Two Days Later:

"Derek, are you alright?" Meredith asked, brushing a lock of hair that had fallen across his head. She ran her hands through his thick hair, lightly scraping her nails on his scalp. They were lying in bed in his trailer watching late-night tv and enjoying the pleasures of being in the same dwelling for the first time in a year. The light from the television flickered across the walls of the small room, casting a relaxing glow. In Meredith's eyes things were back to normal accept for one thing: Derek was upset and he wouldn't tell her why.

"I'm fine." He murmured. He loved when she did that to him. It made him relax—and he really needed to relax after the past forty-eight hours. He was going to be a father—with the woman that he had just divorced not three weeks earlier. Maybe he should call Jerry Springer, he thought irritably. This was the kind of dirt he'd love to get his nasty hands on.

"You're sure?" She leaned down and kissed his forehead softly. "You've been really weird the last couple of days." She was worried that he was having second thoughts about them—about her impromptu decision to stay with him in the trailer until they decided exactly where they wanted to live permanently.

"I've got a lot on my mind, baby." He murmured without opening his eyes. He was scared—had never been more scared in his whole life—and he knew that if he wasn't strait with her, if he didn't bite the bullet that he'd lose her for good. For frig sakes he'd just gotten her back. What a hell he'd created for himself. "And I need to think about how I'm going to say this to you."

Her hand stopped midway through his hair and pulled back. He opened his eyes and saw the fear in hers, and looked away, ashamed.

"What's wrong?" She blinked and swallowed and for some reason she started to feel the perspiration down the back of her black lace nightie that barely covered enough.

The truth was that he was angry—angrier than hell, at Addison, even though he knew that it really couldn't be blamed on her entirely. He didn't want a child with her, didn't want to even think about the on-slaughter of problems that it would bring to he and Meredith—if their newfound relationship even survived a pregnancy with another woman. He was angry at himself for being a coward, an ass, and an all-round big jerk.

He sighed, before running his hand through his hair. "I don't know how to say this to you, Meredith, so I'm just going to say it." He blew the air out from between his lips in an effort to calm himself down. "Addison came to see me the other day and she told me something that is going to change everything between you and me----" He looked up at her before continuing. She sat stone still, her eyes on the bedspread, preparing herself for the worst. "She want—"

Meredith's head snapped up and she cut him off before he could continue. "She wants you back?" She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Why am I not surprised? Don't tell me that you want her back, Derek----" She reached out and turned his face so she could look him in the eye. "You aren't telling me that you're going back to her?"

He blanched. "No!" He reached out and drew her toward him. She reluctantly let him, then pulled back, knowing that he was about to hurt her and she didn't think she could take any more hurt. "I will never go back to her, Meredith. I love you and I hope that you really love me too, because there's something that you have to know."

"What is it?" She whispered, tears gathering in her eyes. She sat up and rested her back against the headboard. "Tell me now."

"Addison's pregnant." He said softly. "She wants to keep it and I'm so sorry that this happened now, Meredith." He searched her face, wanting her to see that he really meant what he'd said.

"This isn't happening." She mumbled, the tears now sliding down her cheeks. She did not look at him, nor did she even articulate the thousand questions that were now racing through her mind. Only one; "How could this happen to us, Derek?"

How was it supposed to work? Did he seriously think that they would make it after Addison and he had a child? This had come at the worst possible time! She and Derek had been back together for less than a month—granted, it had been a wonderful month—and time for the two of them was precious and sweet. She knew in her heart that he was the man she wanted to marry. It was just a matter of time. The only question was could she handle this? Could she be supportive?

"Meredith, what are you thinking?" He rolled over and sat up beside her. "I want to be with you, so please don't misunderstand that; and I don't know what Addison will do with the baby—I haven't talked to her again."

"She'll keep her baby and try and make sure that you two are together."

"It won't happen."

"Are you sure that you don't want to go back to her for the sake of this baby?"

He winced, hurt. "Do you want me to go back to her? What kind of a question is that? Are you trying to make me leave you again?"

"No. But this is a baby." She said softly. "Your baby and it needs a father. I grew up without a father. I just want you to be sure about us, about what's best for everyone."

"What's best for everyone is you and me—together. There is no other way for me, Meredith. I love you and I can't live my life without you." He shook his head. "I won't do it."

"Do what?" She asked, wiping another tear. She was emotionally drained and didn't really know what to think at that point.

"Live my life without you by my side. Whatever we have to do about Addison we do it together." He hugged her to him and they rocked back and forth slowly while she cried.

"Please tell me what to do to keep you." He pleaded softly. "Please don't leave me."

She pulled back so she could look at him. "I would never leave you. Not for anyone. I love you so much it would kill me to leave. Look, this is a big shock for you, for me, and probably for Addison too. I can't tell you that this isn't going to be hard and probably really awful at times, but if you want me, I'm yours. Always. I'll be here one hundred percent, Derek."

Emotions were high and neither of them could remember a time when things just worked out perfectly for the sake of working perfectly. "I'm sorry." A single tear fell down his cheek. "I'm so sorry, Mer." He bowed his head into her lap and held on to her legs.

"I know." She soothed. "It will be fine. We'll work it out." She ran her hands along his bare back, wondering exactly how they would be fine—how on earth they were going to work this situation out—especially when she told him the news that she had been hiding.

"Der, why don't you want to have kids?" She asked softly. "Is it because you think you're too old now?"

"I never said I didn't want to have kids." He answered. "And, just for the record, I"m not that old."

"But you said—"

He looked up at her. "What I said was that I wanted to have kids with you. I never wanted to have kids with Addison. I know it sounds cruel but I can't get into the idea that in eight months I'm going to have a son or daughter with my ex-wife. I mean, how is that supposed to work?"

"You two will work it out."

"You're the woman I want to have kids with." He said, pulling himself up from her lap and rolling over on his back, pulled her on top of him so her long hair fell down over both their faces. "I knew the moment I met you that this was forever. Even if it took a year to get to where we are now." He tilted his head up for a kiss. She bent down and obliged.

"I'm glad you feel that way." She said, hesitantly.

His eyebrows rose. "Why? Are you pregnant too?" He joked.

"Uh huh." She gave him a sheepish grin. "Bad timing?"

"Seriously?"

She nodded.

"Seriously!" He blurted. "We're having a baby!"

She laughed. "I was so scared to tell you and I'm glad I didn't until now. I didn't plan it Derek, but that night at the prom—"

"I don't care!" He exclaimed, raining kisses on her face, over her eyelids and forehead. "I'm so happy!"

"You are?" She sounded relieved.

"I love you, Meredith.'

"I love you too."

And so, that evening three lives had changed, two babies were awaiting arrival into a new world, and one woman cried herself to sleep, wondering why she couldn't find love.