AN: Okay, so I needed one more short and somewhat fluff chapter. After this, we get to the final chapters: Derek's graduation being one and the birth of Emma being the second.
Please review, it keeps me going!
Derek and I were preparing. Preparing for the end of school. Preparing for him to move into the house I'm renting with my friends officially. Preparing for his graduation. Mostly, preparing for the arrival of our daughter. We agreed that we'd wait on getting married. There was no way I was going to do the wedding thing but even the act of going to the courthouse and making things official felt overwhelming, so we agreed until after Emma is born. Ever since our last fight, he was really showing me who McDreamy was. I was so shocked at his proposal, but I wanted to marry him even if I did want to wait awhile. Since Izzie and Alex's relationship remained strong, they decided that Alex would move into Izzie's room so we could have the room next to mine for Emma's nursery. I wasn't expecting that and was touched by my friend's generosity.
We had so much baby stuff that I was glad to have the extra room. I was honestly thinking that I would have to rent out a storage unit or something to accommodate all of it. Derek & Alex worked hard on her nursery over the past few weeks. They painted it sunshine yellow, installed her crib, set up a changing station, added the rocking chair that Carolyn had rocked Derek in, hung up all of Emma's clothes and made the nursery ready for whenever Emma is ready. Even Mark pitched in here and there and all they asked for in return was beers which Derek was happy to supply.
They had finally finished all the work in the nursery, and I felt a massive relief that at least something was ready for Emma's arrival. My sister Lexi planned to stop by claiming that she wanted to see the new nursery all finished but I know she just wanted to see Mark. We were gathered in the living room with a few boxes of pizza and beers for those who could drink. Christina was out with Owen. Alex and Izzie were hanging out for now but had plans to go out later and Derek had his arm around me on the couch. It felt nice to hang out with my friends and Derek. We were having a great time just enjoying these next few weeks baby free when I heard a knock on the door.
"That must be Lexi" I said shifting around to try and stand up to get the door.
"Hey- I got it." Mark exclaimed getting up quickly and moving towards the door at a fast pace.
Derek and I exchanged knowing looks. He wrapped his arm tighter around me as he bit into his pizza slice.
Her and Mark seemed to have their own conversation going in a hushed tone by the door.
"Hey Lex, you coming in or no?" I asked after a minute just to annoy her. Derek and Alex laughed knowing full and well how I was messing with her and Mark. As funny as it is to give her a hard time, I'm not exactly sure how Thatcher and Susan would feel about anything more than friendship happening between her and Mark.
Lexi made her way over to the couch. "Hi everyone." She said shyly. Izzie said hi, Alex raised his beer to her and Mark slinked back to the lounge chair he was hanging in before she got here. Lexi sat beside me on the couch, setting her purse down.
"Do you want some pizza?" I asked her
"Yeah, thanks" she replied grabbing a plate off the coffee table and taking a slice. She looked around the room at my friends trying to figure out where she would fit in.
"What grade are you in?" Izzie asked talking to Lexi as if she was a child. I rolled my eyes. Sometimes Izzie really could be annoying.
"Um, I'm a senior. I graduate next month."
"She's 18." I told Izzie
Mark seemed to perk up at this as I knew he would. "Yeah, my birthday was last month" Lexi elaborated.
Izzie giggled. "Sorry, I thought you were a lot younger" she said with a laugh.
"After we finish the pizza, I can show you the new nursery" I told my sister ignoring Izzie and trying to get the focus off whatever point Iz was trying to make. I could tell talking about her age made Lexi uncomfortable, probably because she was trying to seem more grown up to Mark.
"Great!" she exclaimed
Derek leaned over and plastered a kiss on my cheek "It's been a labor of love getting the nursery ready for this little one" Derek told Lexi placing his hand over my stomach.
"Yeah, you're about to see what a labor of love really is" I told him rolling my eyes.
Mark laughed "You walked right into that one."
Derek laughed along with him. I stretched my legs out on Derek who grabbed my leg and gave me a loving smile. He snaked his hand up to my belly and began to rub circles on it. My hands lazily found the bottom of my bump and I snaked my hands around it as Derek continued. We were content here with our pizza and our friends.
