"Meredith, how are you holding up?" Derek asked as he entered her room. He rushed to her side taking the towel from Izzie and giving her a grateful smile.
"Where the hell have you been?" she shouted as she clutched his hand painfully as another contraction came.
"I hope you don't intend on kissing our child with a mouth like that." He said as he kissed her quivering lips quickly.
"I thought that maybe you changed your mind." She cried softly.
"Never." He told her stroking her back.
"How far are her contractions?" he asked Izzie.
"Um there're about two minutes apart. Maybe she should start pushing." She suggested.
"Yeah that sounds about right. Where's Dr. Ramirez?" he asked Izzie.
"She stepped out but I'll go get her." She ran out of the room in search of her doctor.
"Okay Mer you can do this. I'll be right here by your side." He promised kissing her temple and rubbing slow circles on her back.
"I love you Derek." She whispered grasping onto his hand as her contraction came again.
He nodded mutely, unable to talk.
George, Izzie, Cristina, and Alex stood outside the delivery room anxiously awaiting the arrival of Meredith and Derek's child.
"I think she's gonna have Mer's dry sense of humor." Izzie said sipping her coffee.
"I think she's gonna have Shepherd's amazing hair." Cristina snorted.
"She'll definitely have her sex appeal." Alex added earning a few stares.
"No, she'll be beautiful like Mer." George said.
"Mallory's gonna be like this beautiful uber surgeon with two gorgeous parents." Izzie pointed out.
"Any update." Bailey asked approaching her interns.
"Nope." George answered picking at his nails.
"Then there are some other patients you could be helping." She exclaimed handing Cristina and Izzie some charts. "O'Malley go check up on 4112 and Karev go get the trauma patient in the pit." The four of them looked back at one another debating whether or not to go. "Move it." Bailey yelled rolling her eyes as they quickly dispersed.
"I thought I heard some yelling out here figured it be you." Derek said pulling off his scrub bandana.
"How is she?" she asked.
"Exhausted." He sighed happily.
"Are you gonna make me ask?" Bailey said putting her hands on her waist.
"It's a girl. Seven pounds and twenty-one inches." He smiled proudly.
"You so damn stupid." Bailey muttered.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Don't get me wrong I'm happy that your baby is fine an all but what you've done is just wrong. Having an affair with the very same women you left to be with your wife, and then you go and knock her up. Meredith's become a pariah, practically black listed to anyone who disapproves of your relationship. The worst part is she's a brilliant surgeon and could become one of the best, but from now on she'll be known as that intern who slept and had a baby with a married attending. Give Meredith my best." She said walking away.
Meredith pulled her hair into a high ponytail and got out of bed to check up on Mallory. She walked slowly into the nursery and over to her crib. There, Mallory rested peacefully on her back, her tiny lips parted as she sucked at the dry air. Her tiny hands were balled into fists and tiny wisps of curly blonde hair stuck out in all directions. Meredith smiled, stroking a finger across her soft cheek. She was completely oblivious to the turmoil and chaos she had created by simply entering the world. When the doctor cleaned her off, and Derek had cut off the umbilical cord, he placed Mallory into her arms. Meredith cried, letting her emotions go. She thought of the moment she was placed in her mother's arms. Did she cry with joy at the prospect of raising a child? Was she excited to get to know this new little person she had created. Despite having a rocky relationship with her own mother Meredith vowed to never let her daughter doubt the love she had for her.
She sighed tugging at the waistband of her yoga pants that were still a little tight on her. Meredith still had some baby fat from the pregnancy but wasn't in any hurry to loose the weight. There really wasn't anyone for her to impress. After the birth Derek had driven them home and stayed over to help with the midnight crying fest and feedings. Addison, who had up until this point was hiding her indifference, was not happy with Derek spending anymore time with his new family then he had to. She called him all the time asking where he was and what time he would be coming home. Meredith advised him to just go and be with his wife. Things were still tense between them after Meredith had professed her love. Derek always knew that she still loved him but he hadn't expected her to blurt it out during labor. He was still torn between Addison and Meredith; even though he had the family he always wanted with Meredith his family was Addison. His so called life was miserable without the presence of his daughter Mallory. It was hard to believe that he was a father. After years of false pregnancies, fertility tests, and the option of adoption he was a dad. Someone was going to look up to him for protection, advice, and love for the rest of his life. All it took was ruining the reputation of a young and upcoming surgeon. Did Derek feel guilty about stringing Addison and Meredith along, yes. Every time Meredith, Addison, and himself were in the same room or passing each other by the whispers would start. Mainly they were disapproving looks directed at Meredith, like it was solely her fault for getting pregnant. Seattle Grace was a big high school drama, and the ugliest he had ever encountered. Richard tried placating him, telling him that the gossip would die down, it always did. He feared that his hot shot doctor would leave the hospital, Seattle, unable to handle the stress. But Derek promised him he wouldn't, even though he had every reason to, and only two reasons to stay.