her up!" Mark said as he pulled him back. Meredith jumped up and ran to the bathroom.

"What was that?" Derek asked.

"That was me not wanting to see urine on this white rug." Mark lied.

"You made me miss the beginning of the movie!" Meredith pouted as she plopped down in the chair.

"Aww... Poor Mer..." Mark moaned as he looked over.

"Shut up..." She said as she rolled her eyes and laid her head back.

Everyone went silent as they watched the movie. Derek was just happy to be around her. Her air was his air. She was his oxygen. He needed her. He watched as she giggled. He wasn't even sure what was going on. It didn't matter. She was all the entertainment he needed. This perfectly boring life was just fine for him.

"Holy crap." Derek said as he looked over.

"I know." Mark nodded as he turned up the volume and drowned out her snoring.

"She is louder than ever." Derek said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"There are nights when I can't sleep because of it." Mark pointed out.

"I had gotten used to it. I have no idea how." He said as he shook his head. "Why is she so tired?"

"Hell, if I know, Derek." Mark said as he looked at the plasma TV.

Derek sat there. Something didn't feel right. He knew Mark well enough to know that he was hiding something. Something was definitely wrong with Meredith. She was tired. She was vomiting. He watched as she snored peacefully. His stomach sank as he thought about the accident. He was hoping whatever it was, wasn't his fault.

Both men looked up as they heard Meredith's cell phone ring loudly. She jumped up and grabbed it tiredly.

"Hello?" She muttered into the phone.

"Hey, Mer." Adrien said softly.

"What do you want?" She asked coldly. Both Mark and Derek looked up in shock.

"I just want to say that I'm sorry. What I said was completely out of line." He explained.

"You're right. It was. And if you had pulled your head out of your ass, you would have never said it! So, I don't really give a shit if you're sorry. I don't want to hear it." She shouted.

"Mer..." Adrien pleaded.

"Don't call me." She said as she flipped her phone shut. "Bastard." She said as she threw her phone down.

"Is everything okay?" Mark asked, treading lightly.

"It's fine." She seethed as she stared at the TV. Mark and Derek both looked at each other with wide eyes, and then at the screen.

The movie was long. Meredith didn't fall back asleep. She was far too angry to fall asleep. She wanted to go to his apartment and smash him. How could he say those things and then think he could just apologize? He was lucky he hadn't come over. Then he would have ended up in the dumpster, with the table that she and Derek broke having their wild sex. She looked over at Derek and Mark who both had their heads laying back, sleeping.

"Mark." She said as she turned the TV. off.

"Hmm?" He asked as he woke up.

"Go to bed." She said as she folded up the afghan that she had been using.

"What about him?" Mark asked as he looked over.

"I'll worry about him." Meredith said as she looked at them both. Mark nodded his head and walked into his room. She thought about letting him sleep on the sofa. But it was uncomfortable, she knew that.

"Derek." She said as she shook his shoulder.

"Mmm?" He said as he sleepily opened his eyes.

"Come on." She said as she grabbed his hand. He sleepily followed her.

"What are we doing?" He mumbled.

"Going to bed." She said as she walked into her room and pulled the blankets back. She walked over and changed into sweatpants and a tee shirt. She watched as he stripped down to his boxers. They both climbed into bed.

"No sex." She said as she laid there. He nodded as he closed his eyes.

"Goodnight." He mumbled, before falling asleep.

"Night." She said as she laid there. "Derek..." She whispered loudly, seeing if he was asleep. No answer. "Derek?" She asked again. Nothing. "You're going to be a father." She whispered as she kissed his forehead. She laid there and closed her eyes. She would tell him. Soon enough, she would tell him for real. She felt him spoon against her, holding on for dear life. It felt so right.