"You two are sickening you know that" Mark told us
"Hey- I think they're sweet" Izzie chimed in standing up and signaling to Alex that she was ready to go.
"I um think they're sweet too" Lexi stated quietly working up her nerve to gain more confidence with my friends.
"See you guys later" Izzie told us pulling Alex along
"See ya" he told us
We all waved or muttered goodbye in some way or another.
"Lexi, are you excited to be an aunt?" Mark asked turning his attention back to my sister
"I can't wait!" Lexi replied candidly
"Want to hear a secret?" Mark asked
Lexi nodded taking another bite of pizza.
"I can't either. Truly" he said looking at Derek at the end.
Derek smiled. I could tell they were sharing a sweet moment and I looked over at Lexi who was staring at Mark like he himself hung the moon. Derek got up to move to the kitchen to grab a different beer than what was out on the table, as he passed Mark, he touched his shoulder briefly letting him know he was happy that Mark was so happy for us.
"Let's go see the nursery" I told Lexi as I went to move off the sofa. Derek came over and gave me a hand.
"Thanks" I muttered a bit embarrassed that I was now relying on help getting up and down.
Lexi followed me into the room and Derek hung back hovering outside the doorway and leaning against the door. Mark joined him.
"Wow" Lexi said amazed "This is the perfect room for my baby niece" she told me looking around in awe of all the hard work Derek, Alex & Mark put into this room for Emma.
"I'm glad you like it. The baby clothes you got us are hanging up in her closet" I told Lexi who excitedly went to the door to see the clothes on tiny hangers that Derek hung up.
"I can't believe she'll be here in a month. I can't wait to hold her." Lexi told me
"Me either" I sighed, my hands absentmindedly going to my stomach.
Lexi stayed for a few more hours, mostly chatting with Mark. The four of us had a great time together and I could tell Lexi and Mark really liked each other, they just didn't know how to go about anything other than a friendship. Mark was moving to New York in August and Lexi was going to start school here. Seemed like the timing just wasn't on their side.
M&D M&D M&D M&D M&D M&D M&D M&D M&D M&D M&D M&D M&D M&D M&D M&D
"I can't take my eyes off of you today." Derek told me affectionately as he held my hand through the park on our way to grab some food at one of the restaurants on campus. I blushed as my hand absentmindedly went to my 8-month pregnant belly. Derek picked the hand he was holding up and brought it to his lips "I mean it. You're so perfect." He told me not paying attention to the woman that was approaching us. I noticed her first saying "um hello". When I said this Derek's eyes left me and focused to the red head in front of us.
"Addison" he breathed out
"Hi Derek. Remember me?" she seemed to say sarcastically. I was truly dreading the day when I would meet Addison face to face. I honestly had hoped it would never happen. She looked me over and focused a second too long on my stomach before noticing the ring on my finger.
She scoffed. "You've got to be kidding me." She exclaimed shaking her head at Derek.
"Well, this is awkward" Derek stated shifting uncomfortably and raking his hands through his hair.
"You must be the woman who my boyfriend cheated on me with." Addison said turning her attention to me.
"Addison don't. That was my fault. Don't bring Mer into this" he told her.
"You do know that we were together for two years, right?" she said ignoring him and focusing her wrath on me.
"I um-"
"It was wrong what you did. I just want you to know that." She replied cutting me off.
"Addison, leave it." Derek warned
"And honestly, if I hadn't been cheating on Derek the last 6 months of our relationship it probably would have hurt a lot more than it did." She told me
I turned my attention to Derek who seemed strangely calm "We're done here" Derek told her calmly grabbing my hand again and walking away from her.
"Good luck trying to make it through med school with your little bastard baby." She called after us.
Derek stopped in his tracks and dropped my hand walking back over to her.
"Don't you ever talk about my child like that again." He spoke to her with a nerve and rage in his voice that I'd never heard come out of him before.
"And don't ever speak Meredith again."
Addison stood there looking after us shocked at the venom in Derek's voice.
"Are you okay?" I asked him after we were a distance away.
He was silent for a moment "I know I was wrong what I did to her, but it didn't feel wrong and it doesn't feel wrong now." He told me
I offered him a small smile "Come on, let's go get something to eat. I'm starving